Author's Note:
So I lost inspiration for a while and I kept trying to write this chapter and could never get myself to finish it. I'm sorry for the delay but I have this and the next chapter written and I will soon be releasing a story about Alba and Pedro if people are interested. I will be finishing this story though. I do have ideas for the other characters and will be trying to jump back in. Thank you for those who have read this chapter.
Chapter 27:
(Caleb POV)
I entered the camp and the attention was drawn to me like a magnet. The General's star Lieutenant was back again and everyone could feel the stiffness in the air. I couldn't be too focused on that though, I had to find them. I wove my way through the rows of tents knowing that I had to see the General before I did anything. I didn't want him to be suspicious so I made my way over to his tent and the guard that stood watch outside immediately let me in. I recognized the guard as someone I used to train with. I never learned his name, not that we went by anything other than our rankings in the base, and I never really liked him and I knew that he was jealous of me.
I entered the tent and saw the General standing over some maps drawing up plans. He turned to face me, "Lieutenant what are you doing here? You didn't want to raise suspicion and leave early, how did you manage to get out?" I kept a straight face, "Two members of the community disappeared. Seeing as I knew the outside world the best I took the opportunity to volunteer to go find them." The General's lips curled up into a smile, "Excellent work Lieutenant. And lucky for you I think we just might have those two missing people in our custody. They were found just outside the camp." I nodded my head, "Am I able to speak to them?" I wanted to be able to see Isabella and Felix as we figured out what to do from here. "Well one of them is not in her cell right now, but you can speak with the man. You remember our camp layouts?" I nodded my head, "Of course. I know it better than the back of my hand." He nodded his head, "Good. When you are done speaking with him come back here we need to talk some more." I nodded my head and opened the flap of the tent.
I looked over and saw that the guard wasn't there anymore and someone else was in his place. I straightened my back as I made my way across the camp. I walked past the tents where the over people stayed, the training grounds and stopped as I reached the cells. They were dug deep into the ground and each was blocked by a large metal door and had a guard stationed outside each occupied cell. I went over to the only standing guard. "I'm here to speak to the prisoner," I said as he moved aside for me to open the door. Being as high-ranking as I was no one questioned me when I came over. I turned to the guard, "I will knock on the door twice when I need to leave." He nodded his head and closed the door.
I looked over at Felix as he looked up at me, "I'm guessing this wasn't a part of Isabella's plan?" He muttered and I nodded my head, "You're right it's not, but that isn't stopping her from trapping everyone inside of here. I barely got in before the vines began to get higher." He let out a breath, "What is that girl planning?" I looked at him, "I need to ask you about something else besides the plan." He looked around the cell, "Well it's not like I can go anywhere." "What can you tell me about your parent?" I asked and he paused as he looked at me, "Why do you need to know about that?" I let out a breath, "Because I have an idea and if I'm right then having you here in front of the General will either be really helpful or really destructive, either of which depends on what you know about your parents."
Felix looked at me, "It was 60 years ago, I was a few months old when my Mama heard of my Padre's plan to destroy the town. He was trying to build up his army and they were apparently wealthy in the community and he wanted it for himself. She was planning on slowly approaching them but the plans moved up so she warned everyone about what was going to happen and I was dropped in a wagon and rolled into the new town of Encanto." I nodded my head, "Your Papa was a General?" He nodded his head and I let out a breath, "Ok I think it is time that you heard about how I grew up." After I explained everything we reached the same conclusion. "So you think that the General is my Padre," Felix said. I nodded my head, "Yeah I do."
We quickly came up with a plan when I heard a shift in the background, "I need to go the General is expecting me and he is probably going to bring you along to." He nodded his head and I exited the cell to see a guard on standby. I exited the cell and made my way over to the General. He was smirking and I looked over and saw why. Isabella was being paraded through the camp, only she didn't really seem like herself. She kept her head down and was in a long flowing dress that just wasn't her. She was guided into the General's tent and I shook it off knowing that she has a plan.
I looked behind me and saw that Felix was also being guided over to us. I didn't want the General to see him yet so I led him towards his tent. I then saw Isabella again but this time she was chained to the ground. I fixed my features after slightly clenching my fists as I heard her weakly say, "Caleb" it was the first time she has said my name in months and it had to be now but what made me angrier was the way the General spoke about her, "Now that is a perfect image. That dress looks better on you than it did on Marina." I took a deep breath as he turned to me, "Lieutenant what can you tell me about our prisoner here?"
I could feel her gaze on me as I was keeping every one of my features fixed in place, "Lieutenant?" The General asked again. I turned to face him, "Sir, her name is Isabella Madrigal, she is a woman from Encanto." I figured that was enough information to satisfy him without giving anything else away. I was then going over everything I have said to the General about Isabella and was immediately reminded of what I had said before, "Ah yeas, the Wild Woman who was showing you around." I forgot that I had mentioned that to him, "What else can you tell me Lieutenant?" I couldn't watch as the General was closer to Isabella holding her face to keep her gaze. Before I could say anything else I could hear boots outside and knew that Felix was on his way in, "Oh I see our other prisoner has joined us." The General said.
When he turned towards Felix I knew that our theory was right, "Felix?" The General asked. The General finally walked away from Isabella and over to Felix, "That is impossible, Marina and you died in the fire." Felix kept a cold gaze, "Only my Mama died in that fire you started. I survived." I kept my gaze on a point of the tent as I pointed my index figure down and began spinning it in a circle hoping Isabella would get the symbol. I noticed it getting darker outside of the tent and knew she was doing it. The soldiers outside were noticing as well which drew the attention of the General away from Felix for a moment as he lifted up the flap of the tent to leave, but when he did he saw the heavy, brown vines that Isabella had been growing. We had battle tested those against every weapon that I had access to in Encanto and knew that we weren't getting out without Isabella wanting us to. "What is this?" He yelled looking over at us.