Chapter 31
Harlow
As we walk down thetunnel, Sam clings to my arm like I’m his life raft. The poor guy is shaking. There is only pitch-black darkness down here, except for the flashlights the guards had and the one I brought with me.
“How are you doing?” I whisper, not wanting to draw attention to us. Sam tightens his grip on my arm but relaxes when I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.
“I don't like the dark,” he whispers back, sounding ashamed. “They always had some kind of light when I was in my cell. And when I wasn't, bad things happened in the dark."
The thought of what they did to him makes me so fucking mad and makes my heart hurt for him. “We’re almost to the nearest ladder; then we will be above ground and in the light,” I say, smiling up at him. His face is just barely visible in the flashlight’s glow.
“Will there be sunlight when we get there?” his eyes light up.
I think for a moment, calculating the time. “I left around 8 this morning. It took me two hours to find you and about an hour and a half to get rid of the guards, gather everyone, and leave, meaning it should be around noonish, so yeah, the forecast is calling for a bright and sunny day,” I chirp.
“Sun,” he sighs happily. I don't say anything more. From the way he just reacted, I don't think he's seen the sunlight in a very long time.
When we get to the ladder, we all gather around.
“Alright, I'm gonna go up first and see how hard it is to get the manhole cover off. If I can't get it open, I'll be close enough to the top to get some service, and I’ll call for help,” I say, letting go of Sam's hand and starting towards the ladder.
He grabs a hold of my hand. Looking back, his eyes are filled with fear. “Don't go,” he whimpers.
“I won't be long, okay. I'll be right back. You're okay now. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise,” I soothe him, rubbing my hands up and down his arms. Then, I realize what I’m doing. I look up at him, seeing if he's uncomfortable or has any fear of me touching him like this.
But his face relaxes, and he leans into my touch. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Okay. I can do this.”
“Fuck, yeah you can.” I beam up at him, and he gives me a matching one. I can see his face wrinkle on the side, like his face isn't used to that movement. It’s gonna be my mission to make this man smile so much his face hurts.
Hesitantly, he lets my hand go.
The climb up the ladder is a bitch. I didn't know how fucking far underground we were. It’s just our luck that when I get to the top, I find myself in one of the main, above ground, maintenance rooms. Looking around, I find the door, then another, and by the 3rd door I am able to step out onto a sidewalk. Looking around, I see a sign that says 34th street, and I know we're not too far from my place.
“Karma, my main bitch, I wish you were a person right now, so I could ram my tongue down your pretty, little throat and kiss you for this stroke of luck,” I shout, scaring off a few crows from a nearby power line. For a second, I wonder where the guys ended up.
“ALRIGHT, EVERYONE,”I say, hopping down off the ladder. “I have good news and just some small, inconvenience news.”
I walk back over to Sam, who is a few steps away from the group, sitting on the ground huddled into himself.
“I tried to keep him calm, but the longer you took, the more anxious he became. I didn't want to make it worse,” Tracy says, looking at Sam with a sad smile then back to me. “He’s gonna need you to get through this.”
“I know.” I pat Tracy on the back and make my way over to Sam.
“Hey,” I greet him calmly. He peeks up over his arms. “I'm back. Just like I told you I’d be.” I hold my hand out for him, and he takes it eagerly. When he's standing, he pulls me into a hug, holding me in a death grip.
“I don't think I can do this, Harlow,” he whispers shakily.
“You can. And I'll be right there next to you, holding your hand,” I grin up at him. He gives me a brave nod.
“So, good news. Getting out of here is gonna be easy, but the ladder is pretty high up, so it's gonna take some time to get everyone up. And my place isn't too far from here. Bad news, I called my guys, and they are all still underground looking. They were ordered to go back to the club if they didn't find anything, so I'm not worried about them. But there's no one at the club to come pick us up. My friend Evie could, but it would just be quicker for us to all walk there together. It's only five blocks north. If you’re up for it?”
“We’ve been down here for months. I think a little extra time, breathing in the fresh air, and having the sun on our faces will be nice,” a blonde girl pipes up, smiling gratefully at me. The rest of them agree and with that, we start making our way to the top.
It takes us about a half hour to get everyone out, leaving Sam and me till last.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
“I think so,” he says, sounding unsure as he looks up the ladder. “Do I really get to stay with you?”