Chapter 14 #2
He held up a hand. “I’m fine.”
He wasn’t, but I let it go. Whatever pain he was feeling, he could manage it for now. And perhaps he simply didn’t want me worrying about him.
“We’re in lockdown,” I explained.
“Like COVID?”
I realised how badly I’d explained it.
“No. Not that kind of lockdown.” I gestured around us. “This apartment.”
He looked around, his gaze travelling across the reinforced doors, thick walls, and security systems I’d spent the last three days trying not to think too much about.
“This is some sort of bunker?”
“Yes.”
His eyes met mine. “So you’re saying we’ve been stuck here for three days?”
“Stuck?” I repeated the word.
I hadn’t thought of it that way. I’d thought of this place as protection. A safe place. Somewhere no one could get to us.
But he wasn’t wrong.
We were trapped.
“It bought us some time,” I said.
“Then what?”
I looked at him. “I don’t know.”
“How do we get out?”
That was the question I’d been avoiding.
Dannie had shown me how to activate the lockdown. I’d never bothered learning how to turn it off. At the time, I’d never imagined something like this would never happen to me.
And if it did, Dannie would be there. He’d know what to do.
“I don’t know.”
Kai stared at me. “You don’t know?”
Frustration suddenly surged through me.
“Stop repeating everything I say like an asshole.”
“Have you tried calling your husband?”
The word husband cut through me, sharp and piercing, like a needle straight through my ear and into my heart.
“I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
“No signal.”
He stared at me. “You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not kidding.” My voice rose. “This is a bunker. What do you expect me to know about bunkers?”
The fear I’d been holding inside for three days finally started spilling out, and I didn’t stop it.
“Don’t tell me you don’t have one of your own.”
He opened his mouth, but I didn’t let him speak. “Didn’t you tell me you had the best security team in the world?” I stood. “Surely a little bunker can’t possibly be beyond your security expertise.”
He watched me quietly.
“I bet you have a catalogue for these things.” My voice became more animated as I continued. “Custom-built. State-of-the-art. Whatever you want. You probably had someone sit down with you and explain every possible feature.” I pointed toward the walls.
His mouth twitched.
I glared at him. “Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were going to.”
He raised both hands slightly in surrender.
I was breathing harder now, my chest tight. “Your bunker probably has everything.”
My voice cracked. I finally realised how loud I’d become, how close I was to crying again, and turned away. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Kai nodded slowly.
“I'm sorry.” His voice was quieter this time. There was no sarcasm, no argument, no attempt to defend himself. Just two words.
I stared at him, almost certain I'd heard him wrong. “You're sorry?”
He nodded. “It must have been scary for you.” He paused, his eyes dropping briefly before returning to mine. “Being stuck here with me.”
Tears escaped my eyes again, and I hated myself for it. I felt weak. Out of control. Like I'd somehow failed at being the calm, rational person I was supposed to be.
“You have no idea.”
Fear had wrecked me in ways I hadn't known it could.
“I thought you were going to die.” My lips trembled.
“Do you know I haven't been able to sleep? Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is that kid cutting you down. And then you just had to lie there like a rock, making me check whether you were breathing, whether you still had a pulse…”
My voice broke. “I must have checked you a hundred times.”
Kai didn't say anything.
“And not one of those times was easy. Every time I touched your neck, I wondered if you'd finally stopped fighting.
If I'd find nothing.” I swallowed hard, my chest tightening.
“And then what? I'd be stuck here alone?
I'd probably starve to death before anyone found me.
Or maybe I'd do something stupid before that. I don't know.”
A strange sound escaped him. It might have been a laugh.
Before I could decide whether to be offended, his arms came around me. I barely noticed him moving. One second I was sitting in the armchair, and the next I was against his chest, his warmth surrounding me.
“Shhh…” He repeated it softly, rubbing my back. “At least if I had died, I'd have died in your arms.” He gave me a weak smile. “And happy.”
I pulled back slightly. “What?”
He looked at me with an expression almost too gentle for the man I'd spent years fighting with. “You heard me?”
I stopped. How had he known? The crying. The things I'd whispered to him. The moments when I'd held his hand and talked to him because I couldn't stand the silence.
“Every word.”
Heat rushed into my face. I'd said so many things. Things I might have meant. Things I might not have. Things that could have been fear talking. Exhaustion. Loneliness. Three days of barely sleeping while watching the man I used to love fight for his life.
I opened my mouth to defend myself, then closed it. There was no point.
“But right now, it's not time to argue.”
I pressed my lips together. He was right. For once, I didn't have the energy to fight him.
“There has to be a way out of here,” he continued. “We just need to find it.”
“How?” I eased myself out of his arms, though the warmth of his body lingered against my skin.
“There should be something in the apartment. A way to contact the outside world. Emergency communications. A secondary exit. Something.”
“But I've looked everywhere.”
“Think.” He paused. “What did Dannie tell you about this place?”
I frowned. Then something clicked. I pushed myself upright so quickly that the room spun. “Wait.”
Kai looked at me. “What?”
“I found something earlier.”
“What?”
“A notebook.” His expression sharpened. “A notebook?”
“Yes. It was hidden inside a drawer.” I hurried to explain. “But it's all coded. Roman letters, Chinese characters, symbols. I couldn't make sense of any of it.”
Kai nodded slowly. “Okay.” Then he actually smiled. “That's a start.”
“I'll get it.” I turned toward the kitchen.
“June.”
He made a small sound as he shifted on the sofa. “Ah…”
I turned around. “What?”
“Before we start solving the mystery…” His expression became almost sheepish. “Do we have anything to eat?”
I stared at him. “I made millet congee.”
“Oh.”
Something about the way he said it made me suspicious.
“What's wrong?”
His mouth twitched. “It's just… not exactly my favourite.”
I folded my arms. “I’m sorry.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “I should have prepared a seven-course tasting menu while I was busy keeping you alive.”
“Why not?” He added an exaggerated frown, and a small laugh escaped me.
“There isn't much in the pantry because we're in a locked-down apartment in the middle of a crisis.”
“That's a valid excuse.” He paused. “But a bunker without enough food isn't a very well-prepared bunker.”
I rolled my eyes. “Unbelievable.”
Deep down, I knew Kai was right. Knowing Dannie, I couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be more to this apartment. He had shown me the lockdown system, but there was still so much I didn't know. The hidden drawer had proved that. If there was one secret compartment, there could be another.
“Whatever,” I said, turning toward the kitchen again. “Eat or starve. Your choice.”
I glanced over my shoulder.
“Yes, please.” His smile widened. “I'll eat anything you cook.”
I shook my head and turned away before he could see the smile trying to betray me. “You're impossible.”
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