Ares glanced outside to see if any officers were still around, but the place was completely deserted. Everyone had left with Officer Daniels.

“What’s with that pool? A basement?”

He walked toward it carefully, each step measured and deliberate. The staircase leading down was narrow and steep. Darkness swallowed everything below, so he took out his phone and turned on the flashlight.

By the fifth step, the pool door suddenly slid shut behind him. His eyes widened in shock. He rushed ...