Hidden Identity (Book Two)-Complete

Year Five, Day Twenty-Eight Part 2

Cait POV

When the gondola finally reaches the top where I've been waiting, I smile at the sight of the blond guy holding hands with the girl in the black cloak as they step off. The gondola ride is said to be very romantic. I knew something would happen between them since they obviously had feelings for each other; they just needed a little push in the right direction.

"How was it?" I ask, bounding over to them. The girl's hood is down, revealing long, wavy silver hair and dark skin. Her shocking blue eyes hold the shine that indicates Mako enhancement like the blond's.

She smiles an extremely beautiful smile. "It was very nice. The view was amazing."

"Yeah..." the blond murmurs, but it's obvious his attention isn't on the conversation. His own Mako blues never leave the girl. It's clear my match-making skills have improved much, if I do say so myself.

"We should check if anyone is back at the inn yet."

"Yeah..."

As we head for the tunnel to the haunted hotel, a couple security guards stop us. This doesn't look good. What could they want?

"You three are under arrest," one of them says. As if on instinct, the blond immediately reaches for the hilt of his large blade, and the girl flips a couple of kunai into her hands. The guards notice this, too, and raise their guns. "Noncooperation will be met with gunfire."

"What did we do wrong?" the blond demands, even though I'm quite sure those two could've taken out the two guards. Maybe he's worried that some innocent bystanders might get hurt.

"Several staff members and patrons were recently murdered by a man with a gun-arm. Several people have stated that you were with such a man. Collaborating with a murderer is means for expulsion."

"Cloud, what should we do?" the girl asks the blond. So his name is Cloud.

"Sounds like Barret couldn't control his damn temper again. Somebody should've gone with him," Cloud mutters, releasing the hilt of his sword and running a hand through his hair which sticks up even more as a result. Crossing his arms, he says, "we have all our belongings with us, and we should be leaving anyways. Let's go."

"We will escort you out," the second guard says. With one behind and one in front, we get practically frog-marched down the tunnel to the main square, but instead of leading us to the train station, they force us into a room right near the tunnel.

"What's going on-!?"

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Cloud POV

"Cloud."

"Wake up. This ain't the time to be lyin' around."

I blink in the bright late afternoon sunlight. "Where-?"

"A desert prison-Corel Prison Town," Cait Sith answers my unfinished question. He and Cress are standing over me looking worried.

"A desert prison?"

"Yup. It's a natural prison surrounded entirely by quicksand. Those that get in can never get out. I think there was one exception, though..."

"Look! It's Barret!" Cress suddenly exclaims, pointing to a spot amongst the rusty pipes all around us. Sure enough, there stood Barret. Somehow, he seems smaller, like he's weighed down by something.

I jump to my feet, ignoring the pain in my head at the sudden movement. We run to him, jumping over pipes easily, only to stop short. A man covered in bullet wounds is lying dead at his feet.