Chapter 5 - THE ROOM UNDER THE AUDITORIUM
Elliot arrived at Ashbury Hall at 7:15 the next morning.
He brought Dana.
Two attorneys.
A digital forensics specialist.
And a court order preventing destruction of records.
Principal Crowe looked furious.
“You cannot simply invade a private school.”
Dana handed him the order.
“Actually, today we can.”
Caroline Hargrove arrived five minutes later.
“You’re making a spectacle.”
Elliot looked at her.
“No.”
“You made the spectacle.”
“I’m just turning on the lights.”
They walked toward the auditorium.
Crowe stepped in front of the basement door.
“That area contains old maintenance equipment.”
Elliot handed the court order to his lawyer.
“Open it.”
Crowe refused.
The school’s facilities manager finally produced a key.
The door opened.
Stale air rushed out.
They descended a narrow staircase.
At the bottom was a locked room.
A second key was needed.
Crowe claimed he didn’t have it.
The facilities manager did.
Inside were six old monitors.
A desk.
Two computers.
Shelves of hard drives.
Elliot felt his stomach drop.
Lila had told the truth.
Dana whispered,
“Don’t touch anything.”
The forensics specialist photographed the room.
One monitor was still active.
The screen showed multiple camera feeds.
Cafeteria.
Hallways.
Gym.
Auditorium.
Supply corridors.
Crowe’s face went white.
“I didn’t know this room was operational.”
Dana looked at him.
“Then why does your keycard access log show you entered it fourteen times last month?”
Crowe stopped speaking.
Caroline looked at him sharply.
That was interesting.
Maybe she didn’t know everything.
The specialist opened a directory.
Folders appeared.
Student names.
Dozens.
Maya Torres.
Lila Reed.
Noah Greene.
Sophie Klein.
Jordan Matthews.
Elliot stared.
“What is this?”
The specialist clicked Lila’s folder.
Videos appeared.
Lila carrying backpacks.
Lila washing Peyton’s shoes.
Lila being shoved into a supply closet.
Lila crying in a bathroom.
Lila sitting alone while a teacher watched children dump her lunch.
Elliot’s hands curled into fists.
Then another file opened.
Audio.
Peyton’s voice.
“Say it.”
Lila cried,
“I’m trash.”
“Louder.”
“I’m trash.”
Laughter.
Elliot turned away.
He couldn’t watch.
Dana touched his arm.
“There’s more.”
The folder contained notes.
Dates.
Incidents.
And something labeled RESPONSE LEVEL.
Next to Lila’s name:
LEVEL 2 — OBSERVE.
Maya’s name:
LEVEL 4 — REMOVE.
Elliot read it twice.
“What does remove mean?”
Crowe said nothing.
Dana looked at Caroline.
“Any idea?”
Caroline’s face had gone strangely blank.
The specialist opened another file.
An email appeared.
From Crowe.
To Caroline.
Subject: REED SITUATION.
Elliot read the preview.
SHE IS BECOMING DIFFICULT.
IF SHE ESCALATES, USE TORRES PROTOCOL.
Elliot turned toward Crowe.
“What is the Torres Protocol?”
Crowe’s lips parted.
Nothing came out.
Caroline backed away.
“I didn’t authorize this.”
Elliot looked at her.
“You were copied.”
“I receive hundreds of emails.”
Dana clicked the thread.
Caroline had replied.
UNDERSTOOD.
HANDLE QUIETLY.
The room went silent.
Then a loud crash came from upstairs.
The specialist looked toward the ceiling.
“What was that?”
A fire alarm began screaming.
Red lights flashed.
Crowe suddenly moved toward the door.
Elliot grabbed his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“Fire.”
Dana shouted,
“The servers!”
May you like
Smoke began curling under the basement door.
Someone was trying to burn the evidence.
