Chapter 41


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    41 Secret Passage


    Aurora POV


    The small cramped cemented space was pitch ck once the hidden panel was sealed once again.


    The only illumination was from the small torch in my hand, pointed straight at the support pir of spiral


    staircase that had no support banister and manyrge cobwebs littered the empty spaces.


    I could still hear whistles and shouts of my name but they were distant, muffled by the thick concrete


    walls. Knowing that I couldn’t actually escape this hell hole right now, I decided to just explore and


    curiously began to ascend the stairs to the upper level. Holding onto the cold damp wall for support, I


    took each step gently for fear I would trip and fall. I climbed for three spirals until I came to anding


    tform and there was a small unfinished hallway of sorts. It was justrge enough for one person to fit


    through.


    The stairs continued upwards but I was curious as to this hallway so I decided to explore it. I followed


    the path and it turned into a single hallway to the left. I followed it for a few moments until I came to a


    dead end and saw arge new wooden panel sat in front of me.


    The wood was unfinished and full of dust. Cobwebs were heavy around the edges. A small wooden


    handle much like the one downstairs jutted out, no doubt to help the panel close. Almost level with my


    height was a small wooden p like a micro speakeasy door. I cautiously tiptoed over to the door and


    listened closely for any noise. I could hear faint noises and my breath caught. Even though curiosity


    constantly got me in trouble, I couldn’t help the temptation.


    I gently lifted the p, careful to keep my shlight low to the ground. A small light peeked through a


    small drilled hole norger than a quarter. Peering through the hole with my right eye, I tried to get a


    good look around.


    It was the room. Therge office that I was brought to all the time. I could see the outline of books


    around the edges of the hole and realized I was looking through the corner bookshelf I was able to


    stifle my gasp at the sight. Jason and Ben were in the office. I could see Ben on hisputer, typing


    away ferociously and his face looked so stern like he was constipated and needed to desperately use


    the restroom. Jason was pacing and on the phone, screaming in a foreignnguage. He had a slight


    Irish ent when he got all flustered. It made me want to giggle. “FIND HER” was thest thing I heard


    Jason scream before a crash sounded close to the panel. My breath certainly hitched but I luckily


    didn’t scream.


    “Did you find anything?” Jason had asked Ben..


    “No. I can’t find her on any of our cameras. Last footage I found of her, she was stomping over to the


    forest line. She was definitely crying.” Ben was sad, a look of concern covered his face.


    “I swear that girl gives us more trouble than our worst enemies.” Jason said exhaustingly.


    “Yeah, but she is worth it.” Ben said matter–of–factly. Jason took a deep breath and nodded.


    “Yeah, you’re right! We are so whipped.” He said more to himself and it made me scrunch my face in


    disgust. Ew. They may be dastardly magnificent and beautiful specimens on the male poption but


    looks are not everything. I meane on! These jerks are crazy and so bad. I mean who KILLS


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    THREE PEOPLE BEFORE FUCKING BREAKFAST? And they were unphased by it too.


    Jason began walking closer to the far wall near the bookshelf. His eyes trained on the wall and I felt like


    he was staring


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    41 Secret Passage


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    right at me. My heart started to race faster. He had a curious look on his face. I subconsciously took a


    small step back in the closed dark space behind me.


    A ding on Ben’s phone turned Jason’s attention away from the wall. Ben mumbled something to Jason


    before they both quickly exited out of the room. A soft click of the door was the final sound. A sigh of


    relief left my body and I only then did I realize I had been holding my breath. A few tears began to run


    down my face. I have always tried to keep a brave face but I am so scared right now.


    Returning to the enclosed space around me, I notice there was a small wooden button on the far–left


    side of the panel. Only thing missing was a neon “push me” sign. I pushed it and there was a small


    click and the door moved a small amount. Years of collected dust and the hanging cobwebs were


    disturbed and a small puff of dust and dander wafted in the air, making me cough and my eyes water


    even more.


    I gently pushed on the panel and found it a lot heavier than the first door. I continued to push the panel


    until there was arge enough gap for me to slip by, taking onest look around the door, making sure


    the coast was clear. I stepped out of the hidden panel and closed the door behind me gently, eventually


    hearing the soft click of the lock. I pulled on the panel for good measure and it was stuck like glue. The


    old books on the bookshelf held new meaning to


    me now.


    A wave of tiredness flooded through my body and my legs somehow managed to trudge me over to the


    veryfortable leather sofa that my gluteus maximus was already great acquaintances with. My body


    sunk into the cushions and my eyes closed rapidly, a lone tear escaping and dropping on the throw


    pillow that my head was resting


    upon.


    Charlie POV


    We were headed back to the strategy room. We searched every inch of this mansion and the guards


    searched the property. She was no where to be found. Vanished but we knew she didn’t leave the


    property.


    Ben and Jason came to find us when they got a message from one of Ben’s hackers who said they


    were delivering new footage at the front door. We had met his teammate Chris and we were handed an


    IPAD.


    was


    Chris had found an old sr powered camera near the forest line, right where we lost sight of Aurora.


    We watched the choppy footage with bated breath. You could make out Aurora’s figure slumped behind


    the big Magnolia tree; she shaking for a few minutes before calming down. The next set of images had


    her sneaking along the tree line and she passed the old camera. It caught her fleeting image going


    back into the house! She made sure to avoid the known cameras. Smart girl.


    She’s here! We knew it. We marched up to the office and called our most trusted men to meet us in ten


    minutes. She was ying hide and seek apparently and was getting really good.


    Jason opens the door ahead of us and stops in his tracks. Ben, Kai, and I almost all bumped into each


    other but quickly looked at what stopped our fearless leader. On the sofa was our princess. She was


    fast asleep, her eyes closed but they were puffy and red from crying. Her chest was gently rising and


    falling while she was in her peaceful slumber.


    We all let out a small chuckle and Ben crossed to her, picking up a nket we kept on the back and


    ced it gently on her body, kissing her forehead before returning to hisptop. We all follow suit, each


    approaching her gently, like a sleeping lioness in her den, taking a moment to kiss her before sitting


    down at our desks.


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    41 – Secret Passage


    Draco, Thomas, and a few of our guards knock on the door beforeing in harshly. Jason halts their


    movements with a simple hand raise. He then raises a finger to his lips signaling everyone to be quiet


    and then points to our sleeping beauty snuggled in the nket on the sofa.


    Their eyes widen when the notice her sweet figure and then just like us, the questioning looks on their


    face grow while looking back at us.


    Draco and Thomas are the first to move close to Jason and I’s desks. Draco whispers rapidly “What?


    How? When? What happened?” Jason just chuckles and then says softly.


    “No idea. When we came back from downstairs a few minutes ago, she was already over there and


    sleeping. We will wake her in about an hour.”


    The guys all nod in agreement.


    Draco and Thomas take a seat in the red upholstered chairs in front of Jason’s massive desk and


    Jason begins to talk softly about training for the week. I try to pay attention, but my eyes keep


    wandering over to Aurora. This morning. she had true fear in her eyes and that is what we wanted to


    see.


    She was supposed to see what she did. It wasn’t nned originally but it was quick thinking on Kai’s


    part when we got the call this morning about them. We had all been talking the night before that it was


    good for her to be reminded of the monsters we are. It will keep her in her ce. Those three arrogant


    bastards tried to run from us and take our money without paying us back. That is just bad business,


    trying to flee from us. So we had to send a message and one message was for our lovely sleeping


    beauty. No runs from us and gets away without consequences. Not even Aurora.


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