Drowning • Billy Hargrove

Chapter 55

"El, it's going to be okay." I say to her. She was currently shaking and crying uncontrollably. I probably would be the same way if I didn't have somebody to look out for and protect.
"Okay." She says.
"Listen, the Russians are probably going to get you to open the gate." I tell her.
She nods her head.
"I'm going to try to talk to these creeps and hopefully they'll let us out sooner."
She once again nods her head. "We won't die, right?" She says with a terrified look on her face.
I shake my head. "Of course not. El, you are extremely valuable and special. They won't kill you because they need you."
"But what about you?" El asks.
I freeze. "They have no reason to keep me alive." I start. "But they also have no reason to kill me, so I think I'll be fine."
"Okay."
Suddenly, the van door swings open and three men with big guns usher us out of the vehicle.
"Don't touch us!" I say but don't think they can understand me.

I looked outside and I could immediately tell that this was near the same metal junkyard Steve and I used to hang out at when we were little.
I could see a wooden trap door in a patch of dirt, thanks to the dim light from the moon.
"The gate must be down there." I whisper to El.
My speculations were right and soon enough the men were making us climb down a wooden ladder. I was the first down and I was greeted by the same man who killed the poor man, Alexei.

"You monster." I say angrily.
He scoffs and says something in Russian which I could not understand.
As soon as El carefully climbs down the ladder, the man leads us through the long tunnels to a control room, similar to the one in the mall.
He lead us past the control rooms and into an office with a desk and three chairs. He motioned for us to sit, so we did.

About five minutes later, a young Russian man walks in and sits in the third seat.
"Hello Jane and Katherine." The mysterious man said. "This is going to go very easily and without complications. The young one is going to open the gate then you can be on your way." The man stood up and I could clearly see his nametag that said his name was Dima.
"Wait!" I called out.
He takes a seat again. "I figured you would have some questions."
"Why do you need the gate open? You idiots clearly have no clue what's in there." I ask.
He smirks at me. "Research. You clearly have no idea what's in there either, sweetheart. So mind your own business."
I look at the man and smile. "Actually I do know whats in there, sweetheart. I've been there and I've almost died in there. You're stupid for opening it."
The man guarding the door clicks his gun. "Call him an idiot or stupid one more time."
I roll my eyes.
"This one's feisty. I like it." The young man says. "Anyways, any more questions?"
The next question I was about to ask isn't important, I was just curious about it. "Why bother bringing me here?"
Dima sighs. "Well if Jane doesn't do as she's told, we will take her actions out on you and you might go home with a few less fingers than what you started with."
El gasps. "No! Leave her out of it!"
I look at El and give her a reassuring smile. "It's okay."
The man smiles at me. "Are you out of questions now?"
I nod my head and stand up, but before I'm out of my seat completely, the guard standing by the door pulls his gun on me.
"What is going on?" I ask with my hands in the air.
"Sorry dear, you're not coming." The guard says.
"Why not?"
"Because he said so!" Dima says while slamming his fists on the table. "Do you ever stop asking questions?"
I roll my eyes and flop back onto the chair.
The young man leads El out of the room, while the guard doesn't take his eyes off of me.
"You hurt her, I'll have you all killed!" I yell as they walk away.

I waited for about half an hour for El to open the gate. I couldn't see anything but I could hear El screaming and the loud sounds coming from the gate due to it moving.
"All went well." Dima says as he walks back into the room with El. I could see she had blood streaming down her face from her nose and sweat all over her.
"You guys are going to end the world." I say as I stand up and walk past him.
Dima laughs and grabs onto my arm. "I'm not stupid, Kate. I know you will go and tell your police chief father about our base, but if you dare come down here, you'll be thrown through the gate with the Demogorgans."
I look at the man in disgust. "I hope I'm the last thing you think of when you guys get mauled by the Demogorgans."
Dima smiles and lets go of my arm.

The sun started to rise when we opened the trap door.
"Let's go home." I say to El.
She nods her head. "I can't walk. I'm so tired." And with that, she collapsed into my arms.
"Shit." I mumbled.
I walked for as long as I could with El in my arms before I got tired and felt like I could collapse. I sat down on the curb and hoped someone would drive by so I could ask them for help.

Thankfully, a familiar car rolled up. It was Billy.
"Kate! We've been looking everywhere for you guys!" He pulls me into a tight hug. "Did you guys get hurt? What happened?"
"It's a long story. Could you just take us home?" I ask.
"Of course. Hop in."