Chapter 17 - Where Are We?

"Wake up," Manic said throwing water on the captain's face. The captain woke up, and looked around him.

"Manic," the captain said looking around. His hand were tied behind his back.

"Was this a plan to get Alex?" Manic asked.

"Maybe," the captain replied.

"'Maybe' is not going to cut it," Manic said, and continued "Maybe I should ask your friend."

"He's not going to say anything either," the captain replied.

"We'll see about that," Manic said, throwing water on Colton. Colton looked around him, and soon assessed the situation.

"Captain," Colton said looking at the captain. The captain nodded his head back at Colton.

"Where's Alex?" Manic asked. Colton didn't reply. "So that's how we're going to do it. How about we change the rules a little. I know the captain won't talk, how about you talk, and I don't kill you," Manic said. Colton still didn't reply.

"He's not going to talk," the captain said.

"What makes you say that?" Manic asked.

"Our training," the captain replied.

"And what training is that?" Manic asked.

"That's classified. You are holding us hostage in a game," the captain said.

"It still hurts to be tortured though," Manic said.

"This is not real," the captain said.

"The pain is real," Manic replied.

"What's real is what you decide is real," the captain responded.

"I don't think that even makes sense," Blaze said entering the room.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," the captain said.

"Your funeral," Blaze said, and took a knife.

"Are you going to torture us? In a game," the captain asked.

"We just want you to talk," Manic said, taking the knife from Blaze, and approaching the captain. The captain looked at Colton and nodded his head, Colton nodded back. Once Manic got close enough to the captain, the captain freed his hands from the rope, and attacked Manic. Colton watched, as the captain attacked Manic, and Blaze. The captain took a few punches too, but was able to knock out Manic and Blaze.

"Some help would have been nice," the captain said, cutting the rope off Colton's hands.

"I'm sorry. I was a little tied up here," Colton replied. The captain and Colton took their weapons, and went out of the door.

"We need to get back to base," the captain said.

"Where are we?" Colton asked.

"I am guessing one of their safe houses," the captain replied.

"Have you tried checking if our comms work?" Colton asked.

"I doubt it, but be my guest," the captain said.

"Anyone on comms?" Colton said holding his earpiece. He waited a few minutes and no one responded.

"What did I tell you?" the captain said looking at Colton.

"It was worth a shot," Colton replied. The captain looked at him, and proceeded to cautiously walk around the safe house, in search of a way out.

"There might be people here, so stay vigilant," the captain said looking at Colton. Colton nodded his head. After looking around, and finally finding a way out, the two of them opened to door, and came out of the safe house, to find themselves in a dense forest.

"Are you kidding me. Where are we?" Colton said looking around. A sound of a vehicle engine was heard, and the two of them ran into a nearby bush, to hide from the vehicle.

The vehicle came to a halt in front of the safe house, and two mercenaries got out of the vehicle.

"Where's Manic? I thought you said he's be here," one of the mercenaries said to the other.

"He must be inside," the other replied, going into the safe house.

"We got to get out of here before they figure out what happened," Colton said.

"I know," the captain said, looking at Colton, and then ran towards the forest. Colton followed him. They kept running for a while, and then heard gunshots, from the side of the safe house.

"Sniper," Colton said, and the captain and him fell on the ground, behind a fallen tree. Colton had a riflescope on his gun, and tried to track the shooter.

"See anything?" the captain asked.

"No nothing," Colton replied.

"Max, Colton you there?" they heard Miles voice through the earpiece.

"Miles," the captain said.

A few hours earlier. Miles, Dash, Sarah, Kane and Vicky were in the base, talking about how they were going to get the captain and Colton back.

"How could they have captured Max and Colton? They must have had backup," Kane said.

"Maybe they did," Sarah said.

"Ok. Let's say they had backup. Why didn't they help Alex then?" Miles asked.

"A much better question is; why didn't they attack when Dash was following. They could have easily captured all three of them," Vicky said.

"Maybe they were busy or something," Dash said.

"That's convenient," Vicky said.

"Where do you think they'd been taken to?" Miles asked.

"There's a safe house in the outskirts of the city. I am guessing they took them there," Vicky said.

"How do you know about Manic's safe houses if you've never worked with the guy before," Dash asked.

"The safe house is not Manic's. It's Leo's," Vicky said.