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Might as well, I silently concur. I certainly don’t like standing around. Just increases our chances of getting caught.
“All right.” I blow out a long breath. “I’m ready.”
I can practically feel Tekil hesitating, but finally he nods.
“Very well,” he agrees, then points his finger at me. “But you stay behind us.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. He turns, slowly creeping down the passageway with soft steps. As we pass by one cage, I recognize it as Tekil’s and glance inside. It looks the same as mine: bleak, empty. When we pass by my old cage, I swallow hard as every terrible memory rushes back, and a quote from Nietzsche echoes in my mind:
Be careful hunting monsters, lest you become one yourself, for when you stare into the Abyss, the Abyss also stares into you…
10
____________
Tekil
I am here, brothers.
We are ready, Zeno replies.
It would be best if Myla waited outside, but Tekil knew she would refuse. At least this way, he can make sure she’s safe. Myla is small, yet possesses an inner strength and steadfastness that surprises him.
She follows silently as he leads the way through the cave. Andred is equally quiet; the only sounds are their breathing and the constant dripping water from somewhere inside the cave.
Slowly, he leads Myla and Andred to the far end of the west wing. Mold and dark green algae-like growths cover the walls. The smell of decaying foliage is stronger than he remembers.
A gentle touch on his left arm. Myla. He glances over his shoulder and wordlessly points towards the alcove in the distance. She nods, understanding where he is heading as he carefully pushes her against the wall, holding up a hand and gesturing for her to stay. With Andred at his side, Tekil slips into the alcove and begins removing stun weapons, switching them to kill. They are small and oddly shaped, but highly effective. He takes a few extra for his team and gestures for Myla to come, handing one to her and silently showing her where to press and aim. She nods and grips the weapon.
Heading out, they turn left down a different passageway, and creep toward the cells. Even now, none of the Acradidia are present to accost them. Tekil begins to wonder if it might be possible to retrieve Vi’del and Zeno without alerting the Acradidia.
Hopefully.
Andred grips his arm and gestures towards a cell on the right; his team—Soav and Hitak—are in there. Tekil nods. Like Vi’del and Zeno, they are linked and, judging by his prior unwillingness to return for them, Andred is not. As he had warned Myla earlier, Andred is a most unstable being.
Here, Zeno’s voice calls in his mind. Tekil looks up and sees his team.
Free us first, Vi’del urges. He doesn’t need to say why but there’s no need—Tekil is leading the rescue and he is linked to them. Only Andred remains un-linked, and Tekil is uncertain how much he trusts Soav and Hitak; for all he knows, they might simply abandon the rescue and run off with (or without) Andred if they are freed first.
Carefully, Tekil approaches the cell, ignoring Andred’s angry gestures toward his own team. Vi’del and Zeno step forward, their faces battle ready. Tekil glances over the control locking mechanism just out of his team’s reach, then catches Zeno’s gaze.
Do you know the code? he asks.
No.
I have seen it once, I will try that one before blasting it open.
Zeno nods and watches with Vi’del as Tekil reaches for the control pad and types in a series of strange, web-like marks that Tekil can barely register as actual “writing”:
Expecting the cell door to quietly spring open, Tekil is somewhat startled when it doesn’t. Instead, a loud high-pitched alarm blares throughout the facility, and all the lights blink on simultaneously.
“Crap!” Myla curses behind him, just as Andred growls.
Tekil is momentarily too astonished to move…
“They must have changed the code after we escaped!” Myla says, breaking the spell.
Andred fires his weapon in unison with Tekil, and the cage doors shatter, releasing Vi’del, Zeno, Soav and Hitak all at once.
