Chapter 70: Forty-Eight Hours

Nobody spoke after the photograph appeared.

Elias Hayes stood alone on the underground platform.

Alive.

Watching the camera as though he knew someone would eventually see the image.

"Forty-eight hours," Victor repeated quietly.

"After that they'll move him again."

Arthur checked the image metadata.

"The timestamp is genuine."

"Sixteen minutes ago."

"Location?" Damien asked.

"Not embedded."

"Whoever sent this stripped the GPS information."

Margaret Sloan studied the photograph.

"The platform architecture looks familiar."

"Where?" Victor asked.

"I'm not certain."

"I've seen those support columns before."

Arthur enlarged the image.

"There's a reflection in the train window."

"Can you sharpen it?" I asked.

"Trying."

The pixels slowly became clearer.

A second figure appeared behind Elias.

Face hidden beneath a dark umbrella.

"Someone was watching him," Damien said.

"Or protecting him," Victor replied.

"There's no weapon visible."

Arthur isolated another section of the photograph.

"Wait."

"There's a station sign."

Only three letters remained visible.

"R... I... V..."

"Rivergate?" Rose suggested.

"Riverside?"

"Riverton?"

Arthur shook his head.

"Too many possibilities."

"We'll need another clue."

Victor folded the photograph and placed it inside Richard's journal.

"Nathaniel never relied on one piece of evidence."

"Neither should we."

Margaret reached into her briefcase once more.

"There is one thing I almost overlooked."

She produced a folded railway receipt.

"This was clipped to Elias' original case file."

"The investigators dismissed it as unrelated."

Arthur scanned the faded paper.

"Platform pass."

"Issued at East River Terminal."

"Date?" Damien asked.

"Twenty-six years ago."

"The same day Elias disappeared."

Victor's eyes narrowed.

"East River Terminal still exists."

"Barely," Arthur answered.

"Most of it's abandoned now."

"Only the lower platforms remain active."

"Then that's our first stop," Victor said.

Before anyone could respond, the manor's landline began ringing.

Rose answered.

"Ashford Manor..."

Her face drained of colour.

"Victor..."

"It's for you."

Victor accepted the receiver.

"Victor Hayes speaking."

Silence.

Then a calm male voice.

"You're following the wrong brother."

Victor stiffened.

"Who is this?"

"Someone Nathaniel almost trusted."

"Almost?"

"He always asked too many questions."

"Where's Elias?" Victor demanded.

A faint laugh came through the line.

"Closer than you think."

"If you want him alive... stop looking for the Founder."

"Not happening."

"Then your brother dies tomorrow."

"You won't even know which body is his."

The line went dead.

Arthur immediately traced the call.

"Local connection."

"What?" Damien asked.

"The call came from inside Ashford Manor."

Everyone froze.

"Impossible," Rose whispered.

"We've searched the entire house."

"Not the entire house," Victor corrected.

"Richard told us there were hidden rooms."

"There could be hidden phone lines too."

Arthur opened the estate blueprint again.

"There are three sections we've never entered."

"Old servant tunnels."

"A sealed wine cellar."

"And an abandoned chapel beneath the east wing."

"Split up," Victor ordered.

"Arthur, with me."

"Damien, stay with Vivian."

"Margaret, watch every entrance."

Twenty minutes later they reached the abandoned chapel.

Dust covered every pew.

Broken stained-glass windows let thin beams of afternoon light spill across the floor.

"No one's been here for years," Damien whispered.

Arthur wasn't convinced.

"Look."

Fresh footprints.

Leading directly to the altar.

Victor examined the stone floor.

"There's another mechanism."

"Nathaniel loved hidden compartments," I said.

"Richard built them first."

Damien noticed a brass candleholder that looked newer than the others.

"Try turning it."

The candleholder rotated.

A section of the altar slid backwards.

A narrow staircase descended into darkness.

"Another tunnel," Arthur muttered.

"This family really hated ordinary doors."

Victor smiled faintly.

"Stay alert."

The tunnel ended in a small communications room.

Old switchboards lined the walls.

Telephone equipment.

Radio transmitters.

And a single desk.

Someone had been there recently.

A coffee cup was still warm.

"We just missed them," Arthur said.

Victor searched the desk drawers.

Empty.

Except for one cassette tape labelled in neat handwriting.

"For Victor."

"Nathaniel," I whispered.

Victor inserted the tape into the recorder.

Static crackled.

Then Nathaniel's familiar voice filled the room.

"Victor... if you're listening to this, you finally found the old communications room."

"Good."

"That means Richard trusted Vivian enough to reveal the study."

"You're probably chasing Elias now."

"Don't."

Victor frowned.

"Don't?"

Nathaniel continued.

"Not yet."

"If Raven wants you to rescue Elias... ask yourself why."

"You're being led somewhere."

"Find the destination before you save the prisoner."

"Otherwise you'll lose both."

The recording paused briefly.

"And Victor..."

"If Elias recognises your name..."

"Don't call him brother."

"Call him by the only name he still remembers."

The tape clicked to an end.

Arthur looked at Victor.

"What name is that?"

Victor stared silently into the darkness.

Finally, he whispered one word.

"Ash."