Chapter Five

'Panic Room, Amon's Obsession with Security'

I do not own WHR, though I wish I did.

Preston stood by the well in the courtyard. Amon's call had scared the hellm out of everybody. There was definetely something he was hiding, but then, in this business, who wasn't hiding some big secret or another? He hoped that Amon knew what he was doing.

The trap door in the well flung open. Preston cocked his gun and took aim. If that wasn't Amon he was prepared to fire.

Amon emerged from the well. "After the girl and her mother get out, seal off this entrance. Set up a patrol in the courtyard, and have no less than two guards at each door."

"Yes, sir," Preston said saluting Amon. He then helped Kyra and Robin inside. Once the woman and child were safely inside, all it took was the press of a button, and the well rotated until all that was visible was the actual bottom filled with water.

"Robin, come on. We have an underground bunker. You'll be safe there."

Robin nodded and turned to Kyra. Kyra was obviously not pleased. "It would seem that we have no choice, Robin," she said.

The three of them entered the building and Amon led to an elevator. He pressed the button for the lowest floor.

The ride was very quiet until Kyra spoke. "Who were they exactly?"

"Hunters," Amon said flatly. "They were going to send you both to Zaizan's Factory no doubt. It's what some hunters do."

Robin's face grew pale with fear. She looked up to Amon with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, I used to be one of that kind of hunter, back in Japan at the STN-J."

Robin clutched her heart and closed her eyes, allowing the tears to come. He didn't have to tell her. She could tell by his eyes that she too had done these horrible things. A hand came to rest on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Amon, who simply said, "It's alright. I'm with you now. You don't have to do any of this alone."

Robin smiled at him and leaned into him. His scent was comforting. A combination of aftershave and cologne that was all too familiar. The elevator doors opened.

"Come on. Once we're in the bunker I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Robin and Kyra followed Amon into his office. He logged onto his computer and without opening a window, typed something rapidly. A panel in the wall opened up and revealed a dark stairwell. Amon shut down his computer and led the two into the darkness. He threw on the light switch and punched a code into a keypad built into the wall. The door shut behind them and the sound of no less than nine lockes were heaard. Amon proceeded to lock the additional multitude of visable locks all down the side of the door.

"You, uhhh, need this kind of protection regularly," Kyra said sarchastically.

"I believe in being prepared," Amon replied. "Follow me."

They walked down the stairs until they found a series of tunnels. "Always go to the second one from the left. The others lead to either the outside, or the parking garage. Don't worry, those doors are just as secure as the one we came through, but they also require hand print and vocal scans. The alarms will sound at the slightest disturbance. Should that happen, I expect you to shoot whoever you see. I'll always call you on the direct line before I enter."

At the end of the tunnel there was a door. "This door is made of solid lead and is six inches thick. There are nineteen locks that only open from the inside." Amon opened the door. Inside was a modestly sized room that resembled a hotel, but a touch nicer. There was a seating area with a sofa and a loveseat centered around a coffee table, a small, but functional kitchenette with a nicely stocked pantry and a microwave oven. There was even a small four person dinette set. On the wall opposite the entrance, were three doors.

"The middle door is a panic room. The others are identical suites with bathrooms. There are tv and gun cabinets in both rooms. All of these rooms have a telephone that dials my office directly. Just pick it up and I'll answer."

Robin smiled and nodded in approval. She pointed to the door on the right and walked in, closing the door behind her.

"She's going to take a nap," Kyra stated.

"Why can't she speak," Amon blurted out.

"No one really knows for sure. Apparently, she was very vocal when she first arrived at the hospital. They said she kept screaming about a factory and she repeated the name Amon alot, but then one day she just stopped talking. Psycological trauma can do that to a person, they said. They tried to find you, but without a last name they didn't get very far."

"I see."

"She thinks you killed someone close to her."

"In a way I kind of did."

"She also thinks that you may be my father."

"I wish I could say that I was. I care a great deal for her, but we were never that close. I mean we never..."

"You never had sex."

"No. We never did that."

"You know, you don't have to try and protect me from what you call adult things. Or truth about life and death. I may be in the shell of a child, but when you can read minds before you can walk, it doesn't take long before you have amassed the wisdom that most strive thier whole lives to attain."

"And what do you see in my mind?"

"That you won't hurt us. But you are harboring alot of guilt about betraying Robin in the past."

"I notice that you don't call her mother."

"Why? Should I?"

"She might like it if you did."

Kyra stared blankly at Amon for a moment. "You love her don't you?"

"Can't you see it in my mind?"

"I want to hear you say it."

"Perhaps, when the time is right. I need to go and speak with Preston. I'll return in one hour. Your glock nines and clips are in the tv stands." Amon turned to leave.

"Thank you," Kyra said.

"Yeah," muttered Amon.

So there you have it. Robin is safe...for now, and Amonpromised to protect her. Awww! How sweet! I know it seems a bit, well paranoid to have him prepared for WW3 and all, but after the previous STN raid, I think he'd have every right to feel that way. Well now, I hope you enjoyed that one. Thank you for reading it. I really appreciate it.