Page 34 of One More Chance

She pressed her lips together.

“Kenna.”

“There’s no cure for what you are.”

A tendon in his jaw flexed. “And what does that mean for this operation?”

“They know who we are and why we’re here, and they drew us down here.”

“I think it was a test. To see what you would do.”

Which meant he thought he might be a loose end these older men didn’t need. Assuming they were directing this, watching, and not back in the main hall having lunch with Bruce. “I don’t care. This thing has gone from interesting to mildly curious toover.” She tipped her head back. “You hear me? It’s over.”

Nothing happened.

“We’re trapped in here unless they decide to let us out.” He tucked the end of the towel under the part he’d wrapped around her hand.

Kenna’s blood was already seeping through the towel. She slumped back on the couch. “Who cares? Bruce will come looking. What do they think Ramon is gonna do when he finds out we’re missing? He’s on his way, right? And all our other friends. I didn’t evengetto the FBI realizing you didn’t show up for work tomorrow and sending a tactical search party in full gear to kick all the doors in.”

Jax said, “That’s the spirit.”

She let out a breath that puffed out her lips. “Do they have any snacks?”

“Nothing you’ll want to eat.”

“Darn.”

Jax got up. “I’ll see if there’s a way out.”

If this really was some Cold War–era bunker, it probably had bathroom facilities and a bedroom. There could be other storage rooms or a huge pantry with months of food supplies. “Maybe this is some kind ofWizard of Ozthing.”

“Or a puzzle we need to solve to move on to the next stage.”

“No thanks. That alwayssoundslike a good idea, but in reality, they’re frustrating, and I don’t want to.”

Jax said, “That’s fine because I haven’t found anything like that.”

A telephone rang. An old-timey ringtone. Kenna pushed up on the couch and looked around, still seated but not in such a reclining position. “Where is it?”

“Here.” He pulled open a closet. The inside looked like a phone booth. He grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”

His body stiffened. He turned to her. Held the phone out. “It’s for you.”

Kenna yelled, “I’m not playing games!”

A panel in the wall slid away at the far side of the room. Jax dropped the phone. “Come on.”

“How do I know I even want to go in there?”

“It could be better than in here. Smells like dried cheese in this place.”

“Mothballs and old wood.”

He went through the panel first.

“At least if there’s anyone in there, you can just shoot them.”

The panel slid shut behind her, plunging them both into darkness.

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