As soon as Cameron hit the water he felt his body go into shock. It felt like he was pushed into a fishing hole in the north pole. The freezing temperature made his muscles ache as he swam up to the surface for air. Once he managed to do it, he was struck with another painful sensation thanks to the air making its way back into his lungs being just as ice cold. Not being able to see a thing, he was about to take the tie off of his head but couldn't as he felt a strong tug in his right leg. It was a hand pulling him down.
He first tried to kick it off but then remembered what Claire had told him about not struggling. The situation he was in made no sense at all but he had already decided to trust her, so he let himself be submerged by whomever had a tight grip on him. He could feel the water currents around him push and pull threatening to swallow him into the depths of the ocean, but the person pulling him had a firm grasp and prevented him from drifting away. His chest was beginning to hurt from the lack of air and the breath he was holding on to was about to burst out of him when all of a sudden he was pulled out of the water.
Cameron couldn't see a thing as he gasped and panted on what felt like a marble floor. His ears popped from how far down he was taken and he was even more confused than before seeing as breathable air wasn't what he expected to find after being pulled down to what felt like the ocean bottom. Much less floor tiles as cold as the ones he felt under his pressed hands. He shivered from the cold that was seeping through his wet clothes while he started to hear shuffling and people talking around him.
"So is that our new partner?" A young sounding man said.
"I don't think so. Lady Boss brought him personally." A woman's voice replied.
"What would the Lady Boss want with such a buff looking dude then?" The same man asked.
"The hell should I know." The woman said as the sounds of something heavy hitting the floor was heard. It sounded like it was made of metal. "Put the equipment away. I'm gonna take him inside."
Cameron was already sitting up after he managed to calm down his erratic breathing. Since Claire already told him to keep the blindfold on he followed as instructed. He was beyond irritated of being constantly in the dark of what was going on but he didn't let it show.
"Come on pretty boy. Time to get up." The woman's voice sounded close to Cameron as he felt her hand pull him up by his forearm. She helped him stand and started to guide him.
They walked through what felt like a hall and stopped before he heard a door open. He was pushed through it and after a few more seconds of walking he heard the woman speak to him. "Stay still, don't talk and if I even feel you try to move you're gonna have a bullet in your head."
Just as she finished threatening him Claire's voice was heard. "Stop wasting your breath. Can't you tell by his face? He isn't scared, he's pissed. So hurry up and call everybody here. We've wasted enough time as it is."
"Whatever you say Boss." The woman responded. By the sounds of footsteps getting farther away, Cameron assumed she left.
"Sorry about all this." Claire said as she covered him with a warm blanket. "You wouldn't have been able to follow me using the other way down and I had to get rid of your tracking devices so it was kinda necessary to have you take a little scuba diving tour." She was patting his hair dry with a towel as she apologized.
"Some tour ma'am." Cameron chuckled. He was still irked by whatever was going on but he appreciated her honesty. She was awfully good at keeping him on his toes. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. "So can I see now?" He gestured towards his blindfolded eyes as he lowered his head a bit to help her reach him easier.
"Not yet. Let me introduce you first." Claire liked him. He wasn't scared out of his mind or in a furious rampage like any other normal person would be from being in a confusing situation like this. She was right about him having the X factor. He was a keeper for sure.
While she finished patting his hair dry Cameron could hear about 15 different set of footsteps making their way to them. He stood straight and sharpened his senses.
"Listen here." He heard Claire start to say. "You all know you were one-upped earlier. You also know I'm a second away from snapping. So I suggest you keep your opinions about my companion to yourselves until this is all over. I'm not in the mood to waste any more time so zip it and get to work." Her voice was commanding and left no room for discussion. And just as she had ordered, Cameron could hear the footsteps quickly leave.
"You can look now." Claire told him and he didn't waist another second in taking the tie off his head. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the clarity, they widened in surprise at what he saw.
They were in a room that looked like an office but it was missing the most essential part, the walls! His eyes went from one corner to the other looking at what seemed to be the bottom of the sea! Fishes could be seen swimming by and seaweed swayed on the oceans floor from the waters motion. There were corals close to the thick glass that protected the room from being engulfed in water. Cameron's gaped as his mind tried to wrap around the indescribable view.
He snapped out of his awed state and looked at Claire. She spoke to him before he could. "I know, but leave the questions for later. Right now we have a lot to do so come with me. We gotta get ready." Having said that she started to walk out of the office.
Cameron stood still for a few seconds before he followed her out. They walked through a couple of empty halls before Claire stopped at a very high level security door. She scanned her hand on a panel and then stood still while her eyes were also scanned. Once the panel flashed green a robotic voice coming from it was heard. "Identity verified. Welcome Cece." Claire felt a stab in her heart when she heard the nickname her brother had for her. The door clicked and Claire pushed it open shoving her sad thoughts to the back of her mind.
Once inside Cameron stilled again. This one was obviously a weapons arsenal. It was a massive four wall room with more guns and knives than Cameron could count or even name. Everything from modified military grade weapons to different sized throwing dagger were spread throughout the layout of the room. He had seen and been inside rooms similar to this one, but an under water all you can dream of weapon paradise? Never.
"Guns or knives?" Claire asked him as she took off Aiden's suit jacket an threw it on top of one of the metal tables in the middle of the room. She had come into the base through a different route which didn't require her to get wet unlike Cameron.
"Guns." Cameron understood she was asking what he preferred. He looked at her and again understood why she had caught his boss's attention. The dress she wore complemented her strong character while still making her look very feminine. She was beautiful. Although he would never look at her in a lustful way, or any other woman for that matter, he wasn't blind to her mesmerizing features.
Claire turned to face him and tossed him a set of clothes. "Well take your pick." The flames inside her eyes flaring up as she spoke. "There's blood waiting to be spilled."