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Jace nodded towards a hallway branching off from the main area, and we cautiously began to move in its direction. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as we ventured deeper into the building.
The place was…horrifying. It looked like a cross between an underground research bunker and a makeshift prison, with a network of corridors leading to god knows where. The walls, painted an oppressive grey, seemed to close in on us as we ventured further into the labyrinth. The smell of stale air and mildew was even more obvious here, sticking to my clothes and skin.
Underneath my palm, the metal of the gun felt icy and comforting at the same time. I nodded at Jace and he slowly opened the door with a quiet creak. Just like before, it opened up into darkness.
I had no idea how far in they were. Every door we opened, every corner we turned only seemed to take us deeper into this hellhole without any sign of Sofia or Victor. Each empty cell we passed, each barren room, was a punch to the gut. The silence was unnerving; it felt like even the building was holding its breath.
Sweat dribbled down the back of my neck, my heart pounding deafeningly in my ears. Every footstep seemed amplified, each breath too loud. The adrenaline surging through my veins made everything feel surreal, as if time had slowed and I was walking through some terrible nightmare.
How had I let her be taken by that monster? The image of his venomous smile was burned into my memory, a constant reminder of the danger Sofia was in.
The corridor twisted and turned, the shadows of its corners concealing untold horrors. Here and there, dirty patches on the floor hinted at a struggle, or maybe worse. I forced myself to ignore the shivers clawing at my spine and kept pushing forward.
Rooms opened up on either side of us, all pitch-black voids filled with an oppressive silence. But no sign of Sofia or Victor.
"We're not alone," Jace hissed. His eyes were alert, his body tense. I stopped abruptly, my heart hammering wildly in my chest as I scanned the dimly lit hallway. I could hear it now—a soft scuffle, the echo of a muffled cough—noises that weren't simply the creaking of the old building or our own shuffling steps.
We moved back against the cool walls on opposite sides of the hallway just as a couple of figures emerged from one of the rooms further down. They were big, burly men with sullen expressions and guns strapped to their chests—henchmen, no doubt.
"Stay quiet," I warned Jace under my breath and he gave a slight nod, his grip tightening on his gun.
We stayed still, pressed against the cold, damp wall as the men slowly approached. Their voices echoed down the corridor, but their words were too distorted to make out. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest, my fingers clenched around the gun.
One of them stopped abruptly, raising his hand to silence his companion. He sniffed the air, his eyes scanning the corridor before finally resting on our hiding place.
My heart dropped into my stomach. We’d been found. “Drop your weapons,” I said, stepping out of the shadows.
There was a moment of silence before one of the goons growled, "Who do you think you are?"
"Someone who will put a bullet in your skull without losing sleep," I spat back, my voice cold as ice. This was not the time for mercy; this was fight or flight, kill or be killed. My fingers twitched on the trigger of the gun, ready to make good on my threat.
"But hey," I added, forcing a wicked grin onto my face, "let's not make this personal."
Jace stepped out of the shadows next to me, his gun pointed at the other thug. We were outnumbered but hopefully not outgunned, and I had the feeling these guys weren't prepared for what we had in mind.
Their smirks quickly faded as they realized we weren't backing down. The hallway grew silent again as everyone waited for someone else to make the first move.
Then all hell broke loose.
The first shot rang out, sharp and echoing in the long corridor. The men lunged for their weapons, their faces distorted into snarls of anger and surprise. I didn't hesitate; my finger squeezed the trigger, the gun kicking back against my palm as a bullet erupted from the barrel.
Time seemed to slow down then. I watched as one of the henchmen fell, a small red blossom spreading across his chest. The other tried to raise his gun, but Jace was faster. His shot echoed off the walls, a lethal reply to their surprise attack.
I was moving before the second man hit the ground, charging down the hallway with Jace at my heels. Every door we passed was thrown open, every darkened room swiftly checked for signs of Sofia and Victor.
Panic surged inside me as each empty room met our eyes. Each barren cell felt like a physical blow, each opened door only led to more disappointment. My heart pounded in my chest with fear - fear that Sofia and Victor had been moved, fear that we were too late. Each stale breath I took tasted of despair. The tormenting silence of the place mocked our efforts, the echo of our footsteps a harrowing reminder of Sophia's absence.
Jace's voice jolted me from my thoughts. I instinctively held up my hand for silence, straining to listen over the thrumming in my ears. Distantly, barely audible over the din of our own footfalls and labored breathing, I could hear...someone calling Teo’s name? My name? Jace’s name?
We followed the delicate strangled sound down a twisted labyrinth of more ghostly corridors until we reached a door at the end. It was different from the others.
"I think this is it," Jace whispered, his eyes focused on the door as he tried to make out anything through the window. I stepped forward, my heart pounding in my chest as I peered through the grimy glass.
Jace got to work on the lock. It was dark inside, barely anything visible except for two figures huddled together on the cot. My breath hitched as I recognized Sofia's long hair, her head resting against Victor's shoulder. They were both alive.
"Sofia," I whispered, placing my hand against the cold steel of the door. The relief that washed over me was staggering; like I'd been drowning and had suddenly surfaced, taking that first desperate breath of air.
“Got it,” Jace said. The door unlocked.
