Chapter 11: Behind the Basement Wall
The scream lasted only a few seconds.
But it was enough to change everything.
Rebecca immediately signaled the troopers.
"Secure the room!""
Two officers moved toward the filing cabinets.
Wade stepped in front of them.
"Stop. That area is restricted.""
Rebecca raised the preservation order.
"Move away from the door, Sheriff.""
"You don't understand what you're doing.""
"Then explain it.""
Wade's jaw tightened.
"I told you this building has a structural problem.""
"Then why is someone screaming behind a locked records room?""
Wade looked toward Calvin.
It was a brief glance.
But Rebecca caught it.
"Mr. Pierce, step away from the cabinets.""
Calvin hesitated.
Wade snapped, "Do as she says.""
Rebecca turned.
"You're not giving orders here.""
The troopers moved Calvin aside.
One officer examined the locked door.
"Agent, it's secured from the outside.""
"Open it.""
The officer tried the handle.
It wouldn't move.
"Need a key.""
Wade reached into his pocket.
Rebecca immediately raised her voice.
"Keep your hands where I can see them.""
Wade froze.
"You're threatening a county sheriff?""
"I'm preventing you from interfering with an investigation.""
Darnell moved beside Travis.
"That voice came from behind the door.""
Travis nodded.
"I heard it.""
Wade looked at them.
"You two need to leave.""
Darnell stared at him.
"You've spent three years telling people what to do. Maybe today somebody should tell you.""
Wade's expression darkened.
Rebecca turned toward Michael Grant.
"Get a locksmith.""
One of the troopers radioed for assistance.
Meanwhile, Travis noticed something on the floor.
A trail of wet footprints led from the locked room toward a utility closet.
He pointed.
"Rebecca.""
She followed his gaze.
The footprints were fresh.
And they were much too small to belong to Wade.
Rebecca approached the utility closet.
"Open it.""
Wade immediately stepped forward.
"No.""
The troopers blocked him.
Rebecca opened the door.
Inside was a narrow passageway.
At the far end sat an old wooden chair.
A plastic water bottle lay on its side.
And on the chair was a folded jacket.
Travis recognized the insignia.
Samuel Harlan's sheriff's department uniform.
He picked it up.
A handwritten note fell from the pocket.
It contained only one sentence.
If you found this, I'm still alive.
Travis stared.
"He's here.""
Rebecca turned toward the locked room.
"Open that door. Now.""
The locksmith arrived four minutes later.
The door opened with a sharp metallic click.
The smell hit them first.
Damp concrete.
Stale air.
And something unpleasant that had been trapped in the small room for too long.
A man sat against the far wall.
His hair was gray.
His face was thin.
A thick beard covered his jaw.
His wrists were bruised.
But he was alive.
Travis stepped forward.
"Samuel Harlan?""
The man raised his head.
For a moment, he didn't seem to understand what he was seeing.
Then his eyes widened.
"Who are you?""
"Travis Cole.""
Samuel's expression changed.
"Emily?""
"She's alive.""
The deputy began crying.
"Thank God.""
Rebecca knelt beside him.
"Mr. Harlan, I'm Agent Lawson. You're safe now.""
Samuel shook his head.
"No.""
"You're with state police.""
"No. You don't understand.""
He pointed toward the stairwell.
"He's still here.""
Rebecca glanced back.
Wade stood between two troopers.
His face was expressionless.
Samuel began trembling.
"He's going to kill me.""
Wade laughed.
"He's lost his mind.""
Rebecca turned.
"Take the sheriff upstairs.""
Wade protested.
"On what grounds?""
"Interfering with an evidence preservation operation. We'll discuss additional charges after we establish what happened here.""
The troopers escorted him away.
Samuel watched until the footsteps disappeared.
Then he grabbed Rebecca's sleeve.
"Don't let him go.""
Rebecca looked at him.
"We won't.""
Michael brought a medical kit.
Samuel refused to stand.
His legs were weak.
He had clearly been confined for some time.
Dr. Harris was called to examine him.
While they waited, Rebecca asked a few basic questions.
"How long have you been in this room?""
Samuel swallowed.
"I don't know.""
"Days?""
He shook his head.
"Longer.""
"Months?""
His eyes filled.
"Three years.""
Travis stepped backward.
Darnell covered his mouth.
Three years.
The deputy had been missing for three years.
And the county had continued operating as if he had simply resigned.
Rebecca remained composed.
"Who locked you in here?""
Samuel looked toward the door.
"Wade.""
"Why?""
"Because I saw what happened.""
"What happened to the man near the drainage ditch?""
Samuel's eyes widened.
"You found the body?""
Rebecca nodded.
"We have a statement from Daniel Reeves.""
Samuel closed his eyes.
"Daniel survived?""
"We're trying to locate him.""
Samuel began shaking his head.
"They got to him.""
"Who?""
"Franklin. Wade. Raymond.""
Travis leaned closer.
"Who was the dead man?""
Samuel looked at him.
"His name was Peter Lawson.""
Rebecca went completely still.
"Peter Lawson?""
Samuel nodded.
"He was an investigator. Not from the county. He was working undercover.""
Rebecca's face drained of color.
"My father?""
Samuel looked confused.
"Your father?""
Rebecca slowly sat down.
"My father was Peter Lawson.""
Nobody spoke.
Travis looked between them.
Rebecca's voice became barely audible.
"He disappeared twenty-three years ago.""
Samuel nodded.
"Franklin Pierce was running illegal shipments through the timber company. Your father was investigating him.""
Rebecca's hands trembled.
"How did he die?""
Samuel looked down.
"He was trying to get evidence out of the woods. Wade caught him.""
Rebecca closed her eyes.
"Was Wade responsible?""
Samuel nodded.
"He hit him with a metal bar. Franklin was there. Raymond helped move the truck.""
Rebecca swallowed hard.
"And Emily?""
"She saw them.""
Travis stepped forward.
"What?""
Samuel looked at him.
"She wasn't supposed to be there. She had wandered into the area while looking for her grandfather's dog.""
Travis shook his head.
"She was walking in the woods near our grandparents' property.""
"Yes.""
Samuel continued.
"She saw the men arguing. Peter tried to help her. Then Wade threatened her.""
Travis felt sick.
"Why didn't he kill her?""
Samuel looked toward the floor.
"Because the dog arrived.""
Darnell's eyes filled.
"Rex.""
Samuel nodded.
"Rex came out of the trees and stood between Wade and the girl.""
Travis remembered the old dog standing in the diner parking lot.
The same protective posture.
The same refusal to move.
Samuel continued.
"Wade ordered Franklin to get the girl away from the road. But Rex wouldn't let them approach her.""
Rebecca wiped her eyes.
"Then what happened?""
"Peter was already badly injured. He told me to take Emily and get help. I tried.""
"Why didn't you?""
"Wade caught me.""
Samuel's voice broke.
"He said I had seen too much. He told me that if I opened my mouth, my family would suffer.""
Travis stepped closer.
"And the official report?""
"Wade changed everything. He said Peter had been killed in a vehicle accident. He claimed the search dog found Emily alone.""
Darnell shook his head.
"Rex saved her.""
Samuel nodded.
"Yes. But Wade never forgave that dog for ruining his plan.""
Rebecca stood.
"What plan?""
Samuel looked at her.
"Peter had evidence. Records of payments, names, shipment dates. He was going to expose the entire operation.""
"Where is that evidence?""
Samuel stared at the floor.
"That's why Wade kept me alive.""
Rebecca waited.
Samuel swallowed.
"I know where it is.""
Dr. Harris arrived and began examining Samuel.
He was severely dehydrated and needed hospital treatment.
Before they moved him, Rebecca asked one final question.
"Where is the evidence?""
Samuel looked toward Travis.
"Your sister knows.""
Travis frowned.
"Emily?""
Samuel nodded.
"Peter gave her something before he died.""
"What?""
"A small brass key.""
Rebecca leaned forward.
"Where is it now?""
Samuel closed his eyes.
"She hid it.""
Travis felt his pulse quicken.
"Where?""
Samuel's voice dropped.
"Inside the dog's collar.""
Darnell looked toward the clinic.
Rex's collar.
The old leather collar that had been beside the motorcycles when Wade struck him.
Rebecca immediately called the clinic.
"Dr. Harris, I need you to secure Rex's collar. Do not remove anything from it. Have a trooper remain with the dog.""
Then she turned to Travis.
"Call your sister.""
Travis dialed.
Emily answered immediately.
"Travis?""
"Emily, I need to ask you something.""
"What happened?""
"Do you remember a brass key?""
Silence.
Then Emily whispered:
"Oh my God.""
"You know what I'm talking about?""
"Yes.""
"Where did you get it?""
She began crying.
"Rex brought it home.""
Travis closed his eyes.
"Where is it now?""
"I gave it to Mom.""
"Where did she put it?""
Emily's voice trembled.
"In the old family Bible.""
Travis looked at Rebecca.
The agent was already reaching for her phone.
Then Emily said something else.
"Travis?""
"Yes?""
"I need to tell you something.""
"What?""
"The man who gave Rex that key wasn't the only person who knew about Dad's investigation.""
Travis froze.
"Emily, what are you talking about?""
She took a shaky breath.
"I remember another man.""
"Who?""
"The one who was standing behind Wade when Rex found me.""
Travis felt his chest tighten.
"Can you describe him?""
Emily began crying harder.
"He had the same face as someone I've seen recently.""
"Who?""
May you like
Her answer came in a whisper.
"Deputy Nathan Briggs.""
