I'll Track You Down

Eight meters under

Just then one of the guards bursts in and signals for Caspian and I to follow. We both walk without a word. When the massive doors open sunlight cascades down my body like a waterfall, the warm air wraps me in an embrace and I let myself smile.

If all goes well I'll be back to Nye in no time, I only have to listen to what Caspian says. Just the thought of it excites me, I miss home, not the city, and definitely not the people, just the feeling of knowing, recognizing, sets me at ease.

My boots make imprints in the sand as Caspian leads me towards an array of dirt bikes. "Take your pick." I don't really care for which measure of transportation I take so I just choose the closest one to me, and instead focus on the waves, they calm the adrenaline in my chest and give me something other than the mission to think of.

Caspian, his three guards and I take off down a winding sandy path into a thin forest. Soon the sand turns to dirt and the sounds of ocean waves leave us. I fidget with the handlebars on my bike, picking at the rubber coating it. "Just relax." I hear Caspian say behind me. "You've done this before, there's nothing to worry about." He accelerates until he's next to me.

"I know that, Caspian." I huff. "If anyone should be worried here it should be you, this plan of yours has too many flaws to count."

"Well then, prepare yourself."

"For what?"

"When we succeed, just letting you know I get bragging rights."

"You're such a child." I groan.

"I'm pretty sure I'm older than you." He says, it's most likely true. I'm guessing he's in his mid twenties as I am, but if he is older I'm only betting by a year or two. "Spill it Kali, what's your age?" I debate about lying, but what good would that do?

"I honestly don't know-"

"Oh, don't you play dumb with me, Kali." Caspian jokes.

"No, I'm serious. I know that I'm around twenty three but I don't know. Growing up in the orphanage lots of us didn't know our exact birthdays, so we use the dates we came to the orphanage insead." It's not a confession or anything but Caspian looks kind of guilty.

"Well then, when is your kind of-birthday."

"Oh, well it's already passed."

"Come on Kali, just tell me."

"I had my twenty-third birthday on the day we escaped."I let out, it's not a big deal. I've never been big on birthdays, for me it doesn't really matter, it's just a reminder that we're all running out of time.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to celebrate. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it didn't matter, I don't really care about birthdays." I say with a shrug, Caspian tries to change the topic.

"Well, I'm older than you."

"Congratulations." I say through gritted teeth.

"Yep, turning twenty-five in September." He pauses. "You're welcome to come to the celebration."

"Yeah, rock hard pass."

"Whatever Kali, I'll find a way to get you there." He says through a smile, I don't pay it any mind, I've been trying really hard to give Caspian signals that we are in a strictly work relationship.

But I don't think he's noticed. Maybe it was the incident in the bathroom that made him think it was more, it might've even been when I caught him poisoning my drink, or maybe even before that, when he carried my wasted body home.

Distancing myself is the best thing to do for now, paint an ocean between us and let him know neither of us are going to cross it. Our line of bikes slows to a stop.

I practically jump off my bike wanting to get away from Caspian, but he puts a hand on my shoulder stopping me, "Okay Kali, Aeron and Willow are waiting for us under water, they got here sooner than us."

I don't understand what he's referring to, all I see is a very open cave with tinted water at the bottom, I'm estimating around six or seven feet. "So while they get your tank ready, I'm going to elaborate on what I didn't do in the meeting. Our old base is underwater, the centos that we're going into is around eight meters."

Eight meters? There's no way, where even the base, then? I thought that it might be a base on water but I don't see anything.

"Caspian, where is the base? I don't see anything." Caspian smirks a dangerous smile.

"It's behind the cave." Behind it? Does he mean in the walls? Then why are we going under water? The realization finally dawns upon me that the entrance is underwater.

"Caspian, do you mean to tell me that the only entrance to your base is underwater?" I pinch the bridge of my nose, it is a little smart but so unnecessary and excessive.

Every time I think Caspian has at least half a brain in that head of his, he does something like this. And that hope dissolves in nothing.

"Yes, look, I know it's not the most practical."

"No kidding." I mutter.

"But it's very secretive, and hard to get to."

"Well how do you explain a rival group getting in?"

"Oh, shut up." He says through a laugh, I sigh and move towards the cave slowly, I leave my boots by my bike and dip my toes in.