Thick as Thieves 2: Under Your Command

Chapter 3

One Year Ago

The electric blue transformed into thick blackness, the air becoming denser until the oxygen disappeared completely. Then Michael realised with panic that he was soaking wet, surrounded by water and unable to breathe.

He kicked and waved his arms around in the freezing water, attempting to swim upwards. But he couldn't tell which direction was which. His mind exploded with panic as his lungs started straining for air, his limbs tiring. Then just when his body was starting to give up, he tore through the surface, gasping for oxygen.

The cold didn't even register, only the darkness and the frantic desire to stay above water. He couldn't see anything. His next thought was that he couldn't see Lucas anywhere.

Michael thrashed about, screaming Lucas' name. No response. He dived back in the water, searching even though he could barely see. Searching until he needed air.

He swam back up, splashing all around him, trying to feel for his brother. "Lucas?" He spat salt water out. "Lucas!"

Nothing. He dived back below again, and when he re-emerged Lucas was with him, barely conscious. Michael held him close, keeping his head above the water as Lucas spluttered. Even in the low light, Michael could see the blood from Lucas' wound was polluting the water.

"Are you alright?" Michael asked, still struggling for air whilst carrying both their weight above the surface.

"I'm fine" rasped Lucas, sounding the complete opposite of fine.

Terra Nova was long gone. What the hell were they going to do now? Exhausted, wounded, stuck in the middle of what appeared to be the ocean with no sign of land. If hypothermia didn't get them first, the exhaustion would.

"Well, what now, Lucas?" demanded Michael bitterly, still trying to keep his brother's head above water.

"I don't know," Lucas snapped weakly. "You're the soldier! You think of a way to save us."

Truthfully, Michael wasn't feeling much like a soldier anymore, and he had never anticipated a situation like this. There wasn't a lot they could do but stay afloat and wait for help, if they didn't die first. The latter was looking more likely by the second.

That's why Michael thought it was a miracle when they heard a helicopter overhead, its lights beaming towards them in the water. He started waving madly at them until a rope was lowered and they were raised to safety, coughing and spluttering as the helicopter flew them back to land.

The helicopter took them to a base on a nearby island and they were led to a cabin where they could change clothes. Once dried off, the brothers were taken to a room where a woman and a few men in suits greeted them.

"My God," one of them mumbled, astonished. "It's true. The portal works."

"Of course it works," an older woman replied, smiling. She was wearing a dress and blazer, donning red lips and auburn hair. Her appearance was immaculate. Her very tone and expression screamed money. She had to be the one in charge. "It's a little inconveniently placed but now we have Lucas back, I'm sure he can help us with that."

"Where are we?" Michael demanded impatiently. "What are we doing here?"

"You're in the North Atlantic ocean, Corporal Taylor. The portal in the Badlands brought you here," the woman responded.

Michael looked at Lucas whose solemn expression told him he wasn't surprised by any of this, and that he knew exactly what was going to happen now. Michael, however, was growing more agitated by the minute.