Chapter 5 - THE GIRL IN THE BASEMENTThey found the basement beneath the old foundation building.
The scream had stopped.
But Lena could still hear it in her head.
The basement was abandoned.
Dust covered the floor.
Old boxes filled the walls.
Nora held a flashlight.
Mia stayed close to Lena.
Eli remained upstairs with a police officer.
Then they found the door.
It was locked.
Nora pulled out a key.
Lena stared at her.
“You have a key?”
“I used to work here.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know what was behind it.”
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
Inside was a narrow room.
There was a bed.
A small table.
A camera in the corner.
And photographs covering every wall.
Lena walked closer.
The photographs showed children.
Hundreds of them.
Some were smiling.
Some were crying.
Some were sleeping.
Mia suddenly grabbed Lena's hand.
“That's her.”
Lena turned.
Mia pointed to one photograph.
A little girl.
The same girl from Eleanor's photograph.
But this photograph was different.
The girl was older.
Maybe ten.
And she was standing beside a man.
Lena's breath stopped.
The man was Daniel.
Mia whispered:
“That's Uncle Daniel.”
Nora stepped closer.
“Impossible.”
Then Lena noticed something.
Behind the girl stood another child.
A boy.
His face was partially hidden.
But Lena recognized the jacket.
The same jacket Eli was wearing.
She turned around.
“Where is Eli?”
The police officer's voice came through the radio.
“Ma’am?”
Lena grabbed it.
“Where is the boy?”
Silence.
Then static.
Nora's face changed.
“No.”
They ran upstairs.
The officer was unconscious.
The back door was open.
Eli was gone.
His mother was screaming.
Lena ran into the street.
A black van disappeared around the corner.
She stood frozen.
Then Mia grabbed her arm.
“Lena!”
“What?”
Mia pointed at the sidewalk.
Three coins.
Two nickels.
One penny.
Lena stared at them.
A note lay beside them.
She picked it up.
ONE CHILD FOUND.
Below it:
ONE CHILD TAKEN.
Then, at the bottom:
HOW MANY MORE WILL YOU SAVE?
Lena's hands began to shake.
Nora looked at her.
“This isn't about money anymore.”
Lena looked toward the disappearing van.
“No.”
May you like
Her voice hardened.
“It never was.”
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