Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 17
"Thank you, Luna. You really helped us with your information", Pamela just said and hung up. She had made several phone calls, took notes and googled a lot of addresses which might be the hideout. Some hours later, they had crossed out possible hideouts and marked three ones which were most likely the one they were searching. In the meantime, Gwen and Alice were also in the apartment, helping to find Rachel. Gwen looked at her watch. "Our time is running low, so I suggest that we split up and then each group heads to one hideout", she said. Artie rolled to his laptop. "As sneaking around won't do for me, I will stay here and coordinate everything from my laptop. Finally, my knowledge from the summer IT-workshop is useful", he grinned. Pamela nodded. "Great idea, Artie. Okay, the rest of you will be split into search parties which will be led by either me, Gwen or Alice. Brittany, Blaine, Tina and Puck, you go with Gwen to the hideout in the north. Sam, Quinn and Mike, you go with Alice to the one in the west. Santana, Kurt, Finn and Mercedes will follow me to the one in the east. If one of the groups finds Rachel, then immediately contact the other groups so that they can come help you", she instructed. The others nodded before they all went to the door. "And be careful, kids. Just because you have powers, that doesn't mean you are invincible or something. Those hunters know exactly what they are doing, and they won't hesitate to harm you or Rachel", Alice warned them before the groups were parting ways.
The group led by Pamela arrived at a deserted warehouse in the woods. Artie led them to a spot far away from the warehouse were Pam could park her car without being seen. Currently, the group of five was carefully sneaking to the warehouse, avoiding making too much noise with the crackling leaves and the branches on the ground. "Do you really think Rachel is here?", Finn whispered to Pamela, eyeing the seemingly deserted and abandoned building. She nodded. "I think so. It is highly probable according to Gwen, and Gwen is really smart." They sneaked around, searching for a back entrance which they finally found. Pamela carefully turned the doorknob, but the door didn't move. "Crap, it's locked. What now?", Finn said desperately. Kurt shook his head. "That's what we have powers for, Finn", he smiled, lifted his hand and turned it. The door clicked and Pamela tried again. This time, the door opened. "Good thinking, Kurt!", she praised the chestnut-haired boy. The group carefully entered the warehouse and Mercedes quietly closed the door behind her. -Don't forget, now that we are in the building, we will communicate like that-, Pam reminded the group. If they communicated telepathically, nobody could hear or find them, it was safer like that. The group carefully went down the hallway, until the hallway turned into five ones. -What now?-, Santana asked. -I'm afraid we have to split up or else those people will notice we are here. Everyone takes one hallway and contact us if you need help. In case of emergency, send a signal to Artie and we will all be there in no time. Don't even try to play the lone fighter even if you think you can handle it alone-, Pamela warned her teammates. The others nodded obediently before parting ways.
Finn went down his hallway and quickly hid behind a corner when he heard voices. He sighed. Apart from telepathy with the others, he didn't have any powers and couldn't turn invisible like his friends. He had to rely on his instincts and hide the conventional way. He continued his path until he suddenly heard something. Was that…water? Finn headed to the door in front of him and opened it. He peeked around- and saw Rachel. She was trapped in a closed tank full of water, lying on the ground. The boy quickly entered. The brunette's eyes widened when she saw her ex and she excitedly swam into an upright position. When he was about to say something, Rachel raised her finger to her mouth, motioning him not to say anything. -Be quiet, Finn. Those people might come again and then we are both screwed-, she told him telepathically as she could not talk underwater. Finn angrily balled his hands into fists. -Where the hell is he?! Where is that asshole?!-, he asked, fuming. -Finn, please calm down. They are really dangerous…-, Rachel pleaded. The boy's facial expressions softened, and he came over to the tank. -What have they done to you? Did they hurt you?-, he asked her. Rachel looked down. Finn walked closer to her and touched the glass. -Please, Rachel. Tell me what they have done.- The brunette sighed, swam closer to the glass and showed him her tail. Some of her soft violet scales were missing and some spots were bruised or even swollen. -It's not as bad as it looks, I swear. My scales will grow back in no time. Brody said that he would make sure they won't hurt me that much and he kept that promise. It could've been much worse-, she tried to reassure Finn who had a pained expression on his face. -He shouldn't have kidnapped you in the first place-, Finn thought, mad. Suddenly, the both of them heard someone applauding. "Congrats, Rachel's ex, you have found our hideout", Brody said, grinning somewhat evilly. Finn angrily turned to the other guy. "I will kill you, you asshole", he growled. Brody laughed wholeheartedly. "I would like to see that. Come on, what are you waiting for? Bite me", he mocked Finn. That was the final straw. Lividly, Finn leapt to the mermaid hunter.
The hallway was never ending, or so Kurt thought. He was still walking down the hallway, occasionally turning invisible when some people passed by. Finally, he came to a staircase. Kurt frowned and went up the stairs. The stairs were only leading to a door. The chestnut-haired boy laid one ear on the door, eavesdropping and checking if there was nobody inside. After he made sure the room in front of him must be empty, he carefully entered. The room was an office, its walls were made out of glass. Kurt sneaked to the walls and looked down. He gasped. Right there, on the lower level, he could make out Rachel in a tank. Finn was standing beside the tank, reaching out for the glass of the tank. Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. Why didn't Finn tell them he found Rachel? Kurt quickly retrieved his phone and texted Mercedes that he found Rachel, then, he sent his location to Artie, telling him to send the other groups there. When he was about to leave, Kurt saw Brody entering the hall and talking to Finn. 'I probably should help him', Kurt thought and wanted to turn around in order to leave the office. "Kurt? What are you doing here?", a familiar voice asked him all of a sudden, sounding surprised. Kurt froze and slowly turned around. "Adam?"
A/N: Stay tuned...
