The Underground Palace

Chapter Twenty - Surrender Now

'What?' replied Alex.  She turned to her dad who was driving the car. They were at least 30 minutes away from the Underground Palace.  Her dad was staring at the phone shellshocked.

'Alex I thought you were dead,' spoke Glen sadly over the phone.  Alex wiped away her happy tears and shook her head softly smiling.

'No, it's a long story but Marco let me go.  I can't believe you did it, you used your power!'  Over the phone Alex heard some pushing and shoving until-

'Alex!  You need to come back here!'  Alex smiled at the sound of Oliver's voice.

'Coming right back now, Oliver,' replied Richard.  He picked up the radio transmitter installed on the SUV's dashboard and spoke into it, 'Château du Ciel, prepare to turn back to base. We have received confirmation that all Seven Children are safe and sound. Over.'  

An explosion of cheers was heard through the speakers and Alex couldn't help but grin once again. The men and women who had volunteered to join Richard on the rescue mission had followed them and were driving behind them in their own SUVs. Alex turned round and saw them all flash their headlights and beep their horns with delight. Alex turned back round, everything was going to be alright, finally! Richard lightly pressed down on the brakes, preparing to do a U-turn, when suddenly-

Boom!  One of the SUVs behind them exploded.  Then gun shots, hundreds of them filled the night.  Alex screamed and ducked just as a bullet exploded the car's left wing mirror. Richard pressed his foot down flat on the accelerator and the car lurched forward. 

'What's hap-' began Alex, then stopped herself. There was no need to ask her dad what was happening. It was all too clear. Marco had found them.

'How did he find out?' Alex demanded. Richard didn't reply.  He continued to stare straight ahead.  Marco must have positioned scouts all over the place, thought Alex, littered the whole Scottish Highlands with them. And even now, driving closer to the Underground Palace, closing the miles, the Ruler of Evil was going to make sure this time Alex was never going to return home. He had lost six of the Seven Children and no pact was going to save Alex this time. 

'Alex?  Alex what's going on? yelled Susan from the mobile.  Now Susan had joined the reunion and everything was going downhill.

'Mum he knows.  Marco knows we're close by.  He just blew up one of the cars behind us and now we're being shot at.'  She heard her mother swear on the other side.  

'You better bring my daughter back alive Richard!' she yelled in response.  Richard gritted his teeth.

'You can beat on it!' he yelled back.  In the distance Alex saw a car approaching them, then blinked and realised it was more than one car approaching, perhaps three, or seven.  Maybe ten.

'Dad...' whispered Alex.  

'Hold on,' warned Richard and he pressed down hard on the accelerator.  The car flew forward, more than two hundred miles an hour.  If Marco didn't kill them soon, Alex thought, her dad's driving would.

More bullets slammed into the car and Alex screamed and ducked, then realised they weren't causing any damage.  She looked up at her dad.

'Bullet proof?' she asked.

'You betcha,' he answered and suddenly yanked the steering wheel to the left.  The car swung left and broke through a wooden fence.  Bits of wood went flying everywhere.  They were in a field, flying fast over mounds of dirt.  Alex spun round and looked behind them.