The Assumption (The Hypothesis of Giants Series, Book One)

Chapter 11: Secrets Revealed

Aurora nearly tackled Boreas and both of them fell over in laughter. She threw her arms around him, so happy that he was all right.

"I thought that Otus wouldn't have found you in time," he said wearily.

"I am fine." Aurora smiled. "And Mrs. Xiomy now believes in giants."

"As well as a few other things," Mrs. Xiomy replied hastily. "I am glad you are all right."

Aurora turned to Boreas flabbergasted and exclaimed, "But how did you escape? How did you find the cave and warn Otus?"

Boreas took a deep breath and then relayed the story from the beginning.

The guards had led both Boreas and Mrs. Xiomy back to the prison cell when they were intercepted by the First Lieutenant. He demanded custody once again of the prisoners, and they overheard him tell the Common Good officers that he wasn't convinced that Aurora would do as she promised and provide the whereabouts of the giant. He growled at the prisoners to accompany him into an adjacent room to await word from the Inspector's penthouse office. They walked in, but the First Lieutenant closed the door abruptly behind him. Sitting at the desk, disguised as a Common Good officer, was Mr. Alvarez, Aurora's father. The First Lieutenant quickly whispered something into Mr. Alvarez's ear and then exited the room without any explanation. Boreas had tried to interject, but Mr. Alvarez said that there wasn't any time to explain.

Mr. Alvarez instructed Mrs. Xiomy to wait in the interrogation room, to stall for time, and then he methodically hit two panels in the white wall, which was not a wall at all but a secret door that lead into a hidden chamber. Boreas was ordered to follow Mr. Alvarez into the hollow chamber that turned into a dank and dark tunnel. They cautiously meandered their way down the long, narrow tunnel and Boreas could hear cars overhead but couldn't decipher which road they were under. His shoes started to splash into puddles, which was when he noticed that the tunnel was leading them to the Candlewick Brook that emptied out next to the graveyard. There, before his eyes, was Mrs. Xiomy's Fiat, waiting for him; All their stuff still in the trunk. Mr. Alvarez ordered Boreas to drive and find the giant. He said that once he found the giant, they were to come back and rescue Mrs. Xiomy, who would be waiting for them in the graveyard near David Xiomy's gravesite.

Boreas sped off to the Candlewick Park cave, but when he got there Otus had disappeared. Frantically he ran to the back of the cave, following Otus's footprints until he discovered that they ended at a dead end of solid rock. He traced his hand over the drawings and discovered the trigger that initiated the hidden glass elevator. He travelled through the ocean in the glass contraption until he found himself in Plymouth Tartarus.

"That is when I found Otus and told him to hurry and rescue you both."

Mrs. Xiomy cleared her throat, wanting to continue the story at this point. Boreas relented, grateful to catch his breath.

She licked her lips and continued the tale. "While Boreas went to get to Otus, I was stuck stalling for time. Officer Woolchuck got suspicious and came into the interrogation room, catching Mr. Alvarez coming back through the hidden chamber. He was about to warn the other guards when I hit him square across the jaw and he went down."

She showed off her right knuckles, which were slightly bruised from the hit. Boreas rolled his eyes at his teacher bragging about her violent tendencies.

"I then fled with Mr. Alvarez down the secret corridor; by this time the alarm had sounded. Mr. Alvarez told me to run to the gate, and he stayed behind to barricade the door and prevent anyone from coming through. I ran through the sewer, which emptied out into the brook near the graveyard. Then it looked as if all the lights had gone out, so I looked up, fearful it was the Inspector's planes coming to swoop in and grab me, but it wasn't a plane but a large hand reaching out for me. I screamed and..."