Living With the Dead (Otherworld 9)

Karl would know what to do. She'd get Karl, and he'd snap her out of it or break this door down -

If she walked away now, there was no guarantee she'd get back before someone else did. Someone just as dangerous as Adele.

"Hope? I need you to open this door."

Robyn kept repeating it, as calmly and firmly as she could. After a minute, the door quavered under her hands, jerking back and forth.

"It... it won't open." Hope's voice, but still with that chillingly flat affect, as if she really didn't care whether she got the door open or not.

"Are there keys?"

A pause. "What?"

"Keys, Hope. Did Adele have keys?"

"Adele... I shot - I had to."

That's good, Robyn thought, but said, "That's okay. Did she have a key?"

"Key? Yes. She... Hold on."

Getting that key seemed to take forever. Robyn was tempted to bang on the door again. Then a key turned in the lock. The door opened. Robyn pulled Hope out and caught her up in a hug. Hope returned the embrace only a moment, then pulled back with a tired chuckle.

"No time for that," she said. "I'm guessing the situation hasn't resolved itself up there?"

"Probably not."

Hope rubbed her eyes. "Okay. Let's get out of here before someone finds us."

"Is Adele... ?"

Hope nodded.

"You had to," Robyn said.

"Yes, I did." There was no emphasis in her voice, no need to justify. "

Is there another exit?" Robyn started reopening the door to look inside.

Hope backed into the opening and held the door fast. "No."

"What is - ?"

"No. Really, Rob." She looked up at her. "On this one, trust my call."

Robyn stepped back. Hope seemed about to follow, then held up a finger, slid back into the room and closed the door before Robyn could stop her.

A moment later, she heard Hope's voice. She leaned forward to say she couldn't hear her, but Hope was murmuring, as if talking to someone else. Was Adele still alive?

Hope came out and lifted her gun. "Almost forgot this. I grabbed Adele's, too. For you."

"I've got one." Robyn retrieved hers from the floor.

"Armed to the teeth, aren't we?" Another tired smile. "Who'd have thought?"

Hope closed the door.

"Is someone..." Robyn began. "I thought I heard you talking."