DUALITY /#Wattys 2021

Chapter 50

Much as she wanted to stay near Chi when they arrived underground in Mannaz—his face looked pale and his hands trembled holding Ember—Ridley could delay the bathroom no longer. She knew where one was in the corridor on the way back into the bunker and she hurried ahead, giving Reb a look and a subtle hand wave when he snarled, "Where are you going?"

She hurried back out into the corridor to the sound of voices. Several Mannazian armed forces had joined them and surrounded Chi in lockstep; Ridley approached and said, "Excuse me." Reb nodded at the man in lieutenant's stripes and the men parted to let her close to Chi.

"—definitely chose the right operative," Chi was saying. "She saved us. That was some truly quick thinking, Reb. I have to commend both your training, and her." The baby Princess had quieted and lay in her grandfather's arms, blue eyes wide and staring. Chi cuddled her close to his chest and gently patted her back.

Reb raised his brows at Ridley. "A bird strike," he said. "We didn't cover that one in training."

"I was desperate," Ridley said. "If those birds hadn't been there, I guess we might be dead. How could the Guild have known we would be out there?" She looked at Chi. "And where were you? I froze my ass off for hours this morning!"

Chi turned his head to look at her. "I saw Rory," he said.

"What? She's in Paris!"

"Not anymore, she isn't. It seems the night I arrived, her private secretary sent word to her over the diplomatic channel, and she cut her trip short and flew back early. The staff was sworn to secrecy. I had no idea until I finished my breakfast and started dressing, and the bedroom door opened and there she was. It was all I could do to get away from her and outside as soon as I did."

"I thought it looked like you were talking to someone, when you were out on the balcony."

"Yep," said Chi. "That was what happened."

Ridley longed to ask him more, but they had reached the main bunker and more sentries stood ready to let them pass. It would have to wait. Besides, Ridley didn't want an audience for the other things she wanted to know.

"Your mother and Sannah are already ensconced in quarters underground," said Reb. "I'm going to take you there. Chi and the Princess are going to make a short message to send to the Palace, and then ... we wait."

"I doubt you'll be waiting long," said Ridley.

***

Ridley had never known that a huge interconnected system of underground tunnels crisscrossed the Washington Bowl. Everyone knew about the subway, but this was different. Armed guards covered every entrance, and Reb had to show credentials more than once. Unpainted concrete and cinder block gave way to sheet rock and tile, then carpet and gleaming wood paneling. Ridley found herself in a place that looked like an upscale hotel lobby, only smaller, and there she was given a card entry and shown to a suite.

Alana greeted her at the door of a small sitting room. They had two bedrooms, a kitchenette, the sitting room, and a nicely appointed bathroom. Alana had left Ridley the larger of the two bedrooms and put the crib in there. Ridley hugged her mother and went in to see her baby.

Sannah burst into tears at the sight of her. "Oh, honey, mommy's sorry. You've been moved all over the place and then mommy left. But I'm back, baby. I won't leave you again for a long time."

As Ridley bent over the crib and picked up her weeping child, Alana asked, "What happened? There was a news report of a crash over there, on the Palace grounds."

"We're all okay, Mom." Ridley held the wailing Sannah to her chest, feeling her milk let down. "And that's all I want to say about it."

"Ridley, I want you to stop this. This is enough. No more assignments like this."