Page 79 of Not the Bodyguard's Princess
Deidre couldn’t see the flames on the second floor from the side she was coming from. Andrew leaped out of the car, bypassing the front door and running to the corner, where a smaller door stood. Stu had shown him the fire riser on their tour. The doorknob turned but didn’t open. Andrew yanked on the nob again. Someone had moved a large rock in front of the door. Andrew pushed it out of the way and tore open the door. It only took a second to find the right lever and hopefully send water through the fire-sprinkler system.
As Andrew turned to run into the house, a shadowy figure rose in front of him, swinging something at his head. Andrew ducked a second too late and the blow connected with his head. He lunged for the person and heard a shot fired. Pain ripped through Andrew’s side as his head hit the pavement and the snowy world dissolved into darkness.
* * *
Fire alarms sounded, and water poured from the ceiling’s fire-sprinkler system.
Jordan pushed the damp hair out of her face. “Unlike a movie, the water works. But we still need to find a way out.”
As Storm kept pushing at the window, Jordan surveyed the room on the off chance that Rod hadn’t lied about a second way out. Her eye caught on the rug that had lifted where she had tripped over it. She knelt and pulled up the corner of the rug. “Storm, I found a trapdoor.”
Storm stopped his pounding and dropped to his knees next to Jordan. Together they pulled on the ring attached to the top. The door didn’t budge. “Help me move the carpet back.”
Storm rolled the rug toward the center of the room. “There’s some sort of hole in the wood here—not a knothole, more like a puzzle piece. It’s like the giant keyhole inAdventures of the Zombie Tomb Raider. We need a key. Something big. At least the size of the palm of my hand.”
Jordan felt the irregular edges of the hole. “The bookend?”
Storm tried it several ways. “There has got to be something else close in size.”
Jordan tried to look around, but the constantly spraying water made it difficult to see. “I saw a small statue on a shelf earlier.”
They slid over the water-soaked floor to the bookshelf wall. Red-and-blue lights flashed through the window. Jordan ran her hands over books searching for the statue.
“I got it!” Storm rushed over to the hole, which was now filling with water. He shoved the statue in, and the trapdoor sprung open.
* * *
An EMT applied pressure to Andrew’s side as another applied pressure to his head.
“Jordan? Where’s Jordan?” Andrew tried to push himself up only to find he was strapped to a gurney.
“We have your guys, and the fire department and the police here. They’ll find her. You already played the hero for one night.”
Deidre appeared at his feet. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m here, you know.” Andrew tried to get up again.
“I don’t know if I should yell at you or thank you. I told you to wait. But you got the fire sprinklers started and took down one of the two perps while getting shot. I’ve had your brothers and Liam yelling in my ear for the last ten minutes.”
“Where’s Jordan?”
“They’re still looking for her.”
“Why aren’t you doing anything?”
“The police and fire departments are following protocol. You know we have to stay out of their way.” Deidre paused for a moment and rolled her eyes. “Can you three stop yelling? I’m going to take this earpiece out, stomp on it, and bury it in the snow.”
The EMT cast Deidre an odd look.
“Adam is furious and wants me to fire you on the spot. Alan isn’t so sure, and your dad just joined the conversation.”
Andrew reached a handout. “Let me talk to them.
Deidre pulled her phone out of her pocket and pushed a button. “You guys are on speakerphone, and there’s an audience.”
“Dad, don’t fire Deidre. I didn’t listen.”
