Chapter 7 - Into the Fire
The pre-recorded video of David holding little Sarah made Mark's blood run completely cold.
David explained that the signed corporate transfer documents were not enough to secure his safety.
He needed Mark to publicly confess to all the corporate crimes David had committed.
David told the camera that Sarah was hidden somewhere inside the massive mansion itself.
However, David had also rigged the entire estate with highly volatile plastic explosives.
He cheerfully announced that Mark and Victoria had exactly ten minutes to find her before the house exploded.
The television screen went perfectly black, replaced by a large, glowing red digital timer counting down from ten minutes.
Mark panicked and immediately sprinted up the grand staircase to check Sarah's bedroom again.
He kicked the locked door open and found her pink bed completely empty and cold.
Victoria shouted from the hallway, organizing a systematic search of the sprawling second floor.
They tore through guest rooms, massive closets, and luxurious bathrooms with frantic desperation.
Every passing second felt like an eternity as the digital clock ticked down mercilessly.
With only five minutes left, Mark ran down to the expansive basement level.
He smashed open wooden storage crates and kicked down the heavy doors to the wine cellar.
Victoria joined him in the basement, her face pale with fear and absolute exhaustion.
She pointed out a strange draft of cold air coming from behind a massive oak wine rack.
Mark grabbed the edge of the heavy wooden rack and pulled with all his remaining strength.
The rack swung open like a hidden door, revealing a dark, secret passageway behind it.
Mark realized it was an old prohibition-era bootlegger tunnel that he never even knew existed.
They drew their weapons and stepped cautiously into the damp, narrow dirt tunnel.
They could hear the faint, muffled sound of a child crying in the pitch-black darkness.
Mark called out Sarah's name, and the crying immediately turned into a hopeful shout.
They rushed forward and found Sarah locked inside a rusty iron cage embedded in the dirt wall.
Mark frantically shot the heavy padlock off the cage and pulled his crying daughter into his arms.
He hugged her incredibly tight, promising that he would never let anything bad happen to her again.
Victoria looked at her glowing wristwatch and screamed that they only had sixty seconds left.
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They turned to run back toward the basement, but a heavy metal grate suddenly slammed down, blocking their path.
David stepped out of the shadows on the other side of the grate, holding a remote detonator in his hand.
