The Heart Thief

Chapter Fifteen

I am so sorry. I want to apologize for keeping you all waiting. I felt really guilty about not updating for months that whenever I go to wattpad, I'd feel scared of logging in. I'm really sorry. This chapter is short because I made it in a hurry. Just to let you all know that I'm back in writing. For sure this time. Again, I am so sorry.

Chaos.

Destruction.

Ashes.

Adventure Bay is no more. A few buildings stood about wobbly and some others were just the walls... without rooves. The strong scent of fire and burning chemicals spread about the entire place.

Debris floated far and long as far as the eye could see in the vast ocean and the most hazardous relics were drawn to the shore.

Explosions came about as frequent as lightning and thunder and the ground rumbled with each horrifying sound that escaped through the sky.

After achieving the peace that Mayor Goodway ambitioned for Adventure Bay, it fell into ashes immediately.

Skye raced above the air, pursued by three jets that tried to lock their missiles on her. It's been quite some time since she started distracting the air force that's been dropping firebombs on the city. Thanks to her courage, a few buildings stood where Ryder fortified and turned into his secret base... as of now.

Rubble and Marshall acted on rescue missions as stealthy as possible. Terrorists spread out through the city and were searching thoroughly for survivors only with an ulterior intention.

Rocky stood watch at the parameter of their hideout and gave frequent updates about their teammates and whereabouts of their enemies.

Chase stayed beside Ryder and helped him plan their defense. To stop this dilemma, they must first stop the leader.

Just a week ago, Chase enjoyed watching the stars at night with his friend Marshall and now... it seemed impossible. He was weighed down by a burden of watching his friends suffer because he couldn't bring himself to tell Ryder about Zuma.

He tried convincing himself that it wouldn't matter if Ryder knew Zuma was part of this mania. What more could it do? It wouldn't bring Zuma straight to them if Ryder knew his identity... right?

Chase sighed deeply as he watched Ryder focus on their situation.

"Three jets approaching from the side of this building, Ryder," Rocky warned and they all ducked afterwards. A fast spinning sound flew by them and another explosion was felt. It wasn't too distant from them. It's though as the target was just below their base.

"Check what they targeted, Rocky," Ryder ordered and went back to thinking. He took out his pup pad and analyzed the now distorted map of Adventure Bay. Whoever they're facing, he's a smart one for bombarding their lookout with guards.

Now Ryder can't upgrade his pups' weapons. If only he can figure out a route that would take them to their lookout's underground laboratory.

Then the idea struck him. He first contacted sky who was the most prone to danger. "Skye," Ryder watched her dot in the GPS, "I want you to fly as fast as you can to lose your pursuers. After that, go to Jake's mountain. At Jake's basement, there's a voice-activated door that would lead you to our lookout's underground laboratory, meet us there."

Skye didn't answer. Not that she can if she wanted to but Ryder was confident she got the message.

Next, Ryder contacted Marshall and Rubble, "Pups," Ryder scanned his GPS again for the closest secret passageway, "Rubble, I want you to dig under debris of town hall. One of the tiles at the very first floor is hollow. Figure it out and just follow where it goes. It'll lead you straight to the underground laboratory, meet us there."

Ryder crawled straight to Rocky and observed the street. It was filled with marching men in squadrons.

"Rocky, Chase, we need to blow this building up," Ryder said, "and once it falls, it'll block the street. We'll crawl down a manhole and go straight to the sea. Rocky, be brave, we're gonna swim until we arrive under Captain Turbot's dock. Once we're there, we'll go to another secret passage that leads to the lab, alright?"

Rocky swallowed at Ryder's plan... he didn't want to swim but he knows he has to. Otherwise, they'll die.

So following, Ryder's plan, they made their way quietly on the first floor and bombed the pillar that held the building up as they hid at the alley beside the building. When nothing but a mountain of debris blocked the street, they crawled into the manhole.

It was foul underneath and wet but nothing is ever accomplished the easy way. Besides, after they exit, they'll be swimming in fresh seawater – enough to get rid of all the germs.

Upon making their way out of the manhole, they went straight under the dock and used the baby turtles' passageway to arrive at their underground lab.

It wasn't far when they heard Skye and Rubble's voice discussing about the dilemma that's happening.

When Ryder opened the door, he role called, "Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Chase and... where's Marshall?" he asked.

Rubble whimpered and covered his eyes. "I don't know... I told him to stay behind me. We crawled to town hall avoiding the scary men that were marching. When I started digging, he was still behind me but when I entered the tunnel, he was no longer there. I didn't hear anyone approach us or hear Marshall say anything if he was abducted."

Chase was the first to react at Marshall missing. Marshall is his best friend and he couldn't believe Marshall was taken that easily. He's clumsy but not weak. Wherever he is, he must be fighting.

"We'll rescue Marshall when we rescue the whole city," Ryder proceeded to his military weapons.

***

Marshall's blurry vision started clearing out and he found himself trapped within a cage. The last he remembered was being snatched right behind Rubble but for a reason, he was the only one captured.

Whoever captured him spared Rubble.

"I see you're awake now." A mellow voice said somewhere within the darkness that surrounded the place. The cage where Marshall was kept was lighted only by a hanging bulb, swinging gently.

"W-who are you?" Marshall hoarsely asked, "Where am I?"

"Somewhere safe," the voice answered immediately. "But you're kept here in the meantime."

"I can't be contained here," Marshall got up and limped afterwards. It took him a few minutes since he woke up when he realized that he was badly beaten although he didn't remember being hurt after his capture.

"I can assure you, our motive is righteous but you stand in our way so we have no choice but to capture you."

Marshall thought for a while... righteous? He asked himself. The destruction of a humble city is nowhere near righteous. He bit his tongue from speaking and concluded that whoever's behind this nasty plan cannot be moved by reason.

It's up to Ryder and the team...