Chapter 7 - beneath the foundation
Without another word, Theodore called his chief security officer through his encrypted radio. "Lock down the estate. Nobody leaves. Cancel all incoming shipments from the northern docks."
"Sir?" the voice over the radio responded. "Dominic said those shipments were already cleared by you—"
"Dominic lied," Theodore said coldly. "Hold him in the lounge. If he moves, shoot."
He turned off the radio and looked at Marisol and Coraline. "Stay in this study. Lock the door from the inside and do not open it for anyone except me."
Theodore retrieved a sleek black sidearm from his desk drawer, checked the magazine with practiced efficiency, and slipped it into his jacket. He walked back to the old west coat closet, his boots silent against the floorboards.
He pushed open the wooden panel once more. Looking closely into the dark cavity with a tactical flashlight, he noticed something he had missed in the dim light earlier: a small brass keyhole set deep into the stone behind the wooden frame.
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He took the old gold ring out of his pocket. On the side of the ring was a tiny raised crest. He pressed the crest into the keyhole.
With a heavy rumble, the back wall of the closet swung inward, revealing a flight of stone stairs descending straight into the black depths beneath the mansion's foundation.
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