When he reached Kate, he leaned over and pressed his ear against the door, too. Silence. But then they both heard it. A few seconds of soft scratching, like sandpaper on a piece of wood. Mike straightened up. “It sounds like mice,” he said. “No,” Kate said. “Someone’s there. I heard tapping. Like a signal.” Kate rapped the door hard three times with her knuckles. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. She motioned for Mike to lean against the door again. But there was no response. Mike shook his head. “See, it’s probably just a mouse.” He turned to go. Kate stepped back to study the wall. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. Mike whirled around. “That’s no mouse!” Mike twisted the door handle and pulled. The door moved slightly, but then stuck fast. Kate reached over. She helped Mike give it another tug. The door sprang open. Someone was huddled on the floor behind it. It was Commander Rice! He wore a blue zip-up flight suit, and his hands and feet were bound with tape. A strip of cloth was tied around his head.
