Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Door
The doorknob stopped turning.
For three seconds, nobody breathed.
Then the man outside laughed softly.
“Still listening to old messages, Daniel?””
Daniel motioned for Leah to stay behind him.
Ava pressed herself against the wall.
Leah whispered, “What do we do?””
Daniel's eyes remained fixed on the door.
“There’s another exit.””
“Where?””
He pointed toward the kitchen.
“Fire escape.””
The shadow beneath the door shifted.
“Daniel,” the man called.
“You don't want to make this difficult.””
Daniel's jaw clenched.
“Marcus.””
Silence.
Then:
“You finally remember me.””
Ava covered her mouth.
Daniel stared at the door.
“You're dead.””
“So was your daughter.””
Leah felt Ava's body stiffen.
Daniel's voice dropped.
“You stay away from her.””
“You already failed her once.””
Daniel lunged toward the door.
Leah grabbed his arm.
“No!””
Ava whispered, “Daddy, don't.””
That stopped him.
He looked back at her.
For a moment, Daniel's anger disappeared.
He saw only the frightened child standing behind Leah.
Then the door exploded inward.
Wood splintered across the floor.
A man stepped through.
Marcus.
Older than Daniel remembered, but unmistakable.
Same broad shoulders.
Same deep-set eyes.
Same family resemblance.
A gold watch gleamed beneath his sleeve.
And on his right hand was a black stone ring.
Ava screamed.
Daniel stepped between them.
“You.””
Marcus smiled.
“Hello, little brother.””
Leah stared at the two men.
“You're alive.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You must be Leah.””
She froze.
“How do you know my name?””
“I know everything Daniel knows.””
Daniel grabbed a broken chair.
“Get out.””
Marcus didn't move.
“You still think this is about money.””
“What do you want?””
“Your daughter.””
“No.””
Marcus's smile disappeared.
“You don't understand.””
“I understand perfectly.””
“No, Daniel. You understand what they told you.””
Marcus reached into his coat.
Leah grabbed Ava.
Daniel raised the chair.
Marcus slowly pulled out a photograph.
He tossed it onto the floor.
It showed Naomi.
Alive.
Standing outside a motel.
Holding a cardboard sign.
*DANIEL, I'M SORRY.*
Daniel stared.
“When was this taken?””
“Three days ago.””
“Where is she?””
Marcus smiled.
“Closer than you think.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Tell me.””
Marcus pointed at Ava.
“She knows where.””
Ava shook her head violently.
“No.””
Marcus crouched.
“You remember the blue house.””
Ava began crying.
“No.””
“The basement.””
“Stop.””
“The red door.””
“Stop!””
Daniel moved between them.
“Don't talk to her.””
Marcus stood.
“You think I hurt her.””
“Didn't you?””
“I saved her.””
Leah stared.
“From what?””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“From you.””
Daniel's face hardened.
“You're insane.””
“Ask him why Naomi left.””
Daniel went silent.
Leah noticed.
“You know something,” she said.
Daniel looked at her.
“I don't.””
Marcus laughed.
“He never told you.””
“Told me what?””
Marcus stepped backward toward the broken door.
“The baby wasn't the first thing Naomi lost.””
Daniel's face went blank.
“Marcus.””
“She lost another child.””
Leah stared.
Ava looked confused.
“What child?””
Marcus smiled.
“Ask your father.””
Then he turned and ran down the hallway.
Daniel chased him.
“Marcus!””
By the time Daniel reached the stairwell, Marcus was gone.
Only the elevator doors were closing.
Daniel slammed the button.
Nothing.
Leah came behind him.
“Where did he go?””
Daniel stared at the elevator.
“I don't know.””
Ava appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Daddy.””
Daniel turned.
“What?””
She held up a small brass key.
“I found this in the apartment.””
Daniel took it.
A number was engraved into the metal.
*314-B.*
Leah frowned.
“There's only one apartment 314.””
Ava shook her head.
“No.””
She pointed toward the basement.
“There are two.””
They descended.
The basement was colder than the apartment above.
A single naked bulb swung from the ceiling.
Daniel found a steel door at the far end.
The same number was scratched into it.
314-B.
He inserted the key.
The lock clicked.
Inside was a tiny room.
No windows.
One chair.
One table.
And a wall covered with photographs.
Leah stepped inside.
Her breath caught.
Every photograph showed Ava.
At the grocery store.
At the bus stop.
Outside the library.
Walking beside Leah.
Sleeping in a shelter.
There were dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Daniel stared in horror.
“They've been watching her.””
Leah picked up a photograph.
It showed Ava asleep beneath a blanket.
Taken from inside the room.
Her blood ran cold.
“When?””
Daniel looked at the timestamp.
“Last night.””
Ava stood frozen in the doorway.
Then she saw one photograph near the bottom of the wall.
It showed Naomi.
Holding Ava.
Beside them stood Daniel.
But the date was impossible.
It was marked *TWO YEARS AFTER THE BABY DIED.*
Daniel took it down.
Behind it was a handwritten note.
He read it.
His face collapsed.
Leah took the paper.
Three words were written across it.
*Ask about the fire.*
Daniel whispered, “What fire?””
Ava suddenly spoke.
“The blue house.””
Daniel turned.
“You remember it?””
Ava nodded.
“I remember Mommy screaming.””
Leah's heart stopped.
“What happened?””
Ava stared at the floor.
“Daddy was there.””
Daniel's face went white.
“I wasn't.””
Ava looked up.
“You were.””
Before Daniel could respond, the basement lights went out.
Ava screamed.
A door slammed somewhere upstairs.
Then another.
Footsteps began descending the stairs.
Slowly.
One step at a time.
Daniel grabbed Ava.
Leah switched on her phone light.
A figure appeared at the bottom of the staircase.
It wasn't Marcus.
It was Naomi.
Her face was bruised.
Her hair was wet.
And she was holding a gun.
May you like
She looked directly at Daniel.
“Don't let Ava come near me.””
