According to Legend (18 page)

The old mansion that now housed the town museum was once used by the Underground Railroad to aid runaway slaves on their journey north, but, after everything I’ve been through, I also wondered if the tunnels led to anything else, like the cave. But going in there I was about to jump right into enemy territory, and Moheeladeck would probably not approve.

Should I have sent David alone to scope it out? Yes, I probably should have, but I was too curious and too deeply involved now not to go along. I had to get to the bottom of this. We left David’s truck at Town Hall and I drove the two blocks over to the museum.

David was engrossed in studying the blueprint in his hand.

“Do you think we can sneak Half-Breed in?” I asked him.

“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll go into the museum. You and Half-Breed go around the side and wait there. There is an external door here,” he said, pointing to the side door indicated on the blueprint spread out on his lap. “I’ll come to the door from the inside and let you both in.”

“Okay, I know where that is. That’s where your aunt let me out the night that she first rescued me from Mr. Harvey. See, David? None of this makes sense to me. Why would she have helped me that night if she were involved in some plot against me?” I asked as I pulled the car into a parking space across the street from the museum.

“I don’t know the answers to that, Pam, but I agree with you. It all revolves around that stone and Harvey seems to be in this up to his neck.”

The catcher vibrated softly over my heart and I held my breath for a moment.
Try to focus and stay calm
, I thought. “Okay. Let’s do this,” I said as we got out of the car.

David went to the front door while Half-Breed and I continued down the street and around the corner to the door on the side of the museum. A few minutes later the door opened and David ushered us inside.

“Shhhh. Let’s try to be as quiet as possible. I think it’s best if we can move around the museum undetected,” he said.

“I agree.” It didn’t dawn on me at that point in time that every entrance, exit, and passage, hidden or otherwise, would either be secured by an alarm or under surveillance. It never occurred to me that our presence in the museum would never go undetected.

“Was your aunt at her desk up front?”

“No, she’s out today, something about having gone up to the capital in Hartford to meet with the grant committee.”

“Is Mr. Harvey in the museum?”

“Yeah, he’s on the phone in his office,” he answered as he pulled the blueprint out of his pocket.

Still standing in the dimly lit hallway near the side door, David said, “If I remember correctly, the third door on the right here in this hall leads to a passageway that goes down to the underground tunnels. Since Harvey is in his office and we can’t check that out, do you want to start here?”

“Sure, it’s as good a place to start as any.”

When David opened the unmarked door in that dark hallway, a cool draft rushed in and brought with it the smell of dampness.

It was pitch black on the inside, but David reached up and groped around until his hand came in contact with a pull cord. He pulled it and a single light bulb hanging overhead came on casting a dull glow over the damp ground leading down the passageway.

“I’ll go first and Half-Breed, you go behind Pam, and, everyone, stay alert,” David said.

I don’t like this.
Half-Breed’s thoughts entered my mind.

I don’t like it, either.
But, Half-Breed, we have to find out more about these tunnels. I know it has something to do with the cave.

As you wish, Princess,
Half-Breed replied.

“If I remember correctly, there’s a shelf down here somewhere that always had some flashlights on it. According to the blueprints, electricity doesn’t run much farther down the tunnel,” David said.

I wondered how he would have known this. I thought his aunt didn’t allow him to play down in the tunnels. Maybe as a boy he did sneak down here. Maybe that was it.

“Do you know where this tunnel comes out?” I asked.

“No. I knew about the tunnels since I was a kid, but as I said, I was never allowed to play down here.”

Just as we were about to cross the perimeter of the light cast from the single bulb, we bumped into the shelf. David felt around and found a flashlight. He flipped it on and there on the shelf were a few more flashlights and a large key ring full of old skeleton keys. He handed me a flashlight and then picked up the key ring.

“I guess we better take these, just in case. They probably wouldn’t be here with the lights unless they are necessary further down,” he said.

“Good thinking. I wonder where all this leads and what’s so important or valuable that it’s kept under lock and key.”

“We’re about to find out,” he said and proceeded down the tunnel. The cold damp air seemed thick and a shiver ran through me.

Get a grip, focus
.

We traveled down the twisting path of the tunnel for what seemed like hours. Following it around a curve, we came to a fork in the path where the trail split into three paths, one straight ahead, one to the left, and one to the right.

“Now what?” I asked.

“Now, we consult the blueprint,” David said as he laid the map out flat on the ground. We all moved in closer to get a better look at it.

“I think we’re here,” he said, resting his finger on a spot on the map. It did show a tunnel with a three-way fork. The path that went straight seemed to lead to a large chamber while the other two didn’t seem to lead anywhere, but just ran off the map, apparently off the museum property.

“I think we should check out the one that leads to this room first. If there’s nothing there, we can come back and explore the others,” David said.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Wait,
Half-Breed said,
I don’t like this. I feel we’re being led toward a trap. Why don’t you make him let me go first?

“David, why don’t we let Half-Breed go first?” I asked. “He has a keen sense of smell and I’m sure—”

“No, I’ll go ahead and he can protect you if someone should come up behind us.”

As you wish,
Half-Breed’s thoughts answered me,
but I still don’t like this.

We proceeded down the central tunnel and Half-Breed continued to mumble under his breath. Finally, we came to a huge metal door.

“Lucky we took those keys after all,” David said as he produced the key ring and started fumbling with them, trying to find which one would open the lock. Finally, he put one in, and the ancient lock clicked. He looked at me and then at Half-Breed. “I think we’re in.”

He started to push the old, rusty, metal door, which creaked and groaned. It seemed that this door had not been opened in a very long time, but in the split second that David started to push the door open, my mind flashed back and was filled with a vision of the tunnel we had just come down. There were no cobwebs. It did not look like a passageway that was long forgotten by time, but more like a path still in use.

“Stop,” I whispered.

David faced me. “What is it?”

“Can you close that door?”

He slowly pulled the door back and closed it. “What’s wrong? What are you thinking?”

“David, think about this tunnel. Does it look to you like a tunnel forgotten by time or one in use? There are no cobwebs, nothing that would indicate that it is a forgotten passage. Someone uses this on a regular basis. Even the flashlights, they should have been covered with a thick coating of dust, but they weren’t and they work just like they have new batteries.”

You’re right, Princess. I don’t like this. I think it’s a trap,
Half-Breed agreed.

“Well, we’re here now. Do you want to go forward, or back?” David asked. “I’ll do whatever you want, Pam, but we’ve come this far, I think we should press on.”

“Let’s take a look at the blueprint and see what’s on the other side of this door and, more importantly, if there is a way out on the other side.”

David laid the map out on the dirt floor and we took another look at it. There was a door on the other side of the cavern that led to another tunnel, and it also showed a staircase leading up and out through the museum.
We had walked so long, how could we still be beneath the museum? Had we just walked around in one big circle?

“I think we should continue,” David said.

I didn’t know what to do. “Fine,” I said. “Let’s move on. I’m curious to see where it goes.”

Princess, I really don’t like this. Something doesn’t smell right down here,
Half-Breed said.

I know, Half-Breed, but what do you suggest?
I looked at him, pleading. Half-Breed was silent. I really didn’t know if I could totally trust David. He seemed sincere, but would I ever really be sure until it was too late?

The hair on the back of my neck prickled at the thought. I was torn between wanting to go back and needing to go forward to find out where this tunnel went. The catcher vibrated. My stomach churned. Moments ticked by and the only sound in the gloomy tunnel was that of our breathing.

David placed both hands back on the door to push it open again.

The catcher vibrated and I couldn’t swallow as the creak and groans of rusted hinges filled the silence.

He took my arm and guided me into a dark cavern beyond the open door.

The beam of our flashlights skimmed across a long table with benches rather than chairs. Even in the beam of the flashlights, it looked very old and was covered in a thick layer of dust. Then as the beam of our flashlights skimmed the wall, I saw the one thing that struck me as totally out of place. Chains bolted to the wall, as if it were a dungeon. New chains, not covered in dust. A chill ran through me.

“What is this place?” I said.

Half-Breed’s fierce grow rumbled from deep in his chest.

“What is it, Half-Breed?” That was when the sickening smell of overpowering cologne filled my nostrils and I felt the cold barrel of a gun against the back of my neck.

“Nice to see you again, Miss Hastings,” Mr. Harvey hissed next to my ear.

The icy hand of fear gripped me and the hair on the back of my neck prickled.

Half-Breed was snarling and baring his teeth. I was sure he would bite David or Mr. Harvey, but he didn’t have a chance because David slipped a clip onto the wolf’s collar and was attaching the other end to a chain in the wall.

“Nicely done, David,” Mr. Harvey said as he shoved me forward into the room. “Honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“You question my allegiance?” David answered.

“No, I just figured you for a wimp. Glad to see you prove me wrong, my boy.”

David made no comment. He looked at me.

I glared back at him.

“How could you?” I spat the words at him with loathing.

“Look, it’s nothing personal. We all want the same thing here,” he said, sauntering over to me and leaning close. “Now if you cooperate, maybe we’ll let you live. I would really like that. We sort of have some unfinished business,” he said and he leaned even closer as if to nuzzle my neck. He whispered in my ear, “Please trust me.”

“That’s enough, Romeo!” Mr. Harvey snapped at David. Then, turning to me, he barked, “Do you or do you not know the location of the cave?”

“No, I don’t know where it is,” I answered.

“You don’t expect me to believe that rubbish,” he said, his voice dripping with disgust.

“Believe what you wish. I don’t know where it is and even if I did, I would never tell you,” I said, raising my chin.

“We shall see. You know, Miss Hastings, this was once a holding area where runaway slaves stayed on their journey further north to freedom, used in the days of the underground railroad, but since my area of expertise is Medieval torture, I’ve made a few, shall we say, modifications by adding the shackles. But I’m afraid your journey will not lead to freedom. I hope you and your pet enjoy your stay.” He looked from me to David and said, “Chain her to the wall.”

David did as he was told. “Now what, Harvey?” he asked.

“Now we leave them here while we wait for further instructions from the true Princess.”

Mr. Harvey started toward the stairs at the other end of the cavern. David put his flashlight and the key ring onto the table and shot a glance toward me before following Mr. Harvey up the stairs. A chill ran through me as the cold hard sound of the door locking behind them echoed into the cavern. Sitting in the dark and the damp dungeon, a chill crept into my bones and my teeth chattered.

“
Half-Breed, I’m never going to ignore your warnings again.
”

Did he leave the keys?

I don’t know, Half-Breed. I’m so afraid I can’t think.

Focus Princess.

Yes, yes, I think he did. I think they are on the table. Did he leave a flashlight?

I think so. I thought I saw him put one on the table before he left.

Neither will do us much good, though. I’m chained to the wall and so are you.

The rattling of the chain and the clink of the metal as it hit the floor echoed in the chamber.

“
Not anymore
.”

This was not the voice of Half-Breed in my mind, but a man’s voice. A familiar voice echoed in the cold dark chamber. But for some reason, I was not afraid.

A shuffling sound and the jingle of the key ring filled the darkness. Then, the flashlight went on. Standing there before me was a man clothed in a coat of gray and white wolf fur with what looked like the head of a wolf upon his head. I was shocked to realize that he looked exactly like Half-Breed, standing on two legs. The man looked at me. He had one blue eye and one brown one. It was Emanudeck!

“Father?” I murmured in disbelief. My gaze shot to the wall where Half-Breed had been chained. The empty collar was lying there on the floor, with the chain still attached to the wall.

“Father. All this time, you are Half-Breed?”