Ch 7

At first, there was darkness.

Then, light beams from their flashlights illuminated the area.

The sound of water dripping down from the ceiling rang out as Nate and Chloe slowly crept through it.

"So when did you decide to become Indiana Jones?" Nate asked as he brushed aside cobwebs.

"When I was a kid, I liked to go exploring." Chloe explained. "One day, I found a bronze statue covered in gems under a bridge. I'll never forget the feeling, you know. I ran and showed it to my father. I thought he'd put it in a museum but instead he stole it, kept all the money. We never saw him again."

"I'm sorry." Nate said when the story was done.

"Why?" Chloe asked. "I'm better for it."

"Here." Nate said and gave Chloe a lock-picker after kicking open the gate. I just got the tool. You see that?"

"Sure, when the big bad nun's not around." Chloe teased as they entered another tunnel. "Does this look right to you?"

"I don't really know what the path to the ancient treasure's supposed to look like." Nate replied.

"More ancient." Chloe guessed.

"Hey Sully, do you see anything weird up there?" Nate asked over the comms.

"You're gonna have to be more specific." Sully said as loud music could be heard in the background.

"What the-" Nate started, then stopped as he and Chloe saw multi-colored lights glowing behind a vent.

Nate kicked the vent open and they entered a night club with spinning lights and blaring music.

"This can't be right, can it?" he asked.

"Look above the bar." Chloe said, pointing to an old sign on the wall which read Infernum. "Infernum. Isn't that Latin for Hell?"

"Yes, it is." Nate replied. "Come on."

Then they saw Scotty and another of Braddock's goons scanning the crowd for them so they blended in as Nate ordered three Commonwealths.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked in confusion.

"I'm making a distraction." Nate said as he got a bottle then poured the Vodkaonto the bar.

Then he tried to ignite his lighter a hundred times but it still wouldn't work.

"Oh for God's sake." Chloe said in exasperation, grabbing a candle and setting the bar on fire with it.

After the bartender put out the fire and went off to the back room, Nate took the role while Chloe tried to solve a puzzle on the wall.

Soon enough, Scotty found them and Nate tried to talk it out by offering a drink.

"Let me guess, Piña Colada?" he asked.

Scotty just growled and choked Nate in a flash of fierce motion.

"Wait, wait, I got it." Nate continued. "Sex on the Beach."

Scotty yelled and flipped Nate over the bar, causing him to land flat on his back.

Scotty charged again but this time Nate was ready.

He grabbed bottles from shelves and kept swinging them down on Scotty's head.

The other goon charged and punched him in the ribs but he ignored the spark of pain and kicked the goon in the chest, knocking him down.

Finally, Chloe solved the puzzle and Nate's lighter finally worker, blocking the goons with a burst of flames.

Then they entered into another tunnel, closing the grate shut just in time.

"God, those guys suck." Nate groaned before they rested and moved on.

"Where the hell are we?" Chloe asked as they entered a rook with a manhole above them, a grate underneath, and a keyhole slot.

"I don't know." Nate replied.

Chloe pulled out her key, turned it, only to hear a creaming sound as a whole lot of murky water rushed in, already swallowing them up to their legs.

"Oh no." Nate said.

"Water." Chloe added in an anxious voice.

"A lot of water." Nate replied.

Then he realized from the book that they needed to get help from their friends and he quickly called Sully.

Unfortunately, Sully was also in a bad spot as he was cornered by Braddock herself.

"Give me the cross." Braddock said.

"You haven't said please." Sully replied.

"Now." Braddock ordered.

Sully put the cross down, then pulled out his gun and shot the glass in front of the keyhole, breaking it a little.

"What's going on?!" Nate asked in overwhelming desperation.

"Shut up." Sully snapped.

Couldn't the kid hear that he was in trouble himself?

"I'll shut up when you get us the hell outta here!" came Nate's annoying reply.

Sully and Braddock got into a fist fight and soon Braddock wrapped her legs around his head as he struggled to reach for his gun.

"Did you miss this, Victor?" Braddock taunted in a sly voice. "Huh?"

"Not even a little." Sully spat out.

"We're running out of time!" Nate shouted as the water came up to his and Chloe's necks.

"Deep breaths, Nate." Chloe said. "Deep breaths."

As the two of them were doing their damndest to not die, Sully had finally managed to get the upper hand, hold Braddock over his head, and slam her into the glass, shattering it.

Sully then stopped over Braddock's body and at last shoved the key in, stopping the water which opened a secret entrance.

Nate swam out but realized Chloe was still down there so he grabbed her to safety.

"Chloe!" he shouted. "Chloe!"

Nothing happened.

Finally, when he had almost lost hope, Chloe spat out water and woke back up.

They had all made it.