Hole in the Ground

"But if someone is coming toward us, I want to know so that I can go out to meet them. No hiding in a hole in the ground for me."

I looked at the man - a sturdy, solid piece of flesh. Thick black hair curled wildly around his olive face.

"I don't doubt that, Wilde," I replied. I turned, gesturing behind him. "But what of your wife and children? Would you have them ride out with you as well?"

"Of course not!" He seemed shocked that I would ask such a thing, and then understand sank in. "Alright. I see your point. We will make a safe point underground. For them." He glared toward his family, as if daring them to disagree. Mildrey turned her head to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

We walked inside the house. It was a good house, if a bit shabby, but the location was good. It was set on top of a hill, where nothing could approach without being seen. "Too many windows," said I, looking around in my professional capacity. "They're going to expect  you to have a storage area, a place where you would think you would safe." I knocked on a few more walls, peering through doorways where the paint peeled off in long strips. "That's why we're going to turn these three rooms into your surface safe rooms."

"But they're part of the house! If the house burns, so will they."

"And that, my dear man, is why there will be a hidden trapdoor. A door leading into the ground, into a tunnel which leads to yonder cellar." I looked out of the window, toward said cellar. It was nothing more than a long oval tube sunk into the ground at this point, but it had definite possibility, aside from...

"That structure over it will need to be razed."

"Impossible. That's the water pump. If it rains, we'll need it to pump out the water so we don't drown."

"It's got 'cellar' written all over it in bold red letters. That's the first place anyone is going to look."

Wilde deflated.

"No worries. We'll raze it down immediately so that the grass has time to grow over the entryway." I chuckled inside at the big man's discomfort.

"You did want my services, did you not?"

I held out my hand. He hesitated, then shook it.