Serene

32

"We're going to Dapple." Odeo says after pacing. "We can't stay here. We're done here. Belle Corp. is gonna strike somewhere. We need to be ready."

"Odeo. It's good to regroup but isn't that dangerous? All of us together? It's an easy target." I say.

Val agrees. "We need to think of where Dax put those weapons and who Belle Corp. and Dax might send after them. We need to strategize and defend everyone from here. Or wherever we go. Our last resort is to regroup."

"Okay." Odeo replies.

"Cassy? Where do you think my parents will strike next?" I ask Cassy. It's weird calling them my parents but I feel like I should acknowledge it.

"Well, I'm not sure. But if they find out Jen's been captured, they will strike the hardest. That means they may get those weapons Ms. Bethany mentioned." Cassy replies after a pause.

"Okay then. Let's find those weapons." Cal says.

***
"Old Dubai." Val repeats. "Dax sure knows where to keep their things safe."

We had to go to Old Dubai, an eight hour flight from Contra.

"Do you think Belle's team is there?" I ask as we walk into the room where we'd be staying.

Val stands at the window and looks down and around at the busy streets below.

"They haven't gotten the weapons for sure. And I'm sure by weapons Bethany meant atomic ones. So, if Belle got them already, we'd know." She replies.

Odeo sits on the bed with Cal, talking in hushed tones.

Cassy sits on a chair reading a magazine.

"What do we do now?" I ask, anxious to get this over with.

"We get into the Burj Khalifa and get access into the lab. The lab is underneath the tower but we have to go up to get help before we can down." Val explains turning to me. "And Cassy will get help."

Cassy's hands are shaking and I understand now why she was trying to read a magazine. She was nervous.

"Cassy will meet a friend who will give her the access to get into the lab. We'll meet her on the ground floor." Val adds.

"You kids be careful." Cal says.

"You're not coming?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "Someone's gotta watch from up here."

I walk towards him to give him a hug.

"We'll try."

He squeezes me back.

"Once you're ready, let's go." 

***
2 Days Later

"I can't." I struggle to breath, gritting my teeth.

Blood flows from the side of Odeo's head.

"We gotta hold on a little longer." He breathes out. "Just a little longer, love."

I hold it together, using all the strength I have in me to keep these two columns  falling onto the poisonous bomb sitting in between Odeo and I.

We almost failed. And by almost I mean we still have a possibility of failing.

The weapons we found are of different kinds. One pair are regular nuclear bombs. The other two are poison. We also got here just as Amber's team did.

Guess which bombs we ended up having to keep safe...

"Where's Val?" I ask through gritted teeth.