Page 51 of Corrupted

Did we have enough? We had to. My sister's life might depend on it.

The twins slowed about half a kilometre from the house and pulled to a stop.

Damon stopped right behind them.

"What are you doing?" I insisted. "We don't have time to wait." The time it would take for us to walk, or even run, the extra kilometre could be time we needed to help Rose.

"We're not waiting," Damon said calmly. "There's more than one way into the house."

I should have anticipated that. The Brantley family wouldn't have a house here in Dusk Bay that didn't have a secret back door.

"But if Kurt knows where it is—" I started.

"He won't," Damon said. "The only ones who know about it are us and the twins. The rest of Dusk Bay is just about to find out."

Reuben let out a breath of annoyance at that, but he'd also do whatever was necessary to save my sister and get Kurt out of his house.

We all climbed out of the cars and, in quiet ranks, followed the twins onto a property beside the road. We swished through high grass to a massive water tank.

"No one ever suspects the water tank," Hunter said ominously.

I gave him a funny look, but followed him around to the rear of the tank.

It was Damon who pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen.

Without a sound, a door in the side of the tank started to rise. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I never would have guessed it was there.

I tapped the side of the tank. "It doesn't sound hollow."

Damon smirked. "Of course not. That would be too obvious."

"The insides are lined with concrete," Reuben said. "Pipes take the water that lands on the rim of the tank down to our house. Simple but efficient."

I thought back to Clarissa and her hidden trapdoor. She'd love this, if she knew about it. Another secret door that didn't lead to Narnia.

"How many of these things do you have?" I asked. "Secret passageways and things like that."

"None we're going to discuss in front of anyone else." Damon jerked his head towards Daze, Ric and Aidan. And all the people they brought with them.

"I'll fill you in on all of them later," Gianni said. "You should know about all of them, just in case."

I nodded. We had to get through this first.

I let Gianni take my hand as we stepped through the door, into the tank.

Hunter and Parker both had the lights on their phone, showing the way.

The inside of the tank was massive, but like Damon said, lined with concrete. That made it seem a lot smaller. Small enough to make me anxious. This was exactly the kind of space that reminded me of Kurt's basement.

The same flashback that came over me while we were crouched in the bushes threatened to sneak back into my mind. Memories clawed back at me, trying to suck me back into the past.

That nightmare was my present for so long, putting it behind me was never going to be easy, but I couldn't let it get to me now. This was when I needed to be strong, for Rose's sake. And for mine.

"You've got this," Gianni said, his voice echoing. "I have to confess, this place gives me the creeps too, but we can do it. We can't let it get to us."

"I'm with Gianni," Hunter said. "This place is creepy as shit, and I know creepy as shit."

"Some people say you are as creepy as shit." Parker grinned.

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