Chapter 646 Chapter 646
Asher winced at the SUV’s crunching noise when they went over what could have been a bridge at one time but was now uneven logs laying across a creek. He heard Journee suck in a breath, and as much as he wanted to speed over it, he didn’t want to slide off it into the water. “Do I keep going after this?” Her checking the phone would distract her, so he could hold his breath and get all four wheels back on land.
“There’s a place to park after this, I think, is what it’s saying.”
The directions from Devin and Calum were clear enough, but he had to wonder when was the last time they had actually been here because some of their landmarks were overgrown with plants so wild that they were almost classified as trees. The last wheel cleared the logs, and he exhaled. “Hopefully, there’s a place to turn around because I will not be backing up to get out of here.” Branches scratched along the side, making him cringe.
“I’d like to just stand outside for a minute.”
He nodded but didn’t look because he was trying to find the place to park. The drive since they left a main road, or what could be classified as a road—had been inclines that had him tensing, and the trip down turned out to be worse. He stopped and leaned forward. There was no way a vehicle would fit beyond that point. “I’m going to try to get this turned around before we get out and go find the building.”
“Okay.” She was so quiet it had his cat anxious. He didn’t have time to console his animal right now. “I feel we’ll be safe here.”
Asher grinned as he began what was probably going to be a ten-point turn. “Yeah, I don’t see anyone finding us here.” If they did, they wouldn’t ever be leaving it.
When he was finally satisfied with the angle and that he’d be able to get out of this space, he put it into park. “Okay. We’ll figure out where we’re going first and then return for a few things.” He glanced into the backseat, hoping that the totes they’d brought had enough food items in them because there was no convenience store here. He grabbed his run pack and phone and then paused and decided he was also taking the handgun.
“Should I bring a weapon too?”
He shook his head. “I don’t have built-in ones in my fingers.” He glanced over to see her smiling at him.
Finding the path to take wasn’t hard; the rocks and trees blocked everywhere else. He was hoping that it wasn’t a long walk because he didn’t want to haul too much out of the car only to have to carry it all back when they got the word that it was safe to go again. He looked back to see Journee was completely in her element here, which made sense after living outside for years. Had she lived outside? He’d never asked her. He imagined she had some sort of shelter on the island.
He stopped and stood there staring at the building nestled in the trees. “I guess this is it.”
She came up beside him. “It’s not what I was expecting.”
“What were you expecting?”
“A cabin.”
He looked back at it. Basically, it was a square box in the trees. He saw one window and a door.
“There’s a key under the window ledge.” She started walking.
Asher took the gun out of the case and held it in his hand. Checking around them, he inhaled slowly and waited for his cat to confirm they were the only breathing things in the area.
Journee looked under the window ledge and then glanced over her should at him. “I don’t see a key.”
“Check for a little door or something.” He shrugged; he had no idea.
She ran her hands over the bottom of the frame, smiled, and leaned down to look. “Found it.” She straightened and held up a key. Going over to the door, she wiped off the door handle. “What do you think they used this for?”
Asher looked around. “I have no idea.” He grinned.
She had to give the door a hard shove to get it open, and then she stood in the doorway. “This is not what I expected.”
Curious, he went over and looked over her head into the building. There was a table, two chairs, a wood stove, a small counter with a cupboard under it, and a banister. “There’s a downstairs.” She stepped out of the way, allowing him to go in first. The stale, musty smell was overwhelming when he went in. He looked around for a light switch and then spotted the lantern on the shelf beside the door. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he hit flashlight on it and walked over to the banister. Shining it down the narrow stairs, he cautiously descended a few steps so he could bend over and try to get a preview of what was at the bottom.
When he reached the bottom, he shone the light around the space. The walls were cement blocks, and that surprised him. How did they get them here? All that was in the space was three beds along the wall and a cupboard under the stairs. He was going to have to bring sleeping bags from the SUV.
“Is it safe to come down?” Journee stood at the top of the stairs.
“Yes.” He turned so the light was on the steps.
When she reached the bottom, she smiled. “It’s very quiet here.”
Asher nodded. “We’re going to have to bring quite a bit from the SUV.”
Journee turned and went back up the stairs. “Don’t forget to let them know we’re here.”
Going back up the stairs, he pulled out his phone. No signal. “If there’s a signal somewhere.” He went over and looked at the stove, then opened it. “This is probably not safe to use. Who knows how long ago anyone was here.” He ran his finger over the top of it, leaving a trail in the dust.
“We can always go kill something if we’re hungry.”
She didn’t sound disappointed by the idea.
“This is more than I had at the island.” She said quietly and went over to the window. “A little air in here would be good.”
Going over, he picked up the lantern and gave it a shake. There wasn’t a lot in it. “I have some flashlights in the SUV, we’ll bring a couple here.”
She went over and opened the cupboard. “A kettle, a few pans, and dishes.”
Asher looked around. There was no water source, which would mean going back to the creek for any. “Let’s go get some stuff and check in.” He waited for her to go back outside and then followed her. What was he supposed to do for however long they were here? He couldn’t exactly avoid being close to her when they were here. Whatever was going on in the area had better be determined quickly. He spotted a fire pit in the clearing and decided that coffee would be happening. It was instant packs, but they were better than none.