David stood inside the massive foyer of his modern white mansion.
The bright afternoon sun filtered through the tall visual glass windows.
His expensive gray suit felt cold against his sudden clammy skin.
His wife Elena clutched his arm with shaking fingers.
Her vibrant green dress rustled violently in the silent front hallway.
Their seven-year-old daughter Lily had vanished just two short hours ago.
The private security team had searched the entire surrounding neighborhood ground.
No one had seen the little girl leave the front gate.
David looked down at the pale shiny marble floors beneath his shoes.
A strange low metallic thumping sound suddenly echoed through the hallway air.
Elena gasped loudly and pressed her hand over her shaking mouth.
The sound was coming directly from behind a thick solid wall panel.
David knew every single architectural detail of his expensive luxury house.
He had built this custom estate after selling his tech company shares.
Yet he had never noticed a hollow gap in this specific section.
He stepped closer to the painted drywall and pressed his right ear firm.
Another heavy muffled hit rattled the hidden frame behind the decorative plaster.
Someone was inside that wall and trying hard to break out free.
David raised his heavy leather shoe and kicked the hidden latch hard.