There are distant and muted mumblings. Conversations further away? As I listen, I pick up the sound of humming machinery and water hissing through pipes, but all of it removed as though I’m wearing headphones.
“Where exactly are we?”
“Right now, we’re behind the restaurant.” He points to the slither of light.
“The restaurant?”
“Yep. It’s in the main office wing. It’s a fully functioning business over there. Dax’ll probably show you more of that.”
I’d read about it on the business flyer Sylvie gave me during our tour. So, they connected the main house to the business wing via Dax’s office and the boardroom? I guess that way they could bring the important visitors to the fancy main entrance and schmooze them in style?
Ben continues, and I listen. I’m getting more information out of this conversation than I have from anyone else in days.
“The next exit is on the south corridor, but that’s always busy at this time of day, so I was taking us towards the escape tunnels. They lead out to various points on the grounds.”
Holy shit. This place is like a warren. “All the way outside?”
“Yes.”
“This is how you’ve been sneaking around?” He doesn’t need to answer. It’s obvious, so I continue. “Do you know all the tunnels by heart?”
“Yeah. I’m good with directions, and even better at sneaking into places unnoticed. It’s why they call me Mouse. As soon as I found these tunnels, I made a point of mapping them.”
“Does anyone else know about them?”
“Why? Are you thinking of hiding out in here indefinitely?”
“What?” Staying in the musty darkness is not a choice I’d willingly make. The air in here is dry and itchy as it scratches its way down my throat. The smell is similar to wood shavings with a subtle trace of mouse droppings. No. Staying in here for too long isn’t any kind of plan. “No…”
“I’m kidding, Honey Bee.” His chuckle is loud and diffuses some of the tension between us. He bumps my arm gently before answering my question. “Tom knows most of them, having explored with me. Sylvie knows the one that leads in and out of her room and Dax knows about the one that leads into his room, but I don’t use that because he has it alarmed.”
With so many tunnels and secret entrances, could I evenconsider this place secure? If Ben’s figured them all out, who else might have done the same?
“Could someone else get in? From outside?” I can’t hide the edge of panic from my voice as a dozen possibilities scramble through my mind.
“You’re worried?”
“Wouldn’t you be, if people were after you?”
“Jules, no!” Ben takes me by the shoulders and turns me to face him. His face is a mask of shadows, but his stark blue eyes, which almost seem to have their own light, capture my attention. “Look, most of the tunnels are lone routes. One way in, one way out. Some are connected like this one. I think they were passageways for staff. Others are obviously escape routes; one even attaches to a panic room of sorts. Whoever originally built this place was paranoid or something. Or maybe they were smugglers? Whatever they were, they made sure all exits were on Trevainne land. Any outsider that wants to sneak in would first have to get onto the grounds. And if they made it through Dax’s perimeter security measures, they’ll already be storming the house, not sneaking through tunnels. It boils down to this; nobody, outside of Sylvie, me, Tom, and Dax know about them. Like I said, I’m surprised you even knew about the boardroom one.”
“Dax told me to come in that way,” I admit.
“He doesn’t let anyone use it, no matter know about it. He trusts you…”
I snort. I’m not sure about him trusting me. After everything I heard, he probably just doesn’t think I’m important enough for it to be an issue.
After a long silence where I continue to internally berate myself, Ben shows me how attuned to my thoughts he really is.
“Are you okay now? Don’t think too much about what you heard. I know you and Dax have something—”
I cut him off. “Me and Dax have nothing going on!”
He makes a humming noise filled with disbelief and unspokenaccusations. “You and Aiden then?”
Okay. Strange question. “Aiden’s not even here. Why would you ask that?”
Ben hesitates before answering, “No reason. Come on, I’ll get you outside so you can get some air. You also might want to work on your sneaking skills. That’s three times now that you’ve been caught out because you move without thinking.”
