Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Your Time Is Up!
"Trenton, let’s get out of here first," Cameron said as he started to feel nervous in the suffocating dark.
"Blow that door open now!" Trenton ordered. He knew Kane and Railer were still inside and that they had been the ones to shut it.
Guided by memory, Cameron moved carefully toward the door with dynamite in hand. He set the fuse in place, ready to blast it open.
"Find something to light the place, then search for Xander. He must have left blood behind after getting hurt," Trenton ordered.
Meanwhile, Stephanie and Xander hid behind a boulder, watching Trenton and his men from a distance. The stone sentinel maze had been built by Stephanie to mislead intruders. They had escaped using its mechanism, but with Xander badly injured, they had to hide. Trenton’s men could still be guarding outside.
Soon, Trenton’s men found paper and cloth to light the passage. Cameron finished planting the dynamite, and with a loud blast, he blew a hole in the site’s door. But behind it was another door, far sturdier and harder to destroy.
"Light it up," Trenton said coldly.
Cameron hesitated, worried another explosion could make the underground passage collapse. But Trenton’s expression left him no choice. He grabbed another bundle of dynamite to blast the second door.
Xander pulled himself together and said, "Stephanie, when I walk out, you run. Remember the foxhole in the garden? Crawl through it and find your Grandmaster."
"No! You’ll die if you go out now!" Stephanie cried, clutching his hand tightly.
Xander gave her a faint smile. "Run as fast as you can, okay? Find your Grandmaster for help."
Stephanie kept shaking her head. She knew he was lying. If he left their hiding spot, Trenton would kill him.
Suddenly, another explosion shook the ground, and the entrance to the research site burst open. Stephanie’s heart sank as the sound of heavy gunfire filled the air.
"Now! Run!" Xander pushed her aside and hobbled out from behind the boulder. His wounded leg throbbed, but he forced himself to move harder with all his strength.
"Tristan Kent! How dare you go after these kids!" Xander shouted, aiming his gun at Trenton’s back. But before he could shoot, Trenton spun around and aimed his gun at Xander.
"Godfather!" Stephanie ran toward him, trying to pull him away, but Xander frowned and motioned for her to stay back. As she hesitated, he staggered backward, as if someone was pulling him.
"Trenton, looks like your time is up." Chantelle stood at the door. When Cameron blew it open, she had been the one to start the gunfire, giving Kane and Railer a chance to escape through a secret passage with her help.
"You owe me one, beautiful," Lone Wolf said as he pulled Xander back to Stephanie’s side and cut the Gold Threads restraining him.
Stephanie’s face lit up when she saw Chantelle. Mommy’s here! Everything was going to be fine.
"Godfather, Mommy’s here to save us!" Stephanie turned to Xander, but to her shock, he had fainted after hitting his head on a stone while being dragged by Lone Wolf.
"Mommy, Godfather’s passed out!" she cried.
Chantelle’s eyes were cold as she looked at Trenton.
"Let’s finish this quickly, and any demand you have will be granted," she said to Lone Wolf.
"Sounds good," Lone Wolf replied as the Gold Threads wrapped around Trenton’s throat.
Trenton quickly pulled out a dagger and cut them instantly. He glared at Lone Wolf. "You treacherous scoundrel. You’ve been banned from the trade. How dare you still take on jobs?"
"A treacherous scoundrel? Then let me remind you what honor looks like!" Lone Wolf shouted, striking at Trenton’s men. His movements were swift and calculated, cutting them down as easily as slicing fruit.
With Chantelle’s help, Trenton’s men fell quickly. In the chaos, he tried to grab Stephanie as a hostage, but Chantelle was ready and blocked him before he could touch her.
"Lone Wolf, I’ll take the deal you mentioned earlier. Grab that Stephanie kid for me, and I’ll even give you a bonus," Trenton shouted.
"Oh no, what a pity! Today, I’m in the mood to get revenge for my brother!" Lone Wolf said with a wicked smile. He bluffed by switching his stance and suddenly drawing his gun.
Trenton wasn’t ready to dodge, but Cameron lunged forward, taking the shot. The bullet grazed his arm instead of hitting Trenton’s chest, and it was a close call.
"Your brother was captured by Daniel! Go after him if you want revenge!" Trenton yelled, shoving Cameron aside. He fired at Lone Wolf, but Lone Wolf’s agility made him impossible to hit.
"You refused to give me the medicine you promised. Then you tried to frame Daniel and killed my brother. You brought this fight on yourself!" Lone Wolf shot back.
"Cut the crap! Let’s grab him first!" Chantelle shouted impatiently as Lone Wolf and Trenton kept exchanging words instead of finishing the fight. She was even more worried about Xander.
"Relax, lady. Rushing will only mess things up," Lone Wolf said, moving faster now.
Trenton fought back fiercely, and his strength was even greater than Lone Wolf’s.
"Mommy, Godfather’s condition is getting worse!" Stephanie cried. While the others were fighting, she had checked Xander’s injuries and found a deep cut across his abdomen. Blood kept pouring from the wound.
Chantelle’s chest tightened. Without another thought, she left Lone Wolf to handle Trenton, lifted Xander into her arms, and ran.
While Chantelle carried Xander out of the research site, they ran into Trenton’s reinforcements, and another fight broke out. Exhausted and worried about Xander’s condition, she shouted to Lone Wolf, "Lone Wolf, distract the men outside for me."
She knew it was the perfect chance to catch Trenton, but she couldn’t risk Xander’s life.
"No way, woman! I’ve got Tristan cornered! I need to finish him!" Lone Wolf was determined to kill Trenton, but Chantelle’s worried look stopped him.
"I’ll have Daniel free your brother and give you half of the research findings! Just distract them for me, will you?"
"Mommy, Godfather’s burning up," Stephanie whispered after touching Xander’s forehead.
Chantelle had just tied a makeshift bandage around his wound, but with the constant gunfire, it had reopened. Blood was already soaking through the bandage.
"Fine, I’ll let him go for your sake." Lone Wolf, though clearly unwilling, pulled back his Golden Threads and left the passage with the others, making sure to lock the door behind them.