“Staten,” Manny calls. “Hold up.”
“Turn around, guys,” I say. “Bronx is this way.”
Now, I’m leading the group of rescuers without a map. But I know how to get where we need to be.
The closer we get to him, the greater the pull. After taking a few wrong turns and meeting a dead end, I finally hold up my hand, signaling everyone to stop. I push magic into my ears and listen. Tilting my head, a banging sounds floats back to us.
“Is that him?” Staten asks.
I nod. “Be careful, everyone.”
We slink down the dark hallway, flattening against the sides. So far, this mission has been uneventful, but it can’t last long. Way to jinx it, Brooklyn. No sooner than I think that, we turn the corner and stop.
Up ahead are Level Three students. They haven’t spotted us yet. We creep backwards and back down an empty hall. I don’t know how many there are, but what I did manage to see was four doors, two on each end of the tunnel.
“He’s in there,” I say. “Probably behind one of those doors.”
“It didn’t look like they were guarding it,” McQueen says. “More likely they don’t know who is being kept behind the doors.”
“If they knew, someone might have let him out. He was an instructor.”
“Yeah, which is why I think the students don’t know,” Staten says. “If they drugged him while the Threes are milling about, Bronx would stay quiet, so whatever they are doing down here, they can go about their business.”
“We have to get behind those doors.”
“I know. We need a distraction.”
“What are you guys saying?” Noelle asks as she walks toward the front of the group.
“There are four doors up ahead but there are students there.”
“Then that’s my cue. Did anyone get a look at the kids? Maybe I know some of them. Since we’ve all been sorta grouped together, I know most of the school now.”
We shake our heads. It was too quick of a look. I don’t even know how many Level Threes there are in the hall.
“Maybe Jake is around and if he’s not, someone will know him. He might have said something to them about me, and I could say I’m looking for him. That he told me about the place.”
“I don’t like it,” Declan says.
“You don’t have to, but it’s a good idea. Even if he’s not down here, I could still go looking around and come back and report what I find.”
“I don’t know, Noelle,” I say. “It’s dangerous. Allister knows you’re my friend. If he’s here too and sees you, he might put two and two together and assume that I came. He sent you the text which brought us here.”
“It’s a chance I’m willing to take. We need to know which door Bronx is behind.”
I sigh. It’s a plan. Not great since we’re putting her in a boat load of potential danger, but it could work, too. “It’s up to you, Noelle. You know what we’re up against and what’s at stake.”
“All right. I’ll go, then. Wish me luck.” She hugs me and takes a couple of steps down the hall. An arm snakes out and grabs her, spinning her body back toward us.
“Not so fast,” Declan says. “Just in case I don’t see you for a while.”
My boys and I back up to give them some space. I drag McQueen along, so we can give them as much privacy as taking two steps away can provide. Every word is still heard.
“I know we haven’t known each other very long,” he continues. “And I know you recently lost someone important to you. I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not ready for, especially for a serious relationship or anything. But before you walk into the snakes’ den, I need you to know that I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”
“Ah, Decs.”
That’s all I need to know about them. They lower their voices to finish the conversation. They do seem to care for each other, and I’d be glad to see my number two and best friend together. But that’s down the road. Now’s not the time for thinking of that, only of Bronx. He needs us.
“Hey guys?” Noelle says. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
We nod. We’re another step closer to having Bronx back with us where he belongs.
Declan takes Noelle’s hand. “Be safe.”
I can tell he really doesn’t want to let her go. Their joined fingers slowly part as she takes another step.
“Hey, wait up,” I say. I can’t believe I’m going to suggest this. I lean into Declan’s ear. “Why don’t you go with her? You can tell me what’s happening through our connection. That way if you need us, we can be there in a flash.”
“I’ll say he’s a family friend visiting abroad,” Noelle says. “No one would think anything different since he has an accent. And that’ll keep my cover about Jake, too.”
“We can figure that out as we go.” Declan nods to me, then leads Noelle back the way we came and into the line of fire. He immediately opens the connection through our bond.
“I’ll keep her safe, Brooklyn.”
“You better.”
I’m left with an antsy McQueen, a stern Staten, and a calm Manny. As McQueen paces back and forth in the short hallway, Staten pulls out the map again to study it. Manny leans against the wall with his eyes closed. I know he’s ready for anything, even though he seems to be resting. By the bunching of his muscles, he’s anything but calm.
“We’re just entering the main tunnel,” Declan says. “There are about a dozen people up ahead. I can see the two doors on the left side.” I relay to the boys what my number two has said. “No one is paying attention to us. Noelle is going to try the first door.” My body is tense, anticipating what’s behind the door. All I know is that Bronx is somewhere down here, and he needs us. “He’s not here. Just a bunch of spare parts and junk. We’re heading back out to the hall and will get to the second door.”
Manny squeezes my hand.
“All right, second door ...” There’s a pause in Declan’s voice. “Shit! Someone’s coming. We’re just closing the door and stepping back into the hallway. Hold on.”
“What’s happening, Brooklyn?” Staten asks.
Of course, he can feel my anxiety. “As they got out of the first room, someone’s stopped them.”
“It’s okay. They’ll be okay.”
As soothing as the words are, it doesn’t lessen what I feel. This was a bad idea.
“Okay, false alarm. We’re good to go. Noelle said that she’s looking for Jake. The guy just said that he’s here somewhere. Now, we’re making our way to the third door.”
“Everyone’s fine. Noelle just asked if Jake was there.”
We wait with baited breath; there are only three doors left to check. McQueen stops his pacing and stands next to me.
“Let me take a quick peek inside the second room. I didn’t get a chance to before we were interrupted.” A few seconds tick by, and then Declan is speaking again. “They have a dragon in here. He’s tied up, bound, and has a muzzle on. Not sure if he’s dead. Let me go check.”
“Be careful. If he’s one of mine, he won’t know you’re my second and now part of the New York Pride.”
“In the second room, they found a dragon,” I say.
“We need to rescue him, too,” Manny says.
“I know. If he can’t change back to human form, we’ll have to come back for him. Our first priority is getting Bronx.”
“He seems to be okay. I think he can smell that I’m a dragon, or he’s too weak to fight. The room is much too small for him to be here. He looks uncomfortable. Maybe a couple legs are broken. His tail might be, too. How should we handle this?”
“As much as I hate to say it, leave him there and continue on to find Bronx. We’ll come back for him.”
“Okay, we’re walking down the hall to the other end. It’ll be a couple more seconds as long as no one stops us. Ok. We’re inside the third room. Ah ...”
“What is it Declan? What do you see?”
“It’s
a torture chamber. Manacles hang from the wall. There’s a table in the center. Looks like blood.”
My hands clench. I don’t need to tell the guys that information. Perhaps they expect it, but if they know for sure, they’ll charge in there. That’ll definitely blow our covert operation.
“Bronx isn’t here, either. But the blood, it’s fresh. Maybe we just missed them.” Seems about correct if my phantom pain was just when we descended into the tunnels. Did they know we were coming, so they moved him? “We have a problem.”
“What is it now?”
“Noelle is talking to someone. Someone named Chris. You know him?”
“Yes, he’s our friend.”
“They ran into Chris,” I say.
“That could be good,” Staten says.
“He’s asking her where she’s been. That she can’t be down here, but she asked why he was. Mr. Astor has all the magic users in Level Twos working on this stuff and word is that Noelle is possibly helping you. Everyone is looking for you, and they are to bring you in by any means necessary. Deadly force if it comes to that. But Chris doesn’t seem to want to take Noelle in. Hmm, we’re being ushered into the fourth room now by Chris.”
“What’s happening, Declan?”
“Noelle asked Chris if he knew where Bronx was being held. Chris said that as a favor to her and you he’ll lead us there, but that’s all he can do about it. He says he’s sorry. Okay, we’re in the fourth room. It’s a bunch of couches, tables, chairs, and a small fridge. Looks like a breakroom of sorts.”
“Now what?” I turn to my guys, “Chris is helping them. He’s going to take them to Bronx.”
“Chris is checking the door. He’s motioning us to follow. Should we? Do you trust him, Brooklyn?”
“Yes. He’s had ample time to shout and get others to assist. And he’s our friend. I was just with him the other weekend at my cabin. But stay alert, just in case.”
“Will do.”
I scrub my face with my hands.
This waiting is going to kill me, if Allister doesn’t first.
I double over with shooting pain in my leg. It’s as if someone took a cattle prod to it, turning the electrical feed to high and let me flounder like a fish. What are they doing to him? My body doesn’t know it’s not real. I lay convulsing on the floor.
“Brooklyn!” Manny says in a hushed whisper. “Bite down on this.” He hands me the strap from his backpack. “Stay as quiet as you can. Remember, no one can know we’re here.”
The wracking and twitching stops, and I slowly nod. I gasp, and my body finally relaxes. “I’m okay,” I grit out. “It’s not really me. They’re doing something terrible to Bronx.”
“They’ll find him,” Staten says, close to my ear.
“Or we’ll go charging in and level this place,” McQueen says.
“Declan?”
“Yeah, sorry. We’ve been walking in the tunnels for a mile already. Chris said a few more to go. If you guys follow us, be careful. There are students all over down here, and they all have a picture of you on their school-issued phone. They are to apprehend you by any means necessary. Chris led us down the main tunnel, so you guys might be able to find an offshoot and follow that way. He doesn’t know how long Bronx will be here, so Allister must not have told the students the end game.”
“As soon as you think you know where he is, let me know, and we’ll move closer to you. We can’t be miles apart for a rescue.”
“I know.”
I pull the map from Staten’s back pocket, so I can find the direction my friends are headed. I lead them away from the main tunnel, back to where we came from. We’ll be able to speak louder without so many students around. Once I deem we’re far enough away, I trail my finger along the path where I think Declan told me. Everyone around watches.
“If they are headed over this way.” Staten points. “Then he could be in the maintenance garage where they keep the broken cars. Or if they go here, there is an office used as the control station. Worst case is if they continue the way they’re going, they’ll wind up even lower and into the sewer system.”
Gah. Please don’t be in the sewers.
“I can’t stand here much longer and not do anything. Declan said that they were headed down this way.” I repoint to the map. “If we take this tunnel, we’d be in place to quickly go to either room. If things goes sideways, we’ll be there in a flash to help Noelle.”
“Okay,” Staten says. “Let’s start walking. We’ll take the long way around. Manny and I are recognizable. No one will know McQueen, but people may assume that he’s one of us. Strike first, ask questions later.” He waves us forward. “Remember, stealth mode.”
Why did he look at me when he said that?
No one speaks while we walk the few miles. No students cross our paths. The only sounds made are echoes coming from adjacent tunnels and the lone drip, drip coming ahead of us. It’s been a while since I’ve felt any phantom pain from Bronx. Perhaps they’ve stopped torturing him.
“Bronx?” I ask. “If you can hear me, we’re almost to you. We’ve sent Noelle and Declan ahead of us. The plan was for her to ask for her contact, but they ran into Chris instead, and he’s leading them to you.” Since I haven’t heard from my number two in a while, I check in with him. “Declan, we’ve been walking toward you guys so we’re closer. Any update?”
“I think we’re headed to the area where they used to fix the cars. Apparently, there are a few vacant ones. Chris says we’re almost there—correction, we’re here. Noelle and I are hidden in a stairwell while Chris goes ahead and scouts how many people are there and if Bronx is here or in another garage farther down. So just a second while we wait for Chris’s return.”
I tell my boys what Declan has said as we jog toward the tunnel that will lead us to the maintenance shops.
“How far out are you guys?”
“Why?
“You guys need to hurry up and get to us. Bronx is here, but he doesn’t look good. I can’t carry him by myself, and if we get ambushed, that leaves Noelle defending all of us.”
“We’re on our way.” I nod like he can see me. “We need to haul ass to Declan. He’s found Bronx and needs help carrying him out. Let’s move.” We run the rest of the way, not caring if our footsteps are loud. Bronx has been found. Now, we need to grab him and get the hell out of dodge. As we sprint down the last hall, we hear whispers ahead. “Declan? Is that you we hear?”
“Yes. We’re trying to wake your friend. He’s passed out cold.”
The door to the garage is wide open. Bronx’s bruised body hangs from rusty chains just inside a subway car. Chris and Declan are trying to lift him to untie his red wrists from the ceiling restraints. “Bronx!” I yell as we run into the room. “Hurry, get him down.”
“Oh, god, how could anyone do this to someone?” Chris asks.
Bronx’s brothers are by him in a flash, assisting.
I scout the room for any hidden doors, rooms, or people milling about. Seeing Bronx’s broken body hanging, I doubt that Noelle or Chris had the mindset to secure the room.
“This is Allister’s doing,” I say as I rejoin the group. “Is this what you guys are fighting for? Look at him!”
“Brooklyn?” Chris swings his head in my direction. “You can’t be here. Mr. Astor has everyone looking for you.”
“I know. But we needed to rescue Bronx. So here I am.”
“Yeah, Noelle has told me as much. Look, I don’t know what’s going on and why you’re on the run, but I’ll do what I can to help you. We’re friends.”
“There is something much bigger going on than what Mr. Astor is telling the students,” Staten says. “We can’t get into it here. We need to get Bronx out.”
McQueen and Manny carry Bronx between them. Bronx does not look well at all. He’s not conscious. His face is swollen as if someone used it as a punching bag, one of his feet sits at an awkward angle, and blood drips from the corner of his mouth.
/> “The quickest way is to turn left the way we came in,” Chris says. “Take the staircase at the end, continue up past the walking tunnels. Keep climbing until you hit the sewer cover. You’ll come out on Manhattan Avenue, near Hancock Park.”
As soon as we head out the garage door, footsteps sound down the hall. Brian stops short from slamming into us. “What’s going on—” He glances between me, Bronx, and Chris. “Brooklyn? Chris? Is that Bronx? What happened to him?”
“Long story that we don’t have time to explain,” I say. “We need to get Bronx to the hospital to get checked out.”
“I was just showing them the way out,” Chris says.
Brian got the same message as the rest of the Academy: bring me in. Indecision flares across his face for a split second. Then Brian steps aside to let us pass. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” he says. “I heard voices in here, and I already called for backup. Brooklyn, I didn’t know it was you, otherwise I wouldn’t have called.”
“How long?” I ask.
“A minute, maybe more. It was my shift to guard Bronx. I stepped away for a couple of minutes to relieve myself.”
“You knew about this, dude?” Chris asks. “Why didn’t you say anything to me about it?” He hits his friend in the chest. “We’re roommates and it’s Bronx! We had him for a Skills Instructor.”
“I know, but Mr. Astor said this was a top-secret mission, and he said that Bronx is a traitor to the slayers.”
The boys continue to haul Bronx’s broken body down the hall; they didn’t stop to listen to Brian’s excuses.
“How much farther, Chris?” I ask.
“It’s just up ahead.” He points to a door that we would’ve missed if we were by ourselves.
“You guys go,” Brian says. “I’ll distract them.”
I shove my boys through the door and grab Noelle’s hand. Declan pushes her in front of him.
Loud footfalls come from behind us. They’re running. Then shouts are heard.
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