Chapter 14 - The Tunnel of Names
Deep beneath the hospital, Margaret led the group through another passage.
The walls gradually changed from concrete to rough stone.
Someone had carved hundreds of names into them over the decades.
Children.
Doctors.
Soldiers.
Nurses.
Every few feet, another name appeared.
Some had dates.
Others had only initials.
Emily slowed her pace.
"There are too many."
Elizabeth touched one carving gently.
"They made everyone leave their names."
"Why?"
"So history couldn't deny they had existed."
Olivia shined her flashlight higher.
Near the ceiling she found something stranger.
Small golden paw prints.
One after another.
Running along the wall.
Richard immediately followed them.
Margaret smiled faintly.
"The first Richard led children through these tunnels."
Elizabeth nodded.
"He learned the escape route before any of us."
They reached an underground chamber where dozens of rusted cages stood open.
None contained animals anymore.
Only collars.
Each collar carried one name.
Richard.
Richard.
Richard.
Richard.
Emily counted silently.
"There are thirty-two."
Margaret answered.
"Thirty-two guardians."
Olivia frowned.
"Not pets."
"No."
Margaret looked toward the current Richard.
"Protectors."
Elizabeth pointed toward a cracked mural painted across one wall.
It showed a little boy holding hands with a golden retriever while several children followed behind them.
At the bottom someone had painted one sentence:
When people forget, the dogs remember.
Richard barked once.
His ears focused toward the darkness ahead.
A faint crying sound echoed through the tunnel.
A child.
Emily froze.
"Did you hear that?"
Olivia nodded slowly.
"It can't be."
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
"They still play the recordings."
"What recordings?"
"To keep us afraid."
The crying grew louder.
Richard continued forward anyway.
The tunnel widened until they reached an enormous circular chamber.
Old hospital beds surrounded the room.
Dust covered everything.
In the center stood a projector.
Its bulb suddenly came to life by itself.
An old black-and-white film began playing against the curved wall.
Harold appeared on the screen.
Young.
Strong.
Still wearing his military uniform.
He was speaking directly toward the camera.
Emily stared.
"This was never mentioned in any archive."
Margaret whispered,
"Because someone erased it."
The film crackled.
Young Harold looked straight into the camera.
"If you're watching this..."
he said,
"...then I failed to destroy everything."
The recording continued.
"I need whoever finds this to know one thing."
He hesitated.
"I signed the papers."
Olivia looked toward Margaret.
Harold's younger voice continued.
"But I also stole something they can never replace."
Before anyone could hear another word, the projector suddenly shut off.
The chamber fell into darkness once again.
Then a flashlight switched on from the opposite side.
Daniel Voss slowly stepped into view.
He wasn't alone.
Behind him stood nearly a dozen armed men dressed as hospital security.
Each one wore identical gray gloves.
Voss smiled.
"Mr. Bennett always did enjoy leaving unfinished stories."
He looked directly at Richard.
May you like
"Bring me the dog."
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