Red Awakening (Red Zone 2)

“Keiko,” he growled.

“Give me a minute and stop being so annoying. I said I was coming.” She swung her legs over the edge of the hole and looked down to find him frowning up at her. His hands were up to catch her, so she didn’t hesitate; she just dropped down into them. He caught her easily—one of the perks of having a partner his size. And it was a benefit she could definitely get used to. If she was tired, she’d have him carry her around. It would be bliss.

“I need a bath,” she said as he cradled her in his arms. “A long one. With lots of rose-scented bubbles. I also need to use the restroom. And I want some water.”

His lips twitched at her as his eyes sparkled. “You about done?”

She thought about it. “I’m hungry, too.”

He just grinned. “Are you always this grumpy when you’ve just woken up?”

“Only when I wake up in a crawl space with cobwebs in my hair.”

“You want down?” he asked when she made no move to get out of his arms.

“I can’t stand yet. There are pins and needles in my toes.”

“Guess I’ll have to carry you, then.” He headed for the stairway down into the building.

She tugged his hair. “You’re heading the wrong way. We need to go to the bedroom. I’m pretty sure that’s where the panic room is.”

That brought him to a sudden halt. “You know where the panic room is?”

“No, I’m guessing where the panic room is, and I think it’s in the bedroom. That’s the only place Miriam would feel vulnerable.”

“Maybe there and near water,” he muttered as he headed for the bedroom.

“I don’t understand.”

“The Wizard of Oz? The Wicked Witch is killed by a bucket of water? Nobody gets my cultural references anymore.”

“I wonder why? Which culture are you referencing, exactly?”

“Twentieth century,” he muttered absently.

“You expect people to get historical references?”

“Never mind,” he said with irritation as he put her down on the pristine white bedspread.

Seemed she wasn’t the only one who woke up grumpy. “Look around for the panic room entrance.”

“We don’t even know if there is a panic room.”

“It’s worth spending five minutes on. If we find one, we can hole up in there until this whole experience is over.”

With a snort, he opened the closet and knocked on the walls. While he executed a bad-tempered search, Keiko took the time to survey her surroundings. If she were Miriam, she’d want the panic room entrance close to the bed. That way, if danger came when she was sleeping, she could get into it without even having to give it any thought.

A door in the wall would be the obvious place, and Miriam wasn’t obvious. Keiko rubbed her feet, then stood up to peek under the bed. There was no “under.” The bed was built on a solid platform. She felt a tingling up her spine. What if all Miriam had to do was literally roll out of bed?

Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine she was Miriam Shepherd and under attack. She saw herself, asleep on the bed. An alarm sounded, she reached out and slapped her hand to the side of the bed where the sensor was. The bed shifted, and she fell under it. Her eyes popped open. It could work. Maybe. If Miriam was super creative, or if she employed a whole company full of creative people.

Bending over, she moved the silken comforter and ran her fingers over the built-in base.

“What are you doing?” Mace came up beside her.

“Looking for the panic room.”

“And you think it’s under the bed?”