Chapter 3 - The Hostage in the Basement
The basement door was locked from the outside with a heavy brass padlock that had never been there before.
"Stand back," Eric warned, grabbing a heavy cast-iron skillet from the kitchen stove.
He swung it with all his might, smashing the padlock until the metal finally gave way and shattered.
I ripped the door open and fumbled for the light switch.
The basement was flooded with harsh fluorescent light.
Tied to a heavy support column in the center of the room was my father.
His hands were bound with thick zip ties, and a piece of silver duct tape covered his mouth.
Blood trickled down the side of his face from a deep cut above his left eye.
"Dad!" I screamed, rushing down the wooden stairs so fast I nearly tripped.
Eric was right behind me, pulling a pocket knife from his jeans to cut the thick plastic ties.
I gently peeled the tape away from my father's mouth, tears stinging my eyes despite my lingering anger.
He gasped for air, his chest heaving as he slumped forward into my arms.
"Are you okay?" I asked, checking his head wound.
"It was him," Dad coughed, his voice hoarse and broken.
"It was Chase."
Eric helped my father stand up, supporting his weight as we slowly walked him over to a dusty sofa in the corner.
"What exactly did he want?" Eric asked, keeping his flashlight aimed at the basement windows.
Dad looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of terror and profound shame.
"He wasn't looking for the boutique loan documents," Dad whispered, his hands shaking violently.
"He wanted the original deed to the construction company."
I felt a cold chill run down my spine.
"Why would he want the company deed?" I asked.
"Because Madison owes a lot of terrible people a lot of money," Dad confessed, unable to look me in the eye.
"Chase isn't her boyfriend; he's a collection enforcer for a private syndicate."
My stomach churned as the horrifying reality set in.
"And the document with Mom's signature?" I pressed.
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"Your mother secretly took out a massive equity line against the business right before she died to cover Madison's first failed venture," Dad admitted, his voice breaking.
"I hid the paperwork to protect your sister, but Chase found out about it."
