Page 41 of Beyond the Darkness

The air was cooler here, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed through the vast space. Several passages branched off from the main area, each swallowed up by darkness.

Hudson paused, trying to catch his breath and listen for any sign of Don’s movement. Beside him, Kage was scanning the area, his body tense and ready for action.

“Now what?” Kage asked, his voice low. “Split up?”

“No. Nothing good ever comes from splitting up.”

“This isn’t a horror movie.”

“I’m not too sure about that. Regardless, I don’t like the feel of this.”

“Okay, then, what do you want to do?”

“How about we go back and question that shopkeeper.”

THE SHOPKEEPER was nowhere to be found. Hudson expressed his thoughts on the matter long and loudly.

“I’m not sure if that last one is even physically possible,” Kage said, leaning against the checkout counter, watching Hudson pace.

“This has to be a front. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Those tunnels probably return to the surface somewhere in the city.”

Kage pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll have my hacker check into this business. If it looks suspicious enough, I can call in a favor from the mayor and maybe have this place shut down.”

“Might have to involve the FBI for that,” Hudson said.

The more he looked around the place, the more obvious it became no one had taken care of the business. The carpet wasold, the paint was peeling, the lighting was horrible, and the place just looked neglected.

But it was a bookstore, and an idea was beginning to percolate.

“Maybe not. We’ll see. But if I can get this place closed down, we can go through it at our convenience.”

“I like it. Let’s do that.” Hudson glared at the worn counter. “If itisa front, I’m going to buy it once we close it down. Unless you want it?”

“A bookstore? This seems more like something your mate would like.”

“That was my thought.” Oh yes, if Kit wanted this place, he could take it and make it into something spectacular. “Just checking, though, since we do own several businesses together.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. So? Ready for me to make that call to my hacker?”

“Might as well.”

Kage got his cell out. “You know, this could make a lovely wedding present for Kit.”

Hudson laughed. “Great minds think alike.”

Kage dialed a number, his fingers deftly tapping the screen. “Hey, Darnell. Yeah, I’ve got something for you to dig into.” He put the phone on speaker so Hudson could hear as well.

The voice that answered was crackling with static but unmistakably efficient. “Shoot.”

“We’re at this old bookstore near the Dominion,” Kage began, his eyes flicking around the room. “The place looks rough andunkept, yet it’s still open. Can you check if there are any anomalies with its business records? Also, see if there’s anything about tunnels linked to the property. The name is Whispering Pages Bookstore.”

“On it,” Darnell replied. The line beeped as he started working in the background.

Hudson stopped pacing and focused on the conversation. His mind buzzed with possibilities—hidden rooms, secret exits, maybe even a whole network beneath their feet.

That certainly seemed like something that Lennox would make use of. In fact, Hudson could see this business being a front for Illuminacon, the company Nox and Lennox owned and that funded the hunters and their experiments.

Kit would love this place. For that matter, so would Beckett. He could see the two of them spending hours mucking around while uncovering the many secrets that were potentially sitting below layers of dust and negligence.

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