“We’re trapped!” Zoe whispered. She felt Gabe’s grip tighten around her arm and gave him a reassuring glance.
“What about this way?” Penny poked her head behind the velvet curtain at the back of the little hallway. “There’s a staircase.”
The small group tried to wend their way down the ornate wrought iron circular staircase in as quiet a fashion as possible. But Gabe and Cassie’s nervous whispering, and the shushing from the others made that an impossibility. It didn’t help that the further they descended, the darker it got.
Zach felt around on the wall and found a switch. A dozen light fixtures hanging at regular intervals from the vaulted ceiling buzzed into action.
“What is this place?” Penny asked to no one in particular.
“I think it might be a bar.” Binny said as she ran her hand on the heavy and ornate wooden surface that ran the length of the left wall. Covered with shelves, a very long mirror ran behind the bar. Every few feet the mirror and shelves were interrupted by decorative columns.
“It’s a concert hall!” Cassie had already covered the relatively large space and was on a raised platform at the other end of the room. An old upright piano was collecting dust on the stage.
“Don’t play that.” Binny interceded before Cassie was about to plunk out a few notes. “He’ll hear us.”
“Don’t break that.” Zoe instructed her brother who was tapping on the keys of a fancy old cash register at the other end of the bar.
Gabe stuck his tongue out at his sister but was more gentle going forward.
“Why is there a bar underneath Soul Repair?” Penny asked.
“It’s not just under Soul Repair. I think it stretches underneath a bunch of the stores.” Zoe said.
“And I think I know why it’s here.” Zach had been absorbed in reading signs and articles framed and posted on the right hand wall above several banquettes.
The headlines read: “Prohibition A Shock To Seattle”, “U.S. is Voted Dry”, and “Prohibition Officials Search Puget Sound for Rum-Running U-Boat”. And there were official looking signs as well. “Closed for Violation of National Prohibition Act” and “Keep and Enforce Prohibition” among them.
“It’s a speakeasy.” Zach rendered his judgment.
“What’s that?” Penny said.
“It’s a secret bar.” Zoe added. “The government banned alcohol in this country like a million years ago, and so adults had secret clubs where they could drink.”
“Even though it was against the law?” Binny asked.
“Especially because it was against the law.” Zoe said.
“It’s weird. Madrona has so much secret stuff underground that nobody knows about.” Penny mused.
“Seattle has a lot of that. Not just Madrona.” Zach added.
“I love a good secret underground discovery as much as the next person, but right now we’re trapped. I thought Xander was the boss at Luce Labs and was going to stop that guy” Zoe pointed back up the circular staircase “from following us around.”
“Maybe he didn’t get a chance yet.” Binny added. “We were just there this morning.”
“Well, that doesn’t help us now, does it?” Zoe snapped. “Every minute that we’re trapped down here is a minute that we’re not finding Rembrandt.” Zoe was getting more and more agitated.
“I’m sure he won’t be up there too long.” Zach tried to sound reassuring, but Zoe looked unconvinced.
Zach ran upstairs and was back down quickly after listening from behind the secret fireplace entrance, a look of dejection on his face. “He’s ordering seconds.”
“I knew it. We’re trapped!” Zoe looked as if she might cry.
“Maybe there’s another way out.” A small voice said from across the room. Situated between the bar and the edge of the small stage, Gabe had found a door behind a curtain. It was marked “PRIVATE”.
While the main space was underground it had been appointed quite beautifully. But this new room was relatively spare in terms of decoration.
Two large copper tanks sat in the center of the room. The entire right wall was lined with three rows of deep unfinished wooden shelves housing a couple of dozen wooden barrels. A ladder was propped up against the barrels.
On the opposite side of the room, most of the length of the brick wall was lined by a long workbench filled with various combinations of empty glass bottles as well as crates piled high to the ceiling containing more bottles. But there was one stretch of wall that was all brick. But the bricks’ pattern was somehow different. The way the bricks were laid out made it look like there had once been a doorway there which had been sealed up.
Zach wondered what was beyond the wall that was so important that someone had decided it should be sealed off. Or perhaps, they were already standing in the space that needed to remain hidden. And then it struck Zach, “This must be where they made the illegal alcohol. It’s a distillery!”
“Wow.” Cassie and Penny both said at the same time.
Zoe’s frustration stayed on simmer when Gabe had found the additional door. She had thought it might lead them out of this place and back to the mission at hand. But now that seemed a false hope. Zoe darted back and forth in the space looking for another exit. But at the far end of the room was only a solid brick wall. Standing with her hands on her hips the stress in Zoe’s voice was apparent to everyone. “There’s no way out. I told you.”
“We’ll find a way out.” Zach tried to calm her down.
“He’s still there.” Binny said quietly. Her pinched face made it clear to everyone that she’d just had a look inside Grater’s mind.
At the news that Grater hadn’t moved, Zoe’s frustration started to pick up steam. “I can’t wait anymore. I don’t want ice cream. I don’t want to tour Madrona’s secret underground. I don’t want to make illegal alcohol. I want to get out of her and find Ollie before, before…” Zoe’s voice trailed off for a moment before she boomed, “We need to leave now!” As Zoe sounded out the last word she shook her fist and stamped her foot for emphasis.
Cassie was the only one who was looking directly at Zoe’s feet. Maybe because she was lower to the ground than most of the others. Later she would recall that she’d seen waves emanate from Zoe’s ankles in what seemed at the time like slow motion.
Zoe’s stomp was followed by loud horrible sounds of cracking brick, grinding stone, and moving dirt. A circular area of floor and whatever lay below it started falling, and Zoe with it.
Zach expected Zoe to stop sinking into the disappearing floor when the surrounding area reached her waist – roughly what had happened in the park. But faster than anyone could react, her body off kilter, Zoe descended into the dark… to whatever lay below.
Five children stared at where she had stood seconds ago, but Zoe Flowers was simply gone.
§
“I know. I know.” Jay said remorsefully.
Dr. Huitre and the rest of adults had all gathered in the Madrona park and were marveling at the sheer number of lost animal signs pegged to the community message board.
“It’s not your fault.” Serena said.
“But they said something, and I didn’t listen. Zach tried to tell me.” Jay shook his head.
“I don’t believe half the things they tell me.” Julie reassured Jay with a weak smile.
“We’ve covered everywhere we were supposed to according to your son’s map.” Quincy said.
“And put up all the signs. Which were very well made I might add.” Jonathan added with a smile.
“Why yes. They were very well drawn and written as well. Very heartfelt.” Julie agreed. “Excellent teamwork.”
All eyes were on Jay and Serena who looked slightly embarrassed.
Huitre took the moment to address the group. “Thank all of you. For helping me look for Rembrandt and for everything you have done. I am afraid I have already imposed too much on your time. You all have lives to get back to. I will continue the search and let you know what happens.”
Glad for the interruption Jay responded immediately. “Nonsense. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m happy to keep searching.” Serena, Jonathan, and Quincy all made sounds of agreement as well. Julie just nodded.
Jay continued, “I think the kids might need some lunch. It’s already well past that time. Maybe I’ll stop and grab some ice cream down the street and bring it home, so we can give them a little sugar-based energy boost before they continue the search. I’m guessing they’ve already covered three times as much ground as we have.”
“I can’t believe we haven’t seen them yet. You’d think with all of us blanketing the neighborhood they would be right under our feet.” Serena said.
“We’ll grab some ice cream, text the kids to meet us, and, then head back out after a quick break. OK?” Jay asked everyone.
Everyone agreed.
§
“Are you okay?” Zach said.
Five pairs of eyes looked down at a dusty but unhurt Zoe who was sitting on a pile of bricks, rocks, dirt, and who knows what else at least fifteen feet below.
“I think so?” Zoe said still not quite sure herself as she was still accounting for all her extremities and making sure they all still functioned as expected.
“That was pretty cool.” Binny said.
“Me falling on my butt?” Zoe looked annoyed.
“No. Your power. You making that hole. It felt… big. And powerful.” Binny said still in awe.
“Oh.” Zoe looked contrite.
Penny grabbed the ladder from the barrel wall and lowered it down to Zoe. “Come back up.”
“No. Wait.” All eyes were on Zach. “Don’t you guys see? Zoe found the way out.” Zach was smiling.
Zoe was having a hard time looking anything but bewildered and embarrassed after her fall.
“That’s the abandoned sewer line isn’t it?” Binny looked at her brother.
Zach nodded up and down vigorously, his eyes conveyed his excitement at the discovery.
As they ran through the abandoned sewer tunnel under Madrona, following Zach who seemed to know which way to go, Gabe looked up at his sister and said, “You really do have a superpower.”
Zoe knew that more than anything Gabe wanted one too, and how generous it was of him to give her this compliment.
“Thanks Gabe. Yours is coming soon. I’m sure of it.” Zoe reassured.
“It’s okay. I’m just happy to be part of the group.” Gabe said.
Zoe looked at her brother wondering when he’d gotten so grown up.
Zach stopped so suddenly, everyone almost toppled each other coming to a stop. They had arrived at the entrance to the shelter. On the other side of the large round door that divided the shelter from the sewer tunnel stood Caleb Adams, silhouetted by the light from the shelter’s overhead fluorescents.
“Welcome home.” Caleb said with a smile.
§
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to go now.” Kay said.
Gore had already finished his third serving of ice cream, and even he couldn’t eat anymore.
“I just bought three helpings of your mediocre ice cream and now you’re kicking me out? Am I taking a seat from another customer?” Gore motioned to the empty store.
Kay Athanasios said nothing. She smiled from behind the counter, took off her apron, and then walked across Soul Repair until she had perched herself on the chair across from Grater where she took a seat.
“I want you to listen to me, and I want you to listen closely. I’ve been patient, and I’ve been respectful, but now it is time for you to leave. I can only imagine what the police would think when I tell them that you won’t leave and have been raving about a bunch of children that you insist are hiding somewhere in my shop.”
Grater was fuming, but knew when he was beaten. As he stood up his napkin fell off his lap and onto the floor. For a moment Grater considered leaving it there, but something about the steel in Kay’s eyes made him reconsider. He bent over, picked up the napkin, and dropped it in the trash on his way out.
§
“Isn’t that…?” Julie craned her neck as she tried to get a good look at the hulking man shuffling out of Soul Repair just as they arrived.
Julie looked at Huitre as the rest of the group let Kay describe her latest flavors. Julie wasn’t listening though. She had kept an eye on the man who exited the shop. She was almost positive it was the security guard from Luce Laboratories from the previous summer. This man just looked somehow, wider. Julie was almost positive it was the same man. And if it was him, what was he doing here?
As she wondered, Julie looked out of the corner of her eye to examine Huitre’s face closely. He didn’t look guilty. He just looked tired. And sad. He didn’t look like he had anything on his mind other than his dog. Julie wished she could peer inside and know for sure.
Was it a coincidence that the Luce Labs guard was here in the middle of a work day? Could Huitre have had something to do with that? Was this Rembrandt disappearance more manipulation? When Julie looked at Henry, she didn’t get that impression.
“We’re getting ice cream for the kids.” Jay said to Kay.
“The kids are a couple of steps ahead of you.” Kay laughed.
Kay explained that the children had just been there and tried her latest confection. “But I hope that doesn’t mean that you won’t be getting anything for yourselves. You all look like you could use a boost.”
“They must be nearby then. No?” Serena said.
“I suspect they’re quite close by.” Kay reassured.
Kay packed several pints to go for the assembled group. But before she bid them farewell she came out from behind the counter and took Henry’s hand in her own. “I’m sure you’ll find that enormous dog of yours. You’ve got a crack team on the job.” Kay gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
As they walked away from Soul Repair and headed down the hill to their houses, Jay looked down at his phone. “Zach returned my text. They’re not hungry. He said they already ate and are going to keep looking.” Jay laughed as he looked up. “Of course, he neglected to tell me they gorged themselves on ice cream.”
§
At first, Kay was worried. She’d gone through the fireplace and down the spiral staircase and still there was no sign of the children. The hem of Kay’s long black dress dragged across the ragged edge of the hole in the floor of the distillation room. Kay peered over the edge. If anyone had been below, they would have seen a broad smile on Kay Athanasios’ face.