Hunting Her

Chapter 40

"So where's the grate Hunt?" Hercules grumbled as we crept through the dense woods. The air was thick with the earthy scent of damp soil and decaying leaves, and the trees clustered more tightly together, their gnarled branches creating a canopy that blocked out the moonlight. It was becoming increasingly difficult to dodge the branches as we stumbled around blindly, the silence amplifying every rustle and snap of twigs beneath our feet.

"It's around here somewhere," Hunter replied, his voice taut with frustration as he scraped the ground with his foot to clear some fallen leaves. His tone held a desperate edge, a hint of the pressure weighing on him, weighing on us all. "I know it is."

"Are there any landmarks, anything we can use to find it?" Cam asked, his calm voice a stark contrast to the rising tension. I could make out a fresh cut on his forehead, likely from a low-hanging branch, glistened with blood in the dim light. He seemed unaffected by it, but it was a testament to our struggle.

"It was by a tall tree." 

"They're all tall trees," Hercules snapped back quickly, his eyes glinting with barely restrained anger. "We're in a fucking forest."

"Yes, I know that," Hunter growled, his patience fraying, turning fully to face Hercules. Cam took a step towards him, the air thick with unspoken threats.

"This isn't helping," I intervened, my voice strained as I tried to prevent a full-blown argument. The weight of the mission pressed heavily on my shoulders, the fear for Aaron gnawing at my insides. "Aaron needs us, and this isn't going to help him." I glanced at both of them, their expressions hardening as they reluctantly resumed their search.

Cam caught my eye and mimicked strangling himself before continuing to search. I twisted on my heels to follow suit when my foot caught something, producing a metallic clank. My heart leapt as I swept the leaves aside to reveal a metal hatch, and a small smile crept onto my face. "Found it."

The earpiece in my ear crackled to life, and Mila's voice emerged from the static. "Took you long enough." I rolled my eyes at her dramatics as Hunter and Cam worked together to open the hatch. The metal hinges creaked, their rusty protests loud in the otherwise silent forest, but the hatch eventually revealed a set of dark stairs descending into the unknown.

"Yeah, that doesn't look like a death trap at all," Hercules groaned, peering into the abyss.

I pulled out the torch I'd stored away in my pocket, having already thought ahead and having had enough creepy dark corridors to last a life time. I clicked it on and pulled out a knife with my other hand. "Worse things than death, Herc." I uttered as I began to step down, leading the way. The cold air from below carried a musty, damp smell, sending a shiver down my spine.

Hunter followed closely behind, his breath warm on the back of my neck.  "You're a bit close there, Hunter." I whispered, not turning around to face him. 

"If you're insisting on being in front, this is the furthest I stand from you, English." Hunter whispered back, not missing a beat as he continued to move with me. 

"Do you not trust me to take the lead, Hunter?" I asked, taking another careful step down the corridor. 

"No, that's not it." 

"I see, well Hunter, if you wanted to get close to me, all you had to do was ask," I teased, whilst keeping my eyes on the corridor.  My right hand gripped the knife tightly, ready to strike at whatever might loom in the shadows. The walls were damp and close, amplifying every sound we made, making the silence oppressive.

Hunter let out a low laugh, that tickled my neck. 

"Why am I not surprised that you're flirting with each other. On a mission like this." Hercules spat, striding into the space next to me. "Aaron's life is on the line and you just can't stop yourselves. You both disgust me."