Chapter 12 - The Live Feed
The blue glow of the laptop screen cast an ethereal, ghostly pallor over Elena’s face as she stared at the live security feed. In the video, the figure in the trench coat reached out and touched the framed family portrait resting on the mantelpiece, sliding it face-down against the wood.
"They're in our house," Elena whispered, her voice cracking with a deep, visceral panic. "They're destroying everything."
"It's a distraction," Arthur said, stepping up to the iron desk and slamming the laptop lid shut, cutting off the feed instantly. "Jonathan wants us panicked. He wants us running blind so we make mistakes."
"A distraction?" Elena turned on him, her eyes flashing with a fury that burned away her fear. "Arthur, our home is being invaded while we're crawling through a rat-infested tunnel based on your lies! How can you stand there and talk about strategy?"
"Because if we panic, we die," Arthur snapped back, his voice rising, echoing sharply off the damp concrete walls of the underground chamber. "Jonathan isn't just playing games. He wants to pin Mia's disappearance on me so he can take control of the firm's assets. Every move we make has to be calculated."
"Stop fighting," Leo commanded. The boy’s voice, small yet unnaturally commanding, cut through their argument. Leo pointed his flashlight toward the far wall of the chamber, where a heavy iron door stood slightly ajar. "We're here."
Arthur and Elena stopped arguing, turning their attention to the door. Through the gap, a pale, natural amber light spilled into the chamber, carrying the faint, unmistakable smell of pine needles and fresh rain. They had reached the abandoned estate.
Arthur stepped forward, pushing the heavy iron door open. It swung outward with a rusty groan, revealing a vast, overgrown courtyard swallowed by creeping ivy and weeds. Rising in the center of the yard was the grand, decaying Victorian mansion where they had lived three years ago—the house where the nightmare had begun.
"Stay close to me," Arthur instructed, drawing a deep breath of the cool night air as he stepped out into the courtyard, his light grey suit standing out sharply against the decaying background.
Elena followed closely, her black dress catching on the thorny vines that bordered the overgrown stone pathway. Leo brought up the rear, his eyes darting across the dark, blank windows of the mansion like a seasoned scout.
May you like
As they crossed the threshold into the grand foyer of the mansion, the heavy front door behind them slammed shut with a thunderous crash, locking automatically. At the top of the grand staircase, standing half-shrouded in shadow, a figure waited for them, holding a small, silver key in its outstretched hand.
---
