"Yes, it's a low blow," she said. "But I'll use whatever works right now." She got to her feet, wiped her eyes again, and looked around. "Okay, I'm going to suggest we don't wait for Kit and the others. We get out of here before the bad guys break in. I'm guessing that's the plan--knock everyone out with gas, then come in and scoop them up."
"It's an old Nast trick," Ash said. "They won't wait long to swoop in, either."
As if in reply, booted footsteps thundered across the hardwood overhead.
"So where's this escape tunnel?" Corey asked.
"It's not really a tunnel," Chloe said as she waved for us to follow. "Beyond the basement is a cold cellar for storing vegetables and preserves. There's a chute from the barn."
"Which is now the garage," I said.
She nodded. "Kit installed a fire-escape ladder. That's why we rented this place."
She pulled open a door on the far side of the basement, then reached in and pulled a string. A bare bulb lit a corridor with cement walls and a dirt floor. She waved us in.
"Yeah, right." Ash caught my arm before I could walk in, then pointed at Chloe. "You first."
Derek muttered something and shoved past. He headed into the dimly lit hall. We followed. The hallway passed a couple of rooms that must have been for storage at one time, the wooden shelves now rotting and
dotted with dusty jars filled with gray preserves.
The hall ended at a rope ladder. Derek gave it a tug, then went up first. When I tried to follow, Ash elbowed me aside and cautiously ascended, peering through at the top before waving us up.
We came out in the barn/garage, as Chloe had said. Derek motioned for silence. I peered around. It was nearly pitch black--the only light coming through a break in the roof. But after being in the cold cellar, my eyes had adjusted. When I could make out a ladder leading to the hayloft, I tapped Derek's arm--figuring he'd have better night vision than Chloe. I pointed to the ladder and mouthed "safe?" He nodded and led us over to it. We went up.
At the top, mouldering straw covered the floor. I could smell feces. Cat or rat, I wasn't sure. I just kept my ears attuned for squeaks or hisses as we cleared spots and hunkered down.
Outside, all was silent. Or so it seemed, until we quieted down and I could pick up the distant murmur of voices. Then one grew louder.
"I want to speak to Dr. Inglis." It was Dr. Fellows. "Are you listening--?"
An outraged squawk, then muffled cries, as if someone had gagged her.
Derek winced. He shot a glance toward Chloe, but she didn't seem to have heard. He cast a glower at me, as if warning me not to tell her that her aunt had been taken. I wasn't about to.
A minute later, when I caught a noise below, I shot up, but Derek waved me down and went to the stairs. He leaned out. Then he climbed down a few stairs. A moment later he returned. Kit followed him. As Kit surveyed our faces, Derek headed back down a few steps to look around below. Then, almost simultaneously, they whispered, "Where's Simon?"
The next few minutes were a flurry of whispers and worries as they each realized Simon wasn't with the other one. Then I caught his voice in the distance. Derek heard it, too. He told Kit. They whispered together, but there was nothing anyone could do. The Cabals had Dr. Fellows, Tori, Rafe, and Simon.
"They aren't going to hurt your son," Hayley said. "Rafe left his sister with them."
Kit looked ill, but managed to nod. "Yes. They won't hurt him. Not if they hope to convince us to rejoin the fold."
Derek snorted. "Like that would ever happen."
Kit said nothing. But Derek's head whipped around to face his father.
"Dad?" he said.
"Simon will be fine," he said. "But if we hope to end this on our terms, we need to get everyone else out of here."
FORTY-FOUR
"THEY'VE GOT THE HOUSE surrounded," Ash said.
I looked over to see him perched on a rafter near Hayley.
"House, but not barn," he said. "But that still means they're very close."