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Dante looked at the computer screen and saw hallways, a main room, and the front and back entrances. “I don’t see Selestino.”
“He’s there. He was in the hallway a couple of minutes ago. There,” he said, pointing to the main room that had three camera angles. “He’s fine, by the looks of it.”
“I wish we could communicate with them.”
“There is a phone line, but it’s not set up. We don’t need to speak to them. If we get them out of there, you can yell at him all you want.”
“I’ll do more than that. I’d like to smack him, but I suppose he’s too old for that.”
“I’m sure my father would disagree. If I were anywhere near him, he’d smack me, or he’d very much want to.”
Dante patted his back. “You’re in my family now, Prince. No one will ever hurt you again, if we can help it.”
After climbing out of the cave, he found Blaine pacing. “BB, are you okay?”
“He’s still out there, Dante. And who knows, this might not be the only other bunker.”
“We’ll find him. Somehow, we will.”
Prince hollered, “I think I have it!”
They all rushed in a group toward the entrance, but Dante pushed through them to get down the few steps first. “Prince?”
“I locked him out and changed the code. With this program, I can make it so he can never change the code again. Let’s say there’s a code inside the code.”
“Computer people make little sense to me, Prince, but I adore you. Let’s get them out of there.”
Dante let Prince do the honors, and as soon as the tumblers sounded and a great racket happened in the wall, he finally heard a click, and the door came open an inch.
He rushed in, Lonnie and Tango on his heels. Down a short hall to the main room they’d seen on the screen, Sel was standing near the television, and he smiled tiredly. “Uncle!”
Dante went to him and practically tackled him in a hug. “I’m so angry with you, but so glad you’re okay.”
“I know. And I am. Fine, that is.”
Prince ran inside and jumped into Dex’s arms, and Ruben and Dallas came in soon after, smothering Marius between them.
Blaine followed Dante’s hug with one of his own, and Dante noticed Bennie heading right for him. “You protected him anyway.”
“No, Dante. Tell me it wasn’t the things he did that saved us.”
Dante realized he was right. If it wasn’t for Sel’s blatant ignoring of his orders, they’d have been lost, and likely killed. “Still, Bennie, he could have…” His own argument sounded pitiful to himself. “Yeah. He’s…he’s ready, whether or not we are.”
“He is, sir. I believe that.”
Prince was busy kissing Dex, but Dante knew he’d give the man a million-dollar bonus when he came up for air, and the others were dancing around, so happy all their people were okay.
Dallas hugged Avery and Jim next, then they were all escorted out of the bunker, the two doctors waiting outside to look them all over as Sel walked out with Dante.
“Uncle, I know I fucked up, but I had a feeling. It was eating at me, and I couldn’t just sit and do nothing. Bennie told me, though, that…it’s not just from your love that you want to keep me safe. You really are counting on me to take over one day.”
“It’s mostly from love, I assure you, Sel, but…you’ve been ready to take over since you were a small child. You knew things, understood things that a little kid couldn’t or shouldn’t.”
“I won’t place myself in danger if I can help it,” he said as they stood in the sunlight. “But I’m also not going to hide from it anymore. If I’m going to ask others to put their lives on the line, I’d be a shitty leader if I wasn’t willing to do the same.”
Dante had never been so proud of anyone before in his life as he was in Sel at that moment. He hugged his nephew close, but had to admit, “I called your parents.”
Sel laughed. “I figured you’d have to. I’ll deal with them.”
