Their Hidden Treasure

Chapter 9

Damien’s POV

When I saw Larry’s face I already knew that what I was about to see would send me into a murderous spiral.

Larry was an expressionless man, but now I could see fury and sadness clearly written all over his face.

Will was the first one to enter the house. Alexander, Elijah, and I followed him inside.

The house was decorated to perfection. It looked like one of the houses from some interior design magazine.

“I can see where all our money went,” Alexander mumbled angrily.

I clenched my fists and focused on Larry.

“Sir,” he said and I could hear the anger in his voice. “The basement is that way.”

He pointed toward the kitchen and we followed him there. Our men were still inside the house. They were searching through it, hoping to find something that would tell us where the fuckers left.

“How bad is it, Larry?” Alexander asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Larry looked at him and gulped.

“It’s bad, Sir,” Larry said. “It’s really bad.”

My heart started clenching painfully. What did he mean by that? I looked at Will and saw anger on his face. I took a deep breath and turned back to look at Larry.

He opened the basement door and the first thing I noticed was the smell. It was weird. It was a smell of a stale room, but I could also smell copper. What the fuck?

My eyes fell on the wooden steps. I could tell that they were old. There were splinters all over them and I had a hard time imagining anyone coming down those steps. They looked like they were about to collapse.

“Are you sure that we will be able to go downstairs?” Elijah’s asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Your men secured the steps from below, Sir,” Larry said. “They almost broke when we tried to get to the basement. Just watch where you step.”

William started descending the steps first. I followed right behind him. I could hear the steps creaking and I could feel the wood breaking under my feet.

“Why is the light off?” William asked angrily as soon as we finally reached the end of the steps.

“Just a minute, Sir,” I heard Larry say.

I couldn't see him, but I could hear him walking down the stairs.

“There was no light in here when we came,” Larry said and I heard him fumbling with something.

A sudden ray of light coming from his flashlight blinded me for a second. He pointed it to the ground and I could see a little bit of his face. He wanted to say something, but Will interrupted him.

“Give me the flashlight,” Will said as he grabbed the flashlight from Larry and pointed it behind us.

The first thing I saw was an old, torn-up blanket lying on the dirty floor. I recognized that blanket immediately. It was Sophia's baby blanket. It was the blanket she was wrapped up in when we handed her to James and Elizabeth.

Will moved the flashlight a little and the next thing I saw made the anger explode inside me.

Chains. There were fucking chains on the wall.

William stopped moving the flashlight and I could feel the anger pulsating in the air.

My heart was drumming against my rib cage. My mouth was completely dry. I couldn't look away from those fucking chains.

Did they use that on her? Did they chain her? Did they fucking tie her up like a fucking dog?!

I could see the light on the wall starting to shake a little. William moved it again until we saw some markings on the wall.

“She was marking days,” Larry said. “It started about six months ago and I guess it ended today after I came to get her.”

I took a step closer and I could clearly see a lot of small lines on the wall.

Marking days until what?

William pointed the flashlight on the ground and the sight made me see red. The ground was completely covered in blood. Some of it was dried, but some looked fresh. I noticed that Elijah was standing in a small pool of what looked like fresh blood. I grabbed his upper arm and pulled him toward me. He looked down and paled.

“This is all hers, isn’t it?” Elijah mumbled quietly.

No one answered him. I didn’t want it to be true.

It couldn't fucking be true.

William’s hand was now shaking uncontrollably and it was very obvious. He pointed the light back toward the wall and I saw a small window. It looked like it had never been opened. It was dark out so I couldn't really see much other than the old, broken frame.

William moved the flashlight around and there was nothing else except bare, moldy walls.

I thought that was it until the flashlight shone some light on an object in the corner behind us.

“No,” Alexander mumbled, his voice trembling. “No, please, no.”

My breath got caught in my throat. I was sure that I was going to pass out.

William started approaching it and we got a better look at it.

“Oh, my God,” Elijah mumbled.

I approached the cage in the corner and crouched next to it. I could see dried blood on the floor of the cage. I could see blood on the bars.

My whole body started trembling, but I wasn’t sure if it was in rage or pain.

They kept her in here, didn’t they? They locked her in a cage. She lived in this basement, didn’t she?

“I need you to find them, Larry,” Will said and I couldn't recognize his voice. “I need you to find them and bring them to me.”

“We are doing everything we can, Sir,” Larry said. “I am positive that we will catch them soon.”

“Soon is not soon enough, Larry,” Will said. “I want them now.”

“We will do our best, Sir,” Larry said.

I stood back up and looked at my brother. The pain on his face made my stomach twist. I saw my brother angry. I saw him furious. I saw him murderous. I saw him happy. I saw him content.

I’d never seen him in pain. I’d never seen him broken.

He was now broken. We all were.

“What did they do to my baby?” Alexander mumbled, making me look at him. “What did they do to her?”

I clenched my fists and tightened my jaw. I was still hoping that I was in a bad fucking dream. I was hoping that I would open my eyes and realize that this was nothing but a nightmare.

I was hoping that my Sophia was safe and happy. I was hoping that she wasn’t hurt or injured. I was hoping that my Sophia never saw the inside of this basement.

“I want to go home to her,” Elijah mumbled.

I wanted to do the same. No, I needed to go home to her. I needed to examine her and treat every fucking injury she had.

Will turned the flashlight off and we started climbing the stairs.

I needed to go to her. I needed to make sure that she was safe. I needed to see her.

Now.