Chapter 9: The Final Confrontation

“There’s an emergency exit!” Aiden shouted, pointing to a red handle shaped like a fire extinguisher. Michael pulled it. A section of the floor dropped away like an elevator, lowering them rapidly until they reached the very bottom—the secret tunnel they had been in earlier! They burst through the potting shed and sprinted into the woods, the storm now a full-blown roar. The “Whispering Woods” were no longer whispering; they were screaming with the sound of a hovering aircraft. In the clearing, a sleek, black helicopter with no markings was descending. They saw the man in the trench coat and the man in the uniform dragging a familiar figure toward the chopper. “Papa!” Emma yelled. The villains spun around, shocked. “The kids! Get the box!” the trench coat man barked. “Now, Olivia!” Michael signaled. Olivia used the brass compass. She had figured out that when she turned the dial, the humming from the box grew louder. A high-pitched frequency erupted from the box, so sharp that the two villains dropped their flashlights and clutched their ears, howling in pain. Aiden didn’t miss his chance. He charged forward and tripped the man in the uniform with his trusty stick. “Michael, the box! Throw it!” Papa yelled, breaking free from his captors. Michael launched the wooden box through the air. But he didn’t throw it to Papa. He threw it straight into the open door of the helicopter. As the box hit the floor of the chopper, the internal magnets in the Lookout Room’s system engaged. The helicopter’s electronics went haywire, its lights flickering wildly. “It’s a trap!” the pilot screamed. Read more at Hartman Mysteries