The Secret Manuscript

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ben rose to his feet and dusted himself off. When he put weight on his right foot, a sharp pain radiated from his ankle. He shifted his weight and grimaced in discomfort. Fortunately, the adrenaline alleviated some of his pain and he would most likely be able to walk it off, but he knew he would definitely be hurting the next day.

  He took his flashlight out once again and turned it on. The light pierced through the darkness and one by one illuminated several objects stored in the basement. In its circular glow, the light revealed a Ping-Pong table, an old TV, and a ragged couch. In one corner, there was a small weight bench and a punching bag. As Ben shone the flashlight around the room, he made a mental inventory of some of the larger pieces of furniture he would have to avoid. The odd thing about being in the basement was that it reminded him of being in his own house, but in an alternate world. The robber’s basement was unfinished as well; however, he had much more clutter than Ben had.

  Out of curiosity, Ben walked past the bar area and through the furnace room. From the furnace room, he shone his light straight ahead. Instead of a secret room, there was a laundry room. Ben walked over and opened both the washer and dryer. Since most criminals were not too bright, he figured there was a chance the robber would try to launder the money, literally. However, upon inspection there was no money in either machine. Ben shut the washer and dryer doors and then headed toward the stairs.

  The wooden staircase creaked with each hobbled step Ben took. At the top of the stairs, the door squeaked loudly as Ben tried to open it. It was a surprise that with all the noise Ben was making, the robber had not woken up. Ben proceeded anyway, gripping the handle and slowly pushing the door open a sufficient amount to allow him to slip through to the other side. Once on the main floor, he had to be extra cautious. With each step, he was trying to tread as softly as possible, but probably ended up making even more noise.

  As he had suspected, the layout of the house was the same. The fact he knew the floor plan was a huge advantage. Not only could he sneak around with the lights off, but at this hour, there was a good chance the robber would be upstairs in the master bedroom. He also figured the robber would have stashed the money somewhere in his room, but for safe measure, Ben still decided to search everywhere else first. He would rather not have to saunter into the lion’s den unless it were necessary. In a perfect scenario, the money would be left out in the open for Ben to grab, but that was not likely to be the case.

  The flashlight was off, but remained in his hand. Having it provided Ben a sense of security as it was one of the heavy metal flashlights, the kind police use. In case he needed to use it as a weapon, he wanted it to be ready.

  Ben intended to search the entire main floor, and decided to start with the living room first. He checked in and around the couch, flipping over the cushions, and looking underneath it. He then examined the coffee table by pushing aside some of the junk that cluttered the surface. He even looked inside a discarded pizza box that was lying on the floor. When he was satisfied that he had checked all possible hiding spots, he went into the kitchen.

  As quietly as possible, he opened all the cupboards, drawers, and even the oven. Again, he found nothing. He unlocked the back door in case he needed to make a quick getaway and even contemplated aborting the mission at that point while he was still in one piece. If he had any other options he may have chosen to walk away, but Ben was desperate. He needed the money so badly and was willing to risk his safety to get it. Once the kitchen was fully inspected, Ben moved on to the upstairs.

  Ben did not take the risks he was facing lightly, and with each passing minute, the stakes escalated even further. With his heart rate elevated, his legs trembling, and his sweaty hand gripping the heavy-duty flashlight, Ben slowly ascended up the stairs to where the bedrooms were. His breathing was stifled as if there were a heavy weight pressing down on his abdomen. He felt he could vomit at any moment if he paid even the slightest attention to it. Blocking it out, Ben ignored the discomfort. With each step, he inched closer to the sleeping robber.

  On the top floor, Ben made a revelation he had not previously considered. Peering into the guest bedroom, Ben realized at that moment the robber did not live alone. Fortunately, the roommate was not home. Had that not been the case, the mission would have been twice as dangerous. It was a beginner mistake not to consider the possibility of more than one person being in the house, and Ben knew he had just received another stroke of luck. If he wanted to keep it that way though, he needed to hurry as the roommate could return at any moment.

  Since there was no way of knowing for sure which of the rooms belonged to the robber, Ben had to check them both. For obvious reasons, he began with the vacant room. He entered the guest room and searched it thoroughly. As quietly as possible, he opened every drawer, rifled around the closet, and lifted up the filthy mattress. There was no sign of the money anywhere. That only left one other place it could be.

  The door to the master bedroom was closed. Ben paused for a moment and took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. Okay, you can do this, he said to psych himself up. Standing on the other side of the door, Ben pulled his shirt up and over his nose to conceal the bottom half of his face. Carefully extending his hand, Ben placed it gently on the door handled and gripped it tightly. With a slow and steady turn, he pushed his way in. He had no idea what would be waiting for him on the other side, but expected the worst. For all he knew, there would be a guy on the other side holding a gun to his face.

  The dim light from a streetlight poured in through the window, creating an eerie ambience. It allowed Ben to see a lone body stretched out on a tattered single-sized mattress. Ben slithered in undetected like a ninja, then tiptoed across the room. Ben’s laboured inhalations were muffled through his shirt, which actually made him breathe heavier.

  Now standing at the side of the bed, Ben watched the robber sleep. He began to question why he was there — a thought that had occurred to him more than once. It was a fool’s errand, but at this point, it was one he was committed to. The only thing left to do was to follow it through until the end. Ben gripped the flashlight tightly, raised it above his head, and took a small step forward. When he shifted his weight, the floor creaked and the robber’s eyes popped open.