Page 23 of Hidden Dane
“Where are we?” she asked. Dane raced toward the ladder as soon as the gun was off him.
Ted had a head start up the steps, and outside, then he slammed the metal hatch down over them, leaving them in the dark.
She took out her phone and shined her flashlight as Dane climbed the ladder and banged against the sealed metal door.
More metal scraped, as if something was being dragged over it.
Her heart pounded in tune with Dane’s fists on that metal door. Her mind raced but she circled with the bright light.
They were underground. Her nose smelled stale water so this might be near a sewer.
Dane stopped banging but goosebumps grew on her arms as he said, “Ah!”
She turned her phone flashlight toward another wall and jumped as she screamed, “Skulls.”
He leapt down and suddenly Dane’s warmth around her waist helped her normalize her breathing—these skulls were old.
“Emily, why did you give him that necklace?”
The necklace didn’t matter. She swallowed and shined her phone in more directions to get a lay of the room. In the outskirts of Paris, depending on the composition, this was either World War Two remnants or The French Revolution. Clothes on bodies would be a tell, but if they were only skulls, this was probably a tomb from the revolution.
“He was going to kill you. I think these people have been here for hundreds of years.” She studied a shred of fabric and found her answer. The royal blue was well liked at the court of Louis XVI. She met Dane’s gaze again and said, “It was probably the French revolution.”
“Doesn’t matter about the skulls. The jewelry you gave Ted gives him power.” He knelt down like he was making a similar assessment, taking out his own cell phone to study the remains. Without talking in a decade, they somehow had more in common than they’d discussed.
One day having a conversation over coffee with no pressure to discuss likes and dislikes might be fun and normal. She couldn’t let him go again.
To get his attention, she coughed on dust he stirred up as he moved one of the skulls. She covered her mouth until the dust settled. “How are we getting out of here?”
He stood and wiped his hands on his pants. “You’re avoiding my question.”
She showed him her phone. “Look. Cell service doesn’t work down here.”
He checked his as well and turned his flashlight off. “Answer the question, Em.”
“Focus on getting out of here.” She crossed her arms, but he didn’t move. Throwing her hands to her side in exasperation, she then reached into her bra. “I gave him a fake.”
“What?” He scooted closer.
She unzipped the pockets that were specially designed for her when she wore expensive things and showed him her necklace. “I still have the real necklace you gave me.”
“Seriously?” He cupped it in his palm, laughing with triumph.
She took it from him. “I’m fearless, remember?”
Emily dropped her phone and the room became completely dark. The dust itched her nose. She put the necklace back in her bra. “So, how are we getting out of here?”
“We’re going to have to wait it out.” Dane used his flashlight to help her see, and her body heated. He probably saw the outline of her breasts. He bent down and picked up her phone, handing it to her.
Awareness wasn’t good here. They needed to escape, not have sex like animals. At least not here, not now. He walked her toward the ladder but she shook her head. “That’s your answer? People died down here.”
“Yep.” He pulled her toward the ladder where her bare legs brushed against the metal.
With his arms on either side of her she began to tremble and ache for his kiss as she asked, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. It seems we have similar interests we’ve never discussed.” His warm breath mixed with hers and her eyelids fluttered.
“Yes, that's true.” Attraction wasn’t good and that’s all this was. She rested her hands on his chest and shook her head. Something didn’t click. They should be looking for an exit. “But you’re way too cocky right now.”
