Capture
For the next three days, Sam just waited as he looked at the two portals. But there is no movement whatsoever. The people that are stuck inside the formation with explosives are feeling panicky by now. They thought, they would be saved by their Fire Sect Leader and the Grand Elders.
But from the looks of it, they knew that their captors are looking forward to their arrival than them. On one hand, they want the sect leader to come and rescue them, but on the other hand because of the excitement Sam and the group are showing, they felt like if the sect leader and the grand elders came, and they died, the captives wouldn't be useful to Sam.
For some odd reason, they didn't want to find out and even felt that the situation they are in would freeze like that without any changes.
But the reality doesn't work that way and they knew of it too. When the Portal showed the signs of someone arriving, they understood it even more clearly.