WHERE'S ARIEL?

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EXCERPT from SHADOW OF THE LEGACY

"Where's Ariel?" 

A quick look around the ballroom didn't turn up the little girl. 

"We'll find her," Johnny assured Rochelle. Though tears filled her eyes, determination steeled her backbone. Rochelle had been part of many searches, as had most of Halo's citizens. However, a search of the entire house failed to locate Ariel. 

Rochelle tried to keep panic at bay. From the time she was a toddler, Rochelle had played a game with Ariel not to go anywhere with anyone unless they knew the secret code word. 

"While the other teams start searching outside, let's go through the house again," Johnny said. "There are a lot of places in an old house where a little girl could hide." 

Fearing the worst, Rochelle, Johnny, his brother Grady, and Layla Dalton, who lived in the house, started at the ballroom on the third floor and worked downward, calling out Ariel's name as they looked. The pressure in Rochelle's chest grew heavier as they reached the first floor without any luck. 

"I found Ariel's oboe!" Grady called out. 

Johnny, Rochelle and Layla rushed to the pantry, where Grady stood over the little girl's musical instrument. 

"It wasn't there when we searched this floor earlier." 

The group looked at each other. 

"Ariel!" Rochelle's shout held a note of desperate hope. 

A soft thump sounded. 

"Ariel? Where are you, baby?" 

Again, a thump sounded behind the wall. 

"What's behind that wall?" Rochelle asked. 

"A section of one of the other walls lifts out to access the elevator," Grady said. "There could be other secret passages in a house this old." 

Johnny walked to the wall and said in a loud voice. "Ariel, if you can hear me, knock twice on the wall." 

Two loud knocks echoed behind the wall. 

Murmurs of relief spread through the trio. 

"How do we get her out?" 

(Excerpt from Shadow of the Legacy, copyright by Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel.)