“Hanna, I talked to Ali.” Alonzo whispered.

She sat on the bed next to him in their quarters. “About what?”

“About letting you come with us this time. We’re going back into the dungeons, and we’re going to try to locate where the Beast is hiding.” Alonzo looked down at their entwined hands.

“And?” She looked up into his dark eyes.

“He said you could come.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Really?”

“Yeah… I more or less begged him, but he finally said yes.” Alonzo laughed.

Hanna threw her arms around his neck, kissing him. “Thank you!”

He pulled back a bit, smiling. “You’re welcome. But there are a few restrictions.”

Her face darkened. “What? Do I have to wear a bracelet to let you know where I am at all times? Or maybe I have to be cuffed to you or Ali?” She gave him a sarcastic smile. “Is that what he made you agree to for me so that I could go?”

“I hate it when you’re sarcastic like that with me. Hanna, don’t be angry with me. He didn’t make me promise anything for you. He made me promise that I’d watch you, and he said you weren’t going if you didn’t promise me that you’d stay next to one of us or Indri at all times.”

She looked at him, uncertain. “That’s all?”

“Yeah, but Hanna, this is serious. I’m not joking. This whole thing is dangerous, and you really do need to follow instructions and stay with one of the three of us at all times.” Alonzo looked deep into her eyes.

She bit her lip, still not certain she wanted to promise it. But after some consideration, she made her decision. “I’ll do it. I promise to stay with one of the three of you and to follow instructions.”

He smiled. “I thought you would.”

She kissed him again. “But only because you asked, and you asked nicely.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “No other reasons?”

“Well… That and the fact that I really want to go.”

He laughed. “I’m not surprised.”

“Was it that obvious I wanted to go?”

“Well, when you begged Ali for three days straight before giving up….” Alonzo shrugged. “I’d say it was pretty obvious.”

She smiled. “Yeah, I guess it was, wasn’t it?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She shook her head. “Oh well. When do we go?”

“This afternoon. We meet at Indri’s office at 0900 hours. Only one hour to eat breakfast and prepare.”

“Then, we better get moving.” Hanna stood up, smiling. “You want to eat with me?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you normally eat with Finn and Tara?”

Hanna shrugged. “Yeah, but they can’t eat at our normal time today, and I can’t wait. I already told them it was alright, and that I didn’t mind eating on my own. They have the morning kitchen shift, so…”

Alonzo nodded. “Ah… I see.”

“So… You want to eat with me?” Hanna looked at him hopefully.

“Sure, why not.”

She smiled broadly at him, and Alonzo felt a wild surge of emotion. Her smile was so rare, but so dazzling. He couldn’t imagine something he’d rather see, and to have been the cause of it. It amazed him when he could manage to draw that kind of smile out of her.

“Thank you, Alonzo!” She gave him a hug, and then she walked out of the room.

He followed, glad that she’d decided to promise him what Ali had asked.

Little could he know that that promise would soon be broken. Nor could he know that something dreadful would happen because of it. But such thoughts of disaster and terror did not enter his mind as he went to get breakfast with Hanna.

***

Ali paced in the office, gesturing at the walls as he spoke. Indri listened quietly, calmly, letting the younger man get the worries out of his system.

“I shouldn’t have told Alonzo that she could come, promise or no. She won’t keep it. I know she won’t.” Ali looked at Indri, eyes suddenly filling with tears. “Indri, all I want to do is protect her, and it seems like at every turn I’m failing… And I’m failing miserably.” He sank into a chair in the white-walled office, feeling as washed out as the walls.

Indri leaned on the metal desk. For a moment, he was silent. Then he spoke. “Ali, I think that, as hard as it is, you’re just going to have to accept that you can’t protect your sister here like you wish you could. Regardless of why she was sent, you two need to work together for this mission to end well. So, maybe it’s time to stop protecting and start trusting. She’s grown up, Ali. You’re just going to have to realize that and accept it.”

Ali slammed his fist against the desk, and then he pulled it back, resting his head in his hands. He shook his head slowly. “No. I can’t. She’s only sixteen. She’s not able to handle this.”

Indri sighed. As gently as he knew how, he said, “Ali, she’s only three and a half years younger than you. Have you ever considered that maybe she’s no less ready than you? Perhaps neither of you is able to handle this.”

“I can handle it!” Ali blazed.

Indri shook his head. “Maybe you can, but it’s changing you. Hanna’s not the only one struggling. You might be able to handle it, but can you go through it and retain who you are? Or will the young man I know become changed or lost all together?”

“You can’t expect me to go through this without some change!” Ali stood up again, pacing on the cement floor. Suddenly, the white walls seemed oppressive.

“No, that’s not what I mean, Ali.” Indri spoke quietly. “I simply mean, will the fundamental values you believe in, the essence of who you are be changed or lost? You can change, grow up, when you go through things, but that doesn’t change who you are at the very core of your being.”

Ali shook his head, turning to face Indri. “I don’t know. I just don’t know!” He whispered.

Indri guided him back to the chair. “You don’t have to know right now. But someday, sometime in the near future, you are going to have to know and you’ll need to stand up for what you know is right. You will go through things that require you to either stand firm in what you believe or become something you are not. And this may be one of those times.”

Ali clenched his hands into fists and then slowly let his fingers uncurl. “I will not become what I am not, Indri. But what of Hanna?”

“I think you’ll find that she’ll be fine through this. She’s a remarkable young woman. However, Ali, she needs you. But not in the way you think. She needs you to support her, not parent her.” Indri whispered.

Ali nodded, sighing. “I don’t know if I can. Every time we talk… I mean, she always explodes at me if I try to do anything different from what she wants.”

“Maybe that is a problem. But, maybe, if you tried to agree with her a bit more often on things, she might be less combative and more open to the things you are saying.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

Indri clapped him on the back, glancing at his watch. “I know you will. Now, Alonzo will be here in a few minutes with or without Hanna, so let’s get the packs situated and that last pieces of gear sorted out.”

Ali smiled. “Sounds like a good idea.”

***

Hanna and Alonzo came into the room.

Hanna was smiling and laughing. Ali smiled seeing her so happy. He hadn’t seen her this way in nearly a year. For a moment, he felt a twinge of jealousy for Alonzo’s position. If only he could’ve made her happy like that.

But he brushed it aside. Alonzo was his best friend, and if he made Hanna happy, Ali was glad he was around.

“Hey, you two! So, Hanna… Did you agree to what I asked?”

She shrugged. “It’s not too much to ask.” She scowled at him, just to let him know she wasn’t actually pleased with the terms. “So, where are the handcuffs?”

He didn’t smile. She was being so obvious about her annoyance. “I’m not handcuffing you to anyone. If we get in trouble, you need both hands free, and you can’t be dragging anyone of us down.”

“I wouldn’t drag anyone down, Ali!”

“Even if you didn’t drag them down, they might drag you down. It’s just not a good idea.”

She shrugged again. “Whatever. I’m just as happy not to be handcuffed to anyone. Although, it might not be so bad if I was handcuffed to Alonzo.” She teased.

Ali did smile at that. “I’m sure… Anyway, the plan is this. If we run into trouble, Hanna, you’re to get out. Go get help. We’re still not entirely sure what we’re dealing with, but me and Alonzo have decided that the only thing we can imagine doing such damage as we saw would be a dragon. You know from our classes that dragons are extremely dangerous, and they are not to be trifled with. If we run into trouble with whatever’s lurking down there, we’ll need help. And you’re going to be faster than the rest of us. You might be able to escape notice.”

Hanna nodded. “So… You’re actually relying on me if we run into trouble.”

Ali grimaced. “Yes. And I’m fairly certain it’s not misplaced trust, either. Hanna, this is not a game. Our lives may all depend on you doing exactly what I say.”

Hanna didn’t respond. She just looked into his eyes coolly.

He shifted positions, turning to look over the packs. “Let’s see. Hanna, you get the lightest pack. It has a first aid kit and some water and food as well as one blanket just in case. Alonzo, you have the one with extra blankets. Each of us will carry a small pistol as well as some daggers and a bit of food, water, and a blanket just in case we need them for some reason. Indri and I will also carry a pack with a first aid kit, water, food, and an extra set of blankets. If anyone gets in trouble, drop the packs. They’ll only make it more difficult to fight, and the other two might find it and be able to follow you. Understood?”

Hanna and Alonzo nodded. Indri listened as Ali took charge smoothly. “There are four of us,” Ali continued. “So, that means we can split up into teams of two. All of us will have communication watches. Keep it on so that if you get into trouble, we can hear you. They let us track each other, talk to each other, and also send live imaging over the holograph function on the watch if we need it. That said, this is how we’ll split up. Indri and I will go together. Hanna, you’ll stay with Alonzo.”

She gave him a surprised glance, but she didn’t say anything.

“Any further questions, anyone?” Ali glanced up at the clock.

They shook their heads.

“Well then, let’s get everything divided up.” Ali started handing things out.

Three minutes later, they were ready. They filed out of Indri’s office and headed for the lock-down section of East Base.

No one spoke until they got there. Indri coded in his verification code to unlock the doors.

They swung open silently, revealing a long, narrow staircase that descended into the lower levels of East Base, and, eventually, down into the dungeons.

Indri stood aside to allow Ali to take the lead. Silently, the group wended their way down the stairs and through the Base’s lower levels until they reached the door to the dungeons. Here they stopped while Indri again coded in his password to allow them into the dungeons.

The door opened soundlessly to reveal the dark stairway. Ali passed out small, brilliant flashlights. They all paused a moment. Into the silence, Ali whispered final instructions. “Alonzo, Hanna, take the left once we get in here. It’s a maze down there, so you need to mark the walls with chalk as you go.” He handed them a piece of brilliant blue chalk. “Don’t forget to do that. Every ten feet or so, place a mark on the wall. And remember, keep the communication watches on at all times.”

Hanna and Alonzo nodded.

Alonzo was calm, but Hanna’s complexion was pale. Her eyes were slightly wider than normal. Ali wished he hadn’t agreed to let her come, but he knew that Indri had been right. He couldn’t continue to baby her. She was part of the team, like it or not, and he couldn’t keep denying her the right to go with them when they explored through the lock-down areas of East Base looking for information.

Hanna slipped her hand into Alonzo’s, taking a deep breath and letting it out inaudibly. She nodded to Ali and whispered, “Alright. What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

Ali nodded back, and then they began the descent into the deep.