“I’ll make sure to tell them.”
Caleb’s attention went to the far end of the sanctuary. “Is that another opening?” A square spot appeared to be cut out of the rock.
“It is,” Novak told them. “It leads to another corridor. We have people searching it now.”
He and Ava returned to the dog who still sat where she’d commanded him.
“Now what?” Caleb asked, feeling the stress of the hunt and the endless clues catching up with him.
“I’m not sure.” Ava glanced around the space with a frown. “He wanted us here. Wanted us to find the statues and Rachel’s phone. He wouldn’t just build something like this and then abandon it.”
Caleb watched her frown deepen. “If he built this, he’s been at this for years. As those statues seem to indicate.” She whipped to Novak who stood close by. “Who owns this mine now?”
Novak appeared surprised by the question. “A private mining company that went out of business a few years back. This place has been abandoned for a long time.”
“Get me everything you can on the owners. I need it now.”
“Copy that.” Novak called in the request.
“What are you thinking? That one of the owners of the mine might be Wax?”
“It’s possible,” she told him. “And it’s worth a shot. Right now, we have nothing.”
???
Shadow sniffed the air before pulling Ava toward an area that was away from the statues.
Her surprised gaze met Caleb’s.
Shadow reached the stone wall and stopped, letting out a sharp bark.
“What is it, boy?” Ava asked because all she saw was a solid rock.
Shadow sniffed the air and barked again.
“He has something,” Ava said. “I just can’t see it.”
“Hang on.” Caleb stepped past her and felt around looking for a hidden panel like they’d found before, only there wasn’t one. “Nothing.”
“What are we missing?” Ava stepped sideways and felt the ground beneath her feet give away.
Caleb pulled her back before she fell while Shadow barked aggressively.
Novak and Larabee ran over.
“Are you okay?” Larabee asked.
Ava couldn’t stop shaking. Another hidden passage. “I think so.”
Caleb let her go.
She stared down into the opening and realized that a set of stairs led down. “This must be how he got away.” Ava could feel her pulse explode at the possibility of tracking Wax to his lair.
She started for the steps with Shadow, but Caleb stopped her. “Hang on a second and let’s think this through.”
Ava’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. He wanted us to find this place which stands to reason he would expect us to find the opening.”
“We proceed with caution.” Caleb waited for her to agree.
