Chapter 23 #2
“The fuck?” He’s bewildered, but when I start crawling with Ratimir’s miniature cage in one hand, he doesn’t hesitate. “Seva! What is this?”
My voice sounds dull with all this concrete around us, but moments later I reach the end of the passage and stand up at the start of a spiral staircase leading deep down into the rock. It’s dusty and littered with cobwebs, but I’ll lead the way through it.
“Our way out. Do you trust me?”
Even in the darkness, his eyes are the softest green when he meets mine. “Always.”
I take his hand, helping him up, and soon we’re descending ever lower. I’ve only been here a handful of times, for necessary maintenance, but the distinct aroma of saltwater dries my nose as we make our way down the narrow staircase.
Victor’s hand is wet in mine, but he doesn’t stall, letting me lead us all the way to where the walls and floor are both damp. The door leading to our ticket out of here is open, and I hurriedly slap the light switch, revealing the small dock and my personal submersible.
For a moment, Victor just stands there with his mouth open, and I might have to paint him like this in the future, with blue light reflecting off the water moving over his face in soft waves. “Wha-what am I looking at?” he finally chokes out.
I thought it was self-explanatory, but I suppose not everyone was trained by former KGB agents.
“We will leave, and my enemies will be none the wiser. Come,” I tell him and lead the way down to the dock.
The sub is meant for one person, but we should be all right, since there is more than enough space for luggage.
Not to mention that I don’t intend to stay underwater for any longer than necessary.
It’s a small vessel that won’t dive too deep but will take us farther down the coast.
Victor’s eyes are like saucers, but he doesn’t question me. His trust is my gold. “This has no risk of implosion, right?”
The situation is serious, but I chuckle. “No. We will only go fifteen feet underwater, tops. Now hop in,” I tell him and open the hatch at the top.
He gives me another kiss before climbing in. I pass him the luggage so he can place it by our feet, then reach inside Ratimir’s cage and scratch him behind the ear before handing him over as well. When everything is secured, I approach the console attached to the wall. There can be no mistakes.
The security screen that’s been my trusted companion and partner for so long requires a scan of my retina before I can proceed, but then the console in front of me comes to life, allowing me to request a final favor from the fortress of solitude where the love of my life has found me.
Once all the explosives are armed, red letters appear on the console, counting the thirty minutes remaining until the blast.
It’s done.
I could still stop this process, but as difficult as it is to leave, sometimes, baggage needs to be shed, and this house is just that for me—unnecessary baggage.
So I approach a lever attached to the wall and pull on it hard.
The masked door blocking this natural cave from the rest of the ocean must have opened, because the sub starts wiggling in response to the current .
I waste no more time and climb in, meeting Victor’s wide-eyed gaze. I offer him a smile and reach up, sealing us inside the steel cylinder.
“Not long now,” I tell him and switch on all the systems. The countdown ‘til self-destruction of my former home is still running, but we have ample time, so I exhale and sink under the surface. Victor grabs my ankle and closes his eyes, but I know he trusts me, so I focus on what’s necessary and maneuver the sub out of the cave and into open waters.
“For the record, this is absolutely crazy,” he mumbles, but strokes my ankle with his thumb.
“I’ve got this, don’t worry.”
I navigate out of the cave without trouble, and then in the open ocean it’s a little choppy, but it’s a gorgeous summer day. Even if we needed to evacuate and be in the water, we’d manage.
We’re farther and farther away as the clock ticks down the minutes.
Victor is safely tucked against me, but I have one more surprise for him.
I lead our vessel to an island far away from the cliff where my house is perched.
I’ve been here before, since I tested this emergency escape several times.
It’s a tall, bare rock jutting out of the ocean, with a little bay where I can moor.
“Where are we?” Victor asks as we both emerge into the sun, but there’s no time to explain.
“Come, quick,” I say and hold his hand as I urge him to climb the slope so that we’re at the top of the rock. The countdown should now be in its final minute, and I want Victor to have a front seat for the specta—
My house erupts, and the cliff it was built into starts crumbling into the water. Victor’s eyes widen, and he only avoids falling back because I managed to grab his arm.
“Oh my God! Did you… did you do that?” he utters, eyes trained on the magnificent destruction .
Bit by bit, the whole thing falls, some of it on fire, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. We’re far away, but even here, the waves rise, and I smile, oddly relieved to see my sanctuary go up in flames, along with all the dead bodies, the secrets I’ve been harboring, and my former identity.
“We’ll have a fresh start.”
“And we can be presumed dead,” Victor adds, watching the carnage as he slides his fingers to my wrist and squeezes.
A sense of peace washes over me instantly, and I kiss his cheek, allowing myself this brief moment of respite. It can’t last. Soon, emergency services will start arriving to assess what happened, and by that time, both of us will need to be far away.
I pull Victor’s hand to my lips and kiss it. “Let’s see where the current takes us.”