Chapter 9 - The Deadbolt Trap
Julian threw his weight against the heavy oak door, but it didn't budge. The deadbolt had been thrown from the outside with mechanical precision. Through the thick wood, he heard the faint, metallic scrape of a padlock being snapped into place.
"Open this door, Mother!" Julian shouted, slamming his fist against the panels until his knuckles bruised.
"I am securing the estate, Julian," Helena’s voice drifted through the wood, muffled but perfectly clear. "You have played the hero long enough. While you were busy feeling guilty for a crime you didn't commit, I arranged for the proper authorities to handle the situation discreetly. The carriage house staff is clearing the property as we speak."
Julian turned away from the door, his chest heaving with adrenaline. He looked at the maid, who was pressed against the corner of the bedroom, her breathing shallow and fast. "The service elevator," Julian said, grabbing her by the shoulders with intense urgency. "Where does the shaft exit on this floor?"
The maid pointed a shaking finger toward the corner of the walk-in closet. "Behind the cedar shelving. There’s a sliding panel. But Boss... Mr. Vance isn't alone down there. When I started working here two years ago, I found out why the previous maid disappeared. Mrs. Vance doesn't just lock people away. She uses them."
Julian didn't wait for her to elaborate. He rushed into the walk-in closet, shoving the heavy cedar shelving units aside. The wood groaned against the wall, revealing a narrow vertical gap just wide enough for a man’s shoulders. Inside, a rusted iron ladder led downward into total darkness, carrying the damp, metallic scent of subterranean stone.
Without hesitation, Julian stepped into the opening and grabbed the rungs of the ladder, beginning his descent into the bowels of the mansion. The air grew colder with every foot he dropped, the ambient noise of the house fading into a heavy, oppressive silence.
As he reached the bottom of the shaft, his boots hit packed dirt and damp stone. A single flickering overhead bulb cast a sickly yellow glow over a long, subterranean hallway lined with rusted iron doors.
May you like
From down the corridor came the sound of muffled weeping, followed by a cold, authoritative voice that made Julian’s blood run cold.
---
