Chapter 220 Where Is Tina?

Chapter 220: Chapter 220 Where Is Tina?

Dylan and the Lennox soldiers were farther to Enzo’s left, keeping the path open.

Ling Xuan’s eyes narrowed. ’For someone who is accused of poisoning an acting commander... Why is he still walking free?’

Laurel looked through her eyes. ’Maybe they released him after the attack.’

Before Ling Xuan could respond, a man suddenly appeared beside two wounded soldiers near the barricade.

Stefan.

He grabbed both men before disappearing with them. A second later, he appeared again several meters away, grabbed another wounded soldier and disappeared.

Seeing him caused the uneasiness Laurel had been trying to suppress since her nightmare to return even stronger.

’If Stefan is here... where is Tina? Could it be she with the others in a safe place?

’

Ling Xuan’s expression became serious. She began walking towards him.

Stefan reappeared beside the overturned truck, breathing heavily from repeatedly using his ability. He bent forward slightly with his hands resting against his knees, but before he could catch his breath, Enzo grabbed his shoulder.

"Rest for a minute before you collapse."

"We don’t have a minute." He squeezed his eyes shut as if to gather his remaining strength.

"You won’t save anyone if you pass out." Enzo warned.

Stefan was about to answer when his gaze suddenly moved past Enzo. His entire body froze.

Enzo noticed his expression and turned. For a moment, neither man moved.

"Boss?" Enzo stared at Ling Xuan as though he thought he was seeing things.

Ling Xuan stopped several steps away. "Why do you look like that?"

Enzo lowered his eyes to himself. His clothes were covered with dirt and blood, one sleeve was torn, and there were still dark marks around his wrists from where the ropes had cut into his skin.

He looked back at her. "This is a long story."

Ling Xuan’s gaze moved towards his wrists before turning to Stefan. There were similar wounds on his hands, while a red mark remained around his neck.

Stefan suddenly walked towards her. "Laurel." His voice sounded different from usual.

Ling Xuan looked at him. "Where is Tina?"

Stefan stopped. The silence that followed caused Laurel’s heart to sink.

Ling Xuan’s eyes gradually became colder. "I asked you where Tina is."

Stefan lowered his head. "I don’t know."

Inside the farming space, Laurel stood up so quickly that the chair behind her fell over. "What does he mean he doesn’t know?"

Ling Xuan could feel her panic rising immediately.

Stefan rubbed both hands over his face before looking up again. "We were attacked after you disappeared into the cave. Everyone got separated. Tina was with Jack and Ida, but I lost them while trying to find you and the others. I never knew the monsters were going to attack, else I would have never left their side."

"Where are they now?" Ling Xuan’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword.

"I found Ida later." Stefan whispered.

"And Tina?"

Stefan’s lips tightened. "I couldn’t find her." He lowered his head, unable to meet her gaze.

Laurel felt as though something had squeezed her chest. The nightmare appeared in her mind again. Tina covered in blood, her small hands reaching towards her. ’Save me, Aunty Laurel...’

Ling Xuan felt Laurel’s emotions through their connection and frowned. ’Calm down.’

"How can I calm down? She’s missing!"

’I know.’

"No, you don’t understand. I saw her, Ling Xuan. I saw her covered in blood."

’It was a dream.’

"What if it wasn’t?"

Ling Xuan remained silent.

Laurel’s hands slowly clenched. "Then why is he still here? Why didn’t he go back?"

Ling Xuan looked at Stefan. "Why didn’t you continue searching?"

His expression immediately changed. "I tried."

Enzo let out a cold laugh beside him. Ling Xuan turned towards him, flashing him a glare that could skin him alive.

Enzo raised the pistol slightly and pointed towards the marks around Stefan’s neck. "Your acting Commander didn’t think searching for a missing child was important enough. She had him arrested and put some kind of collar around his neck so he couldn’t teleport."

Ling Xuan’s face became expressionless.

Stefan’s jaw tightened. "I told her I needed to go back. She refused. When I tried to leave anyway, her people restrained me."

"And you?" Ling Xuan asked Enzo.

Enzo’s smile disappeared. "I apparently poisoned Old Master Wayne."

Laurel felt her anger rise.

Ling Xuan looked between the two men before asking, "Why were both of you brought here?"

This time neither answered immediately.

Enzo looked towards the destroyed western barricade. "She wanted us executed."

Stefan’s expression hardened. "When Dylan stopped it, she sent us here instead. We were tied up at the western line when the monsters broke through."

The sounds around Ling Xuan seemed to fade for a moment. Gunfire continued behind them. Soldiers were still shouting as they moved the wounded, while the turret fired another beam towards the monsters beyond the barricade.

But she barely noticed any of it. Grandpa had been poisoned, and Enzo had been accused. Stefan had been prevented from searching for Tina. And while the fortress was under attack, Margaret had ordered both men executed.

Ling Xuan looked towards the battlefield. The second defensive line was still under pressure. Monsters continued appearing through the western opening, and although the soldiers had managed to reorganize, leaving immediately would mean abandoning hundreds of people while the fortress was still unstable.

Laurel could see it too... She hated that she could see it. "Damn it." She cussed.

Ling Xuan didn’t say anything.

Stefan stepped closer. "I can take us back." The guilt eating away whatever expression he had left on his face.

"Not yet." Ling Xuan slowly shook her head.

His face changed, completely stunned. "What?"

"We have to stabilise the fortress first." She replied.

Stefan stared at her in disbelief. "Tina is still out there, and not only Tina, but Jake too!"

"And there are hundreds of people here." Ling Xuan replied coldly.

"I don’t care about hundreds of people! Those kids must be terrified." his voice suddenly rose loud enough for several soldiers nearby to look towards them.

Ling Xuan didn’t become angry. She understood him. Tina was her favourite person in this new world, there was nothing more the urge she was feeling right now, the urge to rush back to the underground tunnel, to search every inch of the woods for her. Her fist clenched tightly, that her nails dug into her flesh. But she cannot forsake the lives of many for her selfishness. She was wrong this time, and she knew.

Ling Xuan said calmly, "We stabilize the western side, then you take us back to the cave."

Stefan’s chest rose and fell heavily. "What if a few minutes is too late?"

Ling Xuan didn’t answer immediately.

Then another monster roared from beyond the broken barricade, and several soldiers immediately raised their weapons.

Ling Xuan turned towards the battlefield. ’Laurel, the second weapon.’

Laurel opened her eyes and looked towards the remaining turret inside the storage area. This time she didn’t care how much it had cost. "Use it."

The second automatic turret appeared behind the defensive line. Several soldiers jumped away in surprise as the large machine landed heavily against the ground. Its four supports immediately extended, locking into place while blue lights appeared across the dark metal.

Enzo stared at it. "What the hell is that?"

Ling Xuan ignored him.

[Automatic Energy Turret activated.]

[Scanning...]

[Hostile lifeforms detected.]

The barrel slowly turned towards the western opening. A bright light gathered at its center before a beam shot across the battlefield, striking one of the larger monsters directly through its body. The creature collapsed before it could reach the barricade, taking another smaller monster down with it.

For a second, the soldiers around them stared.

Then Enzo looked towards Ling Xuan. "Boss, where did you get that?"

"Later." Ling Xuan pulled out her sword.

The first turret continued firing from the road behind them while the second covered the western opening, and for the first time since the outer line collapsed, the number of monsters reaching the soldiers began to decrease.

Dylan appeared with several Lennox soldiers behind him. He stopped when he saw Chris, and the relief on his face was obvious. "Boss."

Chris nodded. "We’ll talk later."

Dylan looked towards Ling Xuan next. "Commander."

"How many are left?" Ling Xuan asked, her fingers already itching to finish the battle and rush to find Tina.

"I don’t know. The ones behind the ridge are still coming, but they’re thinning out." Dylan replied, his expression as stoic as ever.

"Good." Ling Xuan looked towards Stefan. "Save your strength. You are taking us back the moment this side is stable."

Stefan stared at her for a moment before nodding.

Enzo reloaded the pistol in his hand. "And after that?"

Ling Xuan looked towards the fortress. Laurel was quiet inside the space, but the anger Ling Xuan could feel from her had not disappeared. "We have some house cleaning to do."

Enzo raised a brow, already getting the inkling of who she was referring to.