Chapter 15: Chapter 15

"3 guards, your right. Seems like secret coffee break to me," I said nonchalantly into the walkie talkie as my eyes roamed the monitor, watching her kick butt in the edge of my vision. "Okay, turn left there and you'll find the doors to the cellar," I instructed her.

I heard her curse and mumbled some things before telling me what was wrong.

"Can't, door's locked and there's a keypad. We don't know the code." She stated like it wasn't obvious enough.

"Okay, hold on. Give me a minute," I muttered, swiveling in the chair and putting the walkie talkie down. I started typing in some codes before pressing enter and saw the light above the door flash once before it unlocked.

Tia gave me a salute through the camera and I smiled even though she couldn't see me.

"You're not far. Just go down the stairs and there'll be a door waiting for you, wide open," I trailed off as I typed in some code to deactivate the alarms and disable the door's security systems after making sure that the coast is clear.

While I was busy typing in the codes and commands, I forgot to check on Tia and when I looked back she was glaring at me through the camera with three unconscious men, twice her size, scattered by her feet.

"Some warnings would be appreciated next time," she grumbled before straightening up and continued running down the hall and finally reaching the steps.

"Sorry," I winced at how insincere I sounded but Tia seemed to be too preoccupied with trying not to trip and fall the long and steep set of stairs. It was dark but there were torches hanging on the walls to light the stairs. Don’t ask me why they were using torches instead of lights. Maybe they wanted to go for that medieval times vibe. You never know when the owner was a psycho like Craig Gaston.

There was only one camera inside while another two in both exits.

She made it out unscathed and rushed towards the opened door towards where the cells were. I saw her from the camera on the bottom left screen and cheered her on as she found Ryder. But it seemed like fate had something against us because next thing you know, it decided to let a guard pass the control room and hear me cheerleading.

"What are you doing?"

Duh, I'm hacking into your security system and freeing my friend which is your boss' cousin.

If only I could say that out loud.

Instead, my mouth decided to betray me and let me make a fool out of myself. "Uh.. Umm.. Err.. There! Justin Bieber!" It was stupid. Unbelievably stupid but stupidly enough, it worked.

"What? Where?!" I looked at the guard for a second, weirded out. Umm.. What? I never had an encounter with a male Belieber in my entire life and to actually meet one on a dangerous mission like this one was just wow. That's so random.

I quickly snapped out of it and took a dive for the baseball bat lying beside the table nearby and swung at the guard’s head as hard as I can. The guard fell with a thump onto the ground and didn't move.

I exhaled a relieved sigh. That was close. I shook my head and got back to work.

"Yo, Luce! You there? Need some help here." I redirected my focus on the problem at hand almost immediately. Wow, this was as hard as sneaking out of school.

I reopened the closed door but stupid me, didn't check why it was closed in the first place. I didn't even spare a glance at the camera showing the other side of the door, where two guys were patrolling.

Looking at Ryder's condition, Tia was on her own to defend herself and Ryder.

I watched in anxiety as the guards turned around when they heard the door open with a loud click.

"Oi, who let you in?!" I got a sense of dejavu of that Merlin episode where he chastised the guards for something they didn't do. Best episode ever.

I shook my head.

Focus idiot. Your friend’s about to fight for her life and you're thinking of geeky stuff. What a great friend. Not.

I bit my nails, the trepidation eating me up. The prospect of warning her through the walkie talkie completely slipped my mind as my anxious ass watched her try to support half of Ryder's weight and struggle to help him walk.

She either didn't hear the guards or she just didn't care enough to acknowledge them. She got through the door and her surprised look told me that it was the former. I could see her curse before dropping Ryder, not so gently, to the ground where he slumped and failed to sit right. His face scrunched up in pain but he didn't look like he uttered a word of complaint and let Tia focus on getting them out of there alive.

I didn't get to watch anymore because in that moment, I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand and my back went rigid. A hot gust of air breathed down my neck and I panicked, my eyes searching for the bat which was on the floor a few feet away from the chair.

I saw from the screen's reflection that it was the guy I had knocked out. No, you uneducated fool, why didn't you hit him twice to make sure he doesn't wake up in any time soon?!

No time to scold my conscience now. I went straight to head butting him just like how Tia had taught me. I heard a muffled noise of surprise before a pained groan. I quickly spun in my seat and kicked him away.

I saw him hunch his body and held his 'junior' and only then did I realize I had accidentally abused his vital part. Oops.

"Oh my God, are you okay? Do you need help? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.. Umm," I apologized but it didn't seem to be working since he was still hunched and groaning in pain.

"Yo, bitch! The fuck you doing apologizing to the dude? He tried to hurt you!" Tia's voice rang through the room from the walkie talkie and I instantly snapped my attention towards the direction of her voice.

Somehow, the back of my chair must have knocked down the walkie talkie while I turned to kick the security guard away and it landed right on the button I'm supposed to press to reach Tia. She must've heard everything.

"Good job, by the way. He sounds like he's being tortured by the devil himself in hell." Tia praised, and I rolled my eyes at her.

"Tia.." I whined.

"Oh shush, now do your thing and guide me to the exit." She hushed me.

I grabbed the bat and swung it once more at the guy’s head, causing the guy to hit the floor once again.

“And stay that way. Please. For your own good. And mine.” I pleaded in misery in my head. I didn't like putting people in pain, it makes me feel all guilty and heavy hearted. It's not a pleasant feeling.

I sat back onto the stiff and yet, somehow, still comfy chair, and spun back to face the screen and assess the situation properly this time. The guys were out cold but this time, I could detect some scratches on Tia. "Oh my God, T. You okay?! Oh my God. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault-"

"Luce.." Tia trailed off.

"Oh my God, if only I pushed you hard enough to leave me, you wouldn't-" I continued to ramble, drowning in guilt as I inspected her scratches as best as I could through the screen.

"Luce," Tia tried again, but her voice just falls onto deaf ears.

"-end up so bruised up, I'm so sorry, T-"

"LUCE," I finally shut up and let her speak, "Shut up and just guide me. I'm fine. You’re underestimating me, bro."

Typical Tia.

"Okay, just go to the stairs and take a left this time, it's the nearest exit and I'm going to open it up, I'll meet you there." I made sure to memorize how to get to our designated meeting point from where I was before preparing to shut it all down; blocking things, disabling tabs, everything.

"Okay, be safe." Tia said into the walkie talkie.

"You too." I replied before setting the device down and getting to work. I started typing in the codes and commands into the computer to disable the door and snatched the walkie talkie from the table and bolting it out of there.

I ran, taking turns, counting the minutes as I dashed down the corridors. I started to get worried when I finished counting and haven't reached the door yet.

Did I get lost? It was impossible to get it wrong, I was sure I remembered it and counted it right.

Right and then left, pass the vending machine.. Or was it left then right? Oh my God, please let me be right. Don't fail me now, brain.

After a minute of losing my shit, I finally let myself calm down and saw something familiar. A panel. I was close.

Soon, I could see the door with Tia and Ryder holding onto it, waiting for me. I started feeling the tears building up in my eyes.

Yes! We were finally free! Just a few more steps..

I lost it when I saw people armed with guns in SWAT uniforms started marching up the halls. I started crying and sobbing, breaking down. Help had finally arrived. Thank God.

I didn't realize how scared I was until I started shivering and felt arms wrapped around me. A chin settled on my head and a voice comforted me, "Shh, it's gonna be alright."

Ryder's voice was the last thing I heard before the darkness claimed me and I went limp. I felt calmness. It was serene and even though it was dark, I've never felt so much peace.