Chapter 6 — The Crawlspace Map
The officers worked quickly but carefully. Lewis radioed for the supervisor and building plans while Patel slid the bed aside and unscrewed the vent cover. Cold air drifted out, carrying dust and something older—damp wood and forgotten summers.
“Sound’s traveling the duct,” Lewis said. “Return line. Could be anywhere in the crawlspace.”
From the open vent, everyone heard it this time—a hoarse, broken plea: “Help.”
Mia’s mother covered her mouth. Her father stumbled back. At the call center, Kara underlined one word in her notes: HELP.
