𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 ✔

𝟒𝟔. 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐒

The next morning, the air was tight and all three of them could feel it. Mostly with anticipation, but there was some tension - and it was mostly between Aiden and Cara.

The latter had woken up at the crack of dawn, having not been able to sleep. Cara had gotten ready before everyone else, so when Aiden and Taelyn lazily ambled into the kitchen, she was already chipper.

"Why are you so energetic at seven in the morning?" grumbled Tae as she munched on her toasted bread.

"Why aren't you? Today's the day!"

"We're leaving at eight. You all get dressed," Tae finished the last of her breakfast before standing up.

Cara joined Tae in their room a few minutes later to get dressed.

_*_

The car ride was silent.

They arrived at the restaurant around half an hour later.

"I think this is the one," Taelyn muttered as she rounded the corner to the parking lot in front of the building.

"I know this is the one," Aiden countered.

He pointed to the large wooden boards that covered the exterior of the building. The words "CLOSED" scrawled messily in spray paint where the sign that had probably said "Yin's Bistro" used to be.

"What happened to that," Cara mumbled as she gazed at the ugly sight.

"Gang probably raided it or something. Unless the owner was going for a nailed up, creepy aesthetic?" Taelyn cocked an eyebrow, scanning the restaurant again before laughing. "We should be glad we came here in the morning. Or else I'd get nightmares for three weeks...I mean, uh, what?"

Aiden shook his head, sighing. "Of course you had to make a joke. Anyway, it looks like the restaurant was raided."

"No one's noticed that a restaurant was raided?"

"I mean, this is in the middle of nowhere..." Aiden muttered, gesturing at the lifeless signs all around them.

"Okay, let's not talk and do more?" Cara suggested, unlocking her car door and walking out. The distinct spring air hit her, the breeze swaying her hair.

"We don't really have a choice, do we?"

Cara ignored his snarky comment and turned to the building, eyes squinting as she tried to make out any forms of life that could be attempting to stop them.

When she found none, she licked her lips, rolling her eyes at the two others who were sitting there, eyeing her blankly. "Let's move in already?"

Taelyn and Aiden followed her through the small parking lot and to the backside of the building, where things looked even worse. There was unrecognizable junk strewn everywhere, and the concrete that coated the ground was uneven and dirty.

Cara scrunched her nose at the sudden wave of disgusting, rotten smell that had hit her as soon as they turned the corner. She frowned, looking for the source, until she spotted the trash bags that sat, leaning lazily against the back of the building.

"That's disgusting," Tae muttered, wrinkling her nose too.

"You think?"

"Let's try to find the trapdoor."

Cara and the others cautiously made their way, finding every nook and cranny in the alley, trying to find anything that might be hiding their crucial find...

Suddenly, a loud bark ensued, causing Cara to scream as something jumped on her. She fell back on her bottom, eyes widening. A massive dog had landed on her, barking ferociously as it started to jab its jaw at her face.

Aiden and Taelyn ran over to where she was, attempting to pry the beast off, but it was no use; it was too strong. Before they could think of another way, more growling and barks filled the air, causing Aiden to groan before whipping around, facing the two other dogs that had just appeared behind them, their sizes equally as large as the first and their faces even more outrageously livid.

"Not good," Tae yelped as she dodged the attack of one of the creatures.

"I can see that!" Aiden hissed back as he dropped to the ground into a jumping stance. "Try to find a way to help Cara!"

He gritted his teeth before turning his head the other way in a vain attempt to miss the dog. Unfortunately, it was too late as the dog threw a dirty paw to his face. Blood drew from Aiden's face, causing him to grunt loudly.

Taelyn, on the other hand, was thinking in muddled puddles as she leaped over the dog, spotting a small, discarded brick in her peripheral. She quickly grabbed it, ignoring the sting in her hands as the rough material scraped at the skin. As the large beast attacked again, Taelyn pitched the brick straight at its face.

The dog whimpered lowly, falling to the ground for a brief moment of unconsciousness.

Taelyn grinned before rushing over to Cara, who was struggling with the dog. She had managed to get it off, but was now trying to evade its many attacks. She quickly moved around, dodging the strikes.

These dogs seemed to be trained, not regular ones, and that was definitely a problem.

Taelyn, seeing that Cara wasn't hurt, nodded and rushed over to where the dogs had come from..around the corner...

Bingo!

The girl spotted a small, wooden board with what looked to be a keypad, shortly around the corner, in an even more secluded part of the alleyway. She briskly fished out her phone from the pocket in her sports pants, and opened it to the camera. After taking more than enough pictures of the area, she rushed back to the scene at hand, where Aiden and Cara were now growing tired.

"I found it! Let's go!" Taelyn shouted.

Aiden and Cara breathed sighs of relief before evading their attackers and running as fast as they could, following Taelyn out of the alley. The dogs, seeing their enemies had ran, didn't bother to follow, to their relief.

Panting, the three reached the front of the building, slowing to a stop as their steps skidded across the concrete of the parking lot.

"Did they follow?" Tae breathed, looking back.

"No," responded Cara. "Did you get the location of the trapdoor?"

"Yes," Tae nodded, pulling out her phone again and showing them the pictures.

"Perfect," Aiden grinned.