After half an hour, the cleaning staff were told to leave their quarters and report near the backside of the fortress where their ID car would be checked and their duty would be assigned.
Naturally, Emily and Ben responded to the call and followed the other cleaners, along with Richard and Laila.
They were moving in a pattern, four people in each column and four columns in total. Emily and Ben were beside two other won who were walking towards the fortress.
There was sothing common among all these servants, and that was their emotionless deanor. They neither chatted nor showed any apprehension. And Laila knows the reason.
These servants are recruited to serve the masters however they like. So of them were physically abused, so were told to clean the filth of dead bodies, and so were stolen away from their loved ones.
Laila was among those who were brought here after her whole family was killed. She was a timid girl, however, the flas of vengeance always remained burning within her. That's why she studied the place as much as she could; knowing that one day she would return and slaughter those people who snatched the light from her eyes.
*BEEP*
Following everyone's lead, Emily also attached the ID card to the scanner, but it didn't beep as it did with others.
The soldier nearby frowned; however, before he could walk towards her, Ben whispered, "Upside down."
Emily imdiately realized her mistake and turned the card before pressing it against the scanner.
*BEEP*
Emily breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the soldier returning to his post. She couldn't believe she just compromised the whole mission by such a silly mistake.
"Don't be nervous," Ben muttered as he walked alongside the blond girl.
Emily faintly nodded as she joined the others and moved while maintaining her barrier around Richard and Laila.
Her Aembr control has beco so firm these days, that even while she was asleep, Laila said there was a faint barrier around her and Richard.
'What an unpleasant place...' Richard inwardly muttered.
The inside of the fortress was cold and unwelcoming, its steel walls reflecting the dim, artificial light that buzzed faintly overhead. The tal glead in so places, smooth and polished, but in others, it was scarred with deep scratches, burn marks, and dents—silent evidence of what had taken place here.
The corridors stretched endlessly, their sharp edges and perfect symtry adding to the oppressive atmosphere. The air was sterile yet carried an unsettling hint of oil and iron as if the very fortress exhaled its soulless nature.
Richard watched the corridors closely and found there were visible caras every few ters. There were carvings in the walls—suggesting there could be soldiers stationed there. And he could sense Aembr beneath him in abundance.
'Is it Rena?' A flick of hope ignited in his heart as he hoped they could get nearer to the source so he could have a closer inspection.
"Look at your card; your working place must have been reflected by now." Ben whispered before Emily lifted her ID card and found the number '-3E' written on it.
Ben looked at his own and found it was '2B'.
They both turned still for a mont and exchanged a glance before moving toward their separate destinations.
It was to be expected. There were a lot of rooms to clean in the fortress so it was natural that Emily and Ben wouldn't get the sa place to clean.
Emily followed the others as they walked toward the staircase which led them to the underground floors.
There were four more girls who were descending the stairs.
Following Richard's advice, she didn't draw attention to herself by trying to strike up a conversation and silently reached the floor where she was required.
'Not a speck of sunlight reaches this place...' It was like a maze; every floor had a separate design, and the security varied on each floor.
Emily noticed, compared to the ground floor, that these underground ones were quite heavily guarded.
She reached the negative third floor and was about to step forward when suddenly a guard held her by her hair.
"No!" Laila held Richard by his arm before he could have reacted.
"Leave !" Emily winced as the soldier was exerting too much strength in pulling her hair—causing her hair to get undone.
"Stop resisting bitch and warm the bed for Daddy ~" The soldier was swaying slightly, and his flushed face exposed how drunk he was.
Laila's hands began to burn as Richard's body turned hot in fury; his eyes were stretched in agitation, and he was inches away from breaking the barrier and slaughtering the man.
However, God had rcy and another soldier arrived,
"Let her go, you asswipe." He pulled away the drunkard before telling Emily, "Go do your work."
Laila might be hallucinating. However, she had a feeling that the soldiers who ca to Emily's rescue glanced at them for a mont before walking away.
"Emily." Richard didn't make any effort to contain his voice as he said, "Let's go back. We are not staying here for another minute."
"No, Richard. I am fine." Emily worryingly muttered as she wrapped her hair in a bun before adding, "We ca here for your friend, and we are not leaving until we get any strong evidence of her presence."
"But-" Richard was interrupted,
"Rember you told how much Rena mattered to you? So as soone close to you, Rena's life matters to now, as well." She never turned to look at him and while continuing to pick up the cleaning stuff, she muttered.
Richard was rendered speechless upon hearing that. His heart rate finally cald down a little as he heard her.
Heaving a sigh, he said, "Okay...let's go..."
Laila breathed in relief; fortunately, there was soone who could control his anger.
-----------**---------
Ben was not familiar with the fort since he had only co here twice before, and those two tis were to attack Jin and rescue Rena.
Naturally, he failed but succeeded in escaping.
Thankfully, unlike Emily, who still stood out despite having her face smudged with mud, Ben was among those who could blend in the crowd easily.
The mark on his face was not too uncommon since there were nurous servants and soldiers with far worse scars on their faces.
There were two more staff in the room, considering they were cleaning the conference hall.
There were a few soldiers nearby who were sipping tea and having a casual conversation.
Ben was wiping the windows, so he was close to the two soldiers nearby; able to hear what they were conversing.
"What? Vegas?" One with a brown beard and a thin mustache asked the other one.
"Yeah, man. Not just , but the whole Oga Wing is being sent to Vegas with Commander Mike." Ben frowned; he was aware that there were six wings of the Crimson Claw, and each Wing had more than a thousand soldiers.
What in the world are they going to do? He wondered.
If so many soldiers are being sent to a nation then only one thing cos to mind,
"Are we overtaking Vegas now?" The mustache one asked the exact thing that ca to Ben's mind.
Although the Crimson Claw was under the Asian Alliance's control, it doesn't an they can't extend their authority outside Asia.
However, the answer that ca out of the tanned man was different,
"No, man. To take over Vegas they probably would need over three Wings, at the very least."
Ben frowned; three Wings?
'Has the Crimson Clan grown so significantly in these years?' Naturally, Ben was aware of who was ruling over Vegas for so ti now.
"Then why?" The bearded one asked as he sipped the hot beverage.
The soldier glanced around, checking if soone was listening, however, upon not finding anyone—Ben was about fifteen feet away from them—he answered,
"It seems the leader has decided to form a secret alliance with them and attack the Asian Alliance main HQ."
"....!!!" Ben's eyes widened. Attack on the Asian Alliance?
'This is bad...if they gain control over the Alliance...it sure will beco quite difficult for us to take Rena out...and if they fail, the Alliance will remove Rena from Claw's hold.'
Ben's palm began to turn sweaty as he realized the necessity to work faster. They need to take Rena away before this secret alliance forms, or he has a feeling that it will beco a hundred tis tougher.
"Hey, you." Suddenly Ben felt soone tapping on his shoulder, turning him completely stiff.
Ben slowly turned around and found it was the mustache one who was looking at him.
'Crap...did they realize I was listening?' He retained a calm front but he was slightly nervous at this point. There was only one escape route and it was also heavily guarded. And knocking these people out would surely attract attention—increasing the chances of him getting caught.
"Yes?" He asked, a tinge of nervousness in his voice.
The soldier frown turned into a smile, startling Ben, as he asked, "Do you have a lighter?"
Ben inwardly heaved a sigh, "Yeah."
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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