Chapter 9: The Room Behind the Wall
Nobody moved.
The voice came again.
“Marcus?””
Jordan whispered, “Someone's in there.””
Marcus stared into the dark passage.
“Yes.””
Mrs. Reed stepped backward.
“How do you know?””
“Because he spoke.””
The attorney grabbed Marcus's shoulder.
“You need to leave.””
Marcus looked down at the hand.
Then up at him.
“Take your hand off me.””
The attorney did.
Vanessa was shaking.
“That's impossible.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What is?””
“That room.””
She stared into the darkness.
“It was sealed.””
“When?””
“Years ago.””
Mrs. Reed turned toward her.
“You knew about this?””
“I knew there was a room.””
“You said you didn't.””
“I was told not to talk about it.””
“By him?””
Vanessa looked at the attorney.
“Yes.””
The attorney's face hardened.
“I was protecting the dealership.””
Mrs. Reed stared at him.
“You were protecting yourself.””
“No.””
“Then why was my name attached to the account?””
He said nothing.
Marcus looked between them.
“What account?””
Vanessa pointed into the darkness.
“Seventeen.””
Marcus stepped inside.
Mrs. Reed followed.
The others hesitated.
Jordan looked at the attorney.
“You coming?””
The attorney shook his head.
“No.””
Jordan frowned.
“Why not?””
“I have nothing to do with this.””
Marcus looked back.
“You're already in it.””
The attorney's face went pale.
Marcus disappeared deeper into the passage.
The room beyond was surprisingly clean.
No dust.
No cobwebs.
No abandoned boxes.
Instead, there were metal shelves.
Locked drawers.
Old paper files.
And a long desk beneath a row of small security monitors.
Every monitor was on.
Every screen showed the showroom.
Live.
Marcus stopped.
Jordan stared.
“They've been watching us.””
Marcus nodded.
Mrs. Reed approached the desk.
A laptop sat open.
On its screen was a list of names.
Marcus looked over her shoulder.
“Don't touch it.””
She stopped.
“Why?””
“Because we don't know what it does.””
Jordan looked around.
“There are cameras everywhere.””
Marcus pointed toward the ceiling.
“Not cameras.””
“What?””
“Receivers.””
He walked to the desk.
A small black device was connected to the laptop.
The same red indicator light blinked.
Vanessa whispered, “That's the same system.””
Marcus nodded.
“Exactly.””
Mrs. Reed looked at him.
“You said you had seen it before.””
Marcus didn't answer.
She stepped closer.
“Where?””
Marcus looked at the laptop.
“Somewhere I hoped never to see again.””
Jordan stared.
“That's not an answer.””
Marcus looked at him.
“It wasn't meant to be.””
A notification appeared on the laptop.
*IDENTITY CONFIRMED.*
Below it:
*MARCUS — ACCESS GRANTED.*
Jordan's mouth fell open.
Vanessa whispered, “It knows his name.””
Mrs. Reed looked at Marcus.
“You said you didn't know what was happening.””
“I said I didn't know everything.””
“You knew this system would recognize you.””
Marcus said nothing.
Mrs. Reed's expression hardened.
“You lied.””
Marcus finally looked at her.
“I didn't lie.””
“You let us believe you were just a stranger.””
“I never said that.””
Jordan shook his head.
“This is ridiculous.””
He pointed at the screen.
“Why does it know him?””
Marcus didn't answer.
The laptop chimed.
Another line appeared.
*ORIGINAL ACCOUNT HOLDER: MARCUS HALE*
Mrs. Reed stared.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Jordan looked at Marcus.
“Your name is on the account.””
Marcus's face remained still.
The attorney suddenly stepped into the room.
“Turn it off.””
Marcus turned.
“You said you weren't coming.””
“I changed my mind.””
Mrs. Reed stared at him.
“You knew.””
The attorney didn't answer.
“You knew his name was on the account.””
“I knew there was an old account.””
“Under Marcus's name?””
“Yes.””
Marcus looked at him.
“And you never told her.””
The attorney shook his head.
“It was sealed.””
“By whom?””
“You know by whom.””
Marcus stepped toward him.
“No. I want you to say it.””
The attorney's voice dropped.
“You.””
Silence.
Jordan looked at Marcus.
“You created this?””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
The attorney laughed bitterly.
“You expect them to believe that?””
Marcus looked at the laptop.
“I don't need them to believe me.””
He pointed at the screen.
“The system does.””
A new notification appeared.
*SECONDARY USER DETECTED.*
Everyone turned.
The laptop displayed another name.
*VANESSA CARTER.*
Vanessa stepped backward.
“No.””
Jordan stared at her.
“You had access?””
“No.””
Marcus looked at the screen.
“Apparently.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I never used this room.””
The system chimed again.
*ACCESS HISTORY: 47 ENTRIES.*
Mrs. Reed looked at Vanessa.
“Forty-seven?””
Vanessa's eyes filled with panic.
“I didn't do that.””
Jordan stared.
“Then who did?””
Marcus leaned toward the laptop.
The access history began scrolling.
Dates.
Times.
User IDs.
Then one entry stopped him.
*LAST ACCESS: TODAY — 10:14 A.M.*
Marcus looked at the clock.
It was 10:15.
He slowly turned toward the doorway.
Nobody had entered before them.
Except—
The attorney.
Marcus looked at him.
“You accessed it.””
The attorney shook his head.
“No.””
“Then who did?””
“I don't know.””
Marcus pointed to the screen.
“Your account.””
The attorney looked at it.
His face drained of color.
“That isn't possible.””
Mrs. Reed stepped forward.
“You said you didn't have access.””
“I don't.””
“Then explain that.””
“I can't.””
Marcus's phone vibrated.
He checked it.
*1 MINUTE.*
Then another message.
*CHECK THE LAST FILE.*
Marcus looked at the shelves.
“Which one?””
The laptop highlighted a file automatically.
*17-M — ORIGINAL*
Marcus walked toward it.
Mrs. Reed followed.
“Don't.””
He opened the drawer.
Inside was a single brown envelope.
His name was written across the front.
*MARCUS HALE*
No address.
No date.
Just his name.
Marcus picked it up.
His fingers paused over the seal.
Jordan whispered, “Open it.””
Marcus looked at him.
“You sure?””
Jordan swallowed.
“No.””
Marcus broke the seal.
Inside was one photograph.
He pulled it out.
Everyone leaned closer.
The photograph showed the showroom years earlier.
The cars were different.
The walls were different.
But standing in the center of the frame was Marcus.
Younger.
Wearing a dark work shirt.
Beside him stood Mrs. Reed.
And beside them—
the attorney.
Mrs. Reed stared at the photograph.
Her face went blank.
“I don't remember this.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You should.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
The attorney stared at the photograph.
Then whispered:
“He wasn't supposed to remember.””
Marcus's eyes snapped toward him.
“What did you say?””
The attorney stepped backward.
“I said nothing.””
Marcus moved toward him.
“You said I wasn't supposed to remember.””
The attorney's face collapsed.
Mrs. Reed looked at him.
“What did you do?””
He didn't answer.
The laptop suddenly chimed.
Every monitor in the room switched to a single live feed.
It showed the showroom entrance.
A Black man stood outside the glass doors.
Same height.
Same clothes.
Same face.
Another Marcus.
He slowly raised his hand.
In his fingers was an old black key fob.
Marcus stared at the screen.
The other man smiled.
Then he spoke directly into the showroom microphone.
May you like
“Now you remember.””
And the lights in the hidden room went out.
