Page 75 of The Hitchhikers

Their door swung open.

“Change of plans. You’re going into the basement.”

“For how long?” Alice said.

“Long as it takes.”

“We need to bring the animals into the barn tonight,” William said.

“Jesus, I’m sick of all your demands.” Simon made his way around the side of the bed and untied Ruth. “Get up, lady.”

She sat up slowly, then swung her legs to sit on the edge of the mattress, while she rubbed her wrists. Simon had moved to the other side and was now untying William, who was able to get out of bed much quicker than his wife and was already standing.

“Both of you. Go to the kitchen,” Simon said.

William took a few steps but stopped to look back at Ruth. Simon pressed his hand into the man’s shoulder and shoved him toward the door.

Ruth hobbled after William with her hand on her lower spine. Bones had scrambled to his feet and was following Ruth.

“Hurry up,” Simon said.

“Boy, I have been laying in one spot for too long,” Ruth said. “These bones are sore.”

They disappeared out of sight, but Simon had left the bedroom door open. Alice listened to the soft shuffle of Ruth’s and William’s socks, and the heavier sound of Simon’s steps.

They were in the kitchen now. Simon’s angry voice, then the loud slam of the hatch dropping. Alice jolted back against Tom, who gave a pained groan.

“Sorry!” she whispered.

Simon appeared in the doorway a few moments later. He untied their legs and wrists, then ordered them to walk into the kitchen while he followed.

Jenny was lingering by the counter, chewing her nails again. Alice stared at her, willing her to look at them, but Jenny kept her head down.

Alice and Tom waited while Simon lifted the hatch.

“What about food and water?” Alice said.

“Later.”

“What if we have to use the bathroom?”

“Use the buckets.”

“Buckets?”

“Stop trying to drag this out.” He gestured toward the hole, where a dim light glowed, just enough for her to see stairs and a concrete floor. “Go.”

Alice followed Tom down.

A few moments later, the beach bag with their belongings was tossed into the basement and the hatch shut again. That was followed by scraping sounds. He was moving the table back into place. They couldn’t hear anything else after that. No voices or footsteps.

And nobody would be able to hear them.

CHAPTER 27ALICE

It was cooler in the basement, but windowless, and it smelled stale and musty. The ceiling was low and unfinished, with exposed beams. Pink fiberglass insulation was coming apart in sections, plastic sheets torn and hanging down. Cobwebs caught in Alice’s hair, and she swatted them away. They had light, but it wasn’t much, just one lightbulb with a pull cord.

Alice helped William and Ruth dig through their storage. Pieces of furniture. Old clothes, Christmas decorations, magazines, mismatched dishes, toys, and boxes of books. Ruth’s cheeks pinkened and her eyes glittered mischievously when she said, “I love my romances.”