Page 65 of Shadow's Chosen

Elise was pulled to her feet. She stumbled a few steps as a pair of hands brought her farther into the room. Supporting her still, Elise lifted her head as a large man came into view, setting a heavy palm on her shoulder. Elise blinked a few times before she could make out a face. "Bruce?"

"The one and only," Bruce said, fixing her with a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. His other arm was wrapped from wrist to elbow, and his face had the faintest smattering of bruises that were nearly healed. He let his hand fall from her shoulder, and Elise looked to the pair that held her and saw Tom and Helen smiling back at her. Her throat tightened, and a low sob escaped her lips. Next thing she knew, she was being engulfed by bodies, arms wrapping around her, pressing her close. Elise let out a few more heavy breaths before she calmed herself and allowed the others to release her. She looked at each of their faces and saw that Amy and Reese were there as well. All of her team except for...

"Where are Adrien and Jerico?" she said softly.

She didn't have to guess, judging by their faces as their eyes fell as did their smiles.

"They were left behind," Tom answered. "We don't know...we aren't sure if they are..."

He didn't continue, and Elise didn't ask him to. She nodded her head as her heart sank to her stomach. "What happened at the gate?" Her voice cracked.

They each glanced at each other, and Helen patted her arm gently. "Sit down. Let me check you."

Elise did as commanded and sat down on a thin mat made of some foam-like material. Her gaze shifted around to the others, who all watched quietly by the walls. The Grayhart team of scientists. They whispered to one another as they glanced her way, their expressions curious as well as anxious.

Helen gripped at Elise's arms and legs then pressed against her sides and asked her to breathe normal as she checked her pulse. She had none of her medical tools, but she did her best to examine Elise as best she could. She unclasped Elise's suit partway to examine her neck and back and found the marks of her fight now nothing more than scars.

"How did you come by these?" Helen asked, brushing her fingers against the sensitive skin.

Elise clenched her jaw and stifled a shudder. "A fight."

"Damn, Stirling, you've been through some major shit too, huh?" Reese said close by.

She swallowed hard, her throat still tight. "Yes," she said, her voice shaking. Her hands turned to fists as her thoughts drifted to Nezka, and she shoved them away. Anger and despair rose quickly, and she closed her eyes, trying to stay calm. "Tell me what happened."

They didn't answer right away. Bruce leaned back against the wall nearby while Reese and Tom sat together with knees to their chests. Amy sat beside her as Helen continued her exam.

"The tunnel broke," Tom began. "I remember coming to and there were pieces of the tunnel falling onto the car, dust so thick you couldn't see anything outside the vehicle. Thankfully, the car was a tank and sheltered us from most of the debris. When everything went quiet, we got up, made sure everyone was okay." Tom shifted, his eyes dropping to his hands. The others stared out at nothing as they listened. "We were banged up a little but luckily nothing major. We could stand at least." He laughed. "We escaped the car and started looking around. We noticed you were gone and that the tunnel exit was nothing but a pile of rock. There was more rubble around us, but the tunnel hadn't collapsed fully. We could still see up the tunnel part way. But it looked pretty bad. We searched around for you, and that's when we saw Adrien and Jerico underneath the car. We scrambled to get them out, but by the time we dragged them to safety, we were overtaken by more of the Red Blades. They left them, thinking they were goners, and took the rest of us out through a tunnel passage. Bruce tried to break free and got his ass handed to him. Can't do much when you're bound up. Anyway, they brought us here instead of killing us. Not sure why."

"For the same reason why we are here," said a man on the other side of the wall. "They are collecting us for some outerworld purpose."

"Crazy..." Amy murmured.

Elise closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, he's right." She opened her eyes and saw them each looking at her.

"How do you know?" Reese asked.

"Because I was with one of the bounty hunters and..." She took a deep breath. "And I thought we were coming to get you all out, but he betrayed me...betrayed us. The head of the Red Blades is a woman named Pyra who is looking to sell us off, and the bounty hunters are in it to help her."

"Great," said Reese." And we thought the drogin were the only snakes in this trap."

Elise's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Someone, one of the drogin officials we think, is in on this little plot too," said one of the Grayhart members.

Elise thought back to their time at the station and their journey to the gate. "Why do you think that?" she asked.

"Because they were the only ones who suggested we make for the undercity. With nothing but a guide and a handful of soldiers," said a woman by the back wall. "They told us it was safe. We just wanted to see the beginning foundations of the city, to get an idea of how they built it from the ground up. Next thing we know, we are getting sacked."

"Do you remember which officials made the suggestion?" Elise asked.

"Official Dol, Official Rola, Official Joli," an older man listed off.

"They recommended it and enlisted our aid," said the woman. "They had to have gone to the head of command first to even meet with the suggestion."

"And that was?" Elise asked.

"Councilman Qorey."

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