Page 84 of Black Widow

“Yes, do it. But make sure those knots are secure,” he ordered, glad someone had kept theirhead.

Good lord, Amelia had destroyed the chem.She had single-handedly slain the monster—without hishelp!

“We’re lowering a lamp,” he called down, pushing his astonishment and misgivings to the back of hismind.

The lamp in question was thrust into his hand, and he lowered it down himself. It bobbed at the end of his tether, lighting the rough brick walls that formed the basement of the old ruin beneaththem.

A flurry of white moved toward the glow, growing brighter the closer it came to the source ofillumination.

“Amelia!” She really was all right. In fact, she might have been smiling up at him as she took the lamp and grasped the handle in herhand.

“Get more rope,” he called out, eyeing the jagged edges of the floor. What if they frayed the rope? “And blankets,” he yelled behindhim.

Feet pounded away to obey his orders, but Amelia called out to him before they got toofar.

“Gideon, I think there’s a way out to the beach from down here. I can see a bit of it through a gap in a cavern adjoining this one. I can even feel thewind!”

If they could break through the wall, it would be much safer than hauling her through the hole in the Abbey floor. He didn’t even know if she could tie a proper knot to secure around herself. “We’ll go down there,” he decided. “Which direction is itin?”

Amelia held the lantern up to illuminate her arms better andpointed.

“Go. Wait at the gap. I’ll be right there,” hepromised.

“Hurry!”

Calling all the men to him, Gideon and Clarke searched the shoreline for a break in the stone walls that would lead them to the cavern where Ameliawas.

Worried when he couldn’t hear her, Gideon was about to send someone to rouse the local magistrate. He would insist on having every able-bodied man join thesearch.

A shout went up, and he and Clarke rushedforward.

“Gideon!” Amelia’s white fingers almost glowed against the unrelenting darkness of the stone around them. They were poking out of a small gap the width of hishand.

He grabbed them and swore. “Tell me you’re all right!” he barked, his voice sharpening in hisdistress.

“I’m fine. My head hurts a bit and I’m cold, but I’mfine.”

Gideon put his mouth to the gap. “Is it really dead?” heasked.

He could see some movement on the other side and realized she wasnodding.

Gideon didn’t want to know anymore. Explanations could come later. Picking up the axe himself, he ordered her back and got towork.

Breaking down the wall was the work of a few minutes. They had been prepared with picks and mallets to use on the golem. Instead, he and his men used them to break down the rock face—alternately using their hands to expand the narrow opening of the cavern when necessary. The space must have been part of the network the Abbey had been builtover.

As soon as the opening was wide enough, Amelia squeezed through, practically leaping into hisarms.

Gideon didn’t care if everyone was watching them or that they were cheering, or like young John, crying in relief. He held Amelia tightly to him, his grip a little toohard.

“Take me away, Gideon,” she whispered into hisneck.

“Anything you want,” hepromised.

Confirming that the golem was really gone—and cracking it to pieces—couldwait.

His wife wanted to gohome.

Epilogue

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