“How are you going to fix the radio? I’m not going to tell you where the amplifier is,” Rhodda said, lifting her chin.
Hallie half-opened her mouth, ready to demand that the woman give up the information. Alternatively, Girard should be able to find it.
“Let’s leave that aside for now. You said something about a harbour and a lift?” Girard asked, looking between Hallie and Rhodda.
“Yes. The corridor where you found me leads to an old metal cage lift. It goes down to a hidden harbour. A cave, I guess. There are boats there,” Hallie said.
“A smuggler’s paradise,” Rhodda said, bitterness clear. “The entrance is concealed from the outside. Impossible to find unless you know what you’re looking for.”
“The lift needs someone in it to operate,” Hallie said, “so it’s stuck up here until someone takes it down. But it’s not the only way up or down.” She looked at Rhodda for confirmation.
“No. There are stairs,” Rhodda said, reluctance clear.
“How long will it take the men to get up from the harbour?” Hallie asked.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never had to climb the stairs, but it’s a really long way up.” Rhodda was being honest.
“Where do they come out?” Girard asked, a sharp edge to his voice. Perhaps wondering, as Hallie was, if they were about to have all of Jonah’s men descend on them.
“The stairs come out somewhere in the trees. I don’t know where,” Rhodda said, still sounding miserable. “They never let me see.”
Hallie swallowed a curse. So Jonah and his men could come out of the forest at any moment. That was bad. “The lift’s in the corridor where you found me,” Hallie told Girard, then turned back to Rhodda. “It looked like the only access was by that outside door. Is that right?”
The older woman just stared back at her.
“Rhodda,” Hallie said, voice sharp. “Is that the only way to access the lift from here?”
The woman stared, and her lower lip trembled. “Yes. You said Brock was down there. He might be on the stairs just now,” she whispered, voice harsh. Not thinking about her own danger, not right now. More worried about her son.
“We don’t have much time, then,” Hallie said, turning back to Girard. “We might have a chance to escape with an ATV if we go now.”
“The ATV will attract attention. And if we steal another one of his vehicles, Jonah’s going to be even more angry,” Girard said.
Hallie frowned at him, thinking about the lethal edge she’d sensed in Jonah. Unlike Nicholas, the governor wouldn’t just lock people up or bully them into submission. No. Jonah would inflict a lot of harm on a lot of people. “If we go to Reunion, he’ll follow us there and hurt them,” Hallie said slowly. “And if we try and walk out of here, we’re going to get caught.” She swore. There were no good options.
“This is what we’re going to do,” Girard said, voice firm. “We’re going to try and get to the radio, send a call out for help, and get back out of the house without anyone seeing us.Then we’re going to find a place to hide out until help gets here. No,” he said, before Rhodda could speak, “I am not breaking my promise to find your son. We will find him. But not tonight.”
“How many days will it take for back-up to get here? How much longer will my son need to suffer?” Rhodda asked, tearful edge to her voice.
“I can’t answer that until I’ve made contact,” Girard said.
“Right. I like this plan. Or at least, it seems the best of a lot of bad options,” Hallie said. “Get inside, make the call, then get out, and hide. We should grab some more provisions on the way if we can. I’m all out of protein bars.”
Girard’s mouth lifted in a grim smile and he nodded. Then he turned to Rhodda. “Make no mistake, I keep my promises. I want to know from Jonah just what he’s been up to here. He’s got to answer for those guns, if nothing else,” he said, tilting his head to the weapons display. “And I want Findo Trask back in custody,” he added, glancing at Hallie.
“No argument here,” she told him. “But we’ll need flexi cuffs or manacles to hold him. Rope would be useful, but won’t work for long.”
“I’ve got some cuffs,” Girard told her, and drew a set from his belt. “And a spare set for you.”
“Good, thanks.” She hitched the cuffs onto her belt and even in the unfamiliar surroundings, that habitual gesture centred her. “Where did you get these?” She didn’t think he’d been carrying them when they’d been in New Hope.
“I always carry a pair. And brought a spare for you,” he told her.
“Good thinking,” she told him, smiling. “I don’t suppose you brought spare socks?”
“Sorry, no, I didn’t think to do that,” he said, genuine regret in his voice. “I do have a couple of spare protein bars, though.”
“Oh, thank you,” Hallie said, taking the couple he held out and finishing the first in a few quick bites. “I never thought I would miss low city’s fast food trucks, but I have been longing to see one of those dented little metal carts.”
