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“Your mom left it for you,” he said, letting go of the card when her fingers took it.
Curving his hands around her hips, he pulled her forward and turned her around to face the darkened pad. Shadow made it difficult to see details, but each of the keys was surrounded by a thin glowing line, highlighting them in the darkness.
Danny was right. Anne left the card to instruct her daughter where to go. They were there. They’d arrived.
Inhaling, Tess glanced at the card. Not that she needed to; the numbers were imprinted on her brain. After the letters were stolen, memorizing them seemed smart. It was only a month ago, but so much had happened that in some ways it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Danny kissed the top of her head, reminding her he was there. He squeezed her shoulders, relaxing her and probably trying to encourage her too.
Her lips were dry and her throat narrow. Ignoring her hesitation, she took a deep breath and typed the number in. Her thumb moved for the last digit. Danny’s hand suddenly covered hers, stalling her.
“Two, not a three.”
Had she…? Yeah, her hand blocked the light, she’d almost pressed the wrong number. “Right.”
Tiredness and anxiety had a lot to answer for. What might have happened if she’d pressed the wrong one? Maybe she should’ve done it on purpose. With no way in, they wouldn’t have needed to come back.
She pressed the last number. The wait between inputting the last digit and the light around the keypad flashing green twice was excruciating.
A rush of heated breath cascaded through her hair as Danny’s head landed on hers. “It worked. We did it.”
“Yeah,” Tess said, pushing her body back against his. “Now can we get out of here?”
His hands slid down her arms. He threaded his fingers between hers to lead her away from the door. Tess glanced back. They could’ve walked in. They could be in there exploring… or the angry occupants may have confronted them.
Whatever the building’s purpose, it was something important. Its significance came in more than its size and strange location. Her fear hadn’t gone, though it had lessened. They’d overcome one hurdle, yet somehow she knew it was just the first of many.
TWENTY
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE spot Danny picked for the Beast was beautiful. Angled to face the view of the vast lake, trees and grass and nature made up the picturesque sight. The peace was a complete contrast to what they’d found at the coordinate site night before last.
After returning to their base, they’d slept through most of the previous day. Tess guessed that was why Danny didn’t bring up going back. Either that or he was enjoying ticking things off his wish list. Once he’d grilled the last of their meat, they’d laid on the grass counting stars until Danny decided he’d rather they get naked and have sex.
It didn’t occur to her to be conscious of being naked outside. In that spot, they felt like the only two people on the planet. Despite her objections, he’d swept her up off the ground and carried her into the water. After she got over the freezing temperature, she forgave him with a kiss that would’ve become sex again if she hadn’t chosen to swim instead. Danny thought just being in the water without clothes counted as skinny-dipping. Tess insisted if they didn’t swim, it didn’t count. Though she was really just playing.
After another night in the trailer, Danny went to get groceries. He couldn’t source his weed anywhere, but there were plenty of condoms and enough beer to satisfy an army.
Her lover was at the grill again, cooking whatever he’d bought for them to eat. Sitting on her lounge chair, Tess toyed with the Hades card. Hades? H? They still didn’t have answers.
They could stay there in the middle of nowhere for a while, maybe forever. Danny hadn’t brought up going back to the compound. It was on his mind. He was curious. Just that fact should be enough to take them back. Danny wasn’t usually concerned enough about anything to be curious. Yet he’d wanted to know what was beyond that door.
Still wary, she couldn’t deny it had been on her mind too. Putting the card on the chair, she hopped to her feet and went inside the trailer. In the back of the closet, she’d stowed one of her backpacks. There were various things in it, but only one she really needed.
Retrieving the weapon her mother had left in the Figgs box, Tess tested the weight in her hand. They’d been to a gun range years before. If shooting became necessary, she could probably figure it out.
Her mom didn’t like to carry weapons. With them traveling around all the time, keeping up with licenses and laws would’ve been impossible. They were always traveling under fake names too. Getting caught with a weapon could lead to issues. As she’d told Danny, her mom didn’t like to get mixed up with official agencies. If the building they’d visited was connected to the government, that gave some clarity of her mother’s reluctance. A mugshot, a fingerprint, maybe even a name or alias could bring the danger straight to them.
Except the building couldn’t be dangerous. Maybe there was someone there who could help her. Someone who could put her on the right path to eliminating the danger. Taking on the threat would not be easy or straightforward. An ally would be useful.
The only thing Tess had to lose was her life. Her mom must have trusted that she was capable of doing whatever was necessary. Her only chance of ever being free came with facing her fear and going into that building. It could lead to her demise or it could liberate her. It was time. Tess needed to know.
Checking the clip, she looked at the weapon one more time before snatching the truck keys from the counter and heading out of the trailer.
“I’ll be back later,” she called out, without waiting for Danny to turn from the grill.
Going around the front of the trailer, adrenaline rose in her bloodstream. Danny appeared from the rear, moving quickly to intercept her.
“Okay, Annie, hold your horses,” he said.
