Panic filled the underground hospital as the n from Gigante paced back and forth nervously.
"They’d find this place," one of them muttered in dread. "They’re gonna kill us all."
"How did they find out?" another whispered, eyes wide and complexion pale. "How? We were careful."
And as far as they knew, they weren’t followed. They made sure they weren’t followed.
Ransom and Florida stayed quiet; their minds, however, were racing. This underground place didn’t look like it had other exits or entrances. There were other rooms for other patients, and even a surgery room. It looked like an entire hospital floor, but they also knew it was underground.
"How’s the situation?" Izu’s voice rang in their earpieces.
Florida shook his head. "Not good. We’re stuck underground. Enemies are filling this town."
"It’s gonna take a short ti before they find us," Ransom added under his breath.
As for Long, he sat on the edge of one of the beds. The tablet rested on his lap, his hands holding each side of it like a child. He simply watched the situation aboveground, particularly the bar.
"Hey, Long!" one of the residents shouted, marching toward where the man was seated. "There’s another exit here, right?"
Long slowly looked up at him. "There’s none."
"What?"
"There’s only one entrance and exit here."
The man studied Long, his face turning red with fury at the forr’s lack of reaction. He grabbed Long’s collar, grinding his teeth.
"If you know that, why are you so calm, huh?" the resident roared. "We’re surrounded, and since no one’s gonna hide the entrance here, we’re dead!"
Long blinked, almost tenderly. "If I panic, would that change anything?"
"You—"
"Stop that now!" Florida huffed loudly, stepping in before the resident could go further. He marched toward them, grabbing the man’s wrist and pulling it away. "I’m not saying he’s not annoying, but he has a point. Panicking won’t change this situation."
The man hissed but, reluctantly, let go of the drunkard. As he stepped away, Florida turned to Long.
"Isn’t there any other way out of here?" he asked.
Long’s frown deepened. "I just said—there’s only one entrance and exit. So if you want to leave, you go up and welco them in the bar."
"You—!" the man still standing nearby snarled, glaring daggers at the drunkard, who was far too infuriating to talk to.
Sure, Long had a point. But at the sa ti, he wasn’t helping at all. Wasn’t he scared he’d die too? After all, he was helping them... or was he the one who reported them?
Before that thought could turn into words, Long spoke again.
"There is only one entrance and exit because this place isn’t finished," Long explained. "The man who built it died before he could complete it. And with the lack of resources, I can barely fill this place with equipnt and supplies."
This underground place hadn’t always functioned this way. It took Long years to fill it, for many reasons. After all, getting supplies—or even equipnt—was hard and expensive. If not for Billionaire’s help, it would’ve been impossible altogether.
However, he wasn’t about to disclose that detail. He found it unnecessary. He wasn’t looking for recognition. He had his own reason for maintaining this place.
"Then why are you so calm?" soone demanded. "Don’t you realize we’re trapped here?"
Long slowly shifted his gaze to the people of Gigante and shrugged. "Because there might be only one entrance and exit, but they won’t reach here."
"What does that an?"
"The steel door we went through can only be opened by a device," he explained. "The materials used for it are the strongest and hardest steel. Even if they try to burn it, they can’t. It’s fire-resistant."
Everyone went quiet, eyes widening.
"The only way they can get in here," he added flatly, "is if I open it for them."
For a mont, everyone absorbed that information until soone asked, "So... we’re safe if we just stay here?"
"Yes..." Long trailed off, thinking. "I an, yes. They won’t be able to break through the entrance. But that doesn’t necessarily an they can’t bury us alive or starve us to death."
His eyes flicked upward.
"You heard the movent above earlier. Bombs could penetrate this place. I did say the person who built it died before finishing it, right?"
Silence followed once more until another man stepped forward.
"You drunkard—are you screwing with us—" he barked, but this ti, others grabbed him.
Even though they themselves wanted to smack the drunkard, they chose restraint over violence.
"Get it together!" one of them pleaded, holding the man back with all his strength. "Don’t kill him—don’t kill him!"
"Just ignore him!"
"No, I’ll kill him this ti!"
As the group wrestled nearby, Ransom turned to Long.
"Is there anything else we can do?" he asked. "You have weapons here, don’t you?"
Long shook his head. "I have a pistol and a rifle. That’s it."
Florida and Ransom’s expressions darkened. Even if they didn’t waste bullets, it wouldn’t be enough. There was a large force aboveground, and civilians here to protect, including patients.
They had finally found a place to keep the injured safe, with proper dical equipnt.
They were under-equipped, outnumbered, and burdened with people they couldn’t abandon. On top of that, soone was already trying to pry open the entrance. If it opened, countless enemies would flood in.
Long studied the two n who clearly weren’t from the territory—not just because of their gear, but because they didn’t move like locals. Strange, considering Ravah was known for its trade and transient faces.
His brow twitched. Then he looked down at the tablet again.
Whatever he saw made him release a quiet sigh of relief.
"Stop worrying," Long said, leaning back slightly, eyes shifting toward the others. Then he looked at the two foreigners. "I’m not worried because help will co... and it just did."
He raised the tablet and turned it toward them. "She’s reliable in situations like this."
Deep lines appeared on Ransom and Florida’s faces as they leaned closer. Long tapped one of the feeds, revealing a narrow, dark street.
At first, all they saw were a pair of feet—as if soone had been unconscious—being dragged into the darkness. A mont later, a figure slipped out of the shadows, body pressed against the wall, head turned as they peeked down the road.
"That was..." Florida started.
Then, Ransom whispered, "Madam.
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