Ah, the Title-less chapter...Not sure what to call this one, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to share.

I'm actually not going to apologize for not writing for almost two weeks (I just updated this to get you guys going) because honestly, it's crunch time in my school. I'm going to high school next year, so if I don't pass my CST finals, then I can't get into any honors classes and I'm going to have to repeat Algebra...which is horrible. And my confidence level is going down because I've been getting C's on my quizzes. Now my grade is down to like a B or something (call me crazy, but I usually get A's on my grades).

So please be patient =)

Chapter 21: Daryl's POV

After for what seemed like eons, we finally landed.

How can you hate flying? Daryl sounded incredulous, yet smirking.

It's not my fault I have a phobia. It's not like you're fearless yourself.

I pretty am.

Yeah, right.

I got out of the helicopter, relieved that my feet were touching the ground again.

"Are you okay?" Nilah asked, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

I raised a brow at her, suppressing a smile. "Are you laughing at me?"

She pursed her lips amusingly and walked with the rest of the group. I casually smiled.

Anna led us to a door and I was expecting another elevator. However, the door only led to a winding square-like staircase. I glanced down past the railing and the down floor was at least fifty feet below.

"There's an elevator below, so just be quick on your feet," Anna said and we all ambled down the steps.

"Where are we exactly?" Rachel asked as we bound the last steps.

"The FBI. Certain operatives here have been investigating. We've had traces of where you were, but somehow, you just disappear."

"Wouldn't they look for us here first? After a few hours, they're going to suspect something."

"This isn't the main building. It's a branch, but a very significant one for us. I had this one built specially."

"But the government still knows this place," Nate pointed out.

"Yes. We still have a few more hours, and by the end of the day I guarantee they wouldn't have a trace of us."

The elevator ride was silent then. After a few more seconds, the doors slid open. The place was empty.

We passed halls, desks, and rooms, though there wasn't anyone in sight.

Maybe today's their day off.

"Today's everybody's day off," stated Anna, coincidentally.

Told you.

"What are we going to do now?" Burns questioned.

"You're going to help me find your other friends -" she opens a metal door, gesturing us inside "- then we meet up with my friends later on. We'll find refuge sooner than you think."

The room was like the other one; plain with a long table and chairs. One of the walls was all mirror. How were we even going to find others in here? Then I saw it.

Half of the wall-length mirror pivoted, revealing a large screen and computerized equipments. Anna rolled a chair over and sat in front of the keyboard.

"This machine holds a tracking device," she explained while typing. There were two red blinking dots through a blueprint of a building on the screen. The picture was zooming towards the flickering dots until it stopped in a rectangle, which is an outline of a room, I suppose.

"This room look familiar?" she asked, nodding towards the screen.

"Is that this room?" Ian questioned. Anna nodded.

"And those are tracking devices?"

"Yes."

We checked ourselves for any red signs. Some turned to their reflection in the mirror for the clicking device.

"How did you manage to put this in my pocket?" Jamie asked, holding up a tiny, flat red circle between his thumb and index finger.

"We're sneaky. It's part of my job."

"Where's the other one?"

Just then, a sound came nearby.

It's on your shoe, Daryl emphasized.

I looked down and glanced at the bottom of my shoe. Sure enough, the same red dot was blinking from it.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it," I muttered.

"So what's the point with tracking us? We weren't going to run away. As if we could," Ian spoke. "Besides, if we're tracking the other cells, how are we placing these detectors on them? It will take weeks until we find them."

"We are not going to use the tracking device on them," Anna responded, typing again. "Those are for our benefit because when you look at the screen, it will show if someone from the government that's not our acquaintance is near. If you see any other red dots on the blue screen, then we're going to leave immediately.

"What I need to know is the list of places where you've last encountered your human friends."

Nate and Burns began listing off a few locations and the screen changed. The blueprint of the building turned into a smaller picture on the top left and now there was an outline of the United States occupying most of the screen. There were large yellow squares planted on different parts of the country.

"What are those?" I asked, pointing to the squares.

"Those are the branches like this one. Some of them are FBI buildings and some of them are just simple buildings where we keep our special equipments. Those are the trusted places we keep our secret in.

"Now, to send my people where to find you…"

You have to admit, this is pretty cool, he pointed out.

What? That tracking machine or the part where in a few hours, we'll be hunted by everyone?

Both.

You are stupid.

I was just kidding. God, I know you're anxious, but what's there to be scared about? We have a plan and quite frankly, I have a feeling that this will turn out well.

I just don't want to lose anyone. Not just Nilah, but everyone else. I'm a soul, so I'm safe no matter what. But, if our so-called plan doesn't work, then they will take away the people we've risked in coming to this "petition". Can't you see how much of a risk it is to get everyone else in hiding to join us? If we lose this, then we lose everybody.

I can't say I disagree, but you should take risks at this time. They've been in hiding longer than us and I know that you wouldn't want to be in the same position forever. But that's what's going to happen for the rest of their lives if we don't do anything.

"Someone's coming," Kim warned. She was pointing at new blinking marks that were moving inside the building on the blue screen. "More like a few more."

"Follow me," Anna instructed as she stood up and pressed something on the wall. The part of the wall revealing the complex machine rotated and after a few seconds, the other half of the mirror was back.

"Here, be quick." Anna lifted part of the floor in the corner, showing a stairway. She signaled for us to go and we stepped down into the darkness.

How many hidden places does this building have?

The only light we had was from the top of the steps and when Anna closed the "door", we all seemed to freeze. I couldn't see anything.

"Grab the railing on the side," she whispered, her voice echoing slightly, just enough for me to hear from the front. "Just follow the railing and there will be an automatic light ahead."

I was only leading the group for a few second when I found someone's hand around my arm. It was a girl's and I instinctively entangle my hand with hers.

We walked and walked through the underground hall until I stepped in a different ground and a light shined from above.

"Keep walking and there's more lights out there," Anna stated.

Lights came on one by one in the seemingly endless hall as I passed through it. I glanced beside me and Kim seemed to loosen up. She caught me looking and squeezed my hand affectionately. She was nice, no doubt, and perfect for Daryl. But she wasn't Nilah.

"Stop," Anna ordered. I heard a switch turn on and we are now in a room. There were two sliding doors in front of us. She pressed a button on the wall beside one of the doors and the right one opened. The she did the same for the other one. The inside looked like an elevator, though slightly different.

"This is a conveyor belt. Split up and let's get going."

We separated and I entered the right one. I went to the one Kim didn't go to because our "relationship" was becoming a serious problem. I needed to make this right.

If you're picking Nilah, then you can forget it, Daryl scowled.

I've already picked Nilah. But I can't hurt Kim. I'm not even sure what we are or what she's thinking.

But she does like someone, and I've been the one practically talking to her.

I still don't understand how you could control me like that. Do you like her that much?

More than like.

I wanted to punch something.

Pierce, you're changing. His voice turned a little more concerned.

What?

You don't act like this. You're acting like me.

I don't care. You're not the one who has the problem here.

That's what I'm afraid of.

That was the end of our conversation. He didn't speak as the conveyor belt moved underground.

If you guys haven't seen the cover I made for this story, the link is on my profile =) It finally works.