AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Together, they ventured down the narrow passageway, its walls growing progressively smoother and better maintained. As they continued deeper, until Finn realized they were walking through the castle's underbelly. He noticed the unmistakable scent of damp wood and aged wine mingling with the mustiness of the tunnel.
Finn's eyes adjusted to the dim light of the castle cellar as Amelia followed closely behind him. A pungent aroma of damp, aged wood and earth filled their nostrils. The walls were lined with dusty wine bottles, casting elongated shadows that danced in the flickering candlelight.
"Looks like we've found a little treasure trove," he whispered, reaching for one of the bottles to examine its label.
"Shh, Finn," Amelia hissed, her eyes wide with caution. "We need to keep moving."
"Seems like we've stumbled upon a cellar," Finn whispered, his voice tinged with excitement. "But why would there be a secret entrance to it?"
"Only one way to find out," Amelia replied, her eyes shining with the thrill of the chase.
As they stepped further into the dimly lit cellar, the air around them suddenly grew tense, as if charged with electricity. Finn's instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was.
"Amelia," he whispered urgently, "stay alert. I think someone might be watch—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a guttural shout echoed through the cellar, followed by the deafening blast of a shotgun.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Finn smelled the stark scent of gunpowder and felt the warm kiss of a gun barrel against his back.
"Turn around," a man with a thick Cornish accent said. "And nothing funny."
Finn opened his mouth and Amelia immediately cut him off with "now's not the time for a joke, Finn."
Slowly turning around, they both found themselves staring down the barrel of a shotgun held by a man with a fierce scowl etched on his face.
"You wandered into the wrong place, tonight" the man said threateningly, his finger tense on the trigger.
As he spoke, the man moved the barrel of the shotgun off to the side accidentally, and Finn took the opportunity to act.
Adrenaline coursed through Finn's veins like wildfire. Without a second thought, he grabbed another bottle of wine from the rack and hurled it at the intruder. The glass shattered upon impact, and red liquid splattered everywhere, momentarily blinding the man.
"Amelia, get down!" Finn shouted as he lunged for the gun. They grappled fiercely for control, knocking over more wine bottles in the process. Finally, with a swift punch to the gut, Finn disarmed the man, who crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.
"Alright, who are you? And what do you want with us?" Finn demanded, aiming the shotgun at the stranger.
"Wait, please!" the man sputtered, raising his hands in surrender. "I... I'm a castle security. I thought you two were breaking in."
"Castle security?" Amelia echoed, her voice laced with skepticism. “Edward Keatings never mentioned that. How many of you are there?”
“Just me. I'm more of a caretaker than anything else,” the man said, his eyes still wide with panic. “I work the interior of the castle at night, sometimes I tend to things that need fixed. Honestly, I'm more of an odd-jobs man.”
Finn felt the sincerity coming from the man.
"Look, we're not here to cause any trouble," Finn said, lowering the gun slightly. "I'm Finn Wright, a consulting detective with the Home Office, and this is Inspector Amelia Winters. We're working with Chief Constable Rob Collins on the murdered women found near here. We were following one of the tunnels and ended up here."
Recognition flickered in the guard's eyes, and he relaxed. "Oh, right. I've heard about you two. Sorry for the misunderstanding." He sounded embarrassed.
Finn let out a deep breath, his heart still pounding in his chest. He couldn't afford any more trouble, not with everything he was already facing back home. Breaking and entering into a castle might just finish off his career for good.
"Apology accepted," Finn said finally, taking the shells from the gun and then handing the shotgun back to the guard. "Now, let's get back to business."
Finn eyed the guard warily, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins from their scuffle. "So tell me," he asked, rubbing the back of his neck where a bruise was already forming, "how do you know about this tunnel?"
The guard shrugged, his eyes darting between Finn and Amelia as if sizing them up. "There's lots of tunnels around here. Part of the castle's history, I guess. I've told the owners they should block 'em off, but they never listen." He scratched his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Truth be told, I've never been in any of 'em."
"Interesting," Amelia mused, her brow furrowed in thought. "Is there anyone in the castle who knows these tunnels well? Someone who could navigate them without getting lost?"
