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Kitsune got to work. Ajax Kohath was stupid, having them thrown into a room, locking the door and leaving, thinking them secure. First the handcuffs. She arched backward like a bow being strung, and brought her hands beneath her butt. She stepped through, her hands now in front of her. She pulled the gag off her mouth, dropped to her knees, and pulled off Grant’s. Then she used the small pointed charm she wore on her ankle bracelet, and opened the handcuffs. She shook her hands, then opened his handcuffs. She gave him a moment to catch his breath, then kissed him.
To her relief, he kissed her back. He was shaking off the remains of the drugs. He opened his beautiful eyes and looked at her. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. “I would have been the biggest ass on the planet if I’d let you go. Give me a minute. And then I’ll help you get us out of here.”
This was one of the benefits of being married to a spec-ops genius—no blaming her, no complaining, just instant acceptance of what was, and work toward getting them free.
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She kissed him again, then rose. “Keep getting yourself oriented.” She began walking around the room. “All right, they dragged us down the slope of the volcano, into a vast building, and into a small room off a well-lighted tunnel. The room looks like sterile cement, lots of electrical cables piled in the corner. I have no idea what they use it for, if anything. We’re on an island, so they must have generators to run everything, or they bring in fuel for electricity. Our only light is coming through that single window.”
Grant said, “I doubt they’re bringing in fuel, more like they have solar and thermal power. That’s how many of the Caribbean islands generate electricity. They’ve clearly been here for years—this architecture is Cold War era, probably this was a Soviet base back in the bad old days. What are you doing?”
“Looking for something I can use to make us some light. It’s too dark in here.”
“Over here,” Grant said. “Behind me, there’s a large geode in the wall. It looks like this room was built right into the side of the mountain.”
She came back to him and saw the jagged rock edge behind him. Ran her eyes along the wall to the ceiling. “Not just a geode, look up here. An air vent. Of course. They couldn’t shut us in without air. It looks rather tight. Big enough for me, but will you fit?”
“Doubtful. But I can boost you up and you can get into the vent, maybe get to the outside and unlock the door.”
“Boost me up, let me see what the vent’s like.”
He made a bridge with his hand and raised her up.
“Oh, bugger all, Grant, it’s screwed shut.”
He grinned up at her. “You knew it couldn’t be that easy. The screws have to be old. Work them loose.”
She tried, but they held firm.
He eased her back down, then leaped up and smashed his fists into the vent. Nothing. He did it again, hitting harder. The screws sheared but didn’t give way.
“Once more ought to do it.” He leaped up again, and punched, hard. The screws popped out and so did the vent. They ducked as it landed on the concrete floor.
She grabbed his face, kissed him. “Okay, shove me up and in.”
He tossed her up and into the narrow vent tunnel. She called back down to him, “It’s not wide enough for you, tight for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Hurry,” Grant said. “I think I hear footsteps. They’re coming to investigate. I only remember seeing a couple of guards. I’ll take them if they unlock the door to check on us. Go!”
“No, I’m coming back out, we’ll take them together. You’re not at your full strength yet and—”
“No! Go!”
No way would he let her stay. Whoever was coming could come in shooting. “Be careful, you hear me?” And Kitsune crawled forward on her hands and knees. She didn’t hear anything from the room. So they’d looked in and she’d bet they’d see Grant lying on the floor, looking at them out of drugged eyes. Would they wonder where she was?
The vent shaft was long and dark and full of things that brushed her face. She didn’t want to think about what they might be. She finally saw light, knew she was looking at another vent.
She crawled the last bit. As the shaft brightened, she heard voices. She edged to the metal slats, looked down. She could see the twins, and an old man on the floor between them. They were arguing, and the old man looked dead.
Their grandfather, Jason Kohath. And lying beside him was another man, and Ajax was leaning over him.
They’d murdered their own grandfather?
She had to get out of there. She couldn’t keep going forward, they might hear her, see her. She had to go back, find another offshoot. She shifted, edging backward, and her knee hit a soft spot in the metal. The resulting twang rang out loud and clear. She froze and prayed.
But the twins both looked up, right at her, though she knew they couldn’t see her in the vent.
“What was that?” Cassandra said.
