Chapter 27 - Beneath the Cellar
The eastern wall of the estate had nearly collapsed with age.
Vines covered the entrance Arthur remembered, but after several minutes of clearing debris, Reeves uncovered a rusted iron hatch hidden beneath layers of moss.
"It still exists."
Arthur knelt carefully beside it.
"The hinges were replaced."
Mercer frowned.
"You can tell?"
"The original hinges were forged by hand."
He tapped the newer metal.
"These are modern."
Someone had maintained the tunnel.
Reeves pried the hatch open.
Cold air rushed upward carrying the smell of damp stone and old wood.
One by one, the team descended into darkness.
Flashlights swept across narrow brick corridors lined with forgotten wine racks.
Most bottles had long since turned to dust.
Yet the floor told another story.
Fresh footprints.
Several different sizes.
None older than a day.
"They've been using this passage regularly," Mercer whispered.
Arthur remained several steps behind, studying every wall.
His flashlight stopped on a carved symbol.
Three interlocking circles.
The same mark that had sealed the anonymous letter.
He reached out but did not touch it.
"It wasn't carved recently."
Collins examined it.
"At least twenty years old."
Arthur slowly nodded.
"This wasn't their hideout."
"It was one of their meeting places."
The tunnel opened into an enormous underground chamber.
Rows of wooden cabinets stretched into darkness.
Maps covered the walls.
Old radios.
Typewriters.
Locked filing cabinets.
The room resembled an operations center frozen in time.
But one thing stood out.
Everything had been carefully cleaned.
No dust rested on the central table.
Someone had been here very recently.
Then Reeves noticed something near the fireplace.
"Chief."
Everyone turned.
A single chessboard sat waiting on the table.
Every piece had been arranged.
Except one.
The white knight.
It had been rotated ninety degrees.
Arthur's face remained calm.
"They know we're here."
Mercer looked around cautiously.
"You think they're watching us?"
Arthur answered without hesitation.
"They've been watching since we entered the estate."
At that exact moment, a hidden speaker crackled to life somewhere inside the room.
A calm elderly voice echoed through the chamber.
May you like
"Welcome back, Arthur."
---
