Hidden - Laura Griffin Page 0,68
maze of pipes and ducts crisscrossed the ceiling. A door slammed, and Bailey jumped back. She waited, heart thudding, her back pressed against the wall. What if she was trapped down here? Slowly, she peered around the corner in time to see a man in gray coveralls slip through a doorway.
Bailey made a dash for the EXIT sign. No keypad on this door, thankfully. She reached for the handle, then hesitated. What if an alarm sounded? Hopefully, an interior door wouldn’t have one. Holding her breath, she pushed through the door.
Relief rushed through her as she found herself in a parking garage.
None of the cars looked familiar, though. She saw a white Mercedes, a yellow Fiat. She spied a concrete ramp on the far end of the space. Maybe there was another level? She hadn’t counted the flights of stairs on her way down here.
Bailey cast a nervous look around as she race-walked across the garage. The warm air smelled of dust and diesel fuel. Glancing around, she spied an eyeball-shaped camera mounted at the top of one of the concrete pillars. Her stomach knotted. She hoped the system was still down, as Seth had said.
She race-walked past the Mercedes and the Fiat and hurried up the ramp. She passed a concrete pillar, and on the far end of the next level were the three SUVs she recognized, and now a silver pickup truck, too.
Where was Seth’s car?
She spied another eyeball-shaped camera. It moved.
Panic shot through her. Bailey quickened her steps. Had Seth left her? She had no phone or way to communicate. No one even knew she was here right now—not her editor, not Nico, not Jacob. She hadn’t told anyone she was coming here, and she realized now how careless that was. She passed another concrete pillar, and the back of Seth’s car came into view beyond the pickup. Bailey’s breath whooshed out with relief.
Behind her, a noise.
She lurched behind a pillar. She held her breath and strained to listen, but the garage was silent.
A rumble started in the distance—an air conditioner maybe, or some other heavy equipment. She listened to the mechanical sound and tried to make out any other noise. Nothing.
Bailey rushed toward Seth’s car. Where the hell was he? Her skin chilled at the thought of waiting down here all alone, for who knew how long.
Footsteps.
She darted behind another pillar, panting this time because she knew she hadn’t been mistaken. Someone was down here.
She cast a frantic look around, searching for movement or shadows. She didn’t see anyone, just rows of concrete pillars. Someone could be hiding behind any one of them.
Why hiding?
If it was just someone down here walking to their car, why hide?
Bailey’s heart hammered. She tried to think. Slowly, silently, she unzipped her purse and pulled out her key chain. She fisted her hand around the car key, letting it protrude through her fingers. Not much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.
She listened. Nothing. Her pulse pounded. Where the hell was Seth? Was that him lurking behind her? But why would he sneak up on her?
Bailey eyed his black car, wishing it were closer. Slowly, she reached down to slip off her slingback heels, first one, then the other. She tucked one of the shoes under her arm and then held the other heel out, like a weapon.
Now she was armed with a Toyota key and a Jessica Simpson sandal. She moved to the edge of the pillar and peeked out.
Nothing.
No movement, no sound, no shadow.
Ding.
She whipped her head around as Seth stepped off the elevator. He strode toward his car, and she ran to join him.
Behind her, a metallic click. Bailey’s heart lurched.
Seth spotted her and stopped beside the BMW. “What’s wrong?”
“Go, go, go!”
He popped the locks. She raced for the car. Fire blazed up her foot as she stepped on something sharp. She didn’t stop to see what it was—she jerked open the door and jumped inside the car, throwing her shoes and purse on the floor.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Drive! There’s someone following me.”
Seth started the engine and shoved the car into gear. The BMW lunged forward, and Bailey ducked low in the seat, skimming her gaze over the shadows and pillars as Seth zoomed toward the tunnel.
“Who’s following you?” he demanded. “Where?”
“I don’t know. Just go!”
He raced through the tunnel and slammed on the brakes as they reached the end. Bailey held her breath as the black door slowly lifted.
He gunned it through the opening, and