The Siege by Alexie Aaron Page A

The car started towards the interior of the house.
    Ted took Mia’s hand to slow her down a moment.  He placed a large rock from the front landscaping in the threshold of the house, so the door wouldn’t be able to shut completely, possibly locking them inside.  They caught up to the Barbies in the kitchen.  Their car waited until the basement door opened before it bounced down the steps.
    “Those dolls are wild drivers,” Ted said, putting himself in front of Mia as they descended the steps.  The basement wasn’t used for much but storage.  There was a small alcove where wine racks had been installed.  The car drove past these and bumped into the wall.  It reversed and drove into the wall again.
    “Dead end,” Mia said disappointed.
    Ted walked over to the wall and ran his hand along it.  He looked at the ceiling and at the floor.  He examined where the car had bumped into the wall and put his ear to the paneled wall.  “There’s someone behind the panel.  I can’t find any way of opening it from this side.  Whoever is there isn’t locked in.”
    Mia moved to the wall and called softly, “Hello, is there anyone there?”
    No answer.
    “I won’t tell anyone you talked to me.  I’d like to talk to you.  You won’t get into trouble.  Please come out.”
    “I can’t… big trouble… can’t.”  The voice was accented, but Mia couldn’t tell the country of origin of the woman who was speaking.
    Mia and Ted looked at each other.
    “We’re not the police or INS.  I’m Mia, and this is my husband Ted.  We are alone, and we’d like to talk to you.”
    “Why?”
    “Oh, there’s a lot of strange things happening out here.  Crazy stuff.  Toys driving by themselves.  Furniture flying.”
    “The Dawsons told me to stay down here until you left.  But you don’t leave!”
    Intrigued Mia asked, “Are you by any chance making the toys move?”
    “No!  Not me.”
    Mia’s eyes lit up.  She looked at Ted, and he nodded his head.  She cleared her voice and asked, “Are you appreciated?  Do they give you their undivided attention?  Do you want your freedom?”
    “Why are you asking me this?”
    The panels on the wall shook and shifted, and a small thin slit appeared.  Mia backed away so she would not frighten the woman behind the door or put herself in danger.  Ted put a protective arm around her shoulders.
    The woman who appeared out of the wall was young and thin.  Her hair was dark as were her eyes, and she had a pinched look to her.  She wore a gray maid’s uniform, white shoes and socks.
    “Hello, I’m Mia, this is Ted,” Mia introduced them again.
    “They call me CC, but my name is Carlotta Charlemagne.  My family is well thought of in my country.  Not so much here.”
    “Are you treated poorly by the Dawsons?”
    “Come and see,” she said, opening the door wider and stepping aside.
    Mia and Ted walked into a neat, three room apartment.  There wasn’t a window to be seen, but the space was well lit and cheerfully furnished.  The living room furniture was high end, including a television.  A small kitchenette was tucked into the corner with small but expensive appliances.  CC had a nice bedroom, and her bathroom had both a tub and a shower to bathe in.  Mia thought it should have been a cold room but there seemed to be heat radiating up from the floor.
    “Is this floor heated?” she asked, putting her hand on the expensive tile.
    “Yes.”
    “Are you being held here against your will?”
    “No.”
    “Why are you living in the basement?”
    “I sometimes get migraines.  Here I can block out all of the light.  Rosemary, Mrs. Dawson, had this apartment made just for me so I could feel safe.”
    “Are you here in this country illegally?” Ted asked.
    “I was born in Roma, but my parents emigrated to Chicago when I was fifteen.  I passed the citizen test when I was eighteen.”
    “Are you being paid a fair wage?” he asked.
    “They give me room,