Chapter 24 : A New Kind of Adventure - Part 8 : Down to the Rabbit Hole
After we all arrived at Edwin's farm, 'father' waved his hand at us before driving off to the distance. We took the secret lift to the secret underground base just right under the yellow house. At the base, everyone looks busy. Everyone look hurried all over the room, bringing stack of paper in their hands, phones are ringing and commotion everywhere.
I saw Jennifer, Frank, Kyle, Harris, Yusuf, and three more soldiers wore their uniform without helmet that I didn't know standing over a computer. The group focused on watching something on the computer, and looked serious watching it.
"So, what the Empire did this time?" Uncle Maxwell asked.
"They attacked San Pierre. Probably looking for Elena, President's daughter." A man with black balaclava covering half of his face answered.
"But, we don't believe that the Empire used their own weapon against their soldiers." Frank said, inhaling his cigarette and released a puff of smoke.
"What do you mean?" Uncle Maxwell asked.
"Maybe you should see this sir." A young man with short black hair sat on chair and typed at the computer.
A video footage appeared on the screen, it was capturing the movement of the Empire troops at a city on a beach, I think that the video was taken by a satellite. I read the screen, "San Pierre, 09:24:59, 09:25:00." and the clock keep ticking.
"Maybe, you should skip some part Gary." A young man with light brown hair said to the man at the chair.
"Alright, Felix." He replied.
Gary skipped some events on the video, including shootout, communication, and statistic. He skipped everything until the clock reached "11:26:56", where the Empire troops retreating from the city. A few seconds later, a nuclear suddenly detonated in the middle of the city! The shock wave quickly wiped out every single soldiers and vehicles from both Empire and Alliance soldiers.
The remaining vehicle was a helicopter marked as a friendly helicopter, it escaped far away from the city before it was detonated and headed somewhere across the sea, probably Capital City. The casualties numbers on the upper right screen keep raising until it reached 5,000 soldiers, 256 vehicles, and hundreds of civilians that hasn't been evacuated from the city yet.
"Who the hell dare to use a nuclear device and wipe out their own men? This is a bloody madness." The man in the black balaclava exclaimed.
"Simon, there must be a reason that the Emperor kidnapped Mr. President. He wants the nuclear device that has been confiscated and locked away somewhere by Mr. President." Gary said to him.
"Maybe, he's just testing the nuke?" Jennifer questioned, everyone suddenly stared at her, "What? He's a crazy brainless maniac. He wants the nuke to fight us, maybe that battle was fit to test the nuke." She exclaimed.
God, what is the Emperor thinking? He used a nuclear device to wipe out his own men, and he called it just testing the nuke?! He is not a man, he's a cold and brainless monster. Who wants power and world by doing everything, including this. I just wishing that he's dead now, I even didn't want to see face-to-face with him.
"The good news is, we found Mr. President." Simon said.
"Where?" Uncle Maxwell asked.
"Underscore Mine, locked in that damned place to be interrogated." He answered.
"Great, now gear up everybody. We're going to Underscore Mine." Uncle Maxwell said to everyone.
...
Third Person POV
Alex was in the helicopter heading to the Underscore Mine, the others was asleep along the way. Everyone decided to take a rest before doing the mission. He sat right next to Lily, who also asleep, soundless, and leaned her head at Alex's shoulder. Meanwhile, Gary and Simon, who also sat next to him, snoring loudly, and it made him cannot sleep.
He was writing in a brown journal book, scribbling some words on his adventure from the past days.
"Day 4 in 2nd Dimension, Entry 2, around 3 PM. In a V-22 Osprey callsign "Hotknife"
Now, we're heading to Underscore Mine. To save Mr. President before that maniac, the Emperor. Use him to obtain more nuclear devices. And I met three new guys. Felix, Gary, and Simon.
Felix was a cheerful Sergeant, although he's always saying rude words or the language I didn't understand every time he was surprised, probably Swedish. He act nice to everyone, including kids. He also hilarious. I swear he look like someone, but who?
Gary was quite nice, he was the youngest soldier I ever met. He's 21 years old, just turned. And he's Sergeant! I think he is very talented. He's quite handsome, according to Sophia. I think she had a crush on him, which only made me laugh.
Simon is rather different from the others. He's cold and tend to hide his face under that black balaclava and dark brown sunglasses. Everybody tried to see his full face behind that balaclava, but because he's a Lieutenant, he uses his superiority to made someone who dare prank him to do 20 push-ups as punishment. He's clearly cheating.
But I think that's enough for today, I'm going to start a new entry tomorrow."
He closed the book and pocketed it, he closed his eyes for a moment. Trying to clear his mind from the thoughts while relax. It's a long way across the sea to the Underscore Mine, so he have less than an hour to relax.
...
"Alex." Lily called him, "Alex." She start to shook him lightly. He winced and slowly opened his eyes, "We're here." She told him.
Alex nodded and got up from his seat, grabbing his rifle and headed outside the vehicle. Maxwell, Uncle Maxwell, Sophia, Frank, Kyle, Harris, Jennifer, Felix, Gary, and Simon are already waiting outside. Everyone saw that the assault has already begun. Alliance soldiers charging out from their Ospreys.
"Looks like they started the party without us." Alex joked as he stretched his arms and yawned.
"Yeah, come on. The others are already waiting." Lily replied.
They were already at the bottom of the mine, this of course, made Maxwell confused. The Underscore Mine was a cave mine, there's no vehicle could enter it. Including an Osprey. But this one was a large hole with mine in it. Maybe, it is the this dimension version of Underscore Mine.
"Alright, Mr. President is locked somewhere in lower levels. So we're going to take both of the elevators over there." Uncle Maxwell explained, pointing to the lift next to them, "Then, we split up into two groups. Kyle, Harris, Simon, Jennifer, Sophia follow me. The rest of you follow Frank. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir." Everyone replied in unison.
"Good, let's go."
They entered both elevators. Uncle Maxwell with Kyle, Harris, Simon, Jennifer, and Sophia at the first elevator. While Frank, Alex, Lily, Maxwell, Gary, and Felix at the second elevator. The elevator slowly descended to the bottom. The group was separated in the way. The first elevator stopped before the second elevator does. After the second elevator arrived at the bottom of the mine, there isn't any single soul in the lower level of the mine. Probably the miners and soldiers were evacuated to the upper levels of the mine.
"Guys, I found Mr. President." Sarah said from the radio, "He's in floor 07, sector 8."
"Where is that?" Alex asked.
"You're in floor 08, sector 1. Follow the hallway until you find an intersection, take the stairs at the left and go follow the hallway again until you reach a dead end." Sarah explained.
"Alright." Alex replied.
They followed Sarah's instruction. After a few minutes, they finally reached the dead end at floor 07, "Alright Sarah, now what?" Maxwell asked.
"Mr. President's room is to your right, breach the wall and clear the room." Sarah answered.
"Got it." Lily replied.
Gary approached the wall and planted the breaching charge, seconds later, he already finished. "Here we go." He muttered before pressing the detonator.
The wall suddenly exploded, creating a large hole on it. They stormed the room and cleared the room from the enemy guarding Mr. President, who was tied into a chair with his eyes covered in blindfold and his mouth covered by a tape.
Frank went to released the rope, while Gary untied his blindfold and Alex pulled off the tape from his mouth. "Those bastards! They are going to pay for this." Mr. President exclaimed while rubbing his wrists.
"Yeah, you could do that later Mr. President. But now we need to get you out from here." Felix said.
Gary picked up a fallen assault rifle and looted some ammo from the dead bodies, he handed Mr. President the assault rifle and the ammo, "Can you handle a weapon sir?" He asked.
"Of course, I got enough training and license for a gun." Mr. President inspected the rifle, "But, not-"
"Good, now let's go." Frank cut him off.
Felix opened the door and headed outside the room, "Team 2, this is Team 1. Do you find Mr. President?" Uncle Maxwell asked from the radio.
"Team 1, this is Team 2. We found Mr. President. I repeat, we have found Mr. President. Proceed out from the mine." Frank answered.
They took the nearest elevator and headed to the upper floor, they waited for the elevator to arrive at their destination. But, the elevator suddenly jerked stop in the half-way. Felix pushed the button to the surface of the mine, the elevator doesn't respond. He pushed the button a few more times, the elevator still not responding. Eventually, he grew tired and slammed his fist into the panel a few times.
"Felix, stop. That's not going to help." Alex said to him.
"Uh, testing. Can you all hear me?" Yusuf's voice filled the radio.
"Yusuf! Where have you been?" Frank asked.
"I was in the other Osprey, Frank. I found a way in to this mine." He answered.
"Where are you now?" Gary asked.
"Just outside the elevator you're trapped in. I was waiting for the elevator to get out from this damned mine."
The elevator door was pried by someone's hand, after a moment. The door opened and revealed Yusuf. With a few dead bodies behind him and his machete stained with blood.
"Good to see you kids again." Yusuf said, motioning to Alex, Lily, and Maxwell. "Now let's get out from this place before it crumbles into pieces."
They started heading outside the mine, taking every stairs to the upper floors and following Sarah's instruction over the radio. When everyone reached a hallway. The floor that Lily was stepping on crumbled, it made her fell to the floor beneath the hallway.
"Lily!" Alex yelled, he tried to grab Lily's hand. But, no avail. Lily already fell to the floor beneath him.
Some debris, woods, and dust covered her body. She got rid of all the debris and woods, then brushed the dust off her shirt and vest. Unfortunately, her rifle was broken, it was buried deep in the debris and broke into several parts.
"Lily!" Alex called her, she turned to him. "Are you okay?"
"Alex, I'm fine. Just go without me, I'll meet you in the other side." She replied.
"No, I won't go without you."
"Alex, just go. I'm just slowing you all down."
Alex closed his eyes, thinking what he should do. Lily is now defenseless, Alex decided to pulled out his notebook. Slipping the pencil at the binders and tossed it at her.
"Here, take it." He said to her.
"But, is it okay?" She asked as he caught the notebook.
"Yes of course. You know how to use it right?"
"A little."
"Good, just write any weapon in the notebook and make sure you're not defenseless, alright?"
Lily nodded.
"Alright, see you in the other side." Alex smiled to her before went with the others.
Lily has the notebook now, she just need to write down the words. She opened the book and took the pencil, she wrote 'assault rifle' and an assault rifle appeared in the front of her. Luckily, it was the same assault rifle she had before. She put the notebook at her bag and grabbed the assault rifle.
She checked her body for any sign wound, cut, or bruises at her arms and legs. Luckily, her body was fine. Not even a single scratch, but she felt a pain from her back. But Lily chose to ignore it and followed the hallway, wherever this hallway head to.
She finally found a door with an exit sign above, she quickly opened the door, but a mysterious voice greeted her from behind.
"Hello my dear, I see that you have found the exit." The voice greeted, Lily turned around and saw an Empire soldier without his helmet stood in the front of her, "But you're not going to escape that easily."
He punched her in the face, causing Lily to fell to the ground and her assault rifle slid away from her. He grabbed Lily by the collar of her bulletproof vest and lifted her off the ground and pinned her against the wall.
"Not so though aren't ya?" He punched her in the face again, this time harder. She felt a blood dripping from the left side her lips, "Where are your friends now little girl? Guess nobody is here to save you now." He mocked.
By the time he clenched his fist to punch Lily again, she closed her eyes and waited for the pain. The soldier just stood there, his eyes widened in fear and pain. She realized a large machete pierced through his stomach, the machete is pulled off from his body and the soldier fell to the ground, revealing Yusuf. Lily manage to free herself from his hand and tidied her clothes.
"Yusuf, how did you got here?" Lily asked.
"Alex told me to keep an eye on you, who knows if you got yourself in trouble." Yusuf answered.
Alex is actually cared for her, like the way she cared for Alex. In fact, Alex cared for her and Sarah more than anybody. Guess he really was a responsible brother, he doesn't want anyone got hurt. Including her. And she owe both Yusuf and Alex one.
"Uh, Lily. We really need to get out from this place now." Yusuf said.
She snapped out from her thought, "Oh, yes." She shook her head, "I just found the exit." She pointed to the exit door.
"Alright, let's go." Yusuf replied.
Lily grabbed her assault rifle and ran to the exit door, it was another hallway. But with a light on the edge of it. "Lily, uh... are you alright?" Yusuf asked.
"What do you mean? I'm fine." Lily replied.
"It's, um..." Yusuf pointed to the left side of his lips, motioning Lily to check her lips. She touched her lips, feeling blood still dripping from her lips, she quickly wiped it away with her hand.
"Oh." She looked at the small bloodstain at her white glove, "Thanks for asking Yusuf."
"No problem." He replied.
...
"Come on people! Let's go!" Frank yelled at his teammate.
"Argh, shit!" Felix shouted as he dodged an incoming rocket.
"There's too many of them!" Gary exclaimed.
"Sarah, we need a vehicle to get out from here now!" Alex said to the radio.
"Alright, I got an Osprey to pick you all up.." Sarah replied.
Alex smiled, "Alright."
"Attention, this is V-22 Osprey callsign "Butcher", we're heading to your position." A voice in the radio said to them.
"Osprey's here! Let's go!" Frank said.
"Maxwell, Lily! Watch out!" Alex yelled at an incoming rocket that headed toward them, but it's too late. The rocket already exploded next to them and knocked Lily unconscious. All she felt last time is being dragged and heard many yelling before the world went dark.
(A/N : Yay, Cliffhanger!)