Killer Chocolate--Part 9

By Leann Harris

Lovey felt the wet stickiness on Athena shoulder. “Athena, Athena, “ Lovey whispered to the woman.
There was no answer. “Oh, Lord, help”, Lovey whispered.
The sound of a body slamming against the cave wall filled the air. A grunt. Silence settled around her.
Lovey wanted to call out, but what if Creamer was the one standing?
A light flared and Rouen face looked back at Lovery.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded. “But Athena’s hurt. The shot hit her shoulder.”
Rouen aimed the pen light at Athena. “You work on Athena and I’ll tie up Creamer. I don’t want that man waving around another gun.”
They quickly tended to the two downed people. Lovey gently felt of Athena’s shoulder. There was blood, but she gently felt of the shoulder and discovered the shot had caught the fleshy part of Athena’s arm. Lovely pulled the red satin ash she had around her waist in celebration of Valentine’s Day and wrapped it around Athena’s upper arm. Lovey gently combed the hair back from Athena’s face and discovered a lump on the side of her head.
“How is she?” Rouen asked, crouching beside Lovey, flashing the pen light at the Athena and then Lovey.
Turning her head, her mouth nearly brushed Rouen’s. She swallowed hard. “It’s just a flesh wound. There’s a lump on the side of her head.” Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “She fell into the cave wall. I think that’s what knocked her out.” She turned back to Rouen and came in contact with that luscious mouth of his. “What’s going on here?”
Rouen shook his head. “I don’t know, but it appears that my brother’s been in contact with Athena and me and Creamer. I want to know why this mystery and what’s behind that door. And--” His lips brushed over hers.
Lovey heart nearly burst from her chest, and her lips tingled at the touch.
“If I was engaged to you, I wouldn’t have disappeared for years.”
This man’s words had more effect on his than anything Ryan. “Thank you.”
“Well, let’s see if we can open this door.” He aimed the pen light at the steel door. There was a keypad.
“You’ve got an idea on the combination?” Rouen asked.
Lovey thought. Her birthday? Her phone? “What about your and Ryan’s birthday?”
He tried the date. Nothing happened. “Tell me yours.”
She gave it to him. Nothing again.
As she watched him punch in the numbers, she saw his watch. “Your watch. And my watch. Ryan gave them to use. Maybe they have something to do with the combination.” She took off her watch and turned it over. 20-35-428. They compared the numbers with Rouen’s. The numbers matched.
Rouen punched the numbers into the key pad. The lights on the door turned green.
“Quick thinking. Looks like that’s it.” He reached for the door handle pulled it to the left, releasing the lock. He opened the door and found another door. With another pad.
“Now what?” Rouen asked.
“Now try your birthday,” \
He punched in the date and tried the door. The handle clicked open. Rouen slowly opened the door.
Lovey’s mouth opened in shock at the sight behind the door.