I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly, I opened my eyes and sat up straight. Collin was a bit startled, “you okay? What’s wrong?” he asked, a little concerned.
“Stop the truck,” I whispered.
“What? Why?”
“Just stop the truck. Something’s weird. I feel weird.”
He stepped on the brakes and we slowly stopped. He shifted the gear to park and lifted the handbrake, then I took off my seatbelt and went outside. I walked away from the truck, listening to that weird whooshing sound that I seemed to be hearing since we left Somerset. I was slowly looking around and above, Collin got out and so did the two brothers. They were all just watching until Collin started yelling my name. I turned around to look at Collin when a huge wing blocked my view, then I was lifted off the ground. A big ass claw was gripping me and the next thing I knew, I blacked out.
Smells like pee, I thought. I slowly opened my eyes, my vision was a bit blurry. But when it came to focus, I saw a few other girls in a semi-circle in front of me – looking at me – a little bewildered. “Hi,” one said, “what’s your name?”
“I’m, uh, I’m Mia,” I slowly sat up and I realized these girls were once in a missing poster. “How long have you been here?” I asked all of them, they started looking at each other and then shifting their eyes to the ground, “it’s okay. I might, I don’t know, be able to help.”
“How can you help? We’re all trapped here. Except for that other girl who got away,” the girl with red hair commented. “Ho-how did she escape?” I got curious.
“She was taken up by those guys then we just heard some grunting and then she looked down here,” the one in braids paused.
“She said she was gonna come for us, but she never came back,” red hair continued, “she was here with me and Stella,” she pointed at the girl with broken glasses.
“Were you missing since 2002?”
They both nodded. “Do you guys know what year it is outside right now?”
They all looked at each other, but none of them answered. “The only reason I asked that is because the girl who escaped, Elizabeth, still thinks it’s 2002,” I added.
“Well, I was here since 2010, and I have no idea what’s going on out there. I don’t even think my family is still where we live,” the girl with braids mentioned. I looked at all of them when suddenly we saw two men above, the girls were shivering and cuddling together. They’re terrified of these guys. One guy opened the gate, the other one brought down a basket of food and water. “Go on and eat,” said the guy holding the gate, “but make sure you stay quiet.”
He carefully brought the gate down and locked it.
When the coast was clear, the girls grabbed the basket and gave one another a piece of bread. I stood up and tried reaching for the gate, but it was too high. I wanted to use my powers but I don’t want to scare these girls. “We tried that,” Stella claimed, “we even tried doing a human pyramid just to get there, but the lock is a bit complicated.”
I sat back down on the floor and red hair gave me a piece of bread. I smiled at her then I turned my back to them, closing my eyes. I tried getting to Azriel or Merikh thru my thoughts. Azriel? Can you hear me? I thought. I waited but there was no answer, so I tried again. Azriel! Can you hear me?!
Mia! I heard in my head, thank God you’re okay! Where are you?
I don’t know. But do me a favor and look for places that are damp and dark.
Like a cave?
Maybe. But a sewer would be an option too.
Alright. I’ll let them know.
Thanks, oh and by the way, I’m not alone. I’ve got some girls here who have been missing for years. Help me help them.
I’ll do my best.
I opened my eyes and turned back to the girls. I went closer to them to make some small talk. Ask them what they know about their abductors and such.
***
Collin is driving aimlessly, trying to figure out where that thing took Mia. He was getting frustrated until Azriel suddenly jolted, covering his ears like he suddenly heard something piercing. He slowly sat up straight but the look on his face was like he was trying to figure out what he was hearing. Then suddenly his eyes were wide, “Mia,” he said softly. Collin abruptly stepped on the brakes and looked at Azriel, “Mia? You can hear Mia?” he asked, panicking.
“Shhh,” he shushed Collin, “I’m trying to hear her thoughts,” and he closed his eyes.
“Like an angel static or radio?”
“Something like that,” Merikh suddenly said.
“You can hear her too?”
“Sadly, no. I lost that ability the moment I fell.”
Azriel opened his eyes, “we need to find some sewers.” He looked at both Merikh and Collin, then he explained to them what Mia said and mentioned that there were other girls with her. Collin took his phone and dialed a number, “hey. Can you send me a list of sewers that’s within a 20-mile radius from Somerset? Yeah. No, it’s an emergency. Yes, I need it now. Thank you. I owe you one.” Then he hung up the phone.
“Looks like Richie Rich does have connections,” teased Merikh.
“Shut up,” Collin stepped on the gas, “desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“I can do that, too, you know. Might be even faster than yours.”
“Oh yeah? Why aren’t you calling your connections then?”
“Really? You two are gonna bicker while Mia is, yet again, missing?” Azriel was getting tired of their fights and bickering, “I don’t know what you two are trying to prove but I don’t think Mia will go for any of you. I’m just saying.”
“And you think she’ll go for you?” Merikh questioned his brother.
“That’s not what I said. Besides, I know who she likes,” Collin met his eyes on the rear-view mirror, while Merikh looked at him, “but I am not going to tell you who.”
Collin received a message from an unknown number with all the directions to different sewers and their pipes. In every stop, Azriel will close his eyes and tried talking to Mia on his head, or just feel her presence. They’ve been driving all night, the sun is almost up. “Can we take a break?” Merikh suggested, Collin glared at him on the rear-view mirror, “it’s not that I want to stop looking for her, it’s just that, if we did find her, what made you so sure that thing that took her will give her back to us?”
“We don’t. But I’ll fight tooth and nail to get her back safely,” countered Collin, then his phone rang. He took it from the passenger’s seat, “yeah? Are you sure? How do we kill it?” there was a pause. “A sword? What kind are you talking about? Can an angel sword do it?”
There was another long pause, “Excalibur? Like the King Arthur Excalibur? Where on earth am I going to find that? Yeah? Alright. Thanks. I’ll, uh, I’ll ask my friend if he knows it. You find the Excalibur for me if you can. Alright. Thanks.”
He drops his phone on the seat and looked at Azriel, “hey, do you know anything about the sword of St. George?”
“Yeah, it’s in one of those volts in Heaven.”
Collin stepped on the brakes and turned to Azriel, “can you get it?”
“I’m not sure if I can. I mean, Nathanael protects that part of Heaven.”
“What does he do?”
“He protects hidden treasures, like the sword of St. George. The Trumpet of Gabriel. The sword of Michael. All those things, he keeps them safe and protected.”
“Can’t you just, you know, borrow it for a second?”
“I’ll try.”
With just that, Azriel disappears from his seat, leaving Collin and Merikh to search for Mia.