The Hidden Tunnel by Eva Pohler

Author:Eva Pohler [Pohler, Eva]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-28T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen: The Henrietta

When Brian ended his call with the 9-1-1 dispatcher, Ellen said, “Let’s wait for the police down by the hatch to the receiving dock, just in case Rodney tries to leave before they arrive.”

“I don’t think I want to get involved in this,” Glenn said awkwardly.

“No worries,” Brian said as he offered his hand to the guide.

Glenn shook Brian’s hand. “Be sure you leave through the hatch rather than backtracking to the garden. It’s a lot easier to get lost down here in the dark than you might think.”

“We’ll be sure to do that,” Brian assured him.

As Glenn went on his way, back toward the Lan Su Chinese Garden, the rest of the group turned toward the dock.

“What if Rodney sees us?” Tanya, who took up the rear with Ellen, said nervously. “What if he has a gun?”

Sue pulled her gun from her purse, and Ellen groaned.

Sue turned back to Ellen with lifted brows. “What?”

“You scare the heck out of me when you wave that thing around,” Ellen said.

“This thing has already saved our lives more than once,” Sue pointed out. “You might sound more grateful.”

“Maybe Brian should carry it,” Tanya suggested.

“Oh, hush,” Sue said. “I know how to handle this piece. I’ve had proper training. Y’all need to have more faith.”

“Good, because I don’t know the first thing about guns,” Brian admitted.

When they reached the wide, chilly part of the tunnel, Ellen whispered, “Rodney should be out on the dock by now, don’t you think?”

“Should, could, would,” Sue whispered nonsensically. “Just be on your guard.”

A chill snaked down Ellen’s spine as she wondered if Rodney might be lurking in the shadows, knowing that they were the ones who’d discovered and freed Alani. What if he’d heard their plans to follow and was waiting to have his revenge? If he’d left the hatch doors open, they’d see light by now; so, he’d either closed the doors behind him, or he was still inside the tunnel.

As she continued forward, Ellen reminded herself that they had him outnumbered. There was no reason to be afraid. The police should be arriving up top at any moment.

She let out a sigh of relief when they reached the ramp and found no sign of the PBC manager.

“Well,” Sue said, returning her gun to her purse. “Should we go on up?”

“Keep the gun handy,” Brian said to Sue. “In case he tries to run off.”

Sue put her hand in her purse and kept it on the gun, without taking it out. “I’m ready.”

Brian climbed the ramp and pressed up on the doors. Unlike the hatch near the basement of the Blanchet, the doors swung out, like the ones at Hobo’s Restaurant.

“Here goes nothing,” he said, just before he pushed one of the two doors open until it lay flat on the floor of the dock above.

Light flooded in, making the tunnel seem so much more ordinary than it had seemed in the dark.

Ellen followed Brian and Sue up into the afternoon sunshine. It felt like walking out of a movie theater after an afternoon matinee.

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