Chapter 2 - THE WAY OUT
David pulled his phone from his pocket with his free hand and called 911.
“My son is alive. He’s under a floor. He’s been missing for fourteen months.”
The dispatcher asked for the address.
David looked at Elena.
“Tell her.”
His sister stared at the hand gripping his wrist.
“Tell her the address!”
She did.
David put the phone on speaker.
“I’m holding his hand. I can’t get him through.”
“Help is on the way. Don’t pull him through a narrow opening.”
Elena crawled toward him.
“There’s another entrance.”
David’s head snapped around.
“Where?”
“The pantry.”
“Open it.”
“I need you to understand—”
“Open it!”
Maya stood against the couch, shaking. David pointed to the front door.
“Sweetheart, unlock that door. Then stay where I can see you.”
She obeyed.
Elena rose slowly.
“Leave your phone,” David said.
“What?”
“On the table. Now.”
She set it down.
He watched her cross into the kitchen, then heard shelves scrape and a heavy latch lift.
Cold air moved beneath his hand.
“Leo, listen to me. There’s help coming.”
“Is Mom mad?”
David shut his eyes.
“No. No, buddy. Your mom loves you.”
“Aunt Elena said—”
“Whatever she said, it wasn’t true.”
A siren sounded beyond the front windows.
Elena returned to the doorway.
“It’s open.”
“Go outside.”
“David—”
“Outside. Hands where they can see them.”
For the first time in his life, his sister looked afraid of him.
Two police officers entered, followed by firefighters carrying tools. One officer stayed with Elena. The other crouched beside David.
A firefighter went through the pantry.
David heard boots descend wooden steps.
Then a low voice.
“Hey, Leo. My name’s Ben. Your dad’s right upstairs.”
Leo’s hand tightened.
“I won’t leave,” David promised.
Several minutes later, the firefighter appeared carrying a boy wrapped in a blanket.
David recognized his son’s eyes before anything else.
Leo’s hair hung past his ears. His face looked too small and too old at the same time.
David reached for him, then stopped when the paramedic asked for room.
He walked beside the stretcher instead.
Maya touched the blanket.
“I heard you,” she whispered.
Leo tried to smile.
Outside, Elena sat in handcuffs on the front step.
She lifted her head.
“Leo, tell them I fed you.”
Sarah answered David’s call as the ambulance doors opened.
“What happened?”
He could barely force out the words.
“Sarah. I found him.”
Silence.
Then Leo turned toward the phone.
“Mom?”
The scream on the other end almost brought David to his knees.
As the paramedic secured the stretcher, Leo caught his father’s sleeve.
“Dad?”
May you like
“I’m right here.”
“Grandpa said you weren’t coming.”
