Chapter 15 - The House Goes Dark
Grant hit the hallway at a run.
"Malik!"
"Teams are moving to the house now."
"Call Leah."
"No answer."
Grant's stomach dropped.
At the Mercer residence, the power failed at 9:06 p.m.
Emergency lights came on three seconds later.
Tyler was in the media room with Leah when the screen went black.
"Stay here," Leah said.
Tyler stood. "No."
"Tyler—"
"Last time I stayed out of things, everyone lied to me."
A crash sounded downstairs.
They froze.
Then Malik's backup guard shouted from the foyer.
"Security! Stay upstairs!"
Another crash.
A man groaned.
Leah grabbed Tyler's wrist.
"Bedroom. Now."
They moved through the hall and locked themselves in Caroline's old room. Leah shoved a chair under the handle.
Tyler whispered, "There's a panic button behind the nightstand. Mom showed me."
They found it.
Dead.
"Network is down," Leah said.
Footsteps sounded outside.
Slow.
Not rushed.
Someone tried the handle once.
Then stopped.
Tyler looked at Leah.
The footsteps moved away.
A voice came through the door.
Ryan.
"Leah, I don't want to hurt anyone."
She went white.
Tyler's breathing changed.
"Don't," Leah whispered.
But he was already moving.
He pulled open Caroline's desk drawer and found an old brass letter opener.
Leah took it from him.
"No weapons. We survive. That's it."
Ryan said through the door, "Victor only wants the memory card. Give it to me and I leave."
Leah glanced at Tyler.
The real card was with police.
Ryan did not know that.
"I have it," she called.
Silence.
"Open the door."
"You leave first. I'll put it in the hall."
Ryan laughed softly. "You still think you can negotiate."
Tyler's eyes moved toward the closet.
Inside was a narrow service access Caroline had once used during renovations, leading to a linen corridor and back stairwell.
Tyler pointed.
Leah nodded.
They slipped inside and pulled the panel closed.
As they crawled through the dark passage, Tyler's phone vibrated.
A text from Grant.
GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. NOW.
Then a second message appeared from an unknown number.
Too late.
May you like
At the end of the passage, the back stair door opened.
Victor stood there waiting.
