The Wire Hanger

Chapter Twenty-eight

Back at the Professor’s house, which I had come to think of as the headquarters, it turned out that those who stayed behind had not been idle. They let us tell our story – David’s version had him as a somewhat more active player, but when we got to the part about me rapelling up the tower Noah interrupted to say, “Let her tell it.” So I did, my voice getting stronger as I went along, enjoying the new sensation of having such a rapt audience. Everyone was crowded into the kitchen, drinking tea or loudly crunching on crackers or (in Hannah’s case) knitting a rather ugly hat.

            “They dangled you off the tower?” said Esau, his voice part anger, part awe.

            “Yep,” I said. “Good view up there. You were all very, very tiny.” I gave Esau the widest grin I could.

            “Not scared of heights?” asked Jethro.

            Noah stiffened slightly at my side. “Guess not,” I said. “Didn’t really know in advance.”

            Hannah nodded deeply to herself, bent over her knitting.

            “So the mission was successful,” said the Professor, beaming. “Noah, Coby, everyone, really excellent work. Just excellent. Now. Would you like to hear what we’ve been up to?”

            “Sitting on your thumbs?” muttered David, but quietly enough that the Professor couldn’t hear, or at least could pretend he hadn’t heard.

            Jethro cleared his throat. “We used the maps and tracking tech that Noah left us and now we’re pretty sure where they’re keeping the woman. It’s called Courthouse 8. Apparently it’s haunted. Anyway, it’s the only one big enough to hold everyone, so common sense matches up with what we’ve been able to find out.”

            “There are plenty of contacts outside these walls yet,” said Jezebel. “We’ve confirmed wherever we can. We don’t want any surprises this time.”

            “And we’ve got a route,” Felix added gleefully.

            “Let me guess,” said David, rolling his eyes.

            “Lower Queen!”

            “It’s all connected,” said Jezebel. “Back when they held prisoners, they’d started an escape tunnel. It didn’t go far and it was bricked over. At least, that’s the official story.” Her grin lit up her face.

            “When are we going?” asked Obadiah.

            “Tomorrow night, if we can swing it. I won’t need all of you.”

            Noah said, “Let’s do the broadcast tomorrow night. Let’s do it together. They’ll be distracted and they won’t even be thinking about a breakout.”

            Even David nodded approvingly.

            “Can you do it from here?” asked the Professor.

            “I think so. You’ve still got that old antenna down in the cellar?”

            Hannah scoffed. “Like he’d ever throw out that piece of junk.”

            “Then that’s all we need.”

            I tried to sleep in the next morning, knowing I’d need my rest for the night ahead, but it was impossible. The household was stirring and Adah had pulled back the curtains, letting the sun shine in directly on my face. I pulled a pillow over my head but it was no use.