Page 30 of Vanished in the Mist (A Mystic Lake Mystery #2)

Kaden brought the axe crashing against the Sheetrock, knocking a hole in the closet wall. Dawson immediately stepped forward, helping him break through.

“See a passageway?” Kaden asked.

Dawson shook his head. “Are you sure that Shanna didn’t get past you, go out into the hallway?”

“She was in the closet. Someone’s got her, that Phantom or whoever. There has to be a secret passage in the wall.”

“Hey, hey, what the heck are you doing to my hotel?”

They both turned to see Stella standing in the doorway. “State police are running all over downstairs thumping on walls and now, you two are up here busting holes. What’s going on?”

“He’s got Shanna,” Kaden told her, his voice tight and raw. “Someone took her.”

“From the closet?”

“She went inside and never came out. There’s a hidden door in here somewhere. Has to be.”

She whirled around and left.

“Move your hands,” Kaden ordered.

Dawson jumped back and Kaden brought his axe crashing down a foot to the right of the first hole. “Check it.”

“Nothing. Just lumber, no gaps.”

“It sounded hollow when I banged on the wall before. Maybe it’s on this side.”

Again, Kaden swung the axe. Again, there was no opening.

“Make room for Frank.”

Kaden frowned and glanced over his shoulder.

Stella ushered her husband into the tight space.

He, too, was holding one of the fire axes, like the one that Kaden had grabbed from the wall in the hallway.

Without a word, he shoved past Kaden and began pounding on the wall with the dull end of the axe, knocking holes as he went, in a straight line, from right to left.

Kaden swore and started doing the same thing, but from left to right. The sound of metal on metal had him whirling around.

Frank motioned toward the last hole he’d made. “Metal bar on the other side. This must be the door.”

With Frank, Dawson and Kaden ripping and breaking through the Sheetrock, the passage was quickly revealed.

“Stairs,” Stella announced from over their shoulders. “Well, I’ll be. They go straight down. What do you think, Frank? The Cooper’s Bluff mine shaft? You think it runs all the way to the B and B?”

He nodded. “Could be.”

“We’ll need flashlights,” Kaden said.

“Hang on.” Stella ran from the room.

“Dawson—”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll grab my guys from downstairs. Be right back.”

Stella ran into the room, passing Dawson as he ran out. “Here, Kaden. That’s the only one I could find.” She gave Frank a stern look. “Someone hasn’t been keeping up with the batteries around here. The others are dead.”

Frank rolled his eyes.

“Tell Dawson he’ll need more flashlights,” Kaden said. “I’m not waiting for him.” He ducked under the metal bar that was no longer holding anything, since the Sheetrock and wood around it had been obliterated, and jogged down the steep set of steps.