Operation 007 (SpyxFamily)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cones of light showed the way down the dark tunnel as the low grumble of the car echoed hollowly off the walls, though more of an extension of the sound than anything else. The passengers inside were scantly lit and cast largely in shadows, their forms reduced to near silhouettes and Damian's own hands were difficult to see. It was a cold sort of darkness, the kind that made you long for home and bed, to wrap yourself in blankets of warmth and security, and Damian shivered. The ground opening up had surprised him and being hidden underground worried him. How was his father going to find him? An entrance camouflaged with the forested floor would not be easy to locate.

Damian's palm's sweat and his skin itched with alarm, but as stressed out as he was, his anxiety was constantly fighting for dominance over his concern for Forger who was freaking out. Her breathing had turned to gasps as if the wind had been knocked out of her and had slid clumsily to the floor like she'd lost motor control. She'd huddled there shaking, having a panic attack, and Damian sat frozen, his hands white knuckling his seat belt as he watched her dark outline in the corner.

It scared him.

What did he do?

Damian had been preoccupied with his predicament and the lostness he felt at Forger's withdrawal. She'd blocked him out, ignored him, offered not so much as a glance to assure him. She hated he was here. It only clicked now that maybe it was all she knew how to do. It seemed she was barely keeping her head above water herself.

His trembling fingers let go of the belt fastening him to the backseat and undid the buckle. With a bit more grace than Forger, he slipped carefully to the floor of the moving car, and crawled over to where her head was on her knees, and her nails dug into her shins.

Damian whipped a glance the man's way, but Desmond had been quiet and the man didn't hear him. If he was aware of Forger's state, he didn't show it.

Damian tentatively raised a hand. He didn't know what to do and Forger hadn't noticed him. He retracted. He raised it.

He never was good at consoling or calming people. It just didn't come naturally to him.

Why was this so hard?

He fisted his fingers.

They relaxed.

Hesitantly, and with great gentleness, he lightly placed it on her head and he felt her tense. Her body stiffened and her shoulders scrunched, and he questioned if this was a good idea when that was her only response. But he couldn't take it back now and let it rest completely on her head, the weight pressing into her soft hair.

Damian wasn't sure if his nerves were caused by her's, by they way she perceived the situation, or if they were all his own and the hand that was supposed to comfort her, may have been more effective on himself.

He stayed like that for the near two minute drive to the destination and Forger didn't get much better, save for her breathing which was unsteady but deeper.

Damian felt jittery himself, anxious, as he sat in the dark on the floor, and it was possible Forger felt him shaking too. Her reaction to this place had spiked him with fear and he still didn't know where or what they were going to. Forger gave the impression it was awful.

And so he sat with her, dreading what was coming.

He almost didn't notice the vehicle slow or the sound of the speed easing, and ahead, a large door was opening for them. They didn't have to stop and it closed behind them.

There was light and Damian blinked against it as they entered the small hangar where a few other vehicles were parked. The lady situated the car and the adults got out. The driver's door opening was affirmation they'd arrived and it set Forger to crying out loud. Damian removed his hand as she shook her head, bracing her forearms on either side of it. And then the back door opened and while Forger cried harder, he mentally balked at the knowledge that getting out of this car, was stepping into her worst fears.