Chapter 6 — The Cry Behind the Wall
The lights went out.
For three seconds, there was nothing.
No electricity.
No moonlight through the boarded windows.
Only darkness.
Then—
A child began to cry.
Arthur froze.
“Ethan?”
The sound came again.
A frightened sob.
Small.
Shaky.
Familiar.
Arthur lunged toward the voice.
“ETHAN!”
Daniel caught his arm.
“Wait!”
“That’s my son!”
“I know.”
“Then let go of me!”
Arthur tore himself free and moved toward the sound.
Behind him, Maria whispered, “Something’s wrong.”
Gerald Whitmore stood completely still.
He wasn't surprised.
That was what frightened Arthur most.
The old attorney simply watched the darkness with an expression that looked almost satisfied.
Another sob echoed through the house.
“Dad…”
Arthur stopped breathing.
It was Ethan.
It sounded exactly like him.
“Dad, please…”
Arthur ran.
He reached the hallway and nearly slammed into a wall.
“Ethan!”
No answer.
He followed the crying toward the old study.
The door was open.
Inside, the room was black.
Arthur reached for his phone.
The screen illuminated the desk.
Empty.
The hidden cabinet was still open.
The black ledger was gone.
Arthur's stomach dropped.
“Daniel!”
Daniel entered behind him.
His face changed immediately.
“Where's the ledger?”
Arthur turned.
“You tell me.”
“I left it here.”
“No, you didn't.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“I locked it inside the cabinet.”
Arthur lifted his phone.
“Then someone opened it.”
Maria entered next.
She looked at the cabinet.
Then at the floor.
“There.”
A small line of mud crossed the wooden floor.
Everyone looked down.
The mud led from the window.
But the window was locked.
Daniel crouched.
He touched the floor.
“Fresh.”
Gerald appeared in the doorway.
“You're wasting time.”
Arthur looked at him.
“What did you do?”
Gerald's expression remained calm.
“I did nothing.”
“You knew my son was here.”
“I knew you were coming.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
Gerald smiled faintly.
“Your son isn't here.”
The crying stopped.
Silence returned.
Arthur's heart pounded.
Then the sound came again.
But this time—
It wasn't coming from the hallway.
It was coming from the wall.
Arthur slowly turned toward the old bookshelf.
The crying came from behind it.
“Dad…”
Arthur moved toward the bookshelf.
Daniel grabbed his shoulder.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because there shouldn't be a room behind that wall.”
Maria's eyes widened.
“There is.”
Everyone looked at her.
She swallowed.
“I've seen the plans.”
Arthur stared at her.
“What plans?”
“The original plans for this house.”
She pointed toward the bookshelf.
“That wall isn't solid.”
Daniel immediately understood.
“Hidden passage.”
Maria nodded.
Arthur pushed the bookshelf.
It didn't move.
Daniel searched the wooden frame.
Nothing.
Then Ethan's voice came again.
“Dad…”
Arthur slammed his palm against the wall.
“Ethan! I'm here!”
A faint knock answered.
Three times.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Arthur's blood ran cold.
Three knocks.
The same signal Ethan had used when he was younger whenever he was hiding during their games.
“He's alive,” Arthur whispered.
Daniel looked around.
“Find the mechanism.”
They searched the shelves.
Nothing.
Then Maria noticed something.
A small brass horse sat on the lowest shelf.
She touched it.
The bookshelf shifted.
A narrow door opened.
Cold air rushed into the room.
Arthur stepped through without hesitation.
The passage was barely wide enough for one person.
The walls were lined with old pipes and electrical wires.
At the end—
A small room.
And inside it sat Ethan.
His hands were tied loosely with a strip of cloth.
His face was wet with tears.
Arthur rushed forward.
“My God.”
He dropped to his knees.
“Ethan.”
The boy threw himself into his father's arms.
“Dad!”
Arthur held him tightly.
“I've got you.”
Ethan buried his face against his chest.
“I thought they were going to take me.”
“Who?”
Ethan pulled back.
His face was pale.
“The man in the gray coat.”
Arthur's heart stopped.
“Where is he?”
Ethan pointed toward the opposite wall.
“He was here.”
Daniel immediately drew his attention to the narrow door.
“Was he alone?”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
Arthur's voice lowered.
“Who was with him?”
Ethan hesitated.
Then he whispered,
“Mom.”
Arthur went still.
Maria covered her mouth.
Daniel looked at Elena's empty space beside them.
“Elena?”
Ethan nodded.
“She came here with him.”
Arthur stared at his son.
“No.”
“She did.”
“No, Ethan. Your mother wouldn't—”
“She told him where the key was.”
Arthur couldn't speak.
Ethan continued.
“She told him Dad would come to the old house.”
Daniel slowly stood.
“Arthur.”
Arthur looked at him.
“What?”
Daniel pointed to the floor.
There were two sets of footprints.
One large.
One smaller.
The smaller footprints belonged to a woman.
Arthur recognized the pattern immediately.
Elena's shoes.
But there was something else.
A third set.
Small.
Barefoot.
Ethan's.
Daniel's expression hardened.
“They brought him here.”
Arthur looked down at his son.
“When?”
Ethan wiped his eyes.
“Before we came.”
“Who brought you?”
“The man.”
“And your mother?”
“She was crying.”
Arthur's anger faltered.
“She was crying?”
Ethan nodded.
“She told me she was sorry.”
A terrible silence settled over the room.
Arthur gently touched his son's hair.
“Did she hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did she tie you up?”
Ethan shook his head.
“The man did.”
Arthur stood.
“Where is he?”
Ethan pointed to the wall behind him.
“He went through there.”
Daniel examined it.
There was a narrow metal door.
Locked.
He kicked it.
Nothing.
Arthur stepped forward.
“Move.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Arthur—”
“Move.”
Arthur kicked the door.
Once.
Twice.
On the third strike, the lock broke.
The door swung open.
Beyond it was another passage.
But there was nobody there.
Only a phone lying on the floor.
Arthur picked it up.
The screen was still glowing.
A video was playing.
Arthur pressed pause.
His face changed.
The video showed Elena.
She was sitting in a dark room.
Her hands were trembling.
A man in a gray coat stood behind her.
His face was hidden.
Then the man spoke.
“Tell Arthur what you were told.”
Elena looked directly into the camera.
“If you're watching this…”
She swallowed.
“…then Arthur already knows about Daniel.”
Arthur's fingers tightened around the phone.
Elena continued.
“I didn't betray you.”
The video stopped.
A timer appeared.
Five seconds.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
The screen went black.
Then a new message appeared.
YOU HAVE THE BOY.
Arthur stared.
Another message appeared.
NOW CHOOSE WHICH FAMILY MEMBER YOU WANT TO SAVE.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Arthur…”
A final line appeared.
ELENA OR ETHAN.
Arthur's blood ran cold.
Then the phone rang.
Everyone froze.
The caller ID showed one name.
ELENA.
Arthur answered.
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then Elena whispered,
“Arthur…”
He closed his eyes.
“Elena. Where are you?”
A pause.
Then she said something that made every person in the room go silent.
“I'm standing in front of Gerald.”
Arthur looked toward the doorway.
Gerald Whitmore was gone.
May you like
And from somewhere deep inside the old house—
A door slammed shut.
