Chapter 3 - The Shadow in the Walls
I stared at the six-year-old boy, praying he simply possessed an overactive imagination.
I asked Luke to tell me more about the woman with the red hair.
He whispered that she only came out at night when his father was locked in his study.
Evan overheard the conversation and quickly walked over to us.
The older boy grabbed Luke's hand and told him to stop telling fake ghost stories.
Evan's eyes were completely filled with panic as he tried to pull his brother away.
I gently placed my hand on Evan's shoulder to stop him.
I promised the boys that as long as I was here, nothing would hurt them.
Evan looked down at the floor and mumbled that the security guards didn't care about them.
He said the guards only cared about protecting his father's safe in the basement.
I decided it was time to put the boys to bed and investigate the house myself.
I marched them upstairs to their massive shared bedroom and tucked them in.
I left their door open a crack and began walking quietly down the silent corridors.
The mansion felt entirely different at night, shadows stretching unnaturally across the walls.
I checked the air vents and the wood paneling, looking for any signs of hidden passageways.
When I reached the ground floor, I heard a faint scratching sound coming from the kitchen.
I grabbed a heavy bronze candlestick from a hallway table and crept forward.
The kitchen was completely dark except for the moonlight spilling through the windows.
I saw a figure standing near the commercial refrigerator.
It was Marcus, the head of security, holding a small metal device.
He was unscrewing the ventilation grate near the floorboards.
I stepped into the moonlight and loudly asked what he was doing.
Marcus jumped, dropping his screwdriver onto the tiled floor.
He quickly recovered, flashing a smooth, predatory smile in my direction.
He claimed he was just performing a routine sweep for listening devices.
I did not believe a single word coming out of his mouth.
I noticed a blinking red light on the device he was trying to shove into his pocket.
I realized he was not sweeping for bugs, he was actively planting one.
Before I could call out for Adrian, Marcus closed the distance between us in two rapid strides.
He grabbed me roughly by the throat and slammed me against the cold refrigerator doors.
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He pulled a silenced pistol from his shoulder holster and pressed it hard against my ribs.
He smiled cruelly and told me I was going to help him open the basement safe.
