Code of Silence

by Heather Woodhaven

  “So he might be close to breaking through? What do you think he’ll do if he gets all the way through? Start shooting? Or threaten to start shooting?”

  Gabriella’s imagination spun into overdrive. What if the twenty-four hours were almost gone? She flung off the blanket. “Luke, I have to find out what time it is, or I’m going to go crazy. What if I slept most of the time away? How could I sleep when my great-aunt is about to die?”

  Luke wrapped his arms around her. “There’s no way we could’ve been out that long.” The warmth from his embrace and words calmed her...slightly. “I think my mind kept working on it, even when I dozed off. I’ve been thinking,” he continued, “the estate transferred quickly. So your mom must have had things in order. There was a will?”

  She nodded against his shoulder and pulled away. “There were no clues if that’s what you’re getting at. She didn’t leave me a letter or anything with even a hint—”

  He held out a hand. “Humor me. What exactly did it say?”

  She shrugged. “Standard legalese. It wasn’t unique enough to be remembered verbatim. She left me the property, the house, the historic barn, and that’s about it.”

  Luke frowned. “The historic barn?”

  “Yeah. I don’t remember it very well, but apparently we lived there years ago. I was too little to remember, and we stayed there only while the house was being built. You can’t see it from the driveway or the house. It’s much deeper into the property...near the stables.”

  “She mentioned the barn but not the stables?”

  “Yeah, but it’s implied—”

  “The will said historic barn?”

  Gabriella blew out a long breath, trying not to grow exasperated but failing. Maybe he needed coffee to wake up and understand her. Or maybe she wasn’t making sense. “Yes, Luke, it’s an old barn.”

  “But I need to know if you’re telling me her exact wording. There isn’t more than one barn on the property?”

  “I don’t know how I could make it any clearer.”

  Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a clue, Gabriella. That barn isn’t historic.”

  * * *

  Energy coursed through his veins. If they were efficient, he could find the exit, get her to the police and send the authorities to the barn...all in time to save her aunt. He liked that plan.

  Although, all the effort pulling up the carpet resulted in only finding more steel, and the process was the opposite of efficient, as he didn’t want to disturb Gabriella while she slept.

  He never intended to let her sleep so long, though, and never dreamed he’d have fallen asleep himself. In fact, he realized now he had been dreaming about fighting to keep himself awake and searching for the exit.

  “What are you talking about? The barn is a clue?” Gabriella pressed.

  “There are several requirements for a building to be considered historic. Your mother would’ve known that.”

  “So?”

  “The county property reports and permits indicate the barn was built in 1980. There’s nothing historic about it.”

  “The year I was born.” Gabriella put a hand on his arm. “You really think it’s a clue?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, but if it were me I’d start there.” Hadn’t he read something in the diary about wanting to show Gabriella what she’d done with the barn? Or had he dreamed it along with searching for the exit?

  “Luke—” Her face scrunched up and she coughed. “Do you smell something?”

  He inhaled and regretted it as his lungs, still sensitive from inhaling water, constricted. He joined her in a cough. The smell of burning moldy leaves filled the room. The small beam from the flashlight illuminated the curl of smoke soaring up to the ceiling.

  Her eyes widened, and her shaky finger pointed. “Fire!”

  Luke instinctively placed his hand on the steel door. The cold metal didn’t help him understand the situation.

  “I should’ve never used the fire extinguisher as a weapon,” she lamented. “We have nothing.”

  He coughed again but ran to the other door. It also seemed cool to the touch.

  “Luke, I think it might be coming from the vent.”

  He bent down and picked up the flashlight. The beam flickered out. “No, not now.” He slapped the metal and the meager light illuminated the source of the smoke. Sure enough, smoke curled out the floor vent, up and around his shoes. “We need to get out now.”

  He lifted his shoes off the vent and slipped them on. “Let’s go.”

  “No.” She grabbed his arm. “That’s what he wants. He’s trying to smoke us out.”

  “Yeah, well it might work.” He looked into her eyes. “Gabriella, what if the house is on fire?”

  She pointed to the door. “And what if it’s not, and he’s waiting for us?”

  Luke weighed the risk and ran to the bathroom. “Fine. Then help me.” He pulled out a handful of clothes from the middle dresser. “Let’s soak these and stuff them in the vents.”

  He turned on the bathroom faucet. Nothing. He turned to the bathtub, but it only dripped a meager stream before it dried up.

  “He’s turned off the water.” She turned to the other room. “I think we have a couple more water bottles.”

  “Wait. Don’t waste our only drinking water.” Coughs racked his body again. He pointed the flashlight to the vent located underneath the vanity sink in the bathroom. Smoke poured through the vent, which corroborated Gabriella’s theory. It seemed more likely that Rodrigo intended to smoke them out through the air ducts than that the house was on fire.

  He lifted the toilet tank. At least fresh water waited there. He dunked the sweatshirt and handed it to Gabriella. “Remove the grate and stuff this in this vent.”

  She nodded. He took the other dry clothes, repeated the process and strode into the closet to stuff the other vent, with Gabriella on his heels. “Do you really think this will work?” she asked.

  “Only temporarily.”

  She held a hand over her nose. “Oh, the smell. What could he be burning that stinks so bad?”

  Luke pointed to the corner. “Grab your mom’s diary, then help me roll up the rest of the carpet.” The smell hit him as well—like moldy leaves mixed with rotting fish next to a campfire.

  She coughed. “I don’t think it’s stopping the smoke. Do we need to add more clothes?”

  Luke figured it’d been a long shot in the first place. “It’s at least slowing the smoke down.” He grabbed the edge of the carpet that Gabriella had been sleeping against and pulled. The crackling of the fibers ripping from the floor encouraged him. It gave so much easier than the other three corners, as if they used a different type of glue, or used less of it. Another yank and the corner pulled free.

  Please help us find an exit, Lord.

  Gabriella bent down, and her left hand brushed against his arm as she reached for the edge next to him. “One, two, three!”

  He pulled as Gabriella threw her weight back. She slipped and fell back against the already-rolled carpet. “I guess I got a little too—” The coughs racked her body as she got on her knees.

  His own chest burned. “Gabriella, this is insane. We’ve got no choice. We need to open the door.”

  “I’d rather pass out from lack of oxygen than have you get killed...and whatever else Rodrigo has planned for me.” She crawled over to him. “We just need to keep our heads down low for oxygen.” She frowned and stared at her right hand. “Luke...there’s an odd bump.”

  Luke helped her stand. They both rolled the carpet up and away as fast as possible. Gabriella’s foot hit something.

  “Flashlight,” she said.

  He pointed the beam in her direction. Centered in the steel floor a small handle lay
flat within an indention in the floor. She looked up, grinning.

  “Don’t get your hopes up. Your mom didn’t opt for the separate ventilation. We don’t know if this actually leads anywhere.”

  Her teeth flashed as her fingers wrapped around the silver handle and pulled up. Her face fell. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Luke joined her. He twisted the upright handle to the right and something hissed. Gabriella’s hands wrapped around his arm. “What was that?”

  “Hydraulics? Pray, Gabriella...pray...” He stood up and pulled on the handle. It gave, and a square piece of metal similar to the thick doors swished upward, revealing...floor.

  “Oh, no.” Gabriella’s voice sounded so distraught it almost broke him.

  But he could tell instantly the flooring felt flimsy. Perhaps a combination of drywall and plywood? It’d be weak enough he could stomp through it. There was still no guarantee that Rodrigo wouldn’t hear them. Luke mentally pictured what could be underneath her mother’s bedroom. The garage?

  “Luke.” She swung the beam to the floor. The light illuminated a wooden frame just inside the steel opening. “We don’t need to break it, we need to lift it.” The light reflected off a loop of something silver. He reached for the thin wire and pulled. The board lifted a half inch before the wire slipped from its hold and the board smacked back down, leaving the circle of wire around his finger.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” How many decades had this exit gone untested?

  Gabriella tried to get hold of the board with her fingernails, to no avail. “We need a knife or something.” She lowered her chin to her chest and coughed again.

  “Just a straight edge.” What could possibly be in a closet that he could use? The beam glinted off something metallic. He hopped up and yanked the hanger off the pole and flung the dress hanging on it to the side. The hanger’s hook slipped neatly through the small space, and he tugged.

  The board popped up an inch before it fell back. He tried again and Gabriella’s fingers darted in the space. The board fell onto her hand. “Ouch.”

  He threw the heavy board to the side.

  “You okay?”

  She cradled her hand but nodded. He made a mental note to take a look at it later. They both ducked their heads into the blackness for a deep gulp of air. Musty, dusty air, but it only irritated his lungs slightly compared to what came through the vents.

  “Do you feel warmth?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t think the house is on fire.”

  He took the flashlight from her. The space was cavernous in length but not in height. They could easily climb down, hopefully without alerting Rodrigo. He hung his head down lower. The light washed over spiderwebs and dust bunnies the size of cats.

  A raised area caught his attention. “I think we’ve found our exit. It’s most likely the attic above the garage, but we’ll need to be careful. Rodrigo will no doubt be listening for any sign of our escape.”

  She nodded...as the flashlight slipped from his sweaty grip and hit the bottom with a clatter.

  TEN

  Gabriella gaped, but she could no longer see a thing.

  “I’m so sorry.” Luke’s voice sounded raw. “I... We have to go now or never. I’ll go first.”

  Her eyes strained, but still she saw nothing. The sound of denim sliding along carpet and wood was followed by a soft thump. “Your turn,” he whispered. “There’s actually a little light from the vents at the far end.”

  “Mom’s diary.” She crawled around on her knees, feeling, searching.

  “Gabriella,” he called out. “We can’t wait any longer.”

  Her throat burned as she coughed, nearing closer to the vent. He was right. He’d told her to keep the diary with her, but she’d been stubborn and wanted to help.

  “Talk to me,” she croaked. “I need to find the hole again.”

  Her heart beat wildly against her ribs. Every sensation felt foreign, and her head spun.

  “I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m waving my hand in the air.”

  “I can’t see it, though.” Her right index finger slipped into empty space and hit flesh. “Sorry.”

  “Hop down. I’ll catch you.”

  She turned around on her belly. “Watch out. Here come my feet.” She knew, logically, that it wasn’t too deep. If Luke could stand at the bottom and stick his hands up, then she’d be fine, but her heart refused to believe it.

  Her stomach turned—possibly from the granola bar—and her throat wanted to release a scream. Her feet dangled in air and then as she slid, strong hands gripped her waist. She gasped as he pulled, and suddenly her toes touched something solid.

  “Don’t move for a second. Catch your balance. We need to stay on the rafters. You’re going to want to duck. The height diminishes in a second.” She blinked and reached for Luke’s hand. The room lightened, and she could see the boards and the odd shaping of the room. A crack in the floor a few inches behind Luke leaked the rays. “Is that why we need to stay on the two-by-fours?”

  She couldn’t be sure in the shadows, but it seemed like a sheepish grin. “Yes. I very nearly stepped all the way through. Good thing I have quick reflexes, or you’d have to be pulling me out of the ceiling below. I’m not used to climbing around crawl spaces anymore.” He jutted his chin forward. “Hurry. In case Rodrigo heard us.”

  Gabriella tightened her stomach. She remembered from her workout classes that a strong core helped balance. She flung her arms out and took a step forward. But she couldn’t make herself lift her back foot. Instead she shuffled, sliding her feet forward.

  A series of thuds vibrated the side of the walls. “Where is that coming from?”

  “I’m not sure, but it’s not a good sign. If I put my hands on your shoulders, do you think you could walk faster?” His voice was soft, soothing. She knew he wanted to keep her from panicking, from thinking about Rodrigo on their trail, but it had the opposite effect.

  “Yes.” His firm hands on her shoulders gave her the courage to move. He wouldn’t let her fall through the ceiling.

  She sped to the raised box. She knelt down and flung the top off. Two feet below, the top of her mom’s SUV blocked her exit. It’d be tricky to get out. The car creaked as she stepped on the top. Luke bent down and held her hand as she sat down.

  “Just like recess, Gabriella. You can do it.”

  She squirmed until her feet slid down the window. At the last second, she ducked her head below the ceiling and slid down to the hood.

  The wipers dug into her back as she turned over and slid off the car to solid ground. The windows to the side revealed the source of the light earlier. Luke grunted as he maneuvered the tight space and finally joined her. “Would the keys to this car be in here?”

  “They’re still upstairs in Mom’s room.” She pointed to the window. “You any good at reading the time based on the sun?”

  Luke squinted. “Looks like the sunshine is streaming in from the east.” He flashed a reassuring smile. “It’s probably early morning.” He lunged to the garage door and pulled a red lever down. He glanced sideways at her. “Do you have your bearings? The moment I open this door, we need to make a run for it.”

  They needed to get to the barn. In that scenario, they really needed to go due south, but there was the small problem of the lake in their way, plus in the event Rodrigo saw them leaving she wanted to lead him away from their true goal.

  She mapped out a route in her head. He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Gabriella, promise me that no matter what, you keep running.”

  He was asking her to keep going if he got shot, if Rodrigo got him. She searched his pleading eyes. She wanted to say no, to argue, to lie even, but her great-aunt was counting on her. “Okay.”

  Her eyes drifted to
the lightweight kayak leaning vertically against the wall between the two garage doors. Her mom used to take a row every day for her exercise.

  He turned to the door and in one motion swept the aluminum door straight up. “Run!”

  She tossed Luke the plastic oar and grabbed the handle on the nylon deck of the kayak and tossed it over her shoulder.

  His eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

  “Trust me.” She jogged left, around the corner toward the front of the house.

  “At least let me carry that.”

  She ignored him and darted past their cars. If only they had keys. “Give me the oar.”

  He handed her the orange stick. “I hate to break it to you, but there’s no way we can both fit in there.” She ran until they were just underneath the willow tree branches. “We don’t have to—”

  “Freeze,” a thick voice yelled. She peeked through the vines and saw Rodrigo from an open window on the second floor.

  Crack!

  A chunk of dirt six inches next to Luke flew up in the air. His eyes widened. “Duck!”

  Gabriella dumped the stick in the kayak and shoved it off into the lake. She bent over, grabbed his hand and ran around the trees. She hoped, even for a split second, that it would distract or confuse Rodrigo enough to give them the chance to hide.

  Another gunshot rang out as water splashed up. She sprinted until she got behind a pine tree. She pressed her hands on top of her knees and sucked in a deep breath. “You okay?”

  He nodded, panting. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “We need to stay close to the trees.” She didn’t feel safe standing still any longer. She took off running and looked over her shoulder. Luke kept up, but his injured leg took more of a hop than a stride.

  Ten minutes later, Gabriella slowed her pace. Her stomach rolled with the nausea that came with low blood sugar and a workout so hard she could no longer breathe. She hadn’t experienced the sensation since high school track. “He can’t see us from the house now.”