Chapter 15: After The End

Chapter 8: Working Together

Begin!

~Normal POV

"If we're going to search the school for tunnel entrances we need everyone out of the hallways and any other rooms that they could compromise," Violet said.

"We might not be able to do that ourselves," Fiona replied, "Is there any kind of function going on soon?"

The six teenagers thought for a moment before realizing the answer to their question.

"There's an assembly in the auditorium tonight, attendance is mandatory whenever that happens," Isadora answered.

"Then we need to get Judy to let us search the school while it happens," Duncan noted, "The announcement said it could take a long time since there's a lot to discuss."

Fiona pulled out her phone. "Give me a moment, I'm going to call my associates and make sure they're in that auditorium to keep an eye out for trouble."

While she stepped into the other room to make her phone call the others contemplated their plan of attack.

"Duncan and I will search outside around the athletic field, Klaus and Isadora can search the classrooms and library. Quigley, you and Fiona will search everywhere else." As Violet was talking Fiona returned, "We split off in pairs to cover more ground. Since we're looking for a secret underground tunnel I highly doubt we need to go to the upper floors. Are those volunteers on board with our plan?"

"They are; they said they will do whatever they can on their end to buy us time. We'll go to the office soon to let Judy know what's happening. When's the assembly?"

"7:30 tonight," Duncan replied, "If you find an entrance text the others and we'll meet up and go inside together."

Their plan was risky. A million things could go horribly wrong in a million different ways. But that was the price of being a volunteer.

"I'm scared..." Isadora said quietly.

"Do the scary thing first; get scared later," Quigley replied, "Jacques said that once during my stay with him; I don't know where he learned it."

~...

After convincing Judy to accept their plan the six of them were setting up to head off on their quest. Each couple had a spyglass and they had ways to communicate if anything went wrong. But before they set out Violet pulled Fiona aside for a private conversation.

"Listen, you and I, we don't work well together; you surely know that," She started, "But my family is in danger. So I'm making the conscious decision to trust you. If anything happens and it's your fault, I don't need to tell you what will happen from there. Got it?"

"Violet, I swear to you, the only reason I came to Prufrock was for my mission." Fiona put her cure vial in her jacket. "I'm not asking you to like me, but I am asking you to have some faith in me. I promise nothing will happen to your family."

"The not liking you part is what's making that so hard to believe."

Fiona gave her a simple nod to show she understood that response and Violet walked away.

"I'm sorry about my sister."

Fiona gave Klaus an understanding smile, "It's... fine. She doesn't have to be nice to me for this to work."

"I guess not, but I'm sure it'd be easier on you if she did."

"...Why haven't you said anything?"

"Because even if I was going to, now is not the time for such comments. We all have to work together," Klaus replied, "You're trying to help us, that's good enough for me. Anything that happened in the past we can talk about later. Violet's just scared and she's letting it cloud her judgment. She'll get over it once we're safe."

"I sure hope so..."

"Quigley speaks highly of you by the way," Klaus said, obviously changing the subject.

"Really?"

Within seconds, Quigley appeared beside Klaus and told him to stop spreading "rumors;" a comment which made Fiona laugh. And with that bit of positivity the three couples set out in separate directions to start their quest after being informed that everyone was in the auditorium, giving them free reign of the buildings.

~Klaus' POV

Isadora and I decided to search the library first to get it out of the way. V.F.D. typically had tunnels under libraries because they were considered safe places so it felt logical. I liked that Isadora and Fiona got along too. It would have been so easy for them not to, but Isadora is better than that; her compassion is one of the reasons why I love her.

"Klaus come over here!"

I followed the sound of her voice over to behind the librarian's desk. Isadora was crouched behind it standing next to a trap door.

"I'll text the others," I said pulling out my phone.

"No, look at this." She opened the door to show me there were metal plates covering the entrance. "Whoever is doing this doesn't want anyone to stumble upon their plan. They must have sealed off some of the doors."

"That... can't be good if we're trying to go down there."

At this moment I received a text from Violet and Duncan that the same had happened with a trap door under the bleachers outside. I relayed this information to Isadora. Two entrances/exits sealed off ahead of time. This guy must have a lot of confidence in his strategy or he's an idiot... if he's anything like Olaf, probably both.

~Quigley's POV

There weren't many places to check outside of the areas the others were told to, but that didn't mean we couldn't find something.

"So, what were some of those things that you've said about me anyway?"

I avoided the question because it was embarrassing but I did have a question for her too. "If you were on a mission this whole time, why did you agree to go out with me?"

Fiona smiled at me, "I wanted to. And when you asked me I had already done my work for that day and came out with nothing. Using your map made things faster now that I knew my way around. You have a calming effect about you, Quiggles, having you around makes this easier on my sanity. So I balanced the two; I'm rather good at multitasking."

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"There are a lot of things I can't do," She replied modestly.

"So whenever you'd say you were busy..."

"I was working the case."

I was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a sound that we were not supposed to hear as part of the plan: footsteps. I pulled Fiona behind me and we hid from the coming sound. Looking around the corner from our hiding place we saw a man in a trench coat walking casually towards the teachers' lounge. From our distance, we couldn't make out his face properly. He opened the door and went inside.

"Everyone is supposed to be in the auditorium for the assembly. If he's a teacher what's he doing out here," I asked.

"That's not a teacher; that has to be our enemy..."

"The culprit is another teacher in disguise! Are you sure it's not one of your volunteer friends turned against us?"

"I'm positive," Fiona replied, "The volunteers I've been working with here are a married couple, I've spent plenty of time with them, and they would be working together if they were villains. And they know that we're searching the school. So why would even one of them risk being seen by us if they turned to the other side?"

"You're right, but we need to follow him, cause he'll lead us straight to what we're looking for."

I quickly texted the others about our findings and told them to meet us in the teachers' lounge. Our mystery culprit went in there for a reason, and that reason is that there must be a trap door inside.

~End of Chapter!