VLAD

" T his must be the place they are sent to die." I change the subject, pointing to another cage housing yet another dead person.

But the more we advance, the more putrid the stench becomes.

Everyone brings their sleeves to their nose, unable to withstand the fumes.

We're about halfway through the tunnel, and at this point all the cells are filled with dead people.

"Fucking hell," Bianca curses, using her hand to swat some flies aside.

But it's not just flies.

Rats, maggots and other insects are all strewn around the area, the ground teeming with them as they chase their next meal.

Even I'm becoming disgusted by what I'm seeing—and I don't remember the last time I got disgusted. Especially as the little bugs are crawling on the floor, scattering away any time we make a step forward.

Unable to help myself, I grab Sisi and I make her get on my back. I don't want her anywhere near that.

"You shouldn't have come, Bianca," I hear Marcello tell her as she's heaving by the side. "It can't be good for your pregnancy," he continues as Adrian pats her back, trying to help her.

"I'm fine," she wheezzes, "I don't think Diana likes dead people smell," she jokes as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I don't think anyone does," I add dryly as Adrian takes her in his arms too, cradling her to his chest.

"This is an infestation. I can't believe this." Marcello shakes his head as he steps on a few bugs, the sound of their carcasses snapping reverberating in the air.

"But why would they keep them here? Some of them are long dead," Adrian adds, pointing to one cell where a body's half eaten by the various insects and scavengers.

"Because it's a punishment," I answer.

"A punishment? For whom? They're already dead!" he exclaims.

"For the ones who are still alive." I point to a few cells that are cleaner, where there are no traces of corpses. "It must be another brainwashing trick. Imagine spending even an hour in this place, surrounded by death and things that consume death."

"Damn." Bianca's features draw up in disgust. "This is another level of fucked up."

"It is," I agree. "And it's not even the worst," I say and I feel Sisi's arms tightening around my neck.

"I'm sorry," she whispers into my ear, her voice only for me to hear. "This can't be easy for you."

"Don't worry about me, hell girl. We're one step closer to Miles, and that's all that matters."

The tunnel finally ends, and it's like we can finally take a deep breath of not so rotten air.

"What the fuck," Bianca curses as she breathes out, her chest rising and falling rapidly, "I've never been a fan of putrefied flesh," she adds dryly, her lips curled in disgust. "That is simply too much."

"It's smart, though," Sisi says as I put her down to her feet. "Another type of behavioral therapy. Especially for a child, that would be sure to traumatize them."

"Exactly," I agree. "It's a form of control. Deep down, on a psychological level, because you're just scared into submission, but also because it simply desensitizes you. You saw those people's blank gazes."

"And I thought I'd seen the worst there is to see of humanity," Marcello mutters, rubbing his eyes. "This might just trump it all."

"How big is this underground compound? We've already been walking for what feels like forever," Bianca complains, one hand on her stomach as she coos some shit to her baby.

Gotta say, I never thought I'd see Bianca as a mother. And now she's pregnant? I'm surprised Adrian let her come, but then again, it's Bianca we're talking about. She would have gotten her way whether he wanted or not.

Still, I note the way his eyes never stray from her, always ready to intervene if necessary. Not unlike my situation with Sisi, he lets Bianca do what she wants while being ready to protect her at any moment.

It's funny how things are suddenly put into perspective. A year ago I would have never imagined empathizing with Hastings, or Bianca, since her obsession with him had never made sense.

Now? I want to laugh out loud at the irony, because if anything, I'm worse than Bianca's ever been.

I sneak a glance at Sisi, marveling at the strength reflected in her features, and I know that what I feel for her goes beyond mere obsession. She's under my skin, in my blood, in my Goddamn heart. There's no place left that she hasn't touched or left her mark on.

She owns me—every fucking atom of my body is hers.

A sudden noise snaps me back to reality, my eyes narrowed, my attention focused on whatever's coming from the other end of the tunnel.

"Down!" I yell, just as the others tune in to the noise.

I bring Sisi down with me, pleased that everyone's listened to me and is currently on the floor.

One more second and a projectile flies from the other end of the tunnel, hitting the back, a small explosion ensuing.

"Damn," I curse out. "He brought out the big guns."

"Won't the structure collapse?" Marcello asks.

I shake my head.

"The main walls are steel dressed in concrete and that was a small range projectile. Unlikely to cause any damage to the structure. Us, however…" I trail off just as another projectile flies at us.

"We won't be able to continue forward if they keep on hitting us. I can't even see the other end," Bianca complains.

My lips stretch in a thin line as I analyze our options.

There's some sort of smoke or mist at the end of the tunnel, likely on purpose so we can't detect whoever is shooting at us. And the moment we get up to walk, we'll be hit.

"B, give me your gun," I tell her, an idea forming in my head.

"My gun?" she asks, scandalized.

"You can't see, so you can't shoot," I point out.

"Well, you can't see either."

Fucking B and her obsession with her guns. She's never let anyone handle her precious babies, and while I can respect that, in this particular case, it's just dumb.

"Yes, but I can hear."

She knows me well enough to realize that it's the only advantage we have in this particular scenario.

"Fineee," she groans, pushing her gun to me on the floor.

"What are you going to do?" Sisi whispers in my ear, her body close to mine.

"I'm going to listen for his location."

She frowns. "You can do that?"

"I hope so," I answer grimly.

The truth is that this, too, had been part of Miles' training. I'd had extensive sessions of fighting blindfolded and relying on my other senses to gauge an attack and to make sense of my adversary. And after, I'd just continued to foster those skills, my profession benefiting greatly from them.

"Everyone quiet," I say as I assume my position.

On my belly, I place one elbow on the ground for support, my other hand on the gun as I wrap one finger around the trigger.

Closing my eyes, I breathe in once before stopping my breathing all together and slowing the beats of my heart, so I can have no interference.

As soon as silence greets me, I turn my attention forward to the foreign presence. My ears open up and that's when I hear it. The sound of boots balancing on the ground, of clammy hands moving around the weapon and of anxious breaths as he's undoubtedly trying to scout us.

More than anything, I hear the small moves he makes, the cold ground almost crackling under his steps.

He's advancing.

So if we're not going to him, he's slowly coming toward us.

A smile pulls at my lips and I continue to listen to his small steps as he marches forward. There's a slight hesitation to the way he's moving, as if his very life depends on this assignment.

And in a way, it does.

Because the moment when I'm sure of his position comes, the gun in my hand ready and angled up, my finger gently squeezing the trigger.

And then I listen.

There's a short pause before two breaths come out in short spurts, the sound of knees crashing to the ground letting me know I'd hit him. His body falls further, the metal of his gun hitting the cement. I document each sound, making sure he's out.

Yet even as I know him to be dead, I still listen, just in case there are more people.

"Clear," I say when I'm sure the danger's past.

We all get up, moving forward until we encounter the fallen body of a teenage boy.

"Damn, your aim was sweet," Bianca notes when she sees the bullet ripping through the boy's neck, a clean exit mark on the other side.

"He's testing me," I add tensely. "This is all a test."

"So he is watching," Sisi comments, looking around the tunnel for any cameras.

"Yes, and I bet he's enjoying himself immensely."

Exiting the main tunnel, the road bifurcates—one toward the right and the other to the left.

"We should split up," Adrian suggests.

"We'll go this way," I nod to the right, taking Sisi's hand in mine, "we'll call if anything."

"I'm coming with," Marcello is quick to interject, the same grumpy expression on his face.

"Fine." I wave my hand dismissively, since I am not in the mood for another argument.

As soon as we establish some ground rules, we split up.

Holding on to Sisi, I can't help but be amused at Marcello trailing closely behind, his attention wholly on us.

"Relax, 'Cello, I'm not going to ravish your sister in a dirty hallway." I give him a bored look, although the idea has merit—at a future time.

Marcello presses his lips together, not answering my taunt. Instead, he continues walking, almost grumbling something under his breath.

"I'm not as helpless as you imagine," Sisi addresses him. "I'm really not, Marcello."

"I just worry about you, okay?" He reluctantly admits. "I know I haven't been present in your life and that my behavior can seem a little… overwhelming. But I have your best intentions at heart, Sisi."

Sisi is quiet for a minute, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip.

"Thank you. It means a lot that you care," she starts as she gives him a tremulous smile, "but I've got this. Please trust that I know what I'm doing."

"Alright," he relents, even though he doesn't seem any happier about it.