Page 349 of Hidden Depths

Maybe he had.

I wanted to go to her.

To throw myself into her arms.

But Ward stepped in front of me.

“Something’s wrong.”

I looked around the room.

“What?”

“They left her behind.”

“They heard us coming.”

“No,” Ben said.

“There are no fresh tracks in the corridor except ours.”

Nathan slowly released Mom.

“Eleanor, where did they go?”

She looked toward the far wall.

“There’s another passage.”

Ward raised his weapon.

“How many men?”

“Four.”

“Are they armed?”

“Yes.”

“Why did they leave you?”

Mom reached beneath the collar of her blouse.

A thin chain hung around her neck.

But whatever had once been attached to it was gone.

“They didn’t take me for the journal.”

Nathan’s expression hardened.

“What did they want?”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“The key your grandfather made me promise to protect.”

A deep grinding sound rolled through the building.