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THE MUFFLED CLICK OF an electric motor starting up caught Dominic’s attention. He cocked his head to the side to listen.
“Dom? What?” Tonita took a step toward him.
He held up his hand. “Wait.”
A second later the sliding wall began to move.
Tonita moved quickly to Dominic’s side, allowing her hand to slide into his as she did so. She looked to him, “They’re back,” she said, using the same tone as the little girl in the “Poltergeist” movie.
Dominic shook his head and squeezed her fingers together in his hand, “Quiet.”
The wall slid, nearly silent, along the track embedded in the floor. Only the faint “hum” of the electric motor hidden behind the thick masonry walls gave away the wall’s pending motion.
The wall was midpoint along the track, revealing half of the dimly lit hallway and a portion of an arm. A moment later, the wall had cleared the figure. A lone man stood.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. My old legs do not move as fast as they once did,” Senator Scott said, turning around and taking a step back down the long hallway. He turned back to Dominic and Tonita. “Do you wish to remain in that room or will you be coming along?”
A moment of indecision, and then Tonita spoke up, “No. We’re coming,” she said, pushing ahead of Dominic. She high-stepped over the track as if the wall might come suddenly slamming back.
Dominic laughed, stepping out of the room as the wall reversed direction and started to close.
Tonita glared at him. “Not so funny now.”
“Yeah, if I were a snail.”
Dominic and Tonita caught up easily to Senator Scott who had continued down the hallway.
“The traffic on the way in was just horrendous. And then the airport in D.C. was a mess. You’ve been to Washington before haven’t you?” He turned to Dominic.
“No, I’m afraid not,” Dominic said, shooting a quick glare to Tonita behind the Senator’s back.
“Well, you really must come sometime. Be my guest. Both of you. I’ll take you on a tour of the place personally,” Senator Scott continued, “I have a bit of experience in the D.C. area, you know.”
Tonita glanced quickly at Dominic. “Well honestly sir, we don’t know.”
Senator Scott stopped. “I’m sorry. That was foolish of me. Of course you don’t.” He moved the cane in his right hand to his left. Then, completing the switch, he extended his right hand. “My name is Ray Scott. Senator Scott.”
“Well, Senator, thank you for coming to get us.” Dominic extended his hand to the Senator. Were you sent by the Vatican?”
Senator Scott motioned forward with his cane. “No, my boy. It wasn’t the Vatican. No not the Vatican.” He stepped forward, continuing the long walk down the hall. “Let me just say that it was a friend.”
“A friend of mine, Senator?”
“Of course.”
“Or would I be off saying a friend of yours?”
“You are very smart to draw the distinction.” Senator Scott picked up the pace. “There are many times in my career that I wish I had asked the same question. Perhaps, then we would not be in the position we are today.”
“And that position?”
“I’m here to give you aid, my son. I am both the friend of your friend’s and a friend of yours.”
“I am sure that you are...” Dominic began.
“But you doubt,” Senator Scott cut him off. “As I’m sure that I would if I were in your place. You are here and I am here...to help you. Just as I’m sure your friend,” he glanced at Tonita, “is here to do.”
Tonita smiled at the Senator.
A smile that caused Dominic to hesitate.
“I’m sorry about the room back there, but we needed to keep you until I arrived. I hope that you were not too uncomfortable. We don’t use that holding cell...” Senator Scott looked quickly in the direction of Tonita and Dominic. “I mean room, much. It’s practically forgotten. I hope that the Secret Service did not frighten you?”
“Secret Service, Tonita,” Dominic gloated.
Senator Scott stopped at a door about fifty yards from the hidden room. He looked back down the hallway toward the hidden room noting that the wall has closed completely. And once again, the hall looked as though it came to an abrupt end. “We go through here,” he said, gesturing to the door.
Dominic looked in the opposite direction of the hidden room, scanning the length of the hall, then turned his gaze down the hallway following the Senator’s. He returned to the door that they were now standing in front of. The metal encased door was void of any markings. No red painted warnings of impending alarms and arrest were apparent, should anyone venture through, and no numbers. Dominic thought back and could not remember the door when he and Tonita had been prodded along by the Secret Service. There were several others along the hallway that he did remember seeing. They were all clearly marked with warnings. Perhaps, that’s why he missed this one. It just was not as noticeable, he concluded.
“Shall we?” Senator Scott motioned in the direction of the door.
Dominic pushed on the bar that was bolted into the door, running perpendicular to the floor. The protruding bar slid into the base and the latch clicked. With the door open only an inch or two, the acrid smell of jet fuel gusted in and the roaring sound of jet engines assaulted their ears.
Senator Scott raised his voice above the noise of the revving aircraft engine, “Our ride.”