“A place to hide and a place you can go where no one will know what you've done,” Sam says.
“I think the heart of the building showed itself to you,” I say.
“So, when are we going?” Sam asks.
None of us can wait for the morning. It's dark and cold, but we dress in layers, get flashlights, and head to the temple. If the guys are right, this explains how the members were able to get out without being spotted. Then how they were able to get back in and out again, even when the building was under surveillance. It changes everything.
There are no officers on duty as we approach the building. Now that we've been inside, we know better how to navigate it. The only problem is the heavy padlock on the door.
“What do we do about this?” Sam asks.
“We had a search warrant,” I tell him. “We were granted access.”
“Does it cover now?” Sam asks.
“I don't have the paper in front of me,” I admit.
“As long as we're on the same page,” he says.
“Dean?” I say.
He gives a single nod. “Let's go.”
He leads us around the side of the building and into the cellar he originally brought me into.
“Convenience,” I comment. “Can't get enough of it.”
“Alright,” Dean says. “We have to figure out how to access the original basement. Remember, it's not going to be easy to find. These doors were hidden. Even people who frequented the building probably didn't know what was going on right downstairs.”
“What happens if it's sealed?” I ask.
“What happens if it's not?” Xavier asks.
I reach over and let the back of my hand touch the back of his. He moves one finger around to squeeze mine. That's enough.
“Dean, you and Xavier go to one side. Sam and I are going to go to the other. Keep your flashlights on and your phones accessible. If you find anything, let us know. But be aware there might be people in this building that we don't know about,” I tell them.
We part ways, and Sam holds my hand tightly as we walk through the dark basement, searching for any indication of a passageway. We sweep our phone lights slowly back and forth, up the walls and into the hallway, looking for something—anything. But all we see are cobwebs and dust.
A few times, I think I catch the flash of movement, but it’s just a bug skittering away from the light. We scour every inch methodically, once, twice. But nothing. An hour in, I'm losing hope when I notice a piece of furniture up against the wall I hadn’t seen.
“What is that?” I ask. I keep looking at it, trying to figure out why it's there.
“It's an old desk,” Sam says. We walk toward it, and he shines his flashlight on it. “A really old desk.”
I walk up to the side of it and run my fingers down along the edge.
“It's attached to the wall,” I say. “Why would they attach a desk like this to the wall?”
Sam hands me his flashlight. “Hold this.”
He runs his hand over the roll-top portion of the desk, then along the edge. He goes back and does it again, pausing when he reaches one corner.
“Did you find anything?” I ask.
“Maybe,” he says. “I read a book once that told about a desk that had a hidden slot. If the pieces were arranged exactly right, it unlocked a latch. There's something loose here.”
I move to shine more light where he's looking. I can see a piece of wood that looks slightly different from the others.
“Look,” I point. “That dip of wood right there. It looks as if it's been worn down from being touched a lot.”
“Get the guys,” Sam says.
I set his flashlight down on the top of the desk and make my way back across the cellar. I'm using my phone as a flashlight, but if I can't find Dean and Xavier, so I call for them. Fortunately, I don't have to search far. They're only a few dozen yards away from us.
“Hey,” I tell them. “Sam thinks he's found something. Come on.”
We turn around, but by the time we get back to the desk, Sam isn't there.
“Where is he?” Xavier asks.
“I don't know,” I say. “He was right here.”
“Move the desk,” Sam's voice comes from the dark.
It startles me, but I step up to the side of the desk and press on it. It shifts slightly, and both men come up behind me and take hold of the furniture, shifting it easily out of place.
It swings into the rest of the room, revealing a small gap in the stone. I shine my flashlight into it and see four steps leading down. Sam's face is at the bottom.
“Found it,” he says.
Dean lets out a celebratory laugh, and we start down the steps, but I notice Xavier isn't following.
"Should we leave a note?" he asks. "Just in case we get lost down there?"
"The only people who would find a note we left are the ones who would just as soon seal us in," Dean points out.
Xavier nods and gives a half-shrug, knowing this makes complete sense, and steps forward without hesitation. I go down first, followed by Xavier. Dean stays at the top to swing the desk back into place. As soon as the door closes, inky, almost tangible blackness presses in around us. It absorbs the light from our phones and flashlights so we can see only inches around us.
Pitch black.
"Well, isn't this just scary as all get out," Dean mutters.
"Thank you for the slogan for our journey," I reply.
"Where do we go?" Sam asks.
"There's only one direction," I say, nodding straight ahead. "Let's find out who was helping the lost flock drown their sorrows in demon rum."
Chapter Thirty
The tunnel is dark and dingy. The stone walls radiate the cold back to us, so I shiver despite the layers I packed on. As we move down the stairs, a creepy feeling crawls up and down my
