"This is not suspicious at all." Caleb whispers to me as we face the service elevator to the isolation unit.
"I didn't think this place went any further down." I whisper back.
The large and old gate covering the doors was tainted with a thin layer of rust and I couldn't help but wonder how often people went down here.
Caleb takes out his ID card. I notice that he hasn't taken any steps towards the keypad and, actually, looks a little pale.
"Are you alright?" I whisper.
He shakes his head and puts his hand down.
"Y-yeah I'm good."
I bite my lip and look at the keycard that is dangerously close to his pocket.
"Are you going to unlock the door?"
His head falls back to side towards me.
"Eventually."
I roll my eyes and take the card from his hand.
"Allow me." I walk over to the pad and swipe the card. The rusted outer layer lifts slowly with a loud sound. Once the large doors open to reveal a chamber, I step inside.
Now I face Caleb's pale face.
"You coming in?"
He nods but makes no moves forward.
"You know I have your card right? That means you can't go anywhere else besides in this giant thing with me."
He takes a deep breath and takes a few more steps forward. It's like there's something inside of him that's not allowing him to continue.
"What if we just wait for him to come back?" He asks suddenly at the edge of the doors. "Like, he's gotta come back up at some point."
"What's the longest he's stayed down there for?"
"A week." He mumbles.
"You want to wait here for a week?"
He shrugs his shoulders.
"Well I'm sorry." I say before reaching out and grabbing his uniform. "But we don't have that kind of time."
I pull him inside and press the button for the isolation unit. The doors close a little slow for my liking, so I have to hold Caleb against the back of the wall while they close. If anyone else had seen us they probably would have assumed I was a hungry vampire about to go in for the kill. They could also have guessed by the way Caleb was screaming.
Once the doors were shut I let him go.
"This is not a good idea, Al." He says. "Do you even know what's down there?"
I raise a brow as a sign for him to continue.
"The isolation unit is where we keep our most dangerous war prisoners."
My expression shifts to concerned.
"Why would Ryder go down there then?" I ask.
"It's not called the isolation unit for nothing, Al." He responds. We make brief eye contact and I can see the fear beginning to leave his features and a new look of stress takes over. "It hold the most securely protected cells in this base. Thick soundproof walls so the others can't hear the screaming. Dark rooms and no sense of time cause them to go mad." He pauses and looks up at me. "It's a personal hell-" He shrugs. "But Ryder finds some sort of sick comfort in that—hence why he goes there—to remain in isolation until he finds a sliver of a reason to keep going."
There's a halting of the elevator before the doors start to open. They reveal a long corridor bathed in pure white. The lights flicker on one by one.
"What do you mean until he finds a reason to keep going?" I turn to Caleb who gulps at the sight in front of us before shaking it off and running a hand through his hair.
"He's been through so much, Al." He begins. Sadness laced throughout his tone. "More than anyone should have to endure. He lost his parents, his brother is being held captive, and if we can't fix the mess that is our kingdom...he'll have nothing left. There's only so much someone can take before they break-"
With that, he walks out of the small space and into the hall.
"-that's why we have to bring him back." His voice is soft. It's then that I can truly realize the friendship that is shared between the two of them.
Hardship brings people together, but it can also tear them apart.
We walk down the hall side by side. White doors containing some of the most dangerous members of the Royal military span the entire way.
"Do you know which one he's in?" Caleb nods.
"He may be mysterious-" He says as he comes to a halt in front of a cell door."-but he's very predictable." Once a code is typed in, the cell door slides open to reveal a man curled into a ball in the corner of the dark cell. He looks distressed. His clothing has obviously been pulled at and torn and his face is looks to be red from crying.
"Ryder?" Caleb whispers into the cell. When he doesn't get a response he takes a step forward. "Hey buddy, its time to get to work. We've got a new plan-"
"Leave me alone." Comes the broken voice of the man before us.
"Sorry, can't do that."
"I'm serious, Caleb. I can't go back out there." Ryder says without lifting his head.
Caleb fully enters the cell and goes to crouch near his friend.
"You say that every time I come to get you."
"Well-" His head finally lifts in our direction. Even from outside I can see the emotions swirling in his pale blue eyes."This time I mean it."
There's a moment of silence.
"You say that to Ry."
"Don't call me that." His eyes narrow.
"Sorry." Caleb says. "I thought we were having a moment or something and I thought-"
"You see, thats the problem. You thought. You aren't really that good at thinking." At first I think Ryder is mad, but then, a smirk grows on his face as he stares at his friend's expression.
After Caleb sees the smirk he smiles.
"You're a jerk."
"Don't you forget it." Ryder winks.
My own smile spreads as I lean against the doorway. I find the entire moment to be touching.
"We need you, Ryder." Caleb's tone becomes more serious."We're so close to finishing this. So close to a world free of blue eyes and his reign. A world where we don't have this sick brainwashed love for our government and we can think freely without consequence. A world were children can run free and not be forced and modified to fit societies image. Without you-"Ryder looks at Caleb with glassy eyes."We can't change the world. You've kept me going this long, man, and, I'll be damned if you give up on me right now." Caleb stands and extends his hand to his friend. Ryder stares at it for a moment before reaching out. Caleb quickly pulls it back.
"If you shake it, I get to call you Ry."
"No."
"Oh come on!"
"No."
"Sometimes?"
"No."
"How about if we win the war?"
Ryder raises a brow in surprise. He ponders this for a moment, and then reaches his hand out to Calebs.
"Deal."
"Deal." They shake on it and Ryder stands and turns to me. I suddenly feel as though I've been intruding on an intimate moment.
"What are you doing here? Emotional support?" His tone isn't malicious, in fact, it holds and airy quality that differs from his normal sort.
"Yes." I begin. "That, and to apologize for not taking this cause as seriously as I should have. This is your life now as much as it is mine, and if we want to win, we have to work together."
He nods.
"Who knew the prince's girl would come to her senses?"
Caleb clears his throat.
"Great apology, Al. But we really should leave now if we want to get to our meeting."
"Meeting?"
"Yes,Ry-"
Ryder daggers him with his eyes.
"-der.It's to discuss the plan."
"What plan?"
"The plan we'll tell you about in the elevator."
We exit the room and start back down the hall. Caleb jumps as a shiver runs down his spine.
"This place gives me the creeps. Can't you find another hiding spot?" Caleb asks.
"You mean like one that doesn't give you the creeps?"
"Yes."
"No." Ryder responds with a smirk. "That would defeat the purpose of having you not come and find me."
"You're wrong there." Caleb says. "I'll always come and find you regardless of how creepy your hiding spot is. I would just prefer if it wasn't as scary and weird."
We enter the elevator and watch as the doors begin to close. It takes only a few seconds for the machine to jumpstart and carry us back up to ground level.
"I'll keep that in mind for next time." Ryder says lowly and leans against the wall behind us.
~
Sorry for the wait. I want to start posting once a week in the new year so look forward to that if you love this story as much as I do!
Rose