At the bottom, we find the door Kolya described. It’s rusted and wooden, with an arched top and an ornate knob. I take a deep breath, turn the handle, and slowly pull it inward. Then I step out with my heart in my throat.
The room is empty at first. Nothing breathes, nothing moves. Then—
My legs carry me forward. I stop myself just shy of jumping into his arms, but it doesn’t sound like a half-bad idea. He grips my shoulders and presses me to his chest as Sara emerges behind us.
“Are you okay?” he asks, pulling me out of our embrace to check me over thoroughly.
“I’m fine,” I assure him. “We both are.”
“Good. Sara,” he barks, “take her down the garden path. There’s a pipeline that will take you to the back border of the property. It leads right into the neighboring—”
There’s a shuffle
