Evil Forces: Walden

Chapter 20-Everything I do hard

The moon hung low over the city, casting an ethereal glow on the towering, sinister structure before them. Elliott adjusted his disguise—a heavy overcoat and cap that made him blend in among the many guards milling about outside the hideout. Beside him, Clara's eyes sparkled with a mixture of excitement and fear. "Oh, I could tell you I once came here with Alex," she whispered, breaking the tense silence.

Elliott glanced at her, swallowing hard. "I didn't expect this place to be so big. I had no idea they lived here in this building."

"Yeah," Clara replied, her tone serious now. "This time, we have to be even more careful. We have to act like we're the real guards here."

The enormity of their task loomed before him. He nodded, though doubts gnawed at his insides. "I hope we don't fail," he murmured.

They parked her scooter on the side and approached the entrance, blending into the stream of guards. As they walked through the heavy steel door, the clang reverberated ominously behind them. The interior was a labyrinth of dimly lit hallways lined with cold metal lockers and ominous security features. Their footsteps echoed, and Elliott struggled to maintain an air of confidence.

Inside, the hideout bustled with members of the Evil Forces. Some lounged on benches, exchanging idle banter while others monitored screens filled with surveillance footage. The stench of sweat and desperation hung heavy in the air, and Elliott could feel the weight of unseen eyes watching them.

"Where's Gertrude?" Clara murmured, scanning the crowd. "She said she'd meet us."

"Ugh... why isn't she here? Where do you think we can find her?" Elliott's heart raced. With every passing second, the risk grew larger, the shadows darker.

Clara shrugged, her usual bravado faltering. "Well, I don't know; this is my first time here too. I had no idea where to find her..."

"Wonderful," he replied sarcastically, feigning calmness. "We need to think like guards." He motioned toward a nearby corridor. "Let's check out the rooms down this way. She could be in one of them."

They moved cautiously along the corridor, the flickering fluorescent lights casting eerie shadows that danced around them. Elliott paused before a door, a low murmur of voices seeping through. Clara pressed her ear against it. "Nope. Not here," she whispered, moving to the next one.

As they continued their search, the pounding of Elliott's heart drowned out everything else. The thought of being discovered consumed him. Clara seemed to sense his anxiety, nudging him each time they encountered another closed door. "Remember, we're guards," she said, breathing out slowly. "Just act normal."

They finally spotted a door at the end of the hallway, slightly ajar. A glowing red light streamed from within. "This could be it," Elliott whispered, glancing around nervously.

Clara took a deep breath and pushed the door open, revealing a room cluttered with files and maps sprawled across an enormous table. At the center stood Gertrude, her back towards them, focusing intently on a digital tablet.

"There you are!" Clara exclaimed, relief flooding her voice.

Gertrude turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for you to help me finalize our plans!"

Elliott exchanged a hurried glance with Clara. They were in deep now, entangled in a web of darkness where every second felt like a lifetime. With the Evil Forces closing in around them, he knew they had to play their roles to perfection—failure was not an option in a place where shadows merged with treachery.

The adventure ahead was fraught with unknowns, but they had come too far to back down now. With Clara by his side and Gertrude's orders ringing in their ears, they stepped deeper into the lair, ready to confront the malevolence that awaited them.