Chapter 15: The Stigmata of the Orphanage

After subduing the orphanage staff member, Irene learned from him some clues about the underground secret room in the orphanage. It was said that this secret room hid some unknown secrets and might be closely related to the case.

Irene decided to explore the underground secret room. Under the guidance of the staff member, she came to the basement of the orphanage. The basement was filled with a damp smell. The walls were covered with moss, and the dim lights flickered in the corners, as if they might go out at any moment.

They walked forward along the narrow passage and came to a huge iron gate. The staff member took out a key and opened the iron gate. Behind the door was a dark room filled with a pungent smell.

Irene walked into the room carefully, illuminating the surroundings with a flashlight. She found that there were some old furniture and sundries in the room, and some strange paintings were hung on the walls. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to some graffiti on the wall.

These graffiti looked like the works of children, but the content was very strange. There were some people in police uniforms and some imprisoned children painted on it. A sense of foreboding welled up in Irene's heart. She realized that these graffiti might be a record of what had happened here by the children.

In the corner of the room, Irene found a hidden entrance. She pushed aside the wooden board at the entrance, and inside was a narrow passage. She walked forward along the passage and came to a more secluded secret room.

The secret room was filled with a stinking smell that made people want to vomit. Irene illuminated the surroundings with a flashlight and found that there were some old files and photos placed here. She picked up those files and photos and flipped through them carefully.

The files recorded some of the dark history of the orphanage, including the sexual assault and abuse of children. And in the photos, there were some group photos of the orphanage staff and the town's powerful people back then. Irene's heart was filled with anger and shock. She never expected that this place that had once given her warmth actually hid such terrifying secrets.

On the wall of the secret room, Irene also found some information about the "Rust Belt Vigilante League". These information showed that the purpose of this organization was to punish those criminals who had escaped legal sanctions, but their methods were very cruel. Irene began to suspect that Samuel Hawk might be the leader of this organization.

She decided to take these files and photos back as important evidence. She knew that these evidences would be the key to uncovering the truth of the case.