Page 72 of Property of Bones

Then Spike snarls, “Lower them.”

Every Shadow hesitates…just for a second…then obeys.

Weapons drop.

Max doesn’t react. Doesn’t blink. Just stands there like he’s already dead inside.

And Muerte smiles.

“Gracias,” he says. “Now… let’s talk.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Sunny

“What is this place?” I ask as Riley leads us through the basement of her house, then over to a trap door Idefinitelywould have never noticed on my own.

“This,” Abby says, dropping down after Riley, “is the club’s bunker.”

She doesn’t say it like it’s cool. She says it like it’s a sentence.

I hesitate at the edge before following them down into what feels like a hidden world beneath reality. With each step down I take, pain stabs through my body. I sure hope there’s Tylenol down there.

Eventually, the small space for the ladder opens up to a much larger area. It’s dimly lit, so I can’t really see what it looks like. But, if I can guess…scary.

“How far down is this?” I ask breathlessly as I finally reach the bottom. Looking around, We’re in a fortified room about ten feet high.

“Twenty-five feet, I believe,” Riley says from further ahead.

“I’ll show you where Bones’ room is,” Abby continues. “I’m pretty sure you’ve already got clothes and stuff down here, too.”

“Wait… there are rooms? How long do we have to stay down here?”

Riley, who has Asher secured to her chest, opens an abnormally thick door, the only thing in this room, and leadsus into a place I was not expecting. Nothing around us looks like we’re underground. There’s electricity for one. Couches and chairs. An actual kitchen.

“One time it was almost a week,” Abby says, shuddering. “I don’t do well in small spaces. So that one nearly broke me. Istillhate being down here. But, Tank’s helped me learn how to cope when I feel a panic attack coming on.”

“By coping,” Riley interjects, “she means Tank turned her room into an outdoor oasis. There are screens on all four walls, and she can play whatever scenery she wants. It’s amazing. I’m honestly jealous.”

“Sometimes Riley and I come down here just to turn on a beach scene and chill,” Abby grins. “Doing that has helped me not be too afraid of having to come down here when the compound is in danger.”

I stare at them both like they’ve just suggested margaritas during a zombie apocalypse.

“Why are you two not freaking the heck out right now?” I demand. “Something is clearly going down up there!”

“One thing you’ll learn,” Riley says, setting Asher gently into a playpen like this is just another Tuesday, “is that no matter how scared you get, it won’t change the outcome.”

She smooths Asher’s hair back as he babbles happily, completely unfazed by the fact that we’re apparently hiding from something bad.

“Of course I’m scared,” she adds. “I’m terrified something could happen to my husband. To our friends. But panic doesn’t help anyone.”

Abby nods, her expression more serious now. “You have to trust that they know what they’re doing. As long as they know we’re safe, they can focus on the fight. But if you hesitate…if you don’t follow directions when they say run, duck, or hide…they’llturn their attention to you. Get distracted. And that’s when people get hurt. Or killed.”

“Our safety always comes first,” Riley says, casting a knowing glance my way. “No matter how many times we argue about it.”

“Have a seat,” Abby says, grabbing the remote. “I’ll turn on the security cameras so we can see what’s happening.”

Seconds later, the TV flickers to life, giving us a crystal-clear shot of the front gate.

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