CHAPTER 31

“There’s light even in the darkness…”

ISABELLE CAMPBELL

I could hear Colin’s screams and knew he was being tortured.

It’s my fault.

We’d been in the room off his bedroom for a few minutes, and through the other door inside that room I realized we might be able to get out.

Colin had probably spent a lot of time here—the photos of his children filled the space. I’d assumed he only used this room for work, but I was wrong. This was his private corner.

Something else I hadn’t noticed the first time was the size of the room—it felt like more than two thousand square feet.

I moved toward the second door, hoping to get out of the mansion, but another code was required.

“I don’t know that code, Isabelle,” Joshua said. I had no idea what to do.

“Think!”

There wasn’t time for thinking. We needed to get out and call the police, but I had no clue how to do either. The worst part was Colin’s screams—getting louder—and I was terrified he wouldn’t hold on.

“I’ll try the same code.”

I typed 1012, but nothing happened. I tried it backward, too, with no luck.

I searched every corner of the room for some clue, but found nothing. Desperate and frantic, I didn’t know what to try first.

I closed my eyes and thought fast.

How do you get out of a room when you don’t have the code? It’s impossible... Then a spark popped into my head.

No—that only happens in movies...

But I had no better idea, and with every cry from the other room I grew more worried. I had to act, and I was going to try my idea right then.

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