Page 75 of Ache
“Huh?” I try again, but nothing happens.
“Try your thumb,” Tage suggests.
I press my thumb to the glass with little faith, and the door clicks. “Holy shit.”
“We’re in.” Tage yanks open the steel door, and it creaks.
Inside the building is all bright fluorescent lights, creamy floors, ceilings, and walls. “Okay” — Tage reads his phone — “according to Simon, we need to take the elevator to the sixth floor. That’s where the safe deposit box is.”
“Let’s not waste a second, then.” Alec walks, and we follow. The elevators are only a little way down the hall. Again, I have to use my thumbprint to access them. Once inside, we hit the number six.
Holy. Shit. This is really happening.
The elevator ride is smooth, and we arrive to our desired floor in no time. When the door separates, we are met by all white and a wall of frosted glass.
“Whoa.” All three of us step up to a clear door. Inside there are dozens upon dozens of safes. It looks like a lockbox mausoleum.
Tage knocks on the glass lightly. “I think this is bulletproof.”
“I hope so because that’d be mighty tempting for a thief,” Alec observes.
“Let’s get this over with.” I’m antsy all of a sudden. My invisibility high from earlier seems to be wearing off quick.
I press my thumb to the door scan, and like with the elevators and steel door earlier, it clicks. We open it and step inside.
There has to be two-hundred safe deposit boxes set in the walls. All in one little room.
“We need to find number nineteen-ninety-one.” Tage begins reading each box. It takes a minute, but we finally find what we’re looking for.
“Number nineteen-ninety-one,” Alec reads aloud. “Do your thing.”
“Do my thing, right.” Like I’m a fucking magician or something. Taking another deep breath, I press my thumb to the scanner on the face of the box door. It takes an elongated second, but it does, in fact, open.
“Holy-fucking-shit.” Tage’s eyes are big as shiny satellites. It’s like a chapter of the past is finally closing. A journey we could have only taken together.
Alec pulls the shiny silver box out and places it on the white glossy table in the middle of the room. The three of us stand before it, mesmerized as to what can possibly be inside.
Alec flips the clasp and opens the lid. We all stare down inside.
“What in the flying fuck?” Tage barks as he inspects the contents.
Butterflies erupt in my stomach as sweet reminders from my past gaze up at me.
“Hello Kitty.” I grab one of the adorable, plastic bobble heads from the box. “I used to love these.” I shake the toy, and her kitty head dances.
“This is what Gunner hid away? This is what your mother is after? A bunch of kiddy toys?” It’s anticlimactic, to say the least.
I shrug. “The one stinkin’ good memory I have of Gunner is him giving me these. He always had one for me when he and my mom started dating. The best part about them,” I twist the base, and it detaches from the body. “There was always candy inside.”
I hold up the secret tube.
“I don't think that’s candy.” Alec’s jaw nearly unhinges.
“Not at all.” Tage takes the bottom part of the toy from my hand and holds it up to the fluorescent light. The tiny, clear gems in the tube sparkle with colorful prisms.
“Are those . . .diamonds?” They must be, because my lady bits are totally tingling.
“Holy motherfucking shit.” Tage reiterates. “Gunner and his goddamn riddles. Even if someone else opened this box, only you knew the real secret.”
