The Beckoning (Entangled Series Book 2) Read online

  “Did you write this?” Jess asked Brea after scanning the story.

  “Yes and no. I wrote it, the first week I was in town, but I never submitted it,” Brea said. “Drew took my USB drive. The story was on it.”

  “That…” Ethan thought of a million names to call him.

  Brea put her hand on his arm and stopped him.

  “What does it say?” Ethan asked.

  “That’s not my title, but it pretty much sums the story up.” She sighed. “It sucks that the first piece I’ve gotten published is that one.”

  He took the paper from Jess and scanned it. A large picture of her was beside the title, no doubt to make sure everyone in town knew who she was. He felt Brea cringe when he got to the part about his brothers, and he chuckled slightly. “Great writing,” he said, setting the paper down. “Congratulations on getting published.”

  “That’s it?” She turned to him. “After reading that, that’s all you have to say?”

  “What do you want me to say? That was before everything… happened.” He shrugged. “You can’t be blamed for having an opinion.” He took her hand, meaning every word.

  “I don’t really see how this could be a bad thing for Hidden Creek,” Jess said, causing everyone at the table to look at her. “I mean, sure, it says that we’re all delusional but, other than that, what’s Joe all worked up about?”

  Brea sighed. “He’s probably upset about the part about the Neanderthal liquor store worker.”

  Jess laughed. “I liked that part. Forget about it. Hey, at least now you might start getting job offers.”

  Brea smiled. “Yeah, I never thought about it that way. At least my ex had the decency to keep my name on it and not take credit.”

  Ethan reached over and took her hand, then pulled it up to his lips. “You’re pretty amazing.”

  He stood by and watched her say goodbye to her parents. He’d experienced awkward before, but nothing like her saying goodbye to her dad. He could tell she was still hurting but had sucked it up to send them off.

  Jess’s parents were staying in town for a while longer. Her father had a job at the local brewery just outside of The Rock and had limited time off. The way Jess was acting around them, he could tell that she would have preferred them gone already. Who could really blame her?

  He still wasn’t sure how he was going to act when he saw his folks again. The betrayal in this town was something legends were made of.

  Jacob climbed back in his patrol car and Jess walked back to the Coffee Corner, leaving them with Xtina and Mike.

  “So?” Mike set the paper down. “Good job.” He smiled over at Brea. “You’ve a talent for telling a story.”

  Brea sighed. “So, none of you are mad?”

  “Why would we be? It’s a beautiful piece. Besides, it’s the truth from an outsider’s perspective,” Xtina answered. “I think you may have just found your new calling.”

  “I’ve never known anyone like you guys before.” Brea shook her head.

  He reached around and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. “We’ll take that as a compliment, right?” Everyone in the booth nodded.

  “We were going to go and look around the silo a little more today. You know, see if there’s something we can find out,” he said to everyone.

  “We’ve been there a few more times. I still can’t seem to make it past one room,” Xtina said, cringing.

  “Why?” Brea shifted forward slightly.

  “Something… blinds me.” Xtina frowned.

  “Blinds?” Ethan asked.

  “When I get close to the room, a searing white light causes me pain.” She tapped the side of her head. “We were going to try going in from the missile spot instead of the main door to see if we could bypass it. I’d really like to see the rest of the place, even though…” He saw her shiver, then his brother reached over and held her.

  “It’s okay, we don’t have to,” Mike said.

  “We’ve been over this. The answer is there. We just need to look harder,” Xtina said.

  “Why do you think the answer is there?”

  “I can feel it,” Xtina said. “And something is drawing me there.”

  Brea visibly shivered. “The cave,” she whispered.

  “Cave? What cave?” Xtina asked.

  She shook her head. “It’s actually a tunnel. I’ve seen it.”

  Mike leaned forward. “We haven’t found a tunnel.”

  “There is one. I’ve been there.”

  “Then we’ll go with you,” Mike said. “We have a few things to do first. How about we meet you at the house at noon?”

  “Sounds good,” Ethan said. “Shall we head out?” He helped Brea out of the booth.

  When they paid, Carla smiled and held up a newspaper. “Well, it looks like we have a celebrity in our midst. It was a really great article.” She leaned forward and patted Brea on the arm. “We all think so. You’ve put Hidden Creek on the map.”

  Brea looked a little shocked, but then smiled and said thank you.

  They held hands as they walked out to her car.

  “I still can’t believe no one is mad.” She shook her head.

  He chuckled. “Small towns tend to stick up for their own.”

  He wasn’t surprised to see Drew leaning on her car. The man’s arms were crossed over his chest like he was proud of what he’d done. Ethan wanted to smash the guy’s face in, but held back.

  Brea smiled brightly when she noticed him.

  “Well, Drew. It seems I owe you a thanks.”

  The man’s smile faltered a little. “For?”

  “The article.” She dropped his hand and walked over to Drew. He stood back to watch the show. “Everyone in town is saying how much they loved it. Whatever your intentions, thank you.” She moved around him and climbed into the passenger side.

  Ethan stepped closer. “Why are you still in town?” His eyes narrowed. “There’s nothing for you here.” The man’s eyes went to Brea. “Not anymore.” He moved around him and got in the driver side. When he pulled the car out of the parking lot, Drew watched them closely.

  “Do you really think he did you a favor?” he asked when they were outside of town.

  “Yeah, I mean, I’d never thought about writing before. Ever since I could remember, I wanted to be a journalist, but for some reason, always thought I’d be in front of a camera. Now it’s like more doors are opened.” She was quiet for a moment, then turned to him. “What about you?”

  “Me?” He glanced at her.

  “Sure, I mean, Mike said you’re on leave for your injury, but now… with everything the way it is, what are you going to do?”

  What was he going to do? He hadn’t thought of it. He’d told Brea that he loved her, something he had never said to anyone before. Surley what was cause to reevaluate his life.

  Mike and Xtina had announced to everyone that they were now officially engaged but hadn’t set the date. He’d never thought of marriage, having a family, or settling down. His entire existence was to fight, be a warrior. He didn’t think he could be a husband, a father, or even have a normal job.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “I guess I’ve never really thought about it.”

  “What about the police force? Jacob was talking about needing more men now that two of the guys are up for retirement,” she said, glancing out the window as they drove up to the house. “I may not know where I’ll be working, but it’s clear to me that I don’t belong in the city anymore.”

  “You’re moving here?” he asked, putting the car into park.

  “Why not? With everything crazy going on, I’m not even sure there will be a tomorrow, but I know one thing, I can’t imagine going back to my boring life after all this.”

  Chapter 23

  They spent the next two hours hunched over her computer searching for old plans of silos built in Georgia. There were several different basic government plans, but none of them called for a tunnel. Most
of them had the missiles loading directly into the silo itself.

  They did find a plan that called for an access tunnel for heavy equipment, but from what Mike and Xtina had told them about the place, it didn’t seem like it would fit this one.

  Still, they printed several plans and changed into appropriate clothing to go exploring. They headed over to Xtina’s house just before noon.

  When they got there, she had a plate of sandwiches and iced tea waiting for them.

  “I figured we’d better fuel up before heading over there. It’s pretty big and you tend to lose track of time. We’ve packed water too.”

  They all sat in the kitchen and ate, while Ethan and Mike went over the plans they had printed out.

  “The closest plan is this one,” Mike said. He glanced up at her. “But there’s no tunnel.”

  “If there is one, we’ll find it,” Xtina said, smiling at her.

  When they headed out, Mike and Ethan both had backpacks on their backs filled with water, flashlights, and emergency supplies.

  It took almost an hour to walk to the main opening. The door had several thick locks on it, but Mike pulled out a key ring and started opening them.

  “Jacob.” He smiled. “It pays to have a brother in law enforcement.”

  “What about going in through the silo?” Brea asked.

  “We talked it over and thought that for your first visit, it would be best for you to enter the easy way. Some of the rungs on the ladder are a little sketchy.” His eyes met Ethan’s.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t think us women can handle climbing down a ladder?”

  Xtina turned to Mike. “Is that true?”

  “Oh, it’s true. Just look into those eyes. They’re hiding something,” Brea added.

  Xtina crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Mike.

  Mike sighed and looked at Ethan, who, to his credit, just shrugged.

  “Okay, if it’s what you want.”

  “I want Xtina to be able to explore the place, and if that means going in through the silo, then I’m game,” Brea said.

  Xtina smiled over at her. “Thanks.” She turned to Mike. “Well?”

  He chuckled. “Fine, let’s go.” He finished unlocking the door. “In case we decide to leave this way,” he said, then he took Xtina’s hand in his. They started walking again.

  It took them almost ten minutes to reach the large circular cover. The two massive metal hydraulic doors were opened slightly.

  “This is the tricky part,” Mike said. “I’ll go first, then help the ladies down.” He tossed his bag to the bottom of the shaft. Ethan’s bag followed.

  They all stood by and watched Mike wedge his body around the opening and then dangle by just his arms as he kicked his feet out and caught the ladder. It took him less than a minute to disappear into the hole.

  “Okay, Xtina you’re next. Just do what I did. I’m right here and will guide you to the ladder.”

  Xtina took a deep breath and followed his lead.

  Suddenly, Brea had doubts about all this and took a step back.

  “Hey.” Ethan was right beside her. “If you don’t want…”

  She shook her head. “No. I… I can do this.”

  His hands covered hers. “You’ve got this.”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, ready for you, Brea,” Mike called up.

  She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and took a deep breath.

  “Okay, I’m coming down.” She lay down on her belly on the cold metal, her legs dangling in the opening. She shimmied until her hips were at the edge of the opening, then continued until she was hanging over the edge.

  Ethan was holding her hands and she knew he would never let her go, not until he knew she was safe.

  Kicking her feet towards the edge, she felt Mike’s hands wrap around her ankles.

  “Gotcha,” he said. She was passed from one brother to the other so quickly, a small scream escaped her lips. She laughed when she wrapped her arms around Mike and chuckled into his chest.

  “What a ride,” she said as her feet touched the first rung.

  “Yeah, you should try doing it in the dark and when it’s raining,” he joked.

  “Head on down.” He nodded to the tall ladder. “Go slow, take your time. Test each rung before putting your full weight on it.”

  She nodded, then moved around him, their bodies sliding across one another’s. She instantly compared his body to Ethan’s. They were the same, but… different.

  Her body responded to his touch, but nothing like it did when Ethan touched her. As she climbed down slowly, she ran over what her mind was telling her.

  Thoughts of another man touching her like Ethan did were blocked from her mind. She couldn’t imagine it. Not after what he’d said to her.

  He loved her. Did she love him? That question had been running over and over in her mind since last night. She’d never loved anyone other than her father.

  When her feet hit the ground, she glanced up in time to see Ethan’s feet hanging over the opening. Her breath held until his feet gripped the ladder. She hadn’t realized how tall the silo was and instantly felt fear for him and Mike as they took their time climbing down the ladder.

  “Wow,” Xtina said, glancing around. “It’s massive.”

  Her eyes moved around the silo while her mind focused on worry for the men.

  Xtina was right. The place was huge. There was a foul smell of stale water and rusted metal.

  “We found Rose here.” Xtina looked to the middle of the floor. “She’d fallen down the opening.”

  “Wow, I can’t imagine falling that far.” Her eyes moved back up to the opening.

  “I know, we were lucky she survived.” Xtina turned to her. “Actually, it was your aunt that led us to her.”

  “Misty?”

  Xtina smiled as Mike reached the bottom. “Yes, she woke us and led us here.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re not sure,” Mike said, picking up his pack. “But we’re thankful. We love Rose.”

  Ethan hit the bottom and walked over to her. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes, but I think we’ll leave the other way.” She smiled.

  They followed Mike around the main silo area.

  “There are a couple rooms off of the silo, but they are all small storage areas and don’t lead anywhere. The main hallway is there.” He pointed his flashlight to a large opening.

  A shiver ran through Brea, and she felt something beckoning her down the circular hallway.

  “There,” she said, her eyes glued to the spot.

  Everyone was silent for a moment.

  “What do you feel?” Xtina asked.

  “Something.” She shook her head. “It’s this way.” She moved towards the opening, and Ethan laid his hand on her arm. “I’m okay.” Her eyes met his. He nodded and dropped his hand.

  “We’ll follow you,” Xtina said.

  Brea let it pull her down the dark corridors, through several bunker-style rooms. There was old furniture in some rooms, and graffiti covered almost every wall.

  They must have walked for half an hour, climbing stairs, entering hallway after hallway.

  “I never found this side of it,” Mike said when she’d opened an old metal door. It had taken both Mike and Ethan to pry the rusted door open.

  Here, the walls were not as covered with graffiti.

  “I don’t think many knew about this part,” Ethan said, his flashlight going over each wall. “The graffiti stopped about twenty years ago.”

  Brea moved again. She could hear her heart beat in her head and felt her mind drawing her to one goal.

  She stopped in front of a door and her entire body shivered.

  “It’s here,” she whispered.

  “What?” Xtina asked.

  “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s powerful.”

  Ethan walked around her and tried the door. “Mike.” He
nodded. The men worked on the door.

  “There’s no graffiti,” Xtina said.

  Brea turned and glanced around the walls herself. They were blank, cement walls. The room they were standing in appeared not to have been disturbed since the military packed up and left it.

  She turned when she heard the door squeak open. A light shone into the tunnel from the room.

  Brea stepped slowly into the tunnel from her dreams, knowing now that fate was inevitable.

  Ethan watched Brea closely. The tunnel was long, and just the faintest of lights could be seen from around the corner, signaling that the sunlight was getting in through an opening somewhere.

  Instead of walking towards the opening, Brea stopped a few feet in and turned around.

  “Somethings different.” She frowned.

  “What?” Xtina asked.

  “I... I don’t know.” She turned around.

  “Maybe I can help?” Xtina said.

  “How?” Brea turned to her.

  As an answer, Xtina held out her hands. Brea nodded, then placed her hands in Xtina’s.

  Ethan and Mike stood by and watched them. Both of their eyes grew distant. When they dropped their hands, Xtina sighed.

  “You entered from there.” She nodded to the opening. “Not from here. Let’s try that.”

  They walked to the end of the tunnel. The tree branches and grass had grown up over the opening. It took them several minutes to clear a pathway.

  Finally, they stood on the outside of the metal gate opening, looking around.

  “I can’t believe we didn’t find this the first time,” Mike said to Xtina.

  “We’re more than a mile away from the silo,” she said in reply.

  “The place is bigger than we thought.” Mike turned to Brea. “Well?”

  Brea had gone pale.

  Without saying anything, she started to move forward, as if in a trance. They followed her without a word.

  They thought she would stop in the tunnel again, but instead, she returned to the room they had just left, then proceeded to follow the path they had just taken all the way back to the silo. By the time they entered the massive room, the sky had grown dark. Still no one had spoken a word.