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Jeremy waited. After a moment, Botnick interpreted Jeremy's silence as meaning he wasn't satisfied and cleared his throat.
"Her exact words were that your group had found a way to harness the power of life." He smiled. "She had no idea what that meant. I think she expected me to tell her. I didn't, of course. I kept your secret."
Only telling a few of his closest contacts...like the one Zack Flynn knew. Jeremy didn't call him on it, though, just kept silent, as if still awaiting a full reply. Botnick shifted his weight, his eyes rolling back as he tried to gauge Jeremy's expression. Jeremy kept him facing forward. Botnick looked to me for help. I looked back, face as impassive as Jeremy's.
"I understood what she meant," Botnick said. "That you'd harnessed the power of magic through the transference of the life force. Through sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?" Jeremy said. "She said that?"
"Well, not specifically, but I inferred it, given the wording."
"What do you know of us? Our group?"
Botnick straightened. "That you're serious practitioners. Not like most of them--wannabes and freaks looking for a place to belong, messing around with ritual magic and calling themselves witches and satanists as if it were no different than calling themselves Rotarians. Or indulging some socially unacceptable need--" he waved at the hook on the floor, "--and telling themselves it's an act of faith. You aren't like that. You are true seekers. Like me."
"And who told you this?"
Botnick shifted. "No one told me directly. But I've heard rumors for years now. About a group, very tight-knit and secretive, closed to newcomers. Dead serious, though. Scientific even, in their quest."
"These rumors. What else--?"
"Eric?" A woman's voice echoed down the chute.
Botnick opened his mouth, but Jeremy's forearm clamped on his throat. Botnick shook his head, whispering, "I'll get rid of her." Jeremy hesitated, then slackened his hold.
"Still looking," Botnick shouted. "I'll be up in a minute."
"Here, let me help--"
"No! I'm fine."
Jeremy motioned for me to circle around to the hidden exit. I did, steering clear of the chute. On the wall behind it was an opening, maybe thirty inches square. Jeremy had ripped the cover off by the hinges, the lock still intact. I shone the flashlight inside and saw a dark tunnel.
Behind me, Botnick was still trying to convince the woman he didn't need help, but the more he argued, the more suspicious he sounded. I'd just crawled into the passage when the entrance went dark and I glanced back to see Jeremy following me.
He pulled the cover on and the tunnel dimmed, lit only by my flashlight. As shoes clicked down the rungs, Jeremy crawled over to me, hand resting on my leg, and while I knew it was there to reassure me, I felt the heat of that touch burn through me, igniting thoughts very inappropriate under the circumstances.
"I said I was fine, didn't I?" Botnick snapped. "Now go back upstairs--"
"The office door was unlocked. Glen noticed when--"
"Yes, I was in there earlier. I probably left it unlocked."
The woman continued to argue, certain something was wrong and intent on figuring out what it was.
"Eric?" A man's voice now. "Did Dawn tell you about the office? You should have a look, see if anything has been--"
Footsteps on the concrete, coming our way. Jeremy waved for me to move fast.
"Eric? These boxes have been moved. The one in front of that old tunnel door..."
The voice faded as I moved away quickly, Jeremy at my rear. I crawled as fast as I could over the damp earth, the musty stink of it filling my nostrils, stones cutting into my palms and knees, skirt bunching up over my knees and slowing me down. I reached back with my flashlight hand, grabbed the skirt by the slit and ripped it, almost pitching face-first into a pit as my other hand came down on empty air.
I jerked back as Jeremy caught my legs.
"It drops off," I whispered.
"How far?"
