Page 75 of The Truth Will Out
“I’m fine. It’s too quiet. I hope we’re not walking into a trap. Can anyone smell burning?”
“You can’t be off it,” Liam replied. “We’ve got your back, boss.”
Sam smiled. “What would I do without you guys?” She cocked an ear. “Can you all hear that?”
Oliver strained his neck and said, “Sounds like the hum of a generator.”
“I agree. We’re going in. I don’t have to tell you to keep your wits about you, men. Don’t let me down. Keep alert at all times,” she whispered her instructions.
Sam followed the sound to a stairwell and glanced up. Her dilemma now was whether she trusted the stairs to take their weight. It would be better if they ascended separately. She gestured silently to make her point. The team all nodded their understanding. Sam withdrew her weapon and cautiously climbed the stairs first. Alert and acutely aware of her surroundings, she waited at the top for the others to join her. In the distance, she could see a heavy metal door. She assumed that was where the generator was housed.
Sam held a finger to her lips. “Stay here. I’m going in alone. I don’t want them to know you’re here with me. Yes, they might already know if there are cameras downstairs. I’m taking a risk there aren’t any. They told me to go to the warehouse alone. They won’t be expecting me or us to show up here. Let’s use that to our advantage. Stick close; the first sign of trouble, make your move, not until then. Is that understood? If I get into a conversation with anyone, I’ll talk louder than usual, hoping that my voice carries.”
“Good idea, boss. We’ll be right behind you.”
Sam raised her thumb and then led the way along the narrow corridor. She pushed open the door that had been left ajar. She was right; there was a generator inside, but that wasn’t all. The room was lit by flickering monitors. She got closer. The image was of Rhys. He was bound to a chair, eyes wide and alert, with a figure standing beside him: Michele Turner. She was older. Thinner. Her hair streaked with grey. Her expression was disturbingly calm. Sam went back to the door and called the others in.
“What do you think? Could that room be somewhere in this building?”
“I think it’s likely,” Oliver said. “There’s a lot of open brickwork behind Rhys.”
“I was about to say the same,” Liam added.
“Where? Downstairs, or could he be on this level?”
“There’s a window behind Turner,” Nick said. “Can anyone see outside or is it too dark?”
“Too dark,” Oliver said. “I’d take a punt on it being downstairs. We could always split up,” he suggested.
“No. Not on my watch. Let’s stick together.”
They made their way back down the staircase one by one and searched the rest of the property, one room at a time, with Sam leading the way as usual. The building was in dire need of either refurbishment or even demolition. Sam followed her instincts and aimed for the rear of the property, assuming it would give the killer an access point.
Another metal door lay ahead of her. She tried the handle; the door was unlocked. She turned to address the team, held her finger to her lips once more, then she pushed open the door. Bingo! She gasped and whispered his name, “Rhys. Are you all right?” As far as she could tell, he was alone. Sam sprinted across the room and dropped to her knees beside him. “My God, what have they done to you?”
“Sam, be careful,” he warned. His gaze drifted to the right.
Turner stepped out of the shadows and laughed. “Well, this is a surprise, Inspector. I guess we underestimated your resilience and capabilities.”
“Who’swe? Let him go. Why are you doing this to him?”
“All will be revealed in good time. Stand up,” Turner ordered.
Sam hesitantly did as she was instructed. She glanced around her, sensing there was someone else in the room with them, possibly hidden in the shadows. She rested one hand on Rhys’s shoulder, assuring him to trust her.
Suddenly, when she least expected it, another person emerged. A man.
Sam gasped a second time. “What the… you? Why?”
Detective Gareth Penn, the lead investigator on the Pendle Housesex scandal. He was now retired from the Force. He’d been highly decorated throughout his career and well respected by his colleagues and superiors. How had it come to this—him kidnapping people and killing those involved in the investigation? Anger welled up inside.
He moved to stand next to Michele, syringe in hand, his smile pure evil. “They silenced us, Inspector Cobbs. Covered it up. Brushed the truth under years and years of red tape. But we remember. We remember every scream those children let out. Every secret buried.”
Michele swallowed and nodded. “They think justice comes from the reports that were filed. We couldn’t stand it any longer. Our aim was to bring truth with pain. It’s the only thing these people know: inflicting pain on others.”
“Not me. I did nothing wrong,” Rhys said, prepared to fight his corner despite his vulnerability. “I was young. I was there only because of my placement. If I had known sooner what was going on under that roof, I would have revealed the truth. I would have told someone in authority. You know me well enough to know that’s the truth, Ivy.”
“Do I? Yes, our paths have crossed over the years, but do Ireallyknow you? You had your chance to speak out once you’d left university. You chose to keep your mouth shut, knowing that several children had died at Pendle. I tried my best to protect them… I failed. There was no way I could shield all of them.”
