Chapter 25 - BEHIND THE MAHOGANY WALLS
The air inside the manor was thick with the smell of old wood, damp plaster, and decades of stagnant silence.
Marcus activated his high-powered LED floodlights, illuminating the grand staircase that curved upward toward the gloom of the second floor.
I unbuckled my portable ultrasonic wall scanner, pressing the sensor pad directly against the intricate mahogany wainscoting.
The digital readout flared red instantly, indicating a four-foot hollow void running continuously behind the formal dining room walls.
"The blueprints were accurate," I whispered, following the acoustic readings along the perimeter of the grand hallway.
Behind the decorative wood panels lay a network of narrow access passages equipped with outdated copper communication wires.
"This wasn't just a luxury estate; it was an elaborate monitoring facility built into a residential home," Marcus noted in disbelief.
As we moved deeper into the estate toward the rear conservatory, the sound of a floorboard creaking above us echoed through the house.
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Marcus froze, swinging his flashlight beam up toward the dark balcony of the second-floor library.
"Did you hear that?" Marcus whispered, reaching for the heavy wrench clipped to his utility belt.
