| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted January 30, 2025 | Chapters: |
...22 23 -24- 25... 
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Rebecca searches for a way out
A chapter in the book Veil of Secrets
Veil of Secrets Chap 24
by Begin Again
Rebecca's breath was shallow, her body trembling as she sat curled in the corner of the cage. The iron bars felt cold against her back.
Her gaze wandered across the space, adjusting to the faint, flickering lantern light that barely illuminated the cavernous room. What she saw made her stomach lurch.
Someone had welded two rows of cages into the floor and walls — most were empty, but not all.
In some, skeletal remains slumped against the bars, their hollow eye sockets staring into nothingness. Rebecca clamped a hand over her mouth, her tears stinging as she fought the urge to retch.
"What is this place?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. A faint sound reached her ears — at first, she thought it was her imagination, but then it grew louder.
Voices. Men's voices. She strained to hear them, her body stiffening. The voices were coming closer. Rebecca shrank further into the shadows of her cage, her fingers gripping the bars as she willed herself to become invisible.
The sound of boots echoed through the tunnels, accompanied by the faint clinking of chains. Then she heard it — crying — women's voices, rising in desperation. Her stomach dropped.
From the shadows of the tunnel, a group of men emerged, their faces partially obscured by the dim light of their lanterns. They herded a group of women between them, shoving some who stumbled. The women's faces were pale and tear-streaked, their cries blending into a chorus of terror.
One of them tripped, falling to her knees, only to be yanked roughly to her feet by a man who sneered down at her. "Keep moving!" he barked.
Rebecca pressed herself into the corner of her cage, her body trembling violently. She prayed the darkness would hide her, but her mind raced with questions. Who were these men? Why were they bringing these women here? The answers eluded her, but one thing was clear — this was a place of cruelty and despair, and now she was trapped in it, too.
The men began unlocking cages, shoving the women inside. Their cries grew louder as rough hands forced them into the rusted enclosures, the locks clicking shut with finality. One woman clutched at the bars, her voice breaking as she sobbed, "Please, don't leave us here!"
Rebecca's hands trembled as she gripped her knees, her lips moving silently in a desperate prayer.
"Shut up," one of the men growled. He stepped forward, raising his hand toward the nearest cage, pointing a gun. The woman inside flinched, shrinking back against the wall.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the tunnel.
Desperate cries of fear responded, followed by sobbing.
The bullet hit the dirt and limestone far above her head. The woman sank to the floor, muffling her sobs.
A sickly silence filled the cavern.
Rebecca bit down on her knuckles to stifle a whimper. Her pulse thundered in her ears, drowning out everything but the sound of her own fear. She wanted to run, to scream, to fight, but she knew she had no way out.
Her thoughts spun as the men finished locking the cages and began murmuring among themselves. This couldn't be real. She'd been dragged into some nightmare, someplace so far removed from reality that it defied comprehension.
"Why?" she mouthed silently, her mind grasping for answers. Why were these women here? Who were these men? What did they want? And, more terrifyingly, what were they planning to do? The questions crashed into her like waves, one after another, until she felt dizzy.
Her tears blurred her vision, but she didn't dare wipe them away, didn't dare make a sound. The men finally turned back toward the tunnel, their footsteps echoing as they moved away. One of them barked a final order: "Watch the entrance. No one in or out without the boss knowing."
Rebecca's breath caught as their voices faded into the distance. The silence that followed was almost as deafening as the noise had been. She could still hear the faint sobs of the surrounding women, their despair filling the empty spaces of the cavern.
She closed her eyes, her trembling hands pressed to her temples. She couldn't stay here. If she didn't find a way out, she would end up like the others — forgotten, lost to the shadows of this horrific place.
A soft whimper caught her attention.
She turned her head, squinting in the dim light. In the next cage, a young girl, no older than eight, huddled on the floor, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Her small frame shook with silent cries, her face streaked with dirt and tears.
Rebecca swallowed hard, her own fear momentarily eclipsed by the sight of the child. She leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hey," she murmured. "It's okay. I'm Rebecca. What's your name?"
The girl looked up, her wide, tear-filled eyes locking on Rebecca's. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but no sound came out.
"It's all right," Rebecca said gently. "You don't have to be afraid of me. Do you — do you know what's happening? Do you know who these men are?"
She shook her head, but another voice cut through the darkness — a harsh, bitter voice that made Rebecca flinch.
"Welcome to the real world, little one," a woman sneered from the cage across the way. A shadow partially obscured her face, but her tone was sharp and crude, hardened by despair. "You and your friend over there are now the guests of smugglers."
Rebecca's stomach churned as the woman continued, her words laced with bitterness. "Tomorrow, maybe the next day, the boss will decide who's worth keeping. The pretty ones — the cream of the crop, as they like to say — will be taken by boat to be sold to the highest bidder."
Rebecca felt her throat tighten, bile rising as the woman's words sank in. "And the others?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The woman laughed darkly, the sound bitter and hollow. "The others?" she echoed. "Look around you. They were left to rot. To die."
Rebecca's gaze shifted, taking in the skeletal remains slumped in the other cages. Her stomach turned, and she gripped the bars of her own cage to steady herself. The young girl let out a soft sob, burying her face in her arms.
"No," Rebecca whispered, shaking her head. "No, this can't be happening."
The woman in the shadows snorted. "Happening? Honey, it's been happening for years. You're just unlucky enough to be here for it."
Rebecca's mind raced. She couldn't let this happen — not to herself, the girl, or any of them. She leaned closer to the girl, her voice trembling but resolute. "We're going to get out of here," she whispered. "I promise. You hear me? We'll find a way."
The girl looked up at her, hope flickering faintly in her tear-filled eyes. But Rebecca could feel the crude woman's gaze from across the way.
"Good luck with that," the woman said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "No one escapes. Not alive, anyway."
Rebecca clenched her jaw, determination flickering to life in her chest. She didn't have a plan yet, but she knew one thing — she wouldn't let these men win. She wasn't going to let this darkness consume her or anyone else.
*****
Travis crouched in the small cavern, his small body pressed against the damp limestone wall.
The faint lantern light from the mobsters' passage flickered below him, casting eerie shadows that danced on the jagged surfaces of the tunnels. He had crawled into this hidden alcove hours or maybe days ago, his heart pounding as he listened to the voices echoing through the underground maze.
He hadn't eaten in what felt like days, and his throat was raw from thirst, but fear kept him still and silent. His legs ached from being curled into such a tight space, but he didn't dare move.
He pressed his hands over his mouth to stifle a gasp. His stomach twisted as the men's laughter faded into the distance, their lantern light disappearing around a bend. The tunnels fell silent again, except for the faint sobbing of the women.
Rebecca, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her body trembling with fear and exhaustion, clung to the cold bars of the cage. Her knuckles were white from the force of her grip as she tested the strength of the bars. They didn't budge.
Her muscles ached, but her mind had already shifted — away from her own terror and onto the young girl in the cage across from hers.
The child barely breathed, her tiny fingers clutching her tattered dress, knuckles white. Rebecca had seen fear before, but never like this — paralyzing, all-consuming. The girl had long stopped crying, her eyes hollow, her soul retreating somewhere deep inside her, where the horrors of this place couldn't touch her.
A faint clink echoed from above. Pieces of dirt fell from above. Rebecca tensed, her fingers tightening around the bars. For a breathless moment, she thought the men had returned. But then, a shadow moved.
"Psst!"
Rebecca's head snapped upward, heart hammering.
There, unexpectedly, was a boy crouched in a narrow opening above. His sudden appearance sent Rebecca's heart into a frenzy.
His dirt-smudged face peered through the dim lantern light, his blue eyes flickering with something she hadn't seen in days — hope.
Rebecca exhaled sharply, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Who are you?" she whispered, her voice both a plea and a prayer.
"I'm Travis."
Rebecca gasped. "The missing boy."
"A woman saw them bring me here. She saved me."
"A woman. Who was she, and where did she go?"
Travis thought about what he was about to say. He doubted the woman would believe him. Finally, he offered the woman's name. "Miriam. She said her name was Miriam."
Rebecca's breath caught in her throat. Could her grandmother have saved the boy before something happened to her? Is that what she'd meant when she'd whispered from the mirror?
"Miriam," Rebecca's voice faltered. "Is my grandmother. You saw her?"
Travis nodded. "A scary man threatened her, but she wouldn't tell him where I was. Then —" His mouth was dry, and he pressed his fingers against his cracked lips. "The man tossed shiny black dust in the air, and they disappeared — just vanished."
Rebecca understood but also knew how frightening it must have been for him.
"I found a way through the tunnels," he murmured, his voice barely above a breath. "There's a gap up here — but it's too small for anyone but me."
Rebecca's stomach twisted. "Can you unlock the cages?"
He shook his head, eyes darting nervously toward the tunnel entrance. "No keys. But — I've been studying." His gaze lifted to a corroded section of bars at the top of her cage. "I think you can climb out."
Rebecca followed his stare, and for the first time, she saw it — a gap, not much, but if she could reach it.
Hope surged through her veins like wildfire.
Travis shifted, his small fingers fumbling with something near his feet. In the dim glow of lantern light, she saw him untangling a coil of rope.
"I'll tie this up," he said, his voice laced with fierce determination. "You have to climb."
Rebecca's pulse pounded.
"Travis, we need to get the girl and the other women."
"The men — they'll be back. There isn't much time."
One of the women from the girl's cage stepped forward, her face lined with exhaustion and fear. "You don't have time to free all of us," she whispered urgently. "Take the girl and go."
Rebecca shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "I can't just leave you here."
Another woman grasped the bars, her voice steely. "You don't have a choice. If they catch you, it's over for all of us. We'll buy you time."
Rebecca hesitated, torn between the urgency of escape and the guilt of leaving the others behind.
"Take the girl." The woman's voice dropped as she glanced at the girl. "Her mother was a friend. Take her and get help."
Travis scrambled across the top of the cages, pulling the rusted bars apart.
The woman gently lifted the child and held her up as Travis lowered the rope into their cage. The girl's small hands trembled as she clung to it.
"Come on, sweetheart," Rebecca urged. "Hold on tight."
The woman steadied the girl's grip and whispered, "Go, little one. Be brave."
Rebecca's breath caught as Travis began hoisting the girl up, inch by inch. The rope strained, the child's small frame swinging slightly. She let out a whimper, and Rebecca's heart pounded.
"You're doing great," Travis whispered. "Just a little more."
A loud creak.
Rebecca froze.
The rope shifted, jerking slightly as the girl clutched it tighter.
Travis gritted his teeth and pulled harder. When the girl reached the top, he grabbed her under the arms and helped her over the bars until she could safely drop onto the tunnel floor below.
Rebecca exhaled shakily. "Now me."
She turned to the women who were watching. One of them yanked loudly on her cage door, sending an echo through the tunnel. Another woman screamed, throwing herself against the bars.
Then Travis did something unexpected.
He untied a second piece of rope from his belt and quickly tossed it to the woman.
"Stretch it across the tunnel — low enough to trip him," he whispered urgently. "I saw it in a comic book."
The woman's eyes widened in understanding. She nodded, grabbed the rope, The woman with the harsh voice, stretched out her arm, "Toss it to me."
The man at the far end of the tunnel barked, "You women better quiet down."
"Go!" one of the women hissed.
Travis's makeshift rope ladder dangled down, swaying slightly. "Now or never," Travis whispered.
Rebecca grabbed the first rung, her arms burning with exhaustion as she hauled herself up. The rusted metal groaned under their weight, flaking beneath her fingers. One wrong move, one loud sound, and the guards would hear."
The bars creaked.
Rebecca froze.
The rope shifted. The rusted section of the bars groaned ominously.
Travis's breath hitched. "Hurry!"
Rebecca clenched her jaw, forcing herself up, inch by inch, teeth gritted against the strain.
Travis leaned down. "Just a little more.
"Keep climbing!" the woman hissed under her breath.
Rebecca swung a leg over the top and released the rope, dropping down onto the tunnel floor below. Her knees buckled slightly on impact, but she gritted her teeth and pushed up.
The girl stood next to her, wide-eyed, waiting. Rebecca grabbed her hand.
The woman hissed, "He's coming."
The bobbing lantern came closer, and then he stepped into the cavern. He spotted Rebecca and broke into a run, wildly waving his arms. "Stop, or you're dead."
The moment he charged forward, his boot snagged on the hidden rope.
A strangled gasp tore from his throat as he pitched forward, arms flailing, his lantern flying from his grip and smashing against the stone. His head struck a stone, and he groaned in agony.
The tunnel plunged into darkness.
Rebecca twisted, locking eyes with the woman who had urged her to go.
She saw the woman shove the rope under her dress in the flickering remnants of the shattered lantern's light.
Then, as the guard struggled to push himself up, the women huddled together, their bodies blending into the darkness.
The guard shook his head, disoriented. His fingers fumbled for his weapon as he scanned the tunnel wildly.
But the women were motionless. Silent. Invisible in the dark.
"Run," the woman mouthed.
Rebecca swallowed the sob in her throat — then turned and ran, yanking the girl forward.
Travis took off beside them, the tunnel echoing with the sounds of the guard's groans.
 Recognized |
Main Characters -
Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Trevor's murdered bride, Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and potentially interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and escaped prisoner from Joliet State Prison.
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and escaped prisoner
Grayson Webb - grand nephew and recently inherited the Webb Estate
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Phil Henderson - Bayside family lawyer
Criminals -
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Tony "The Hawk" - Salvatore "Sal" and Vito Greco -- the New York mob
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Trevor's murdered bride, Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and potentially interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and escaped prisoner from Joliet State Prison.
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and escaped prisoner
Grayson Webb - grand nephew and recently inherited the Webb Estate
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Phil Henderson - Bayside family lawyer
Criminals -
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Tony "The Hawk" - Salvatore "Sal" and Vito Greco -- the New York mob
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