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"The tunnel entrance must be near," Amelia whispered. "Just a little further."
The three of them moved in the only direction that could possibly lead them to safety. As they hurried along, Sheryl suddenly stopped in her tracks. The issue she had been mulling over now revealed itself. "Wait, we can't leave. There are other women here. We can't abandon them!"
Finn looked into Sheryl's eyes, seeing the fear and regret within them. His heart sank. He couldn't go. But he had a terrible feeling if he stayed, he'd never see sunlight again.
"Alright," Finn said, his voice steady. "We'll find a way to help them, I promise."
Finn knew he needed to focus on the task at hand – rescuing the other captive women and putting an end to this smuggling ring. But as they crept through the shadows of St Martins Castle, he couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.
As the trio moved cautiously through the dimly lit cellar, Finn couldn't help but notice the way Sheryl hugged her arms tightly around herself. The woman's gaze darted from corner to corner, as if expecting danger to emerge at any moment.
"Did one of the women manage to escape recently?" Finn asked, keeping his voice low.
Sheryl's eyes widened, and she nodded. "Yes, my friend Diane. But they..." She paused, choking back a sob. "They told me they caught her and killed her."
Finn knew now the identity of the third body on the riverbank.
Amelia placed a comforting hand on Sheryl's shoulder, but her eyes never left the surroundings, scanning for threats. "We're going to get you all out of here safely, but we need to be smart about this."
"We should all leave together," Amelia suggested. "Find help outside and come back with reinforcements."
"We can't leave the other women to end up like Diane," Sheryl sobbed.
Finn shook his head, remembering that Mulberry was already on his way with backup.
"There's the tunnel!" Amelia whispered. "We made it."
But Finn stopped at the entrance. He surveyed the area, trying to piece together the layout of the castle in his mind. His thoughts raced as he considered their options, knowing that time was rapidly slipping away.
Amelia's eyes flashed with frustration as she glanced between Finn and the trembling Sheryl. "You're not leaving with us, are you, Finn?" she said, her voice edgy with concern.
Finn sighed, running a hand through his blond hair, feeling the dampness of sweat on his scalp. "Amelia, I can't just walk away knowing these women are still in danger. What if one of them gets killed while we're escaping through the tunnels? I can't live with that."
"Then what's the plan?" Amelia shot back, worry etching lines into her normally smooth brow. "To stumble around in the dark until you get shot?"
"Look," Finn said firmly, his expression resolute. "You know I'm right.
Amelia looked at Finn. Her expression grave. For a moment, Finn thought he saw a tear glistening in her eye.
"You better get going," Finn said. "Get Sheryl out of here."
As Amelia took Sheryl's hand, guiding her towards the tunnel entrance, Finn couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that settled in his chest. He knew he was making the right choice, but that didn't make it any easier to watch Amelia venture towards the darkness with Sheryl. He felt like it might be the last time he would ever see Amelia again.
"Finn," Amelia called out, her voice soft and uncertain as she hesitated at the edge of the tunnel.
They stared across the darkness to each other, and to Finn it was as if that moment was infinity, stretching out before him. An infinity that he couldn't bear to tolerate any longer.
At the sound of his name, Finn's rushed over to her, concern etched on his face. Amelia looked up at him, and in that moment, everything else seemed to fade away. The danger lurking around them, the weight of their mission – it all vanished as their eyes met.
"Amelia?" Finn asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Please, Finn... promise me you'll come back in one piece," she implored, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Hey," he replied, trying to inject some reassurance into his tone. "I've faced worse situations than this, remember? I'll be fine."
As he spoke, he held Amelia firmly and then leaned in and pressed his lips gently to hers, the softest of touches filled with hope and fear. Finn felt a surge of emotion sweep through him, a heady mix of determination and vulnerability. They touched foreheads, sharing a moment of connection and understanding that transcended words.
"Thank you for lying about being in tougher scrapes," Amelia whispered, the faintest hint of a smile playing on her lips.
