Bab 21: Help Has Come
As Hubert and his team arrived at the initial location, they were met with an unsettling silence. The building stood empty, devoid of any signs of Turai or the missing children. Concern etched itself on their faces as they searched every corner, finding nothing but dust and abandoned rooms.
Gareth, his brow furrowed, voiced what some were thinking. "You don't think the kid gave us a bum steer, do you?" His words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
Hubert's response was immediate and firm. "No. Turai wouldn't lie to me. There's got to be more to this." His eyes scanned the room, searching for any clue they might have missed.
The team spread out, checking every nook and cranny of the building. As minutes ticked by without any sign of Turai or the children, tension began to build.
"How about we scatter and search all over the area?" Just as one of the men suggested they move on to search elsewhere, Gareth's keen eye caught something.
"Hey, look at this," Gareth called out, pointing to a section of wall. The others quickly gathered around, peering at what had caught his attention. A web of cracks spread out from a central point, and at its heart, Gareth could make out the distinct size of a small hand. "That's his."
Hubert examined the damage, his mind racing. He quickly formed two theories: either Turai had arrived late, found nothing, and left in a fury to chase another lead, or... "He could have been taken," Hubert said, the words tasting bitter in his mouth.
Gareth couldn't help but chuckle at the latter suggestion. "That kid? Kidnapped? I'd feel sorry for anyone who tried." His laughter, however, held a note of unease. They all knew Turai was exceptional, but they also knew the dangers that lurked in the shadows of their town.
Boom!
Before they could deliberate further, a distant explosion rocked the air. The sound was muffled but unmistakable, causing all heads to turn towards the source. Without a word, they rushed outside to investigate, weapons at the ready.
The sight that greeted them was bizarre and chaotic. At a nearby motel, just a few yards down the street, people were flying out of the windows and doors. Some were propelled by an unseen force, tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground. Others were fleeing in terror, their faces masks of fear as they sprinted away from the building.
"You little piece of shit!" Yet, remarkably, some of the ejected individuals were charging back inside, determination or desperation driving them back into the fray.
Gareth's laugh boomed across the street, a mix of relief and excitement. "Well, I guess we found our missing boy. Looks like he started the party without us."
They sprinted towards the motel, adrenaline pumping through their veins. As they burst through the doors, they were met with a scene of utter chaos. Furniture was overturned, walls were cracked, and in the center of it all stood Turai. The young boy was a whirlwind of motion, holding his own against over twenty assailants.
Despite the pandemonium surrounding him, Turai spotted them immediately. His eyes lit up with recognition, though his focus never wavered from the battle at hand.
"Hubert!" Turai called out, ducking under a wild swing before countering with a devastating uppercut that sent his attacker flying. "Help me keep these guys busy. I need to go deeper, find the kids or whoever's behind this!"
Without hesitation, Hubert's team sprang into action. "Help has come!" Gareth, living up to his nickname as the human boulder, barreled into a group of thugs, sending them sprawling like bowling pins. The others fanned out, engaging the remaining attackers and creating a path for Turai.
Seizing the opportunity created by his allies, Turai darted past the melee. His keen eyes quickly spotted what others might have missed—a hidden passage leading underground. Without a second thought, he plunged into the darkness, leaving the sounds of battle behind him.
The passage was narrow and dimly lit, but Turai moved with purpose. His senses were on high alert, ready for any trap or ambush. As he descended deeper, the air grew cooler, and the sounds from above faded away entirely.
Booooom!
Down below the motel, in a secret chamber unknown to the world above, the leader of the organization was jolted awake by a muffled explosion. Confusion clouded his face momentarily before realization dawned—they were under attack. The underground area was designed to muffle all sounds from above, which meant the explosion he heard came from within their secret base.
Leaping from his bed, the leader's mind raced. How had they been discovered? Who dared to challenge them in their own stronghold? He rushed out of his sparsely furnished room, his clothes disheveled but his eyes alert.
The sight that greeted him sent a chill down his spine.
"Ahh! We're dead!" His workers, men and women he had personally selected for their loyalty and ruthlessness, were fleeing in panic. All of them were running from the direction of the entrance, their faces pale with fear.
Despite the terror evident in his subordinates' actions, the leader steeled himself. He had not risen to his position by cowering in the face of danger. Feeling the surge of magical energy coursing through his body, a power he had honed over years of dark practices, he strode purposefully towards the source of the commotion.
As he walked, he barked orders at the fleeing workers, demanding they stand and fight.
"What are you fools doing?!" Some hesitated, torn between their fear and their loyalty. Others simply continued to run, too terrified to heed his commands.
The leader pressed on, his curiosity and anger overriding his caution. He needed to see what could instill such terror in his men, what force had managed to penetrate their carefully hidden sanctuary.
As he rounded the corner, he came face to face with the most intimidating twelve-year-old he had ever encountered. Turai stood there, his small frame radiating an aura of power and determination that seemed impossible for one so young.
For a moment, neither spoke. The underground corridor fell silent, the air thick with tension as the young avenger and the criminal mastermind faced off.
"Who... what are you?" the leader found himself asking, his voice betraying a hint of fear that he immediately despised.
Turai's response was chilling in its simplicity. "I'm here for the children. And if you're the acclaimed leader, I'm here for you too."
The leader's mind raced, trying to comprehend the situation. How could a mere child pose such a threat? Yet, as he looked into Turai's eyes, he saw something that shook him to his core—a determination and power that belied the boy's years. Now he understood why the earlier thugs had lost.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with, boy," the leader snarled, trying to regain his composure. He began to gather his magical energy, preparing for a battle he never thought he'd have to fight.
Turai remained unfazed. "No," he said, his voice calm but filled with an underlying steel. "It's you who doesn't understand what you're dealing with. Last chance. Where are the children?"
Hadiah
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