Bad Nerd Falling by D.R. Grady Read Free Book Online Page B

disappeared around
it.
    “ Are we following the
outer wall of the palace?” Jorge sounded far too
interested.
    Uh oh . That meant Jorge was just as likely to investigate this
tunnel in his spare time.
    “ I believe so.” He kept
his own answer vague.
    Since this was fairly close to the
outer palace wall, there were two exits. He stopped in front of the
first one. It led outside, right to the palace garages. He stepped
back so they could all peek through the door he cracked open. “It
leads outside,” Helena whispered.
    “ Yes, this is a great
alternative if there’s a fire.” Hopefully they wouldn’t need this
route but just in case…
    “ It’s nice to know we have
options.” His mother peered around Helena.
    “ Right.” Jorge joined her.
“It looks as though this passage continues though.”
    Everyone stepped back and he eased the
door shut again, making certain it was secure before he took point
once more. The other entrance wasn’t far from here and it lead to
the very center of the palace, at the cellar level. There were
several ways one could take to escape the palace, but if they were
under attack, this might be the safest place for them.
    He quickened his pace, like he was
eager to explore. Three more steps should take them to the swinging
door at the end of the corridor. Pretending a little befuddlement,
he stopped and shined the light around the space. “That’s
odd.”
    His mother stepped around him to shove
against the door. She toppled. He caught her before she did a
faceplant on the other side. “That explains this mystery,” he
said.
    “ Thanks for saving me
again, love.” She brushed herself off. Then in typical fashion,
swung the door open and sailed through.
    “ Here we go,” he muttered.
Both Helena and Jorge laughed as they followed him through the door
and they all found themselves on a landing. A staircase led
down.
    “ Stairs.” His mother
clapped her hands then stepped forward to most likely hurtle down
them in her too high heels. He grabbed her arm and hauled her
behind him.
    “ Mom, you don’t know if
those are safe or what’s at the other end. Would you please allow me to go
first?”
    She stepped back, disgruntled, but he
had been on these stairs. They wound and curved and someone not
paying attention could easily grow dizzy and disoriented. In a few
areas, they could use some repair. They weren’t crumbling yet, but
were well on their way.
    He set the pace down the
stairs.
    “ Do you think this will
lead us to lunch?” Jorge asked hopefully.
    “ Don’t know.” It didn’t,
but one of the other passages would take them to the room where the
palace personnel stored their belongings. He didn’t intend to show
them that source today.
    Instead, once they reached the bottom
of the stairway, it led them into a small lobby. There were
built-in benches all around the space and a door leading off it. He
knew from experience this door was locked, although the key hung
from a nail nearby. He didn’t show them that. Instead he shined the
light all the way around the room so they could take
stock.
    “ This looks like it could
withstand a bomb.” He tested the stone with his hand.
    “ Oh I hope we never have
to test that theory,” his mother fretted.
    “ I second that motion.”
Helena stopped beside her.
    Jorge was too busy prowling around the
room to comment.
    After they drank in the atmosphere, he
turned back to the staircase. “Maybe we better return to the lab.
Tia might be wondering where we are.”
    All three of them snorted.
    “ That’s not
likely?”
    “ Not at all. She’s busy,”
Helena answered.
    Jorge nodded. “We should tell her
about this passage.”
    “ It might come in handy in
an emergency,” his mother agreed.
    He made short work of leading them up
the stairs and through the passages to the closet. After the four
of them stood in the more spacious part of the storage closet,
Jorge’s stomach rumbled. A glance at his watch revealed it was