Chapter 36: Dilemma

Chapter 36: Dilemma

Adrian and Tessa sprinted through the underbrush of a remote village, their feet hardly making a sound as they blurred past dilapidated huts and winding dirt paths.

The world was a haze of green and brown, the sun barely breaking through the thick canopy of trees overhead. Birds scattered in fright at their sudden appearance, and the wind was cold against their skin.

"Slow down," Tessa gasped, barely able to keep pace with Adrian. She was fast—faster than anyone on Earth—but Adrian was on another level. He had slowed considerably for her, yet it still felt like he was pulling her through the village at breakneck speed.

Adrian didn't respond, his blue eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of pursuit. They had been running for hours, only stopping when they came across a small hamlet where a few villagers lingered, minding their own business. No one seemed to notice the two strangers darting through their space.

"We need to blend in," Adrian finally muttered, his voice low and cold. He stopped suddenly, his hand on Tessa's shoulder, guiding her to the side of a mud-brick house where clothes hung loosely on a line.

Tessa glanced at the garments, a mix of old hoods and worn tunics. "What are we doing?"

Without answering, Adrian grabbed two long, faded hoods and threw one over to her. "We're going to blend in. We need our faces covered or we would be discovered, and who knows, our faces might have been plastered all over the news."

Tessa stared at the hood in disbelief. "You want us to steal someone's clothes?"

Adrian was already pulling the hood over his head, concealing his sharp features. "Borrow. Not steal. We'll return them... maybe."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, but reluctantly she pulled on the hood. It was oversized on her, but it did the job, hiding her face and casting shadows over her bright blue eyes. Adrian adjusted his own, his movements quick, precise, and far too calm for the situation they were in.

Once they were dressed, they stepped out from the alley, walking slowly into the village square. It was market day, and the small crowd of locals paid them no mind, too engrossed in their daily routines to care about two strangers.

"Where are we going?" Tessa whispered, though her eyes kept darting around. Every moment she expected the SSG to descend on them. Every face seemed like it could be watching them.

Adrian didn't answer. He kept moving, his expression unreadable. He knew exactly what he was doing. He had a plan, and right now, Tessa needed to trust him.

They pushed deeper into the market, past stalls selling fruits and handmade trinkets, when suddenly, a faint buzz filled the air. Adrian stiffened. Tessa reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a small, unfamiliar phone. It wasn't theirs.

She stared at the screen, dread creeping into her chest. "How…?"

Adrian glanced down at the phone in her hands, his eyes narrowing. "Who gave that to you?"

"I don't know," Tessa muttered, swiping at the screen. A video started to play, and her heart plummeted.

It was Ms. Caldwell.

She sat in a stark, white room, her face bruised and swollen, her lips chapped and cracked. Blood smeared across her cheeks like a cruel afterthought. She looked... broken.

Tessa's breath hitched as she watched her adoptive mother on the screen. Ms. Caldwell's eyes were filled with pain, her voice barely above a whisper. "Tessa… please, come back. They won't hurt you if you come back… I—I promise. Please, I'm begging you. They are going to send a battalion after you if you resist, they know your--" The video was cut off before she could reveal more.

Behind Tessa, Adrian could be heard cursing softly under his breath. His face tightened, and his fists clenched at his sides.

'These bastards called humans, they keep enraging me time and time again. I had vowed not to cause trouble but every single damn time, they keep stepping on my toes' Adrian was seething.

The video continued, showing Ms Caldwell being dragged away like a bag of rice, and then, in the corner of the screen, Marshall's grinning face appeared. He looked like a man who knew he was winning. "It's all falling into place," he murmured, his voice soft but sharp as a knife. "The chessboard is set. Come, Tessa. Come and finish this."

The screen went black.

Tessa's hands shook as she lowered the phone. Her chest felt like it was collapsing, the weight of everything pressing down on her all at once. She had seen Ms. Caldwell hurt before, but this… this was different. This wasn't some mission gone wrong. This was a trap.

She turned to Adrian, her voice a mix of anger and desperation. "We have to go back."

Adrian's expression remained cold. "No."

Her eyes flared, anger rising like a storm inside her. "What do you mean, 'no'? That's my mother! She's hurt—she could die if we don't go back!"

"That's exactly what they want," Adrian replied, his voice still unnervingly calm. "They want you to walk right into their trap. They're waiting for us, Tessa. And judging by the last message that Ms. Caldwell was prevented from letting out, I can only presume that they have salt bullets. If we go back now, it's over."

Tessa took a step closer to him, her fists clenched at her sides. "So what? You want me to just leave her there? To die?"

"No," Adrian said quietly. "I want you to stay alive. If we go back, both of us are dead."

"I can't just leave her!" Tessa's voice cracked, tears spilling over her cheeks. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as the weight of it all crushed down on her. "I can't!"

Silence reigned supreme for a moment with tension rising and falling like an ebbing sea tide.

Adrian reached out, his hand gripping her arm firmly but gently. His blue eyes locked onto hers, his voice low and steady. "We will rescue her. But we need to think. We can't rush in there and get ourselves killed. I can't lose you too."

Tessa stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest, torn between the overwhelming urge to run back and save Ms. Caldwell and the cold logic that Adrian was presenting.

--

Meanwhile, back in the interrogation room, Ms. Caldwell's body slumped against the cold hard ground, her breaths shallow and labored. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Mr. Thompson, Mr. Joel, and James sat on the floor, their faces pale, bruised, and battered, every one of them a broken shell of who they once were.

Oxlade, Karl, and Bridget had been released, but the rest weren't so lucky. Their spirits had been drained by hours of questioning and torture. Marshall's men didn't play games. They inflicted pain until every piece of information had been extracted.

James' mind was foggy, his thoughts swirling in chaos. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He never thought switching the food that day would lead to something like this.

Marshall, watching from a hidden room, smiled with satisfaction. The chess pieces were falling into place, and soon, he would have his victory. All he needed now was for Tessa and Adrian to walk into his carefully laid trap.

Back in the village, Tessa's sobs quieted. She stared at Adrian, her voice barely a whisper. "What do we do now?"

Adrian squeezed her hand, his eyes gleaming with determination. "We will find another way. I'm not letting them win. Not like this."

And so, the gambit began.