Page 164 of The Forbidden Note

My throat tightens. “They’re freakingbombs?”

“You’re just angry because you’re missing the show.”

“I’m angry because you’re going to get us caught.”

“What’s going on outside is even better than these jokes.” Sol eases his way around the metal containers. Inside the buckets, orange and yellow flames crackle, chewing at old newspapers and trash. The smell is atrocious.

I wave at the thick smoke that’s already starting to sting my eyes.

Freaking Sol.

Grey wanted these flames contained.

It was a perfect plan.

Until Sol unilaterally decided to kick it up a notch.

“What are you waiting for?” He jerks his chin at the door, orange light reflecting on his creepy mask.

I start to move when I notice a weird crack in the wall.

Am I seeing things?

Sparks hiss from the fire.

Red flames.

Dangerous heat.

But it also provides light.

Something’s there.

My body gravitates to the crack, pulled by a curiosity I can’t shake. Earlier, we were so focused on getting the boxes out as fast as possible that we weren’t looking around for more. Now that there’s enough light in here to roast a pig, there’s no mistaking the strange groove in the wall.

I change directions and jog over. My hand skates against the seam and I exhale when I press in and feel it give. “Hey, help me move this cabinet. I think something’s back here.”

Sol goes tense. “What are you doing? We need to move.”

“Come on.”

He hesitates for only a second and then runs over to me. With his help, I move the shelving aside and swing the door open.

There’s a small closet with two boxes stacked on top of each other.

“It’s a secret compartment,” I mutter, my eyes widening.

“Whoa.”

A walkie talkie croaks.

I whirl around, thinking someone is down here with us.

“Your pocket,” Sol reminds me.

I lift the walkie to my ear.

Rick’s voice crackles in a mix of static and chaos. “Zane, you’re clear of the basement, right?”

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