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Chapter 8
The door swung open and in strode Colonel Francisco, adorned in his usual army fatigues. Nero stood up from behind his desk and walked around to sit on the front of it. His hands were shaking and the man was trying hard to disguise it.
"We have a problem." He began, twisting his fingers and licking his lips slightly. "Raven's been caught..."
"And you need me and my team to go in and rescue both her and the boy?" Francisco finished.
"Yes. If you need more men I'm sure Darkdoom will be able to provide them and H.I.V.E. mind has the co - ordinates. You'll be going to a mansion, but that's all I can tell you and you'll find the captives underground." Nero replied.
"Will you not be coming?" He asked, frowning.
"Of course not. I have work here to do. But I'll go and get the shrouds prepared for you. Oh, and make a visit to Professor Pike. I think he has some new technology he wants to run by you." The man said. Colonel Francisco nodded and left briskly, issuing out orders on his blackbox as he walked.
Nero watched him leave and then turned back to his screen. He re - read the message again several times and then shut the computer down. With one last look around the room, he followed after the teacher, locking the door behind him.
Underneath the table, Otto stuck his head out to check that the coast was indeed clear. His eyes rested on the closed door and he scrambled from his hiding place, and ran over to it, wrenching at the handle. It didn't budge.
He dropped to his knees and used the screw again to open the door. The lock clicked and he pulled it to, stepping calmly out into the corridor. There was no - one about and he quickly tried to re - lock it. But it didn't work this time and in his frustration the screw fell from his fingers. He figured he didn't have the time to continue trying to lock the door and stood up, brushing the dust from his trousers and striding off down the passageway in the direction he knew would lead to the hangar bay.
As Otto walked, he kept his eyes down and his hands in his pockets. No - one bothered him and he was surprised by how easy it was to move around.
Several minutes later he reached the corridor outside the hangar bay and the boy cautiously peered through the open doorway to the landing pad below. There were a couple of big aircrafts down there, but he didn't recognise which models they were. Nero was stood to one side, watching men load up equipment and biting his nails.
Otto glanced around quickly, looking for a possible route into the cavern. There weren't any. But he needed to be on the shroud when it left. These people were going to find Rick. And he needed to know whether they were telling the truth. And there was only one way he was going to do that; by seeing him face to face.
The boy frowned and then smiled. He straightened up and then unexpectedly walked out onto the staircase heading down towards the cavern floor. And he reached the landing pad without any confrontations. It seemed as if no - one had even seen him. Nero was focused on staring at the ground in thought. The technicians moving around carrying crates didn't seem to care and before he knew it, Otto was walking up the ramp of the shroud, furthest from the teacher.
Once inside he ducked down behind some boxes in the far corner, grabbing a spare tarpaulin and pulling it over himself. And not a moment too soon.
Footsteps suddenly sounded on the ramp and the space inside began filling up. Otto squished down further and tried to get comfortable. After a couple of minutes, a vibration started up in the ship and he felt his stomach drop through the floor as it rose into the air.
He'd escaped. But had he made the right decision?
Nero strode down the corridor, running his hand through his hair. He was worried. This should have been an easy task for Raven and yet she'd been captured. And now he had sent Francisco along with a team to finish the job. But something kept tickling the back of his mind. Something wasn't right. He just didn't know what.
He turned the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Laura was stood at the door to his office.
"Yes what do you want?" He asked, walking over to her, a weird feeling settling in his stomach.
"Erm... I was looking for Otto. He said that he wanted to ask you something. Have you seen him?" She said, licking her lips nervously.
"No I haven't." Nero replied.
"He said he was going to wait here for you..." Laura continued.
"Well he wasn't here..." The man said, apologetically, moving over to the door. He pulled out his keys and tried to open the lock. It didn't turn.
Nero frowned, taking the key out of the hole and pushed the handle. The door swung open.
"Is everything alright sir?" Laura asked.
"This door was locked. I know because I always lock it before I leave. And no way would I forget twice in a row." Nero muttered to himself. He stepped back and stood on something.
The man looked down and lifted his foot. On the floor was a screw. He bent down and picked it up.
"Sir?" Laura asked.
"Otto..." Nero whispered. He dropped the screw and hurriedly walked into the office, Laura following. "H.I.V.E. mind?"
The A.I.'s wireframe face appeared on the screen upon the wall and he smiled.
"Yes? How can I help?" He said politely.
"Bring up the security cameras for the corridor outside." Nero said. H.I.V.E. mind nodded and then was replaced by a video feed.
"Rewind it to about fifteen minutes ago." He continued. The A.I. obliged.
The two of them watched until Laura and Otto could be seen walking down the passageway. They were talking and then the girl left. As soon as she did, the boy was on his knees and opening the door.
Nero's eyes widened. He watched as he himself appeared on screen and then as Francisco came and went. Then he finally left, locking the door behind him. A couple of minutes later, Otto walked out and tried to re - lock the door. But he seemed to give up and left hurriedly. Not long after Laura walked on screen.
"That's enough." Nero said, and the monitor went blank. "Can you track down exactly where Otto decided to go after this?"
"He was headed for the hangar bay. I have no record of him after that." H.I.V.E. mind replied.
"The shrouds..." The man whispered horrified. "Contact Francisco. He needs to know that Otto is on board."
There was a pause.
"I can't seem to make contact with them sir." H.I.V.E. mind said.
"What?" Nero asked.
"Communications seem to have broken down. We can't make contact with them." The A.I. answered.
"Thank you. Could you do one more thing for me? Tell the technicians down at the hangar bay to load up the last aircraft. I'll be leaving in five minutes." Nero said.
Laura watched him walk out of his office and followed after him. Surreptitiously, she pulled out her blackbox and sent a message to Shelby and Wing.
Meet at Hangar Bay.
We're going to get Otto and Rick.
Shelby pulled out her blackbox and glanced at the message. She rolled her eyes at Wing who was sat on the opposite sofa. They were both in their accommodation block, trying to revise and she'd been complaining only moments ago how bored she was.
"Looks like Otto's gone missing. I think it's time for another adventure." She said smiling.
"Don't you ever get enough of near death experiences?" Wing asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Nope. Come on. We best hurry. Laura says we have to meet her at the hangar bay." Shelby continued, standing up and pulling her boyfriend after her.
On a balcony overlooking them, Franz frowned.
"I am thinking that there is more danger coming." He said to Nigel who was sat on the floor, his back pressed against the rail.
"So? Let's just stay here for once. Besides my dad won't let me leave even if it wasn't dangerous." The boy replied.
"That is being okay with me. Are you being hungry? I think I am going to be visiting the kitchen soon." Franz said, happily.
"You know what? Yes I am. Get me a cookie would you?" Nigel replied.