Keeping Secrets (An Anonymous Novella)

Chapter 17 Part 1

There was a rug in the hallway, an eccentric red one that somehow matched the theme of the safehouse. Chloe had originally thought it strange to have a long, slim rug in the middle of the hallway, but had dismissed it. Interior designing was never quite her thing, so she'd written it up as someone's interesting choice in design. Darius however, rolled this rug back to expose a square trap door in the flooring.

He handed Ethan the flashlight, then yanked up on the handle. The trap door opened, blowing out a cloud of dust. Chloe coughed once and wrapped the blanket tighter around her.

"The tunnel leads to the other safe house. My men will be waiting there." Darius said.

Ethan helped her down the ladder, pointing the way with the flashlight, before descending himself. "Darius, what about you?"

"I need to go to the fuse box--the generator should have kicked on by now. The fact that it didn't doesn't mean good things." He said. "Commander Jackson is already en route, probably about half an hour out. Stay with my men until he gets here."

The tunnel underneath the safe house was freezing. Chloe shivered, which made Ethan wrap an arm around her. "Darius, be careful."

"Always, Your Highness."

"Darius?" Chloe's voice sounded small to her ears. She couldn't help the sense of foreboding churning in her stomach. "I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about, Lady Elizabeth. Now, go."

Ethan's hand was strong on Chloe's elbow as he guided her in a light jog down the tunnel. She was grateful for that--the fear had begun to zap the strength from her legs, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand tall on her own, let alone run.

The further into the tunnel they got, the darker it seemed. The guard's house couldn't be more than a block over and yet it felt like they'd been underground for eternity. The walls along the tunnel were stone and brought out a chill unlike she'd ever experienced. Her nightmares sometimes involved being buried deep underground, alive, and this silent tunnel reminded her of it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

"Ethan," Her hand holding the blanket together tightened. "The ladder. See it?"

"I do." He huffed out.

He went up first, pounding on the door above him. It whisked open immediately, and the two of them were rushed out. Three guards, Jim, Raul, and a darker skinned man named Luke, surrounded them. They each had a flashlight, which made it a lot easier to navigate.

"We need you two to head to the bathroom. There are more pipes in there, and no windows. It's the most secure." Jim said.

The guard's house had almost the same layout as their safe house, except it covered a smaller area. The home featured the same vaulted ceilings and modern-rustic style. It appeared the major difference was that in this home the bathroom had been placed in the middle of the home, where the kitchen separated from the living room, instead of off to the side like in their version.

"Raul will stay with you here." Jim said.

As if on cue, Raul stepped into the bathroom and began to shut the door.

"Wait." Ethan put a hand on the door. "Where will you be?"

"We need to guard the home." Jim pulled out his gun from the side holster, checked the magazine, then snapped it back in. "Raul is the last resort."

Then they closed them in.

Chloe sat down on the closed toilet seat and ran her fingers through her hair. How had it turned so fast? There'd been nothing for days! And now, all of a sudden they were being hunted.