The ground moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not enough to make the earth split open or send dirt flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was subtler than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A small section of grass behind Caleb trembled in a strange, rhythmic pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan saw it before I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Continue reading on next page\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
He pulled Caleb backward again, keeping his teeth firmly attached to the fabric of his shirt. Caleb’s sneakers scraped through the grass as he cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I dropped to my knees several feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan, let him go!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time since I’d adopted him, Titan didn’t obey me immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he looked at the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then back at Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His whole body was rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He finally released Caleb’s shirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my son and pulled him toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb threw both arms around my neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMommy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI’ve got you. You’re okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But he wasn’t looking at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was staring at Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe pulled me,\u201d Caleb sobbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe scared me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hugged him tighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Titan suddenly lunged toward us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I flinched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But he wasn’t coming for Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He planted himself directly between us and the patch of grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His head lowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A deep warning growl rolled through his chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan had barked at squirrels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had growled at strange noises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had once chased a raccoon halfway across the yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I’d never heard him make that sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn’t anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I slowly turned my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The grass moved again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, I saw it clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something beneath the surface was shifting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb buried his face against my shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood and backed toward the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan stayed where he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the ground gave a tiny crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not a huge one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just enough to expose a narrow line of dark soil underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed Caleb’s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInside. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut Titan\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan’s coming with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I called his name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He didn’t move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His ears flicked backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he glanced at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For one strange second, it seemed as though he understood exactly what I was asking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He backed away from the disturbed patch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he ran toward us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We reached the back door together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shoved it open, pulled Caleb inside, and Titan followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I locked the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb was still crying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I crouched in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere does it hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid Titan bite you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid he hurt you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe grabbed my shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was standing beside the kitchen table, panting heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His eyes remained fixed on the backyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked back at my son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy did he pull you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb wiped his cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThink carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He sniffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was blowing bubbles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked toward the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI heard something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My skin prickled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat kind of something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike scratching.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cScratching?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnder the grass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan’s ears suddenly lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was staring at Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he looked back outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was when I realized something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan hadn’t been trying to drag my son away from the danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had been trying to drag him away from the exact spot where the danger was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I walked slowly toward the kitchen window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The yard appeared completely ordinary again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The maple tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lawn chairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb’s bubbles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The patch of grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I noticed something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A small indentation near the flower bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It hadn’t been there that morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was certain of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI’m calling someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho?\u201d Caleb asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe police.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan suddenly barked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wasn’t looking at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was looking toward the side of the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three sharp barks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I walked to the other window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I picked up the phone again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I could make the call, someone knocked on the front door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three quick knocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan immediately moved in front of Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I checked the camera feed on my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was Mrs. Holloway from next door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was standing on the porch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened the door only after checking the lock and keeping Titan behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway’s eyes immediately went toward him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked at Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow did you know something happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I noticed the color disappear from her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I heard him scream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped onto the porch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomething moved under the lawn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan was pulling Caleb away from something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway stared at the dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For once, she didn’t look frightened of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked frightened of something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I told her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I finished, she didn’t respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Holloway?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour house has an old drainage line running underneath the backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo that area wasn’t supposed to be disturbed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked toward my lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause there was a problem there years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My pulse quickened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat kind of problem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAsk your property manager.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI own the house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her eyes widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked at me differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou didn’t know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKnow what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before she could answer, Titan began barking again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, he wasn’t facing the yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was staring at the basement door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The door was closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But beneath it, I saw something that made my breath catch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dust was moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just a thin line of dust sliding across the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something was happening underneath the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaleb,\u201d I said quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He came toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStay upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My voice must have sounded different because he immediately obeyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed a flashlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway stepped inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou shouldn’t go down there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stared at the basement door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause if what I think is happening is happening, you need someone who knows what they’re looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was when Titan suddenly scratched at the basement door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he pressed his nose against the gap underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan’s body went completely still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A low sound came from his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then something beneath the door scraped against the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb screamed upstairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I ran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCaleb!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was standing at the top of the stairs, pointing toward his bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomeone was in my room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI heard the scratching again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I rushed into his room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The window was locked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The closet was empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing appeared disturbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I saw it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the floor beside Caleb’s bed was a thin layer of dirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fresh dirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked toward the ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then toward the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And finally toward the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan entered the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He sniffed the dirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His ears went up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he began pawing at the carpet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan, stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He kept going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he pawed the exact same spot again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway came into the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moment she saw the dirt, she stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She didn’t answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Holloway, what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She slowly stepped into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked at Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI owe you an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked embarrassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor months, I thought you were irresponsible for keeping that dog around your son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I glanced at Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was still focused on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She pointed toward the dirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow I think that dog has been trying to tell you something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour dog isn’t the thing you should be afraid of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I could respond, there was another sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, it came from directly beneath Caleb’s bedroom floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb grabbed my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom, what’s under my room?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn’t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Titan did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He lowered his head and listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he turned toward the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He walked to the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looked back at us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was almost as if he wanted us to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Downstairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Into the basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan crossed the room and stopped beside an old storage cabinet I hadn’t opened since moving into the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pulled it away from the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind it was a narrow section of unfinished concrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And there, hidden beneath layers of dust and cobwebs, was a metal access panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat’s not on the house plans,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway stepped closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her face had gone pale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon’t open it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She didn’t answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She finally whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause twenty years ago, the previous owners reported hearing noises underneath this house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey thought it was an animal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stared at Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey hired someone to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat did they find?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A silence settled over the basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Titan began scratching at the panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The metal panel vibrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face was pale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat’s behind there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to tell him there was nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to tell him everything was fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But then I noticed something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A narrow line of mud had appeared beneath the panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And slowly, almost imperceptibly, another line began spreading across the basement floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whatever was underneath the house was moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it was moving toward us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUpstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, Titan didn’t resist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He followed us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But before I reached the stairs, my phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The caller ID made my blood run cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the animal shelter where I’d adopted Titan nearly a year earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman’s voice came through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs this Titan’s owner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHas Titan been acting strangely today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou need to listen carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tightened my grip on the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen Titan was brought to us, he had a microchip registered to another organization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat organization?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe assumed it was a rescue group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My eyes moved toward Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut we recently received additional records.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat records?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her voice became quieter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan wasn’t originally trained as a family dog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt my stomach turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat was he trained for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSearch and detection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the basement door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDetection of what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman took a breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn’t speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpecifically, missing people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My eyes filled with confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy would a search dog end up at a shelter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho trained him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat’s the strange part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe records show that Titan was trained by a private search team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen the team disappeared from the registry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt means we can’t find them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at Titan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was sitting beside Caleb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb had one hand resting on his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan was watching the basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shelter worker spoke again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is one more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe records mention a property.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart began pounding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat property?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She gave me the address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat’s my house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked toward Mrs. Holloway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was staring at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had heard enough to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy would Titan’s training records have my address?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman on the phone sounded frightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then something crashed in the basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caleb jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan immediately stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shelter worker heard the sound through the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think something is under my house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman didn’t respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she said something I’ll never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGet your son out of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause if the old records are correct, Titan wasn’t brought to your home by accident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at my dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stared directly at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for the first time, I wondered whether the reason Titan had chosen to protect Caleb wasn’t because he was simply a loyal rescue dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe he’d been trained to recognize something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something that had been hidden beneath our house long before we ever moved in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Titan suddenly ran toward the basement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTitan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stopped at the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turned around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And barked once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind him, the basement floor shifted again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this time, the movement wasn’t coming from underneath the grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was coming from beneath the concrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And somewhere below us, something struck the underside of the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan didn’t bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He simply stared at the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if he had finally found exactly what he’d been searching for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then I heard a sound from beneath the house that made every thought disappear from my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A human voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muffled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But unmistakably real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHelp\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pulled Caleb behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. Holloway covered her mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan stood completely still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the voice came again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And suddenly, I understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Titan hadn’t been dragging my son away from something dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had been trying to get him away from the place where someone was trapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real question was no longer what was beneath our feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It was who had been down there\u2014and how long had they been waiting for someone to find them?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The ground moved. Not dramatically. Not enough to make the earth split open or send dirt flying. It was subtler…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8027"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8028,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8027\/revisions\/8028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/benetv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}