The door didn't budge. Not even an inch. I took a step back.

"It's locked."

Hannah smiled slightly, pulling a bobby pin from her hair, which had been gathered in a bun at the top of her head. She took a couple seconds to bend the pin and then slid it into the lock. After a couple expert movements from Hannah, the door handle twisted.

Hannah let me go ahead of her. I shoved the door, listening to the loud creak of its hinges. The room was pitch black. I pulled my phone from my pocket and used the screen to light up the room. Bert and Whitney turned on their flashlights too.

"Matthew, its me. It's Rebecca," I whispered.

After waiting a few seconds, I heard a muffled groan. The light coming from my phone scampered across the room, but failed to find Matthew.

"Guys! Help me move this book case," Kyran said. I looked over at him and realized he was standing in front of a tall bookcase that reached the ceiling. It was about five feet wide too, definitely big enough to cover an entryway or door. Ty and Hannah grabbed the bookcase, pulling it out of the way. It scraped across the floor, making me cringe.

"What's back there?" My voice came out so soft I didn't think anyone could hear it, but Ty replied.

"Kyran was right. There is a hallway back here."

I nodded. Of course there was another terrifying hallway and of course there had to be more suspense before I could see my brother. Internally groaning, I followed the rest into the hallway. It was a straight hallway that dead ended fifteen feet in. There was another locked door, which Hannah skillfully unlocked in a couple seconds.

"Do you want to go in first?" Ty asked me. I nodded after thinking about it. To say I was terrified would be the understatement of the century. I had no idea what I was going to see. But, if my brother was in there, I wanted my face to be the first thing he saw.

My cold clammy fingers wrapped around the copper colored doorknob. Weakly, I turned the knob and shoved the door open. It took a little force, but the door gave way and instantly someone's loud mumbling caught my attention.

"Matthew! Matthew!" My gaze focused on a person in the back corner of the room. A flash of light from one of the phones lit up the persons face. My heart stopped. I couldn't breath. I forgot how to move. I forgot how to think.

All I could see was Matthews bruised, thin face. All I could see was the deep purple bags underneath his eyes. The only thing I could register was his sunken in stomach and protruding ribs, which could be seen because he was only in a pair of shorts.

The only think I could think was that this was all my fault.

Someone placed there hand at the small of my back, gently shoving me forward. I snapped out of my trance and realized Matthew was hanging by his wrists from the ceiling. I rushed over to him and pulled the gag away from his mouth, while Hannah tried to figure out the chains that restrained him.

"Rebecca," Matthew breathed out. His eyes were glazed over with unshed tears. But they began falling down his face when I looked him in the eye. I wiped away my own tears and knelt down to the ground, unraveling the rope that was tightly wound around his ankles, securing his feet.

"Do you know where the key for these handcuffs are?" Ty questioned Matthew. It wasn't much of a greeting, but how do you greet someone in this situation. Matthew shook his head.

"N-no I-I nev-n—"

"Save your breath Matthew. We will find them and get you down from there," Whitney said. Matthew didn't seem to acknowledge what was said, or the fact that Whitney was a complete stranger to him. He just stared in my eyes, silently pleading to get away from all of this.

"They have to be somewhere around here." I ran my hands along the walls, searching for any clue. But when I neared the doorway a movement outside captured my attention. A figure stepped out of the shadows and suddenly the room was flooded with light.

"Wow, long time no see." The woman standing in front of us said. I took a few staggered steps back, bumping into someone's hard chest. Ty tugged at my arm, moving me behind him.

The lady was smirking, leaned against the doorframe. "I see you've found your brother. He caused Anton a lot of trouble, stupid boy."

I was confused at which boy she was calling stupid, not that it mattered.

"Natalie," Whitney breathed out, taking a few cautious steps forward.

Natalie's eyes jumped across the room. "Whitney," she spat back. Her voice was thick with venom and hatred. I seen Whitney flinch and shrink back. "Natalie let Matthew go. He doesn't have anything to do with this. None of this is his fault and he doesn't deserve what you're putting him through."

Natalie's hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. "It's funny isn't it. Matthew didn't have anything to do with this, but now he does because you betrayed me."

I took in a deep breath of the musty air. "Please, let Matthew go. He isn't any part of this. He's my brother, but he doesn't have a chip and he wasn't part of the research."

"I know he doesn't have a chip. I know because I created the chip and the research was stolen from me," Natalie growled.

"It wasn't your research Natalie. It was our research, and we couldn't risk having you as a part anymore. You were to unstable," Bert added. His voice was steady and calm.

Natalie scoffed, reaching for something behind her back. Bert noticed and whipped out his gun, aiming it at Natalie. Her eyes widened but she dropped her hands to her sides.

"I thought family was suppose to stick together, no matter how hard it was. I thought we were suppose to help each other. But you ignored me for years and now you're pointing a gun at me!" Natalie shouted. Her strained, raw voice bounced off the walls of the room, hanging in the air.

"I tried to help you. I tried, but you wouldn't let me," Bert answered. His calm voice had been replaced with a quavering tone. Funny, I was here to save my brother and Bert was here to send his sister to jail.

Natalie shook her head in denial, a few silky black strands of hair falling out of her ponytail. "No, you weren't trying to help me. You were trying to get me locked up in a mental hospital. You were just trying to get rid of me, like always."

"I wasn't trying to get rid of you! I was trying to get you the help you needed, and if you would have let me we wouldn't be in this situation!" Bert screamed back, completely losing his temper and patience.

"Where are the keys to the handcuffs Natalie?" I asked.

She hesitated to answer but when Bert stepped forward, and the gun came into closer view she gave in. Slowly she reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver key. I held out my palm and she placed the key in it.

I ran over to Matthew reaching up to unlock the handcuffs, but I wasn't tall enough. Ty came over and took the key for me, unlocking them. Matthew fell to the ground, screaming out in pain. I knelt down beside him and ran my hands up and down his arms, trying to warm them.

"Now Natalie, were going to leave and we are going to take Matthew and everyone else home safely."

Natalie scoffed again. "There is no way you are going to—"

She was cut off by Whitney who took several steps forwards, pulling a syringe from her pocket and plunging it into Natalie's arm. A few seconds later Natalie fell limp in her arms and she laid her down on the ground.

"There, she should be out for a while."

My mouth dropped open, stunned. "Why didn't you do that earlier?" Kyran asked.

"I wanted to see what she had to say, but that's really not important right now."

I just nodded, helping Matthew sit up. After a few seconds I could hear sirens growing closer. "Who called the police?" I asked. Everyone shook there heads, a tension filling the room.

"Anton must have," Kyran said.

"We've got to get out of here!" I exclaimed, pulling Matthew up a little. He whimpered in pain and I immediately laid him back down, his head resting on my lap. Bert shook his head.

"But Bert, they are going to arrest you and maybe even my mom!" Kyran hissed.

"They are going to arrest me, I know. But they also will arrest Natalie, and they have medical care for Matthew. Besides, I deserve to be in jail. I did this to you. I ruined your lives and it's much to late to take that back."

A silence fell over us, no one daring to move or speak. I didn't even hear the sounds of breathing. We had become a family.