Dominic descended the concrete steps one careful step at a time.
The dark grey basement smelled faintly of damp dust and old storage.
Harper pointed her little finger toward the back wall of the cellar.
Harper: It is behind the big wooden tool cabinet, Daddy.
Dominic shine his phone light across the cold concrete floor.
He saw heavy scrape marks dragging across the dusty floorboards.
Someone had moved the massive oak cabinet very recently.
Dominic placed his strong hands on the side of the cabinet.
He pushed with all his upper body weight against the heavy wood.
The wood scraped loudly against the concrete foundation floor.
A thick steel frame was hidden directly behind the back wall panel.
Dominic: Evelyn, what is this door doing down here?
Evelyn stood at the bottom step with her arms crossed tightly.
Evelyn: That is just an old bomb shelter from decades ago.
Dominic: Why is there a brand new padlocked iron latch on it?
Evelyn: I locked it to keep the child safe from falling inside.
Harper: No, Daddy, Mommy is in there!
Dominic leaned his ear directly against the cold heavy steel door.
He stayed completely still and held his breath for five seconds.
A faint voice was whispering softly from the other side.
Clara: Help me... somebody please open this door...
Dominic felt a wave of cold rage rush through his veins.
He turned his head sharply toward his pale mother-in-law.
Dominic: Give me the key to this lock right now!
Evelyn: I do not have the key on my person, Dominic.
Dominic: You locked my wife in a windowless room?
Evelyn: She was going to ruin the family inheritance deal!
Dominic did not wait another single second for a key.
He looked around the cellar room for a heavy iron tool.
He spotted a heavy steel crowbar resting near the workbench frame.
He grabbed the solid metal bar with both of his hands.
Dominic wedged the flat tip under the lock's iron mounting bracket.
He used all of his muscle power to leverage the bracket outwards.
The metal screeched loudly as rivets snapped off the frame.
Evelyn gasped and took two quick steps backward toward the stairs.
Evelyn: Stop doing that, Dominic, you are destroying property!
Dominic: Shut your mouth before I call the police on you!
Dominic pulled the metal bar back with maximum physical strength.
The iron lock snapped free and fell hard onto the concrete.
The thick steel door creaked open about two full inches.
A rush of cool damp air escaped from inside the dark space.
Dominic: Clara! Are you in there?
Clara: Dominic? Is that really you?
Harper let go of her father's hand and stepped forward quickly.
Harper: Mommy! I brought Daddy to help you!
Dominic pulled the heavy steel door completely wide open.
The beam of his flashlight revealed a tiny windowless concrete cell.
A thin mattress lay directly on the bare concrete floor surface.