Callidus Rising | Complete ✔️ | Book 1

26: Key

Lukas and I are walking up the stairs when the lights suddenly come on.

He had just begun to press the hatch upwards when they flicker to life and cover everything in blinding light. I gulp as Lukas drops the hatch and gently begins to push me back down the stairs.

"How could you?!"

My eyes widen at Carlo's outraged voice.

"Me? You'd betray your own family? For them?"

His sister whispers so lightly that I almost don't hear it. Lukas now tugs on my hand to stop my backing up.

"They are my family," Carlo snarls in a deadly tone.

"You don't mean that. Come with me. Come back to Nation Central, we can figure this out! You're my brother! Our parents are there waiting!"

For a moment there is no response.

"Okay, sister. I will come with you," Carlo says, and I felt my chest tighten.

He said something inaudible, and I totally miss it.

No...

Lukas keeps me pressed against the wall. He places himself in front of me towards the bottom of the stairs.

Lukas? What's going to happen?

> Absolutely nothing. They think we've already left this bunker so I'll surprise them when they get up here. Outside of that door, there are soldiers, but they don't know we're down here. I'll protect you. It's the reason for my existence.

I take a deep breath and nod.

We're screwed.

I look down the staircase waiting for Carlo and his sister to climb them. One of the soldiers who sit on the bottom step had fallen asleep.

I hear shuffling over by the table. They are packing up.

Then I see her.

She makes her way over to the two bound soldiers and begins to untie them. I hold my breath and shift my weight... Which was the worst idea ever.

My Nike Floaters readjust and make a usually silent spirt of air.

Her head shoots up to look at us and just as she opens her mouth to say something, the handle of a blaster smacks the back of her head, and she falls to the ground like a kid's discarded dolly.

I feel my mouth drop open as I watch Carlo strap on a belt that holds a blaster holster, and slide his weapon into it from behind Lukas.

He nods his head to us as he reties the area of chord that had been loosened. He steps over his sister and gives her a look of pain and pity, but it is gone before I can even wonder.

"You knew we were still here," I say from behind my stubborn protector AI.

I push him lightly, and after shaking his head lightly at me, Lukas finally moves.

Carlo nods again.

"The door has a distinctive click when it shuts," he recalls as I remember hearing it when we came down.

I nod and look at his sister lying face down at the bottom of the stairs.

"She really does know how to act, huh?"

We all nod and are silent for a moment before Carlo pulls out a shiny little object with jagged cuts in it, but a circular end and a small hole on it. On the side it reads: KEY 02.

He runs his fingers over it and slides it into a pocket as Lukas pushes open the door and leaps out. I am about to follow him when he steps on it.

Lukas!

> Just a minute!

I hear a loud thud outside and a cry of pain. Aside from that, I don't hear much else aside from muffled yells. In the semi-dark, I give Carlo a concerned look, and he responds with a small shrug and an agitated look.

A dark look rests on his usually smiling face and I could guess what was wrong.

I glance at his sister one last look before the door opens and Lukas offers me his hand.

I roll my eyes as him, but take it anyway. I walk out to see knocked out soldiers littering the floor and notice one still standing.

He reached up to pull his helmet off and I smile.

"James!"

"Alexi," he says and smiles.

"How did you know to come here?"

He pulls out a patch similar to the one Carlo has and a little red light is flashing in the center through the fabric.

Oh.

I just smile up at him for a moment, and he returns the favor. A hand clasps me on the shoulder and Lukas is soon beside me.

He smiles at James too, but almost mockingly.

"Hate to kill the mood, but we need to go,"

"Agreed," James and I respond.

Lukas moves over to James and grabs him by the shoulder, leaning down and whispering something.

I turn around to search for Carlo, and see him put the little jagged, shiny piece of metal in a little hole in the top of the trap door and turn it.

Before he closes it though, he tosses the item that reads "KEY 02" back into the hidden room.

I gesture for him to hurry up, and he jogs over quickly.

"Where exactly are we going?"

James sets his jaw and gives Carlo a harsh look before responding and I furrow my eyebrows.

"The Super Train."

~~~~~~~~~~
Hey again! I figured I'd give y'all yet another bonus chapter :) Anyways, 444 reads! The pic above is Carlo's half sister, only with half up half down hair 😂 Sooooo, what do y'all think is gonna happen? As always:
Thanks for readinggg!!!♥️