The Secret City: Into the Lair

Chapter 4

June awoke to birds merrily chirping outside the window.

"Shut uppp," She groaned, covering her ears. June rolled over and her eyes met the clock.

7:43am. Ugh, I have to get up, She painfully realized. Sitting up and opening the curtains, June let the sun stream into her room. It used to be her best friend, Sam's, room before Sam died. When she first moved in, June hadn't been able to sleep in that room since Jason had shot his daughter there. Over time she'd worked up the courage to, but she could still vividly picture the tragedy right in front of her, just like the day it happened.

I feel like I didn't sleep at all, June groaned. Oh wait, I didn't. She chuckled at her own realization and then got out of bed and got ready. She jogged down the stairs in her new uniform at 7:57am. Breakfast was at 8:00 and school started at 8:30. Or rather, their tutoring lessons. June arrived downstairs to find Iseral sipping hot chocolate and reading a book. He glanced up as she entered the room and nodded to her. June waved back and trodded into the kitchen where Minerva was just putting food on the table.

"Where's B?" June asked.

"Being slow!" Iseral called from the adjoining room.

June laughed and replied, "Sounds about right."
"I'm right here!" B called, finally coming down the stairs at 8:00 sharp.

"Well, you're just on time!" Minerva announced. "Breakfast is ready!"

-*-

After breakfast and morning lessons, the teens and B sat outside in the grass, having a picnic while Minerva ran errands.

"I don't like this much," B stated.

"You don't like what?" Iseral asked. "Your sandwich?"
"No," B said, "I don't like sitting around while Jason is out there doing whatever he wants! It's not right!"

"I agree." June licked her fingers off and set her sandwich down. "Let's do something! If we skip our afternoon lessons, we can go to the mayors and tell them what's happened. Surely they will want to do something."

"Good idea. But we can't skip our afternoon lessons or Minerva will find out what happened," Iseral pointed out. "We should go tomorrow, since we don't have any lessons."

"Sounds good to me," B agreed.

"Yup, I'm on board!" June conceded.

"Let's get Adi, Lok, and Eta too. They'll want to help," Iseral added.

"Yeah!" June agreed, excited about meeting up with their friends again.

-*-

"Shhhh," June hissed at Iseral when he closed the door (A little vigorously in her opinion).

"Sorry!" Iseral whispered back.

The teens stole across the grassy lawn under the stars and into the nearby birch trees where Iseral teleported them to Adi and Lok's house. The twins were already outside and the new group quickly teleported to Eta's house. She was tiptoeing out the door when they arrived and joined hands with the group swiftly.

They then teleported to the mayoral building, which was both a courthouse and living accommodations for the mayors.

"So... What's the plan here?" Eta began, breaking the silence outside the courthouse.

"Um, we didn't make one," Iseral admitted shifting his feet.

"Well, that was smart," Lok chimed with a chuckle.

Iseral rolled his eyes, a smile playing at the corner of his lips before saying, "Okay but really we don't have a plan. What are we going to do?"

Silence persisted when no one brought any ideas up.

Eventually, June spoke. "Well this seems obvious but...what if we just knock on the door?"

"I don't think anyone else has a better idea," Adi admitted.

The others consented to the plan and everyone called not it to do the knocking and talking. That is, except B.

"Are you sure?" June questioned him.

"Oh yeah," Iseral interrupted, "He's good with words. Not just ones in different languages."

"Okay." June nodded her head.

The group approached the door and B knocked, strong and loud. For several beats, no sound came from inside. Several more passed and still nothing. Then, the door was flung open and Hugo stood at the door, glaring at them. Sparks flew from his fingertips.

"Hello Mister. My name is Baro—" Hugo slammed the door shut. Unfazed, B knocked again. Again, the door flew open.

"My name is Barota and we need your help." B gestured to the teens surrounding him.

"It can wait until morning," Hugo growled and began to close the door again. B stuck his foot in the frame, stopping the swing.

"Actually, it can't," He disputed.

Hugo's sigh could be heard from ten miles away. Head hanging low, he lifted his eyes to stare down B. "You can't be more than five," he sighed. "What could possibly be so urgent at –" he checked his watch – "Two thirty-eight in the morning?"

"Like I said, we need your help."

Hugo gave him an exasperated look as if to say, elaborate?

"Will you let us in? It's a bit chilly out here," B joked lightheartedly.

Hugo rolled his eyes and the door opened wider, allowing enough space for the group to pass through.