Chapter 2 - The Underground Room
Daniel shined his heavy flashlight down the narrow concrete steps.
The air rising from the darkness smelled like stale sweat and strong cleaning chemicals.
He drew his service weapon and slowly descended into the hidden basement.
The stairs ended at a heavy steel door equipped with a digital keypad.
Daniel noticed the door was slightly ajar, as if someone had left in a severe panic.
He pushed the heavy metal open with his shoulder and stepped into a sprawling underground room.
The space was completely soundproofed with thick gray acoustic foam covering every wall.
Bright studio lights hung from the ceiling above a pristine white medical bed.
Daniel felt a sickening twist in his stomach as he observed the professional video equipment arranged in the corner.
This was not the secret of a single deranged man hiding in the suburbs.
This was a highly funded and meticulously organized production studio.
He walked over to a metal desk sitting against the far wall.
A thick black ledger lay open next to a glowing laptop computer.
Daniel shined his light on the handwritten pages of the ledger.
The book contained hundreds of names, dates, and massive financial transactions.
He scanned the list of high-paying clients who had visited this terrible room.
His breath caught in his throat as he read the third name on the page.
May you like
The name written in neat blue ink belonged to his own Precinct Captain.
Suddenly, the heavy steel door slammed shut behind him and the electronic lock beeped aggressively.
