Girl on the Hill (Dana Gray Book 2) by C.J. Cross & Without Warrant

Author:C.J. Cross & Without Warrant [Cross, C.J. & Warrant, Without]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liquid Mind Publishing
Published: 2021-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

41

Jarred awake, the scent of snuffed candles still lingered in the air.

Dana was reluctant to leave the warmth of her dreams. There she was safe, with memories of her parents, sharing waffles and laughter on a snowy morning. She’d stay there forever if she could. Here … she didn’t quite know where here was, but she knew it wasn’t somewhere she wanted to be.

Dana brought her hands to her face to make sure her eyes were actually open. They were. She blinked a few times and her vision started to adjust, making out shapes in the darkness. Smooth stone walls. Arched recesses. Strange red paintings. Roman numerals. A glass box.

She sat up and instantly regretted it. Pain ricocheted from her skull to her spine. Her vision went white and fuzzy at the edges as she fought the urge to vomit. Then all at once, it came back to her. Where she was. Who she’d been with.

Despite the immense effort it took, she clambered to her feet. “Mere?” The word felt like sandpaper as it scratched its way past her throat. She tried again. “Meredith?”

The only sound that echoed back to Dana was her own raspy voice. How long had she been down here? And why was it so dark?

The catacombs were eerily still. She remembered the sign she’d passed on the way down, announcing the closure. Then she remembered the very heavy chain that had been locked around the gates.

Flicking on her cellphone light, she began to run. Claustrophobia had never been a fear of hers. She worked three levels below the Smithsonian. But there was something unsettling about the idea of being locked in the catacombs. Death may be her profession, but she drew the line at sleeping in a crypt.

Stumbling in the darkness, she reached for her phone to light the way. Her heartbeat stuttered when she saw the time. Claire would be worried. But not so much time had passed that she wouldn’t be able to catch up to Meredith.

The thought had her ignoring the throbbing in her head as she quickened her pace. She needed to get outside so she could get cell service. If she could get Jake on the phone, he could start tracking Meredith. Surely, she’d been caught on camera coming and going from the monastery grounds.

Energized by the knowledge that Meredith was alive, Dana tried to put together a mental timeline, but her pounding head fought her progress. The more she thought about her alarming conversation with her friend, the more confused she was. Why didn’t Meredith want to be found?

Stop looking … Meredith’s words echoed through Dana’s foggy mind. It didn’t make sense. But at the moment nothing did. Dana couldn’t breathe let alone think straight. Fresh air would help. She just needed to get outside.

Pumping her legs faster, Dana raced toward the surface. When the gate finally came into view, she felt a glimmer of hope, only to have it dashed by the sight of the chain locked securely in place.

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