Book 1 of the H&K Series : Path of Knowledge

Chapter 21

Katharine and Tess were surprised when Moore pulled up in front of Katharine and Hank's home. Sanchez opened the passenger door and climbed out of the SUV, followed by the chase SUV. The unit secured the house before motioning for Katharine, Tess, and the children to come inside the house.

"Why are we at my house?" Katharine asked.

"You don't know about your basement?" Sanchez asked. "Before we go in, understand that your home is covered with cameras and listening devices by someone trying to keep an eye on what goes on in your house. So, watch what you say."

"What about my basement?"

"Come with me," Sanchez said as he led the way into the basement.

Once in the basement, Sanchez moved the filing cabinet out from under the stairs. He reached up and pushed the button to open the stairway door to the safe room below the basement.

"Did you know this was down here?" Tess asked.

"Hell no, I didn't," Katharine said. "Hank must have had it built while I was away or something."

"I understand that you know the code," Sanchez stated as he opened the security panel.

Katharine stepped up to the panel, thought for a second, and input her and Hank's wedding day. "Invalid code," a voice came from the panel. Katharine inputted her birthday. "Invalid code." Katharine inputted the day they met. "Access granted." The outer door swung open, revealing the inner time lock door. Katharine inputted her birth date, and the door slid open.

As the time lock door slid open, Shamus appeared from the corner with his M4 carbine at the ready.

"Stand down, Shamus. This is Katharine O'Reilly, Tess Roy, and her children. They are here to join Ms. Mitchell and her children," Sanchez told the task force guard.

"I know," Shamus replied.

"Shamus," Tess greeted. "I thought you would be with Bob.

"I would be, but Marquis detailed me to guard Ms. Mitchell and her family. But I'm glad you're here now," Shamus told his sister-in-law.

"Lock us in," Katharine told Sanchez. "We'll be safe here, but my husband may not be once I see him. The bunker may have been a good idea, but I'll get the house in the divorce, bunker and all."

"We'll be back when everything is taken care of," Sanchez said as the time lock door slid into place. Then the outer door slid into place. The unit filed out of the house and into their vehicles.

"Now we wait," Katharine said. Once the bunker doors were closed and locked, all monitoring and listening devices in the house were safely blocked out.

"Glad to see that you are okay," Karen greeted Katharine and Tess. Karen elaborated on what happened after the task force detail had picked them up and how the task force was ambushed. Karen explained that she and Shamus had subdued the traitor on the task force team and how they had been brought here at Hank's request.

"So, Hank is involved with all this?" Katharine asked.

"I'm not sure exactly, other than Bob Roy requested his assistance on communication and internet security. Someone hacked into the task force servers. Hank was supposed to be helping track the hackers." Karen was making most of what she was saying up as she went, but it sounded plausible if the task force wanted to keep Hank's true position secret.

"Incredible. I know Hank does some highly classified security work, but I didn't know he was involved with Homeland Security," Katharine replied.

"It's a new relationship as far as I heard. I didn't know that he was an employee of the corporation Michael is the CEO of," Karen told her.