The Belial Stone(44)

“You okay?”

She glanced back at Jake, his eyes concerned. A small butterfly flitted across her chest. She barely knew him, and yet for some insane reason she trusted him. And she didn’t trust easy. But something about Jake just put her at ease. She felt as if he would protect her. And for someone as self-reliant as she was, that was pretty unusual. Not to mention a little unsettling.

She smiled. “Just a little amazed at where the last twenty-four hours have taken me.”

He stepped next to her and squeezed her hand. “We’ll get through this, Laney.”

She heard the pledge in those words. Her heart beat a little faster. “Promise?”

He pulled her to a stop, turning her to look at him. “Promise.”

Time seemed to stop for a moment. And Laney had the insane urge to kiss him. His eyes were locked on hers and then shifted down to her lips. She leaned forward just a fraction.

“You two coming?” Patrick called from the end of the tunnel.

Laney jumped away from Jake like a teenager. Jake reached out to grab her before she hit her head on the rounded edge.

Slick, Laney. Real slick.

She could feel the blush beginning to spread across her cheeks. Damn her complexion, which hid nothing. “Be right there.”

After all the security precautions, Laney was expecting to find a mad scientist and a dark, dank lab. But when she stepped through the opening, she was surprised to find herself in a brightly-lit entryway that could be found in any home. There was even a hall closet for coats, an umbrella stand, and crisp white wainscoting halfway up the pale blue walls.

Henry led them into the room just past the entryway. Laney stopped short, stunned by the incredible sight. The room was massive, easily a hundred feet long, fifty across, and the ceilings were at least twenty-five feet high. It contained a living room area with a comfortable-looking leather sectional, and a large flat-screen TV. The kitchen was a mix of dark, sleek wood and stainless steel appliances. And the bedroom section looked right out of an IKEA catalogue.

And there were plants everywhere - hanging from the ceiling, in pots along the ground, and there was even a good size greenhouse in the back corner, lit by ultraviolet lights. Except for the absence of windows, it would have looked right at home in Manhattan.

Jake let out a low whistle. “Now this is a bomb shelter.”

Laney grinned. “I guess Dr. Radcliffe has done a lot with the place. I have to admit, I was picturing something more along the lines of Dr. Frankenstein’s lab.”

“Shall we?” Jake extended Laney his arm.

With a smile, she placed her hand around his arm. They joined the others, who had congregated around the large island in the kitchen.

Henry raised a coffee pot as the two walked over. Laney nodded. Danny and Patrick were already pulling sandwiches from the tray onto their plates.

“Help yourselves,” Danny said. “Dom and Maggie always like to have something for people to eat when they come visit.”

Laney settled herself into one of the high island chairs and had just pulled a turkey sandwich onto her plate when a female voice spoke.

“Good, good. You’re all eating.”

Henry walked over and hugged the striking woman who had stepped into the kitchen through a door Laney hadn’t noticed. Although her hair dark hair was streaked with white, there wasn’t a line on her face, making her age impossible to estimate. She had a strong, muscular build, was at least six feet tall, and intelligence shone out of her face like a beacon.

“Laney, Patrick, I’d like you to meet Dr. Margaret Shandone. She is Dom’s extraordinary partner.”

Dr. Shandone waved away the words. “Oh, please. Call me Maggie. Dom’s finishing up. He’ll be right out.” Her eyes twinkled as she shook Laney’s hand. “He tells me you have an Atlantis problem.”

“We’re really not sure. But right now, that’s where all the signs are pointing,” Henry replied diplomatically.

Maggie walked over and gave Danny a hug, ruffling his hair as she released him. “So, you’ve come to pick Dom’s brain. I have to tell you, I haven’t seen him this excited since his arguments about the naïveté of a theory of everything were supported.”

“I resent that, Maggie.” Dom bounded into the kitchen, a big smile on his face. “I was not that excited about string theory.”

Dom shook hands with Henry, who, in turn, introduced him to Laney and Patrick. Now, this man was more of what she expected. Dom's salt-and-pepper hair sprung out from his head like it was trying to escape. His dark eyes were magnified by thick lenses. Baggy cargo shorts, an incorrectly buttoned shirt, and a brown sweater vest completed the outfit.