Page 17 of Redeeming Meg

He tucked the bag away and patted his own pockets. “We get in, grab the USB, and get out.”

“Ghosts,” she agreed. “Although, for the record? You should let me do this.”

Spence and Tessa returned, disappointment written on their faces. “Not even a swizzle stick left,” Spence said. “Bloody wankers could’ve left us something.”

Tessa scanned the grouping of desks. “Check under every drawer and behind every file cabinet. There’s got to be some forgotten, hidden gun here somewhere. This place wasn’t simply phased out. It was shut down in a twenty-four-hour period. Everyone moved to the new embassy in a rush.”

“Why?” Spence asked.

“A group of unhappy nationalists decided to stage a protest and let us know,” Meg told him.

Tessa nodded. “It was in our best interests to make the move quickly and efficiently.” She began checking under the nearest desk. “Which is why I’m guessing a few things might have been forgotten.”

“We don’t have time for a thorough search,” Declan said. “We move now and use what we’ve got.”

Tessa and Spence looked at Meg.

He held his breath, waiting for her to override the order. He could see it in her eyes—the desire to do it, even though it was exactly what she wanted the others to do.

He quirked a brow.Truce, remember?

Her gaze darted away, and well, would you look at that—she gave a nod of confirmation.

Spence headed for the basement, his boots pounding down the stairs. “Comms might be spotty. We’ll do our best to cover you.”

The basement floor was stone and smelled of mildew and rot. A rodent had died in the corner, its bones stark against the damp foundation.

A rusted metal door was somewhat camouflaged behind a shelf on wheels, containing a few random office supplies left behind. “That’s it,” Tessa said. “That’s the egress to the passageway.”

It was locked and covered with cobwebs. Declan knocked them away and contemplated the electronic keypad. Could he shoot this one, too, to gain access, or would destroying it also destroy their chances of entry?

“I’ve got it,” Spence said, digging out his phone. He tapped at the screen, bringing it close to the keypad.

“The batteries might be dead,” Meg said.

“These are muli-use.” Spence waved his phone around the top and bottom. “They can use electricity but also have an internal battery in case of a power outage.”

“I didn’t design this entry, but smart locks have been around for a while.” Tessa grinned as they heard the thunk of a deadbolt slamming back. “And they have a manual override.”

Dec motioned Spence back and listened. No sound came from the other side. The hinges groaned when he pulled the metal open, keeping his frame a shield just in case. He didn’t expect a surprise, but best to anticipate one anyway.

Only darkness met his eyes. Total nothingness, as if he were blind.

The odors of mildew and dead things stuffed their way up his nose. Far off in the distance, he picked up faint sounds. The rioting? This passage was acting like a funnel for the noise.

Meg squeezed in beside him. “We need night vision.”

He fished out his phone and thumbed on the flashlight. “We’ll make do.”

A much smaller tunnel came into view—almost too small. He wouldn’t be able to walk standing up.

Tessa made a face as the wave of rot and mold hit her. “Gross.”

“Be ready for anything,” Meg said, stepping across the threshold. “Without security cameras and no way of knowing who or what might have been exploring this place regardless of that lock, we might run into a surprise or two.”

Declan followed, ducking his head. “Surprises are what we do best.”

The absolute darkness felt like a suffocating blanket, the air so stagnant it made breathing difficult. The passage was pure stone, carved out centuries ago. It grew narrower, forcing him to turn sideways at various points to get his shoulders through. Spence had to do the same.

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