Chapter 3 - The Burner Phone
Ryan slid down the cold steel door, absolutely paralyzed by his wife's horrific betrayal.
He turned on his phone flashlight, illuminating the dusty, unfinished basement.
Leo was sitting on a pile of old blankets, holding the little girl tightly in his arms.
"Dad, why did Mom lock us in here?" Leo asked, his voice trembling with tears.
Ryan walked over and knelt beside the children, trying to keep his own panic hidden.
"I don't know, buddy, but I am going to get us out," Ryan promised softly.
He looked at the little girl, who was staring at a specific brick on the far wall.
"She always leaves the key for the tunnel right there," the little girl whispered.
Ryan walked over to the wall and pulled the loose brick away from the concrete foundation.
Behind it was a small digital keypad and a heavy crowbar.
He used the crowbar to pry open a hidden wooden panel near the floorboards.
A narrow dirt tunnel stretched out into the darkness, leading away from the house.
"Chloe built this?" Ryan muttered to himself, realizing he never truly knew his wife.
He ushered the children into the tunnel, crawling on his hands and knees through the damp dirt.
They emerged ten minutes later in the thick woods behind their suburban neighborhood.
Ryan peered through the trees and saw two black SUVs parked in his driveway.
He watched in horror as Chloe willingly got into the back of a vehicle with the armed men.
She was not a hostage; she was one of them.
Just as the SUVs sped away into the night, a strange ringing sound broke the silence.
Ryan checked his pockets, but it was not his phone making the noise.
The little girl reached into the pocket of her oversized shirt and pulled out a cheap burner phone.
She handed it to Ryan, her green eyes wide with fear.
Ryan answered the call, pressing the plastic device to his ear.
"If you want to keep your daughter alive, you need to listen to my exact instructions," a cold, familiar voice said.
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It was the voice of Ryan's older brother, Mark.
The same brother who had supposedly died in a car crash eight years ago.
