Page 72 of Waifs And Strays
I twisted the handle and the door opened without so much as a complaining creak. Nothing exploded in my face and novampire was waiting for me on the other side. There was no sign of Brassick, just a long corridor lit by a strip light. So far so good. I stepped across the threshold and Thane followed.
We walked more slowly and quietly now. Remembering the booby trap that Thane had set off at the Galbraith house, I took my time checking the way ahead. It seemed inconceivable that there was nothing to stop us but we continued unimpeded. By the time we reached yet another door, I was more confused than concerned.
The ladder at the far end of the hallway was made out of wood and I could see scuff marks from where it had been used by numerous pairs of feet. I craned my neck but couldn’t see anything above me, so I beckoned Thane. He stepped past me and lowered his head to the wood. ‘Smells like vamp,’ he grunted. That was hardly a surprise.
‘What about Nick’s blood?’ I asked.
‘The scent is stronger now. This wanker is ours, Kit. He must have come this way – he’s somewhere above us. We can take him down together.’ He reached again for the ladder.
‘Wait,’ I said. ‘This feels too easy.’
‘Easy?’ Thane raised a disbelieving eyebrow. ‘We’ve been running around in the dark for hours. It might be the middle of the day, but there are still vampires in these tunnels. If any of them had spotted us, we’d be dead by now. Even Alexander MacTire would think twice about wandering through them.’
He’d think twice but he’d still do it. I shook my head. ‘Something isn’t right.’
‘I’ll go first. If there are any traps up there, I’ll bear the brunt of them.’
I frowned. ‘I don’t want you to get hurt.’ I didn’t wanteitherof us to get hurt.
Something shifted in his expression. ‘Does that mean that you care for me?’ he asked softly.
‘I wouldn’t go that far.’
He grinned. ‘Perhaps if I get any booboos, you’ll kiss them better for me.’
‘I’ll give you a fucking booboo,’ I muttered.
His grin widened – until there was a sudden thump above us. We both stilled. ‘If you have a bad feeling,’ he whispered, ‘we can find our way out of here and try to locate this spot from above ground.’
We’d never locate the right building that way, not without a map. I shook my head. It was up this ladder or nothing, and I wasn’t walking away no matter how threatened I might feel. Nick was safe but that didn’t mean this shit show was over. ‘No,’ I said. ‘Let’s do it.’
Thane nodded solemnly then started to ascend the ladder.
My heart was in my mouth when he reached the trapdoor that led to whatever was above. It was the perfect spot for either a trap or an ambush but he didn’t hesitate; he flipped it open, hauled himself up and vanished.
I heard nothing, not a whisper, a shout nor an exclamation of pain.
Several seconds ticked past before his face reappeared. ‘All good.’ He winked.
I scowled back at him. ‘Did you deliberately delay as a joke?’
‘Moi?’
Ginger idiot. I returned his wink with my middle finger and he winked again. He’d clearly regained his humour now that Nick was safe. I wasn’t impressed, even if he was disarmingly handsome when he smiled.
I hoisted myself up the ladder; my hip pain had eased, though I suspected that meant it would hurt all the more the next day. Unless Brassick really did have an ace up his laced sleeve and I didn’t survive until the next day.
I pulled myself through the hatch. The basement we were inwas of a similar size and configuration to the last one, albeit without an unconscious teenage werewolf in need of a blood transfusion or a squashed druid, a wheezing ogre and a sniffy vampire. There were, however, dozens upon dozens of dusty bottles of wine.
Thane picked one up and examined the label. ‘A 1926 Bordeaux,’ he said, holding it up so I could see it. ‘A good year.’
‘You like wine?’
‘You don’t?’
I shrugged: I enjoyed wine but I knew jack shit about it. I chose my bottles according to how pretty the labels were and whether the names were interesting. I wouldn’t have chosen the wine Thane was holding, not based on that font.
He returned the bottle to the rack and gestured to the woodworm-ridden door in the corner. I checked its frame carefully before inching it open. There was a soft creak and I caught a brief glimpse of a spider scuttling away from the corner.
