Free Ice Storm by David Meyer

them. But as time went on, he grew careless.
    He moved to another cabinet. But he found nothing other than office supplies and stacks of scholarly journals.
    For the next ten minutes, he searched every nook and cranny in the room. But the crate eluded him. Why did the Whitlows receive so many crates anyway? What was in them? And where did they store the stuff they received?
    The floor creaked.
    Peterson frowned. He retraced his steps.
    The floor creaked again.
    Kneeling down, he examined the wood slats. They looked slightly different than the rest of the floor. He felt around the area. His finger touched something metallic.
    Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He lowered his head to the ground. A tiny metal ring was embedded into the slats. It was barely visible, even from inches away.
    He grasped the ring and pulled. A panel lifted into the air. A bit of wind touched his body. Dust particles flew into his face.
    He looked into a gaping hole. A ladder ran down one side of it. It led to a dimly lit space.
    His curiosity surged. What were the Whitlows doing with a secret room? How had they built it without his knowledge? And most importantly, what purpose did it serve?
    Turning around, he lowered his legs into the hole. Then he descended into the abyss.
    At the bottom, Peterson stepped off the ladder. He twisted around. A variety of images bombarded his eyes. Numerous computers. New, shiny machinery. Old, rusty machinery. Instruments that looked more fitting for a doctor's office than a laboratory. And strangest of all, large cylindrical tubes. They were mounted on end and pushed up against the walls. Cables connected them to various machines and computers.
    Peterson felt an odd electric buzz in the air. It bothered him. The whole room bothered him. There was something wrong with it, something he couldn't quite figure out.
    "You shouldn't have come here."
    Peterson spun to the side.
    Holly stood several feet away, hands on hips.
    "What is this place?" he asked.
    "It's a laboratory." She smiled sweetly. "A private laboratory."
    Out of the corner of his eye, Peterson saw a brass plate. It was bolted to the front of one of the cylindrical containers. His heart pounded against his chest. "Does that say—?"
    The blow crushed his skull. Pain ripped through his body. He tried to cry out but his mouth wouldn't work. Slowly, he sank to the ground.
    A pair of boots appeared. "What should I do with him?" Rupert asked.
    Peterson fought to hold onto his consciousness.
    "We can't let him leave," Holly replied. "So, we might as well prep him."
    Blackness swirled around Peterson. Reality drifted away.
    Then his worst nightmares began.

 
    Chapter 21
    "Relax, will ya?" Dutch Graham slipped a silver key into the lock and twisted it. The oak doors yawned open, revealing a massive void. "You're making me nervous."
    My pulse raced as I inhaled the odors of wood, fine leather, and brass polish. Gently, I pulled the cuffs of my shirt and straightened my coat. I never wore suits. Never. But today, I was willing to making an exception. "How the hell am I supposed to relax? I don't even know why I'm here."
    "Fair point."
    He pushed a dimmer switch. Tiny electric fires burst forth from the darkness. Soft light stole across the room, illuminating all four corners of the cavernous space.
    My jaw dropped. For years, I'd wondered what lay beyond the oak doors. I'd imagined hundreds of things, arranged in hundreds of different ways. But this … well, this was beyond even my wildest dreams.
    A giant carpet, ancient and exquisite, covered much of the hardwood floor. It featured a richly detailed landmass, surrounded by ocean. It was Pangaea, the supercontinent from which all modern continents originated.
    Dark wood walls, textured and paneled, rose up from the floor. They soared high into the air where they greeted the ceiling. But this was no ordinary ceiling. Instead, it was the bottom of a giant sphere, sculpted and painted to resemble the globe. It