Chapter 19 Spy

"Hello?" I whispered into the darkness. My form trembling in fear. I should just go back. I turned around towards the elevator and pressed the buttons hurriedly, only to realize that it does not work. Of course, there must be a code.

I cursed my luck.

Swallowing hard, I flashed the light around, it did not help much but it's all I got.

The stench in this room was so strong and it made me dizzy.

I heard the noise again and this time it sounded closer.

Trembling, I walked further into the dark and flashed the light to my left.

My heart plummeted to the floor and I screamed.

There was a face in the darkness where my torch flashed. Sunken hollow eyes were staring back at me. It was a male and he looked almost like a skeleton.

I stumbled and my back hit hard metal bars. I flashed the light behind me and saw more faces.

Horrid, fear-stricken faces of starved people.

They were humans.

I barely registered falling onto my knees as I looked around, the torch lighting the faces of humans who have been captured.

They barely had clothes and I could see the ribs and skeletons jutting out. Children and women, as well as men, were thrown into cells. Some lay dead inside the cages while others looked ahead with dead hopeless eyes. There was so much blood on the floor and it soaked my knees.

I covered my mouth resisting the urge to cry at the horror before me.

"Who are you?" A male who seemed to be a few years older than me implored in an almost inaudible whisper. He's the one with sunken hollow eyes that scared me half to death a few seconds ago.

"I-I'm a captive that managed to escape," I whisper back as my heart thundered in my chest. Everyone was gazing at me and the room was eerily quiet. Their eyes looked defeated and it made my stomach churn.

His hollow eyes widened. "can you help me get out?" his hopeful whisper echoed throughout the room.

I let the words sink in. yes, I can try my best to help them. I would never forgive myself if just leave them here.

I flashed my torch around and saw blood smeared in random places. As if bodies were dragged around the floor. There were strange-looking devices thrown about the place and it took a moment for it to all sink in.

These are the humans they were torturing. The screams I heard while sleeping in Azreals arms came from these scared faces that were looking back at me right now.

"How can I help?"

The man pointed at the wall on the far right. "The key for each cell is on that wall. It's numbered. He pointed at a symbol above his cell and I didn't understand which number that was. The alien number symbols were different from ours.

I nodded as stumbled towards the wall looking for his key and I finally found the symbol that matched it.

I flashed the light towards his cell and fit the key into the lock. It gave out a loud click before opening.

The man stepped out of the cell and brushed past me. He was quite tall yet I couldn't see him very clearly in the dark.

"They'll kill you if they find you. go back inside." I heard a woman whisper.

"She's right. Remember the rules. There is no way we can escape this ship alive." Another man spoke from the darkness. These people were too terrified to leave. I wanted to tell them to fight. Fight for their lives but I felt like it was not my place to say anything. I do not know their situation or what they've been through. I can't tell them to risk their lives. Yet, with whatever time they got here I doubt anyone will leave alive regardless.

"I'm not leaving. Something happened up there, we can use it for our advantage." The man who walked out spoke lowly.

"A missile."

"What?"

I cleared my throat and spoke again.

"The humans launched a missile. The top part of the ship is almost destroyed."

The man's eyes widened under the light of my dim torch.

"That's our signal," he whispered moving further into the room.

What signal?

"Do you know how to get out?" I asked nervously. as I watched the others observe us from their cells.

"Yes. but first, tell me how you managed to escape. Where were they keeping you?"

I clutched the collar I was holding tighter.

"I was a slave." at least that's what I think I was. Azreal didn't make me do anything other than keep me around and punish me whenever he deemed it necessary.

The man's eyes finds the collar I'm holding.

"They must be tracking you."

I nodded fast. "I want to get rid of it. I wanted to use it to divert their attention."

The words didn't come out right but this guy instantly understood what I meant.

"Follow me." He whispered disappearing into the dark.

Taking a deep breath I followed him blindly into the darkness.

When we went further into the room there were different types of species held up in cages. Some looked like horses and other wild animals. They were mutated with dark pigments covering their skin. This place must be some sort of lab. That's when it dawned on me that the humans were cramped up with the animals. I didn't understand exactly how much they looked down on us until now. We're nothing greater than the animals they have here.

I stepped on a puddle of blood and heard a splash. I couldn't help but wince at the sound.

"They feed the humans to these creatures."

I paused mid-step. So we're not even worth being their slaves or pets. we've been reduced to the meat they feed their dogs.

We're like Cattle.

Tears welled up in my eyes as the frustration of simply being human weighs on me.

"Save your tears. Besides, we did the same thing before they took over."

He could read me instantly even in the dark. Who was this guy?

"What do you mean? We were never this cruel to people."

"Of course not. Not to our own. but we've slaughtered and killed many animals not only for our meals but for our amusement as well. We wear them as clothes too."

He stopped walking in front of a cage and crouched down.

"Not all people were like that."

"Yes, but it happened regardless."

I went quiet at that.

"It was acceptable because we were the superior race and they were just animals as we called them they were below us in the food chain. But now things have changed. We're not the superior race anymore and we're basically like animals to them."

His words ring true no matter how uncomfortable they made me feel. I guess karma slapped us back. I didn't understand why He's talking about this so calmly. There was something different about him, I realized as I watched him maneuver his way stealthily.

"Shine your light over here." The man whispered as he crouched. I did as he told and watched him pick a lock with nimble fingers. He knows what he's doing.

He took out a creature that looked like a black cat.

"Give that to me." He whispered again. I gave him Azreals collar and watched him clasp it around the creature. It was acting surprisingly docile.

The man stood up.

"Can you get on my shoulders?"

I looked at him confused.

"There is a vent up there. You need to put that little guy in so it will go towards the west side of the ship. We need to head east. Hurry because they'll come back any moment."

He helped me up onto his shoulders. I was worried he wouldn't be able to hold my weight because he looked quite frail. Practically bones. How long was he here for?

Yet, he was surprisingly strong.

I balanced myself on his shoulder and took the creature into my hands and placed it inside. There was a momentary silence before I could hear it scurry away.

We both let out a sigh of relief at the same time as I climbed down.

"Come here. I'll help you up. we need to go through the vents towards the east side."

I suddenly felt cautious.

"What about the others?" I ask.

"They aren't like me. They're too afraid to break any rules."

He helped me up once more and I managed to wriggle myself into the vent. After I pulled him in I let him lead the way.

"Why aren't you afraid?"

"Because I've been trained to do this."

Trained by whom?

As if sensing my question he answers.

"The resistance."

No way! So we have spies here in the form of slaves? I looked at the others cowering in their cages.

The resistance is still around. This was the best news I've heard in a while.

"I came here undercover and got myself captured. I've been feeding them intel secretly. However, things got more difficult than I expected. As you can see I'm barely intact. You came and saved me just in time. They changed the locks and I couldn't sneak around anymore."

I observed his almost skeletal body and realized he was right. If he stayed any longer he'd die.

It made sense. It's why he knew about the vents and the map of this entire place.

I wondered how long he'd been stuck here.

"That missile is a signal for me to abort the mission by the way. They are calling me back to base."

"That's crazy. What if the explosion killed everyone in here including you?"

"No, it's a carefully crafted attack only aimed towards the top half of the ship. I've given them my location. Besides It's not the first time we've aimed fire at these Aliens."

"Why are you telling me all this? won't you get in trouble?" He stopped crawling for a second before answering.

"No...Im telling you because I think you can help us."

I waited for him to continue as we resumed crawling. Taking various turns I can't possibly remember.

"From the looks of you, they've been treating you well. It means you are closer to them than we are down here. If you can remain a bit longer and gather the information that would help us defeat them you'll be saving us all."

"Are you telling me to take your role as a spy?" I whispered.

"Yes." He whispered back.

"What makes you think I'll help you?" I could see his silhouette shrug in the darkness.

"Call it a gut instinct."

He's right. I might be the only one who will be able to help them. I understand the alien language as well due to some messed-up reason. Although, I doubt he knows that.

But that means I'll be giving up my freedom and I might end up by Azreal's side again. A shiver went up my spine thinking about how pissed off he must be right now.

"I'm Eden Wolfe. What do they call you?"

I hesitated before answering.

"Aurora. Aurora Steele." He suddenly stopped and I almost went crashing against him.

"Aurora, Do you have a sister? An 8-year-old Lucy Steele?"

I gasped.

"How do you know?"

"She was brought to the resistance six months ago."

My heart filled with hope.

"Is she alive? How do you even know this?" I felt my heart thundering in my chest and it was almost hard to breathe.

"Yes, she's alive."

I let out a breath I was holding in and I wanted to cry with joy.

"But how do you know? do you keep track of every person who joins?"

"The entire resistance knows her. She was brought In by an alien. We couldn't Identify his identity under the armor but he mentioned that the girls' sister traded her life so the young one can live and to take good care of her."

I went silent as I remembered what I told Azreal the first time I met him. I begged him to let my sister live.

"We were in a panic because the he managed to locate our hideout. We thought we were well hidden from the enemy but that wasn't the case. It was scary to know that they knew where and what we are doing but didn't bother to lift a finger to stop us. Instead, he drops off a child and takes off as if it's none of his concern." there is a bite in his hushed tone.

That sounds like something Azreal would do. He's too bored to care about what we do. Humans are nothing to him. As he likes to remind me time and time again.

But he had kept his promise and my sister was safe. I didn't know how to feel about that.

"So I was right. You must be someone important then."

"I wouldn't say that. I just got caught up with the wrong alien."

we stopped crawling as we started to hear voices from below.

"Do you accept my mission? Will you be able to help?" Eden whispers.

I take a moment to think and then nod. I hate them to my core and If I can help bring them down I would. If it means that I die along the way then so be it.

"Thank you." I see the relief on his bony face through the dim light coming from the vent. I gave him a wary smile in return. "What about you? Is your mission over now?"

"No. I'll be in around the ships premises waiting for your Intel." This is all so sudden. I feel like I'm being given a responsibility I'm not well equipped to handle.

"Here take this." He gave me a vile with transparent pink liquid in it. "It's like poison. It weakens and kills them slowly."

"How did you get this?" I whisper almost being a bit too loud.

"I stole it from their lab. They are making those so they can use them to kill someone important. That I know for sure. I do not know who they are yet. But I will find out soon."

I nodded at him before hiding the vile in my dress pocket.

The Zakerian guards were walking just below us and we stilled.

"This is where we separate. There is a black building towards the east with a circular emblem drawn on it. It is tall and hard to miss. Find your way there once you escape with the intel. Make sure you stay alive. I will be in the premises to help you get away when needed. Keep a lookout for the windows I will shine my light as a signal."

I swallowed hard and nodded.

"You'll be fine." He whispered before taking another turn into the darkness and I could see his silhouette wave at me as he disappeared. I resisted the urge to cry. How can he simply trust a stranger with something so big? did he see something in me that told him I would do it? can I sacrifice my freedom?

He's the first human I made contact with within the past six months.

"Where is that wench!"

I almost yelped at the sound of Zelda's voice. I looked down and saw her talking to soldiers through the small space between the air vent.

"You fools he's going to kill us all. I don't understand why he is so pissed off over a human bitch but find her before we all die!"

I started to crawl faster trying to minimize any sounds.

Oh God Azreal is pissed.

I don't want to face him.

Maybe I'll just forget the mission and dip. But deep down I know I could never do that. I took a turn and before I knew it the vent opening below me gave out and I felt myself fall to the ground below.