Page 67 of An Epic Voyage

“Catastrophic,” Griffin agreed.

Static appeared on one monitor before it went black.The rest followed.

Suddenly, they were cloaked in darkness.It lasted for twenty seconds before the lights snapped back on.The generator had kicked in.

Indigo turned to him.“Will we be able to get out of here?”

Griffin shook his head slowly.“I don’t know.”

“Does the air seem stuffier?”

Yeah, it did.The sensation felt like being buried alive.He’d been in tight spaces before, but he’d never felt more claustrophobic.

“I don’t enjoy being trapped in here with a nuke, so let’s find it so we can get out.”

“Good idea.”

They continued searching, switching sides to go over places they’d already checked in case one of them had missed something.Dinner was a quick-to-make and easy-to-eat sandwich.It was past midnight when they fell into bed exhausted, but not too tired to make love.Time was fleeting, and they wanted to be together as much as possible.

Griffin’s eyes popped open in the middle of the night, and he shot upright.

Indigo was instantly awake.“What is it?Did you hear something?”

“No.”They had searched the entire place and found nothing—no hidden safe or trip latch.“I thought of something.Get up.”He turned on the lights.

“You just want to see me naked,” she accused.

That was also true, so he didn’t deny it.He did almost protest when she pulled on a shirt—his shirt.Griffin rolled out and found his cutoff shorts, pulling them on.

“Help me drag the mattress off,” he said.

Indigo didn’t ask questions as she grabbed one side and tugged.He loved—liked—that about her.Not love.He couldn’t love her yet.Griffin shook his head.It was much too soon for emotions like that—if he was even capable of them.He’d never been in love before, so he didn’t know what it felt like.Sure, he admired Indigo.He enjoyed talking to her and spending time with her.When he wasn’t with her, he missed her.That wasn’t love—was it?

“Griffin?”

He blinked.“Huh?”

“Where did you go?”

“I was thinking about the laptop,” he lied as he removed the dust ruffle from the platform.

“I see where you’re going here,” she said as he reached into an indent to lift the plywood the mattress had rested on.Together, they moved the board to reveal the floor.

“Damn,” Griffin groused.“I was hoping for a trapdoor.”

“It was a good thought ...”Her head snapped up.“It has to be in the closet.”

“It does?Why?”

“Because that’s where I would put it.”

“We checked it,” he pointed out.

“Not thoroughly.We were tired and eager to get to ...other activities.”

His body responded instantly.He remembered those activities.Vividly.He wouldn’t mind getting to them again.Right now.He reached for her, but she was already gone.

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