Chapter Thirty-two
“Old blood,” Josh said. Finding something like this in as remote a place as this, put his senses on alert. Searching for more, he saw a pattern of drips farther under the house.
“How did you see that?” Candy asked. “It was nothing.”
“That’s what I’m trained for, babe. My job. And that’s why you’ve changed your mind and are letting my department remain open.”
She hit him on the arm with the flashlight. “Don’t gloat or I will change my mind back.” The smell of happiness surrounded her.
“Let’s see where this blood trail goes.” He took her hand and led the way. He had to admit, it was sort of creepy walking under a huge-ass building. But the beams and bars, though rusty, looked sound.
Then he caught that smell again. Death, decay. “Shine the light over the area,” he asked his mate. Slowly she scanned right to left. And there it was. She saw it too and walked ahead of him.
“Is that what I think it is?” she asked. When they reached the disturbed earth, he had to say yes.
“I do believe that is a shallow grave with bones and clothes sticking out. Rather hasty job on the cover-up. The government’s gotten better at that since this guy.” Behind him, she heard a gasp. The president and first lady had come up behind them. “Mr. President, I believe we found the reason why this secret passage was closed up.”
The big guy stood beside him. They looked like linebackers for the Dallas Cowboys in white T-shirts and sweatpants. “This is certainly a surprise,” the man said. “Wonder who it was.”
“We’ll send a crew in to collect evidence and figure that out,” Josh responded. “I wonder if that has anything to do with all the stuff over there.” Meaning the artwork and furnishings.
The first lady shook her head and said, “Probably not. I think when remodeling, they needed a place to put those things until the basement storage room was completed. The tunnel connecting East and West Wings displaced several storerooms. They probably forgot it was down here.”
“And whoever dumped this body was in too much of a hurry to care if it stayed down here,” his mate said. “Is this a secret passage, or just the underside of the house that happens to be six feet off the ground?”
“All the secret passages I know of converge in the subbasement. I wasn’t told about anything under the house,” the first lady said.
“Me, neither,” her husband replied. “I’m thinking that spiral staircase and all of this space was purposefully forgotten.”
“Because of the dead body?” the first lady asked.
“Maybe,” he replied. “We need to find out who that is before we can make any conclusions.”
Josh nodded and turned in a circle, surveying the space. “Should we further examine the area or go back up to the basement? Think there’s anything on the other side?” Both flashlights swept the distance. Scores of structural materials, wires, and pipe were all there was to see—until Candy moved her light to the far right corner. Something shined when the light hit it.
“There’s something in the corner. It could be a door. Let’s have a look-see, shall we?” Josh scooped up her hand again, leading around ground obstacles and overhead impediments.
“Director, Candace,” the first lady said. The two stopped and looked where her flashlight was pointing along the wall. In the expanse of cement block was a black circle about a yard wide and a few feet off the ground.
Josh glanced at Candy. “Any ideas?”
“No,” Candy said. “Let’s check out the corner then we can backtrack if needed.”
Josh hoped this corner had a door that led to somewhere safe and out. As soon as they did get out of this hellhole, he needed to make plans to mate and get married. They should get hitched right away. Maybe Vegas. Unless she was one of those girls who wanted a big shebang for a wedding. On second thought, hopefully they could hold off. He’d wait for her to bring it up.
Unless she waited too long. He wanted to start their family right away. Like, when they got home tonight, right away. Her having siblings, he guessed she’d want several pups too. At least a half dozen. That reminded him, she never told him what happened to her siblings and her during the years after their mother died. He’d have a brother- and sister-in-law. Cool, a family of their own. He and his wolf had waited so fucking long for this. He was so excited, a thrill ran down his spine, giving him a shudder.
“You okay there, son?” Mr. President asked.
“Yes, sir. Fine, sir,” he replied. “A bit cold. That’s all.” His mate stared at him with concern. If she could trip on flat ground when she didn’t take a step, then he could be cold even though shifters ran hot.
He winked at her and quickened his step. Going from one side of the house to the other was a long distance. Candy shined the light in the corner again and the shiny metal turned out to be a door. Thank god. They could go home.
“Where are we in relation to the house?” Candy asked.
The first lady looked around. “I’d say we’re at the far east side.” She pointed to the door. “See the letters on the door.” Josh easily read PEOC. “They stand for the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.”
“Never heard of it,” his mate said.
The president banged on the door with his fist several times. “It’s a bunker shelter and comms center in case of national emergencies or disasters.”
“Oh,” Josh said. “I thought that was hidden in the mountains somewhere.”
“There’s a couple there, too,” the president added. He banged again.
The first lady tapped a finger on her chin. “You know, we are still a long way from the East Wing. Will they hear us?”
The president sighed. “When I toured the PEOC, we started down a dark hall that led to one of the escape passages never used by any president, they said. I was in a hurry and decided to come back the next day to walk it. Never did, though.”
Josh put his hands on his hips and said, “Seems strange. If I were in one of the safest places in the world like the PEOC, why would I leave?”
“Agreed. Leave a nuclear protected bunker?” Candy asked and looked over her shoulder. “Not sure I’d call the spiral steps an escape route since you’re still stuck inside the house, even if in the subbasement.”
Josh shrugged. “Semantics.”
The president knocked on the door again. Josh felt their luck at finding a door was low. No one could hear them. They’d have to go back up to the house where more bombs could be waiting.