Page 25 of Spies Like Us

“Yeah, okay, she’s a hottie. I’ll happily bend her over if that’s what you need.”

“Thanks, and I’ll be happy to give you the extra work.” He holds out a hand, and I shake it, sealing the arrangement. I hope I get a chance to let Mac know what’s happening before tonight.

We finish off our beers, and Matthew asks me questions about Bishop. I have to pretend like I have no knowledge of his whereabouts and feign sadness, but before long, I take my leave and head home. I’m hungry, and Stella ruined lunch for me. I might grab a sub on the way home and then try to catch a few minutes of rest before this evening. I can’t deny that I’m excited to get my hands on Mac. I didn’t get to return the favor last time, so I’m hoping to return it tenfold tonight. I can’t wait to see how her pussy feels wrapped around my dick. Fuck, I’m hard just from thinking about it, and it’s uncomfortable behind the slacks I wore to church. Maybe I’ll have a quick shower and rub one out. That way, I won’t embarrass myself when I finally get my hands on her lush ass.

Chapter 11

“So there are maps and information on the tunnels somewhere, but you’re not sure who has it?” I cross my fingers metaphorically, but when he shrugs, my hope fades.

“There was, but if I could hazard a guess, they are probably all destroyed by now. I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of illegal trade going on in this town and those tunnels are the key to it.”

“What makes you think that? And can you tell me who checked everything out?” I ask him, and he shakes his head.

“No, I wasn’t here, and I didn’t notice until a few months after it must have happened. By then, Jean, whom I shared this job with, had passed on. Rest her soul.”

My stomach sinks, and my excitement fades away. “So there was information about it, but now it’s all gone?”

“Yes. It was from the Underground Railroad that ran from the coast here up to Savannah. They used to smuggle them in here because it wasn’t as well patrolled as the port there. Later on, it was used to smuggle liquor down from Savannah and distribute it to surrounding counties during prohibition. Whoever took it was thorough, but they missed a book.” He reaches into the bookcase and pulls out a large, hardback book. Life in Summerville. A Photo Display by CJ Smith. He flips it open, and there, across the two middle pages, is the layout of the town, and over the top of it is a vellum map of the underground tunnel network, and it shows the entrances. “Is this what you had in mind? It goes on to give you the history of the tunnels and more details about the families who ran them. It’s fascinating. Actually, the people you live with now, the Standishes, go way back to the time of slave trading, which is kind of ironic.” He mutters that last little bit.

“So what else do you know about the underbelly of this town?” I ask, deciding to push my luck. Ben seems to know a lot about things others may not talk about.

Ben closes the book and hands it to me before crossing his arms and leaning against the shelf he just pulled the book from.

“We get a lot of out-of-towners a couple of times a month. They blow in, spend a lot of money, and leave just as quickly. I’m not sure if it’s drugs or what, but I did overhear them talking about a sex club.”

“A sex club here in town?”

“Yes. As a homosexual in this town during a time when it wasn’t accepted, you learn to keep your ears and eyes out for the subtext in conversations. This sex club isn’t one of those ones you might find in big cities, ones with paid exclusive memberships but are out and proud for the world to see—no, this one is a dark and dirty secret hidden where only people with the right ‘friends’ are invited in. This is not a legit thing with rules and regulations that a patron needs to follow for the safety of all involved. This one is dark and disturbed, and not everything is consensual. Like I said, you need to be very careful, my dear, that you don’t end up on the wrong end of it.”

“Thank you for sharing that with me.” I reach out and give his arm a squeeze. I can see his concern for me in his eyes, and I don’t want this kind old man worrying about anything. “I’m more than I might seem. I know how to handle myself.” That’s all I can say unless I want to give myself away. “And I have a circle of people who will look after me when the time comes. You never know. This underbelly may have just tried to cash their last check.”

He doesn’t look so sure, so I change the subject.

“Can I check this book out?” I lift it into his line of sight.

“I’m afraid I can’t let that one leave the building. It’s the only remaining record of those tunnels, and I really want to preserve it.”

“Damn.” I can’t hide my disappointment.

“Tell you what. How about we photocopy the main page showing the layout of the town and the old entrances to the tunnels, and then we can do the same thing for the overlay? You won’t get the same effect because it will be on paper, but it will still show you everything.”

“Yeah, okay, that works,” I tell him, and he grins.

“Follow me.” He leads the way to the other side of the first floor to a photocopier that’s sitting there. “It will just take a moment to switch on. I don’t bother anymore because no one ever comes in to use it.”

He flicks the switch and then leans against it while it makes a humming sound that says it’s waking up. “You know, there used to be an entry in the library in the basement. It’s all boarded up now, but we are one of the oldest buildings in town,” he tells me proudly.

I open up the book and peer at the map. Sure enough, the library has an entrance. It shows at least seven or eight more entrances throughout the town. Funnily enough, the basement of the Life Lounge, which used to be a printer many years ago, shows an entrance, but there hasn’t been enough traffic coming and going for it to be the regular entrance on open nights.

Ben leans over me. “This is the church, although it’s not the same building that used to be there during that time, so I’m assuming that entrance was closed when the new church was built ten years ago. And that entrance there is on the grounds of June and Ted Standish’s place. It’s listed with the historical society, so their entrance may very well still be intact.”

I can see the forest where the ranger’s shack is. It doesn’t show an entrance on it, but the tunnels run underneath. I’m assuming it’s a new one.

“What’s this section?” I ask, noticing an anomaly on the map. It looks like one large, central space, but then one side of it looks like its cordoned off into rooms, kind of like the cells but on the opposite side of town from the ranger’s shack.

“I’m not sure.” He shakes his head. It’s a very large area, and I’m wondering if maybe that’s where the sex club is. When I look at the corresponding building above it on the map, it is a large building, but it isn’t marked.

“What’s this building?” I ask him, pointing it out.

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