Basement Level 5: Never Scared

by L. R. Wright

  “Get down!” He glanced at his terrified wife and kids and took a moment to reload before returning fire on the relentless strangers. Bullets whizzed by the truck and bounced off the glass. Thank God, he’d invested in the special bullet proof glass. Unrolling the window slightly, he fired his semi-automatic pistol through the opening.

  Then he screeched around the corner on two wheels and sped through the neighborhood, watching his rearview mirrors to make sure he didn’t have any followers.

  ***

  Lei lounged on the couch, drinking a glass of scotch and watching a movie with his wife, Makayla, who was lying next to him.

  His cell phone rang. “What’s up?”

  “We have problems.” Dro’s voice was eerily calm. “Some men broke into the safe house.”

  Lei jolted in surprise, dropping his glass on the floor and startling his wife. “Is Alexa okay?”

  “Chase talked to her. She and the children are heading to B5. I have Ari with me. Chase is on his way there. I need you to call Pop and then get there as soon as possible. Meet me at the garage.”

  Lei hung up the phone and turned to a wide-eyed Makayla. “You need to get up. We have to get out of here.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’ll tell you in the car. We have to go. Now.”

  She rushed to the bedroom and came back with her purse.

  Lei dialed his mother, Veronica. While the phone rang, he packed his laptop into a briefcase. “Ma, I’m coming over,” he said when she answered. “Pack a bag and be ready when I get there. Call Pop and tell him we have a problem at the safe house.”

  “Is Alexa okay?”

  “She’s fine, Ma, but we don’t know what’s going on. I’m on my way, be ready.” He snapped the phone shut and hurried to the garage.

  The car was already running when he charged out of the house. Makayla had started it. He jumped in, backed out of the driveway, and sped down the street. After a few minutes, he looked at Makayla. “It’s going to be okay.”

  She stared into the night. “Is it ever going to be okay? What happened to Alexa?”

  “Someone learned the safe house’s location and broke in. She had to take the children to B5. But she’ll be all right.”

  “You always say that, Lei. But what if she’s not? The fact is no one should have known where she was. She didn’t even tell me when I talked to her the other day. Obviously someone is hell-bent on getting to her. First, someone attempts to snatch her from the grocery store. Now, she’s getting ambushed at a location very few people knew about? And you’re telling me everything’s okay?”

  “She’s fine, Makayla. Alexa can take care of herself.” He tried to stay calm, but it was harder as time passed. He hoped he was right. Although he knew she could indeed take care of herself, she was still his baby sister.

  Makayla didn’t say anything else, and they rode the rest of the way in silence. When they pulled up in front of his mother’s house, Veronica barreled out the front door with a black bag on her shoulder.

  “I called your father,” she said as she slid into her seat. “He’s going to catch a plane home as soon as possible. He’s worried about Alexa.”

  Lei looked at his mother in the rearview mirror. “Pop shouldn’t worry. He knows Alexa can take care of herself. She’s fine.”

  Veronica’s dark eyes welled with tears as she sputtered, “But—the children—she hasn’t—”

  “Ma, don’t. She’s fine.”

  ***

  Dro’s death-grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles white. What was happening at the safe house? If any harm had come to Alexa and the children...

  He couldn’t stop thinking about his family. He was farther away from the safe house than anyone else. What if he didn’t get there in time?

  Ari had been watching him without comment. Now she placed a hand on Dro’s arm. “Hermano, todo estara bien.”

  “You don’t know it’s going to be all right,” Dro growled. He kept his eyes on the road, and willed himself not to think of worse-case scenarios.

  “B5 is secure,” Ari said. “And we’ll figure the rest out when we get there.”

  “I hope so, Ari. Because if she’s not okay...” He couldn’t finish the thought. Alexa had to be all right. If she wasn’t, there would be hell to pay.

  CHAPTER 3

  Her heart thundering in her ears, Alexa herded everyone down the dusty, narrow staircase. Who could have known where they were? Only a handful of people knew the location of this safe house, which meant someone close to them had betrayed them.

  The children were silent. Sounds from above told her the men were still in the house. They were obviously searching—probably destroying everything of value—and wouldn’t stop until they got what they came for. Fortunately, Chase had thought of all that when he designed the elaborate tunnel system and hidden stairways.

  Once they reached the landing at the bottom of the stairwell, she peered down the long, narrow hallway on her left then turned and headed that way. “Are you okay?” she asked, glancing back at the kids.

  They answered her with nods but didn’t speak.

  When she came to a dead end, Alexa pulled a brass key out of her pocket. Smoothing her hand across the wall, she hunted for the ridge Chase had told her about. Once she found it, she lifted it, revealing a keyhole. She inserted the key and turned it.

  The wall slid open.

  Alexa walked through the opening then looked for another key hole. Once everyone was on this side, she used the key again and the wall closed.

  What a difference from the dungeon-like hallway! The freshly painted walls and the plush carpet seemed strangely out of place, considering they were in an underground bunker.

  Alex tugged on her shirt. “Mama, where are we going?”

  “We’re going on an adventure and we’re almost there.” She picked him up and headed down another corridor then down two more short flights of stairs. A steel door blocked their way. Using the same key, she unlocked this door and heard a short beep. The lights flickered on and fresh cool air flowed from an overhead vent.

  They stepped inside. Nicholas pushed the door closed. It locked automatically with a loud clang.

  Turning around, Alexa sighed deeply. The foyer was decorated like their house—ceramic tile, coat hanger, and a half bath off to the side.

  “Wow,” Ky whispered as she took in her surroundings.

  “It’s nice, huh? Uncle Chase did well, didn’t he?” Alexa shifted her weight because Alex was squirming in her arms, wide-eyed and eager to explore. She lowered him to the floor.

  Chase had thought of everything when he designed this place. Alexa wasn’t surprised, though. He’d always been a calm and dependable friend. Over to the left, there was a hallway leading to a great room. The huge sectional in the middle and the big screen TV were just her style.

  She toured the rest of the bunker. Connected to the great room, the full kitchen boasted dark cherry wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. He had even put in a breakfast bar. No wonder Chase had been busy on this project for so long. He’d spared no expense to make this place feel just like home.

  B5 was located five floors underground with plenty of living space, five bedrooms, lots of bathrooms, and several other rooms that were sure to come in handy. Chase had outfitted it with a state of the art security room, laundry room, and even a playroom for the children. The only problem was the lack of windows.

  “There’s a security room to the right with surveillance equipment,” Nicholas said. “I’m going to go see if I can get things up and running. Once I do, I should be able to see what’s going on in the house.”

  Although she was relieved they were safe, Alexa couldn’t help but be irritated. Sure, it was nice that B5 was available to them in times like these, but it was a basement—an exceptional basement, but still...

  The fact that she didn’t know what was going on also annoyed her. She glanced at her children. Thank God they
were safe. The need to hold them overtook her thirst for answers. She grabbed them and hugged them close.

  “Where’s Papa?” Ky asked.

  Alexa smiled and stroked her daughter’s long black hair. “He should be here soon. Don’t worry,” she said in Spanish.

  Sara cleared her throat. “How long do we have to be here?”

  Alexa paused. She hated that Sara was in this situation, hiding in a basement when she should be enjoying college life with her friends. But Alexa wouldn’t lie to her. “I don’t know. I wish I had a better answer for you. Hopefully, once Chase gets here, I’ll be able to tell you more. I’m sorry you have to be here at all.”

  “Don’t apologize. I love you all. You’ve been like my family for so long. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Do you need me to do anything?”

  Alexa shook her head, hoping to keep the tears in her eyes from falling. “We should be good.”

  “Are we going to be safe?” Alex asked, climbing on her lap.

  She ran her hand over his dark curls and down his plump, golden cheek. “We’re going to be okay, baby. You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, right? And neither will your Papa. We’ll always protect you.” Briefly, she wondered if she should even make that promise. There were no guarantees at this point.

  Forcing her mind from such thoughts, she pulled both kids and Sara into a hug.

  ***

  Chase turned his headlights off and drove into a remote garage, hidden behind a wall of trees about a mile from the massive estate. Turning the engine off, he jumped out of the car, hurried around to the backseat, and yanked the door open.

  “Wake up, CJ,” he whispered, nudging him. “We’re here.”

  CJ, his eleven-year-old son, wiped his eyes and peered up at him. “Where are we?”

  “We’re at a safe place. Come on, we need to hurry.”

  Once CJ climbed out of the car, Chase rushed to the garage window and scanned the grounds. The rain was still pouring down, which reduced visibility to almost nil.

  He wondered who had found the safe house and how. Sighing deeply, he crouched and lifted an old rug, uncovering a trap door. He pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and stared down the long, dark stairway. Motioning CJ to enter, he followed the boy down the stairs, locking the heavy trap door behind him.

  At the bottom of the stairs were two tunnels. Grabbing CJ’s hand, Chase took the tunnel on the right. The passageways were clean, dry, and well lit.

  He had made sure of that when he built them. Being underground this deep had its limitations, but his background in construction and architecture proved invaluable when designing B5.

  His parents were safe in Canada, and he was glad he didn’t have to worry about them. He had called his father to let him know not to come back to the States unless Chase gave him the “all clear.”

  However, Kendrick was another story. Chase couldn’t help but worry about him. His brother was smart but he didn’t have any back up. Not to mention, he had the added distraction of trying to protect his wife and kids. And although Nicholas was with Alexa, Chase worried about her most of all. He hoped she’d made it to B5 safely.

  After about a half a mile, he and CJ came to a wall. Chase swiped his hand over the wall, and found the hidden ridge. He pulled out a green key, inserted it in the keyhole under the ridge, turned it, and the wall opened.

  The smell of fresh paint invaded his nostrils as he walked through the door with CJ right behind him. B5 had two entrances and this one was connected to the laundry room. He heard a gasp and spun around. Alexa stood in the doorway. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her hair was in a simple, but messy ponytail. Her clothes were dusty, probably from one of the unfinished hallways leading to B5. But to him she was still a beautiful sight.

  CJ broke away from him and ran into her open arms. “Hi,” he squealed.

  Alexa hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad you’re here safely. I missed you.” She gave him a big kiss and pointed toward a door. “The kids are through there and past the kitchen. They’re watching a movie. Go on in and I’ll be right along.”

  CJ ran from the room, calling for Ky and Alex.

  Chase smiled at Alexa as she rushed into his arms. He held on to her for a couple of minutes, not wanting to let her go.

  “I was so worried,” she cried. “I prayed you and CJ wouldn’t walk into an ambush. I’m so happy you got here safely.”

  ***

  Alexa wanted to hold onto Chase forever, but she realized they needed to talk about what had happened. She pulled back and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “You don’t look so good, though.”

  She nodded absently, wiping off the tears that had spilled onto her cheeks. “I was scared, I won’t lie about that. It’s a good thing you finally finished this place.” It still amazed her that the construction of B5 had been completed just two short months ago.

  “You did well.” He ran a finger down the side of her face. “Everyone should be safely on their way here.”

  She nodded and pulled him into the great room. When they entered, the kids ran up to him, wanting hugs.

  Chase knelt down to their level. “Are you guys okay?”

  Ky and Alex nodded.

  “It took a long time to get here,” Ky said. “But we held hands the whole time.”

  “Nicholas is in the security room getting things up and running,” Alexa informed him.

  “I’m glad he was here with you.” Chase said. He patted Alex on the head and squeezed Ky’s hand.

  Alexa couldn’t help but smile. “How about you three go get a bath and put on fresh pajamas?” she told the kids. “Sara, can you help them out?”

  Alex frowned. “Mama, we don’t have any pajamas.”

  She smiled. “If you go into the room with the big bunk beds and look in one of the drawers, I’m sure you will find some. You’ll also find clothes, toys, and games. That’s going to be your room for a bit.”

  Alex cheered and proceeded to pull Sara toward the room with the big bunk beds. Ky and CJ followed.

  Once the children disappeared from sight, Alexa pulled Chase into another hug.

  CHAPTER 4

  Parking near the estate, Kendrick tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. The kids and Kara had settled down on the drive over, but he knew they were all scared. Gunfire and high-speed chases weren’t an everyday occurrence, even considering his past. He peered at his wife, sitting in the back seat, biting her nails, with both kids tucked into her sides.

  He sighed and wondered what he could say that would make this all better. Nothing. He heard a noise and immediately tensed up. Pulling his gun, he checked his rearview mirrors. Lei’s black Lincoln MKT pulled up behind him, lights off. Ten minutes later, Dro’s black Cadillac Escalade stopped behind Lei.

  “Okay, kids,” Kendrick said, turning to his children. “We need to be extra quiet. When you get out of the car, go straight to Uncle Dro’s truck, you hear me?” When they nodded, he unlocked the doors. He waited for them to get out before he hopped out and followed them to Dro’s truck.

  Dro jumped out of his truck and headed toward Kendrick and Lei. “We need to move fast—through the garage,” he said. “We don’t want to be seen. Kids, remember, no talking.”

  Kendrick took up the rear and followed Dro down a dark path, through the trees to the remote garage where Chase’s car was parked.

  ***

  Inside B5, Alexa held on to Chase. Eventually, though, she had to pull away. “I guess we should talk now?”

  He sighed and dragged her back to him. “Alexa, it’s okay. We’re safe.”

  She gripped his shirt. “I know Chase, but not everyone is safe yet. I won’t feel better until they’re all here.”

  “They’re on the way. No worries.” He swiped a thumb under her eye, catching a stray tear. “Listen, why don’t you take a shower and get a change of clothes on? The others should be here shortly.”

  “That sounds g
ood.” He was right. It didn’t make any sense to sit there worrying when there was nothing she could do. She turned and headed toward her room.

  A blast of cool air hit her as she walked in. She looked around, still in awe over everything Chase had done. No matter how real this situation was, she just couldn’t believe they were actually in B5. When the idea first came up all those years ago, she thought it was impossible, but Chase had made it work—like he always did. That was one of the things she loved about him. Still, B5 was like life insurance—it was great to have it if you needed it, but you hoped you never did.

  This wasn’t the first time she’d had to hide from danger. As a child, her father had shipped her off to different remote locations whenever there was a threat of danger or violence relating to the Martinez Organization. The family business’s success didn’t come from baking cookies.

  Those who dared to compete with the company were met with murder and mayhem. Even those who had branched out into the more legitimate Martinez Security, like her immediate family had, weren’t safe from the violence caused by the Martinez organization’s activities.

  The question was—were their attackers here because of something the security personnel had done or because of someone in the other part of the family organization?

  She walked into the master bathroom, stripping her dirty clothes to the floor as she went. She turned on the shower and waited until steam filled the room. Stepping in, she leaned against the tile and let the water flow over her body.

  ***

  Chase checked on the kids then headed to the security room. Nicholas was busy at the computer. He stood up when Chase walked in. “Glad to see you. We were worried.”