Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL)-Chapter 30: Bait

Kain Locke

"After leaving your hotel room the other day, I went back to mine to freshen up and put on an outfit before the party. But who could’ve thought I’ll get called by the instructors about a mission that came from above. They want me to go along with two others." Bella explained.

"The mission was in this place? I guess to retrieve a formula right?" I couldn’t help but want to confirm my suspicion.

"That’s right. By the way, how do you find out about this?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Obviously, you’re here, and here we also are, for the same purpose, to retrieve a formula." The very formula I brought out of here eight years ago, a fifteen year old and the only survivor handling it to that man. Caspian Draeven.

So it’s absurd, sending two different groups to retrieve it! When it doesn’t exist here any longer! "How many days have you been trapped in here?"

"For as long as four days, my teammates died an hour ago, we didn’t suspect anything, it was just too real... I mean we were undercover, hiding among them, pretending to be them so as to learn the secret formula location. But we never suspected being played. The pawns weren’t them, but us. And when we realized everything was nothing but a realistic holographic projection, it was already too late. It’s only out of luck that I randomly pushed a button and then there were green lights everywhere, they stopped, paralyzed, buying me just enough time to get here only to realize that this is the only door that works and we’ve been surrounded all along, they were just waiting for the signal."

"I’m sorry." I found myself apologizing.

"It’s not your fault Kain," she muttered in a low voice and stood up at once, "But it’s going to be our fault if we die here." she said, pointing at the door, "They’re trying to break in."

"Do you think it can hold?" I inquired, already praying it can, but she shook her head negatively.

"Not for long, I can tell by how much the shaking is getting more and more noticeable, earlier you can’t hear it at all, and now it’s having an impact." She explained.

I nodded erratically, standing up as well, followed by the rest who had also taken a seat when Bella was narrating how she got here.

Since I’ve gotten here, one thing I noticed about this place is that the structure is no longer what it used to be, and even though everyone has thought I came out of here alive easily eight years ago, but, that was a lie.

I was the only survivor because the rest made sure of it, they fought, till the very end, to protect so that at least one of them will live. After all, we’re more of siblings than teammates.

And this time, I won’t stand and watch it repeat itself.

Whatever it takes, I’m gonna give it to make sure we come out of here alive, some people gave me that privilege in the past, and I’ll be passing it on.

"According to your story, you’ve been here for days right?"

"Yes." She affirmed and I bobbed my head,

Good, "then you must be familiar with the corridors right? Even if it’s just a brief glance now and then?"

"I should..."

"How long can the light hold?" I asked at first, waiting for her to answer before thinking of what to do next.

"Like 30 secs." She answered.

Thirty seconds isn’t long, but it’s enough if we time it right "Is the green light switch in every corridor or only this one?"

She thought for a while, then she shook her head, "I don’t think there’s more of it... I never paid attention, I only worked in the lab." As she spoke, the door was shaking harder than before.

"We’re going to die here... we’re really going to die." The Beta’s cried out, except Mateo who had his back pressed against the wall, his eyes locked on the ceiling, and now awfully quiet like none of this was his concern.

I took a deep breath, pushing past the panic clawing at my chest. The door was shaking harder, the Beta was still crying, and the tension in the room was suffocating. We were running out of time.

"I have a plan." My voice eventually came out firm, cutting through the noise.

Everyone turned to me. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"What kind of plan?" Bella asked, crossing her arms.

"One that keeps us alive." I met her gaze, then looked at the others. "We only have thirty seconds when the light flashes. That’s not a lot, but it’s enough if we do this right."

Mateo finally moved, peeling himself off the wall. His eyes stayed on the ceiling, his expression unreadable. "And what exactly are we doing? Shoving ourselves into their mouths or offering ourselves freely to them?"

I exhaled slowly. "We use the light to freeze them and move fast. Bella, you’ve been here the longest. Is there any way out?"

She hesitated before nodding. "There’s an emergency vent in the lab. But it’s small. Not everyone will make it before the light runs out. And it’s a long way from here as well. In case you don’t know, snakes are everywhere. So it’s basically suicide, unless we..."

"We what?" Mateo asked.

"Find a way." She breathed.

My stomach twisted, but I pushed through it. "Then we make sure we do."

The Beta’s sniffled. "But once the light goes out, they’ll be on us."

I nodded. "That’s why we are not going through the corridor, and we’re going to need a distraction. Something loud, something big enough to buy us time."

Bella narrowed her eyes. "And who’s making the distraction?"

I already knew the answer. And by the look on her face, so did she.

"I will." I answered. "So who’s coming with me?"

"Definitely not me." Mateo answered. "You’re not the leader of this group, so you don’t make the calls."

"Gosh! What’s wrong with this guy?" Bella’s face palmed herself.

"So something is wrong with me because I’m not allowing the Omega to lead me to my death just like he did to Katie?"

"Come on! We all know it wasn’t done by him!" Bella snapped at him.

"Of course none of you will agree because she isn’t your fucking sister! And this dimwit here promised. He fucking promised to bring her back alive, only to come out with not even her body!" he yelled, tears squeezing out of his eyes. "You don’t understand. You fucking don’t!" he yelled, throwing a punch at my face, then the next, and the next...

"Stop..." Bella interrupted, prying him away from me, but I pushed her back, "That’s right, I killed her, no amount of words i said or plea’s can erase that. I’m not asking for your forgiveness because I don’t deserve it, but don’t trade your life like this because of a grudge, you can settle scores only if you made it out of here right? So let’s go." I said wiping away the blood running from my nose

"No..." he shook his head, "I’m not going with you! I’ll not, if you wanna go, go for all I care, but if I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die on my own, not following you!"

The door shook harder, even the walls were shaking now, and the shrieks and hissing were getting louder.

"Come on Kain, we have to get out of here." Bella said, tugging at my arm.

"No... I can’t leave him."

"Are you out of your senses you fucking dumbass! You really got nothing to live for out there?" She yelled pulling at me again, but I let myself go this time. I’ve got a son, waiting for me out there with a promise of returning back to him... what assurance that Kael is going to take care of him? I can’t even bear that thought, communicating with him is enough of a bother for me already.

"Come along, or are you staying with him?" Bella snapped the Beta’s to their senses.

"1... 2... 3.." she huffed out a breath and slapped the passkey buttons, followed by the push button on the wall.

The door slides open and we’re greeted by the sight of frightening looking snake beasts, twice a normal Alpha size, their smell like stagnant mud water, fangs so sharp like sword, glistening in the green lights freezing them to place.

"I’m sorry." I muttered, looking back at Mateo as Bella tugged me away, followed by the Beta’s running after us.