My Father's House

Chapter 18

Security breach. Kael's words echoed in my brain as I stood, motionless in the foyer, my father's portrait looming over me. I was alone for only a moment before he returned, grasping my uninjured wrist. 

"I'd rather you come with me." 

Without waiting for my response, he led me back down the hallway toward another dark corridor I hadn't particularly noticed before. Following blindly, I was surprised to find us walking through a hidden passage behind a panel in the hallway. Security breach. His words continued to replay in my mind as my heartbeat pounded in my ears. This incident would answer Garrett's question regarding the absence of visible security. After all, there had to be some manner of security if there was to be a breach.

Once inside the wall, total darkness engulfed us. I had never been anywhere so black. I felt we were in a wall, stuck between beam and drywall. To my relief, Kael opened another latch to continue our descent into the passage.

"Stairs," he warned just in time. I nearly fell when I took the first one, and I steadied myself with his arm.

The sleeve of my dress caught on something on the wall, followed by a tearing noise. He didn't pause. I had no choice but to continue.

The passage probably dated back to the origins of this house, the builder's descendants apparently never bothering to wire it for electricity. My hand fell against more than one candle holder against the walls, the old wax inside crumbling under my touch. Fortunately, the stairs were ergonomically correct, unlike some in older British homes. After my initial stumble, I was able to navigate the stairway rather well. The steps curved to the right. Light escaped from under a door at the bottom, spilling onto the passage floor. We reached the door. Kael pressed his thumb into a small pad to the left of the door. The door slid open.

Taking a moment for my eyes to adjust, I shielded them with my free hand. Once I could see, I noted that the room had dim fluorescent lighting. Monitors lined one wall, giving detailed views of nearly every portion of the estate, inside and out. In the center of the room sat the massive rectangular table with matching leather chairs expected in a boardroom. The other half of the room sported double doors and a small table with a single orchid.

A door opposite us opened when we had hardly entered the room.

Two men came through, complete with bullet proof vests and armed with large guns. I shrunk back a few feet toward the passage.

"Who is it?" Kael asked, stopping to study the monitors. I kept quiet, hoping the other men didn't notice me.

But both guards looked briefly at me before turning toward the monitors and gesturing. "We first noticed it here, sir." The guard indicated a portion of the estate that didn't look familiar from the grainy imagery on the largest screen. It appeared to be mostly trees with the bay in the distance.

"Is it her?" Kael asked the second man.

"I believe so." He seemed uneasy, chancing a glance my way. "We've sent out two men to check the situation. If she's out there, we'll find her."

Kael nodded. "Where's Higgins?" He pushed past the two men without waiting for them to respond. Not wanting to be left alone with the two thugs, I came up behind him. We left the boardroom and entered the room they had come from. I was surprised to find myself in a large office with rows of tables with laptops across the room. One large screen projected one of the views of the house. There were half a dozen people at their desks, the majority of desks vacant. Still, I was rather impressed. My father's work must be far more expansive than I had realized. Kael led me to the back of the room where a man stood, eyes fixed on his computer.