Sinners and Saints II

Chapter 35

The black automatic roller shutter door took its time as it rolled its way up the moment Rafael got close enough to it, exposing the fleet of cars that were parked right inside. Rafael drew a deep breath, folding his sweaty palms into a fist, giving himself reasons to not want to get in. Reasons to not turn back.

Rafael shut his eyes for a second. The house was so quiet. Too quiet. He really hoped no one had informed his parents he was there yet. Thanks to the security cameras at every corner of the house including the gate, Rafael knew it was almost impossible driving in without anyone noticing. He just needed some time; some time to satisfy his curiosity. Some time to really see the voices in his head were wrong.

'You have nothing to worry about. There's nothing there.'

He kept reminding himself as he took a step into the clean garage. The lights came on, brightening up the place. Rafael needed his memory to lead him, to help him to the secret compartment. It had been years since he had even been to that part of the house. Finding the secret door was almost impossible especially since he knew there weren't exactly clues on the wall. There was no door, no indication of an extension. Rafael looked at the walls, they were so white, so....plain.

He walked straight to the wall at the end of the room, right behind the black SUV his father really didn't ride anymore.

He could remember it was somewhere around there. It was almost like he was so sure. There had to be something. A loophole. A way to find whatever it was he was looking for. Rafael swallowed hard and then slowly placed his hands on the wall so he could feel it. There was nothing. Nothing at all. Everything looked normal. So normal. He hit the wall a little bit and then heard a creaking sound from behind him. Rafael quickly turned, wondering where it came from. There was nothing, no one there. Just cars. He hit the wall again and then another creaking sound was heard, this time, it came from right in front of him. From the SUV.

Rafael took a step to the car parked behind him, cautious of every step. He walked around the car, watching it slowly like he was trying to find a connection until he was right behind it again. He slowly placed his hand behind it and then the other. Rafael pushed on it slightly and he heard another cracking sound. This time, it came from the wall.

He turned quickly to see what it was and then slowly turned back to the car. Now he was sure there was something. Something about it. Rafael drew a deep breath. This was it. He pushed harder on the SUV, as hard as he could in attempt to move it a little bit. He pushed the car and it moved. The cracking sound got worse. Rafael turned quickly and swallowed hard the moment he saw a tiny demarcation between the wall. He could see a black box right in between with buttons. Rafael could feel his legs pushing him towards the direction of the box that looked like a safe. Like a security safe. Like he was supposed to press a code to find out what was behind it. Rafael glared at it for a while. Thinking of what the six digit code could possibly be.

He rubbed his palm together. He had something he really want to try. The first numbers that came to his head. The date of the ALCS crisis.
One-two-one-nine-nine-five.

He pushed the buttons on the box consecutively and then a loud beep echoed around the room followed by a tiny crack sound. A hole appeared beside the wall, right beside the box. A dark hole. It looked more like a space. That had to be it. That had to be the room. Rafael knew he couldn't afford to stall anymore. He placed his hand into the hole and then pulled the door to the side till the hole was big enough for him to pass through.

He turned back to the garage to make sure no one was coming. There was no one in sight. Rafael slowly turned back to the dark room in front of him. It was a room. It had to be. He walked in as fast as he could, down the ramp slowly reaching for his phone so he could see admist all that darkness even with the tiny ray of light that came in from the garage.