RECLAIM

Chapter 27. To Nowhere

Unedited

~Laith~

"Can I just say something real quick? I mean, how exacting is this? It's not every day we can stumble upon a secret passageway," Carlo chirped cheerily as he stepped over another big piece of rock.

Laith swore she was going to kill Carlo. And Queen. Screwed that, if they didn't find an exit from this forsaken pitch black tunnel soon, she's going to kill everyone. Starting with the chirpy guy walking right in front of her. Don't get her wrong. She like Carlo, but his inability to see the how annoying this endless, damp and dark hole was driving everyone crazy. Or maybe he's just trying to lighten the mood. Either way, it's going to be his end.

"Dearest brother?" Camille voice was sweet as jam, but there was murder in there somewhere. "May I suggest something? Can you shut your mouth?"

"Camy, you know I can't do that." Carlo stopped and as the result they are too. The tunnel wouldn't leave any room for cutting line. "Walking inside this shit hole will only get more depressing as times goes by. We can use a little sunshine down here."

"I guess we're talking about you?" Alex sighed.

Laith wanted to snap but confined to shook her head at three people in front of her instead as she met Alex half amused glance.

"Wolf?" Arden voice was flat.

Laith half turned towards him. "Yeah?"

"Can't you order them to move their asses already?" he growled, clearly as annoyed as her, if not more. "While you're at it, order them to move faster. Or I can kick them into it. Either one is fine."

"Don't worry, grumpy. We can hear you just fine," Carlo's voice held traces of humor as he begins to move again. "Don't mind us. Just do me a favor and take care of yourself. We didn't want another drama of tumbling the line to happen again."

"I can't guaranty that. It's dark here even with our e-Links set on night vision mode," Arden said out loud.

"Not to mention he must be quite tempted to recreate your hilarious face palm as the result of the said tumbling earlier," Alex sourly adds.

Laith took a deep, calming breath. "Here I am, stuck in the hole with a bunch of pre-school children," she whispered.

"You're welcome, Wolf. I'm always ready to brighten every situation." Carlo smile was so bright even the lack of illumination can't dim it.

"So, you officially takes on the role of comic relieve?" Camille said as she pushed her brother to move faster.

"I'm tethering the line of being great or miserable."

The conversation died down for a while after that as the tunnel becomes more difficult to explore. It's going deeper underground too, from the looks of it.

"Um, chief? How long do you think this tunnel is?" Carlo asked her, his voice no longer teasing, as there were traces of worry in it. "I'm starting to think this tunnel was more of secret layer variant."

"I was just thinking the same--"

Laith clipped her sentence when a big bump on the tunnel walls snagged her right arm. Her back made a brief contact with Arden chest before she can stop herself. She then turned to face him to apologize, only to stop when her eyes caught something. Nudging at all directions to give her some room, she approached it.

"Laith, what is it?" Arden whispered slowly. "What did you see?"

"I'm not sure..." Her sentence trail as she tapped the bump that snagged her earlier. She poked it harder. Some pieces finally fell and exposed what's inside. Laith turned her night vision off and readjusts her flashlight.

"Is that what I think it is?" Camille frowned.

Alex nodded. "It looks like a specially designed cables for handling massive electrical power." He crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her cables with calculated look, his lips curling into half grimaced.

"And you know this how?" Arden stared at the faintly glowing blue cables.

"I help my sister and her co-worker installed bunch of them at a power plant near my base," Alex said with dreary tones that make Laith eyes widened. "As far as I know, this stuff is expensive, but very reliable."

Camille tried to wriggle closer. "What do you think their doing down here?"

"Building something that requires a massive electrical power?" Alex let out a long sighed. "Nothing good I presume."

"So, this tunnel was not an escape route after all." Laith winced. Damn. What their gotten into this time?

Arden grimaced. "I'm afraid so."

Thought filled quietness engulfed them. Laith straighten herself, conflicted. If only she know more of what lies ahead. She could make up some assurance, but knew she would choke on such a lie.

"We can still turn back," she reminded her companions, feeling the need to offer them some kind of a way out.

"And leave the two of you to wonder back in here later? Not a chance," Camille sneered. "I'm staying."

"If my sister stays then so do I."

Laith eyes narrowed on them. "You've developed a taste for danger, Legends. It could get the two of into trouble," she warned them, her voice low.

"I understand that this is you're domain but we already came this far. And it's not like we didn't ask for permission first," Alex pointed out. "You can't kick us out."

"The two of us can use some extra hands, Wolf. Especially since we don't exactly sure what's waiting at the end of this tunnel," Arden voices his reason. He then pointed ahead. "And from the looks of it, we almost there anyway."

Laith nudge aside three people in front of her. Sure enough, a dim light peek right ahead. The good news is they finally cleared the tunnel. The problem is she just not sure what's waiting beyond. She glanced at faces around her and sighed. Guess it's too late to turn back now.

"All right then," she grumble, her voice colored with irritation as she faced ahead, her own anxiety growing. "Let's just get this over with."

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Hello again. I'm back from brief hiatus. I hope all of you like this chapter.

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