Uni continued to look at Stephanie in the rear view mirror, her mind swarming with questions about the little girl. She's so young and yet she is so articulate, but her eyes sure do look…off. She focused her eyes back on the road and kept driving into the night.

A moment later, Uni felt Trixie's hand grasp her shoulder and squeeze tightly, making her wince as she looked over at Trixie, who was grimacing.

“Uh, Trix, what's up-”

“Piper.”

The mention of Trixie's friend made Uni slam on the brakes, a sharp huff escaping her lips.

“Damnit!!! We were so focused on escaping and freeing Stephanie that we forgot the reason we came up with that plan in the first place! But going back right now would be super dangerous!”

Uni's mind was racing, the realization of their mistake hitting her like a ton of bricks. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white.

“We can't just leave her there!” Trixie said, her voice filled with anger and frustration.

Uni exhaled deeply, her mind working overtime. “You’re right…but we can’t just waltz back in there without a solid plan. We’d be walking right into a trap.”

Stephanie, who had been quietly watching the conversation unfold, spoke up. "I might have an idea," she said, a sly smile spreading across her face.

Uni and the other girls turned to look at her, their eyes wide. Uni's heart skipped a beat as she heard the confidence in Stephanie's voice. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Stephanie leaned back in her seat, a malicious gleam in her eyes. "I have a secret access route I used to use when I first escaped that place. Not many people know about it, and I doubt the security there knows of it either.”

Uni's eyes widened. "You...you have a secret route? Why didn't you mention this earlier?!" she asked, her voice a mix of surprise and frustration.

Stephanie chuckled darkly. "I like to keep some things to myself, you know? Can't reveal all my cards at once."

Trixie scowled at Stephanie's arrogant tone, but Uni interjected. "All right, calm down. If what you're saying is true, this could be our ticket to getting Piper back and getting out of here.”

Stephanie smirked. "Exactly. But it won't be easy. The route is treacherous, and there's a good chance we'll run into trouble along the way."

Uni took a deep breath, her mind racing with the new information. "I understand. But we can't just leave Piper behind. We have no other choice but to take the risk.”

Stephanie looked back at the other girls, her eyes scanning their faces. "Are you all prepared for this? This won't be a walk in the park, you know."

The other girls exchanged glances, their faces all filled with determination and a hint of fear. They nodded in unison.

"We're ready," Uni said, her voice steady.

Stephanie smiled, satisfied with their response. "Good. Then let's get going."

Uni revved the engine, the all-terrain vehicle lurching forward. As they drove, Stephanie started to give them directions, guiding them towards the secret access route. They travelled through the dark night, the vehicle bouncing along the rocky terrain, their anxiety growing with every mile.

Uni's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes fixed on the dark road ahead. Their surroundings were pitch black, the vehicle's headlights barely cutting through the inky darkness. The only sounds were the hum of the engine and the rough terrain crunching beneath the tires.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

After what felt like an eternity, they came to a halt near a large rock formation. Stephanie pointed towards a small opening between the rocks. "That's where the entrance is. But we have to be careful. The route is extremely narrow and twisting.”

The girls exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding in their chests. This was it, the point of no return. With a deep breath, Uni steered the vehicle towards the narrow opening, its headlights illuminating a dark, rocky tunnel. The vehicle slowly entered the tunnel, the rocky walls scraping against its sides. The tunnel was so narrow that it was hard for Uni to keep the vehicle straight, and the path twisted and turned in all directions. The girls held onto anything they could find, their bodies lurching with the movement of the vehicle.

As they continued to drive, the tunnel widened slightly, making the driving a bit easier. But the air became stale and stifling, the girls in the back starting to feel claustrophobic. Uni kept her eyes fixed on the rocky path ahead, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white.

Suddenly, a loud scraping sound echoed through the tunnel as the vehicle's side mirror clipped the tunnel wall. Uni winced as she heard the sound, her heart skipping a beat. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath, wincing as the vehicle continued its perilous journey through the dark tunnel.

As they moved further into the tunnel, water began to trickle down from the roof, creating small puddles on the rocky ground. The water was cold and dirty, making the rocky floor slick. Uni had to be extra careful driving, the vehicle's tires struggling to find grip in the slippery conditions.

Finally, the tunnel began to widen once more, allowing Uni to drive a bit easier. But as they moved forward, the girls noticed a faint light up ahead. Uni's eyes widened, her heart pounding. "Is that the way out?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Stephanie leaned forward, squinting as she tried to make out the faint light. "Looks like it," she said. "But don't let your guard down yet. There could be more surprises waiting for us.”

Uni nodded, her face set with determination. "I know. But we're almost there. We have to press on."

The girls braced themselves as the vehicle continued forward, the faint light growing slightly brighter with every passing moment.

As they approached the source of the light, they noticed a small opening in the tunnel wall. Uni steered the vehicle towards it, the opening leading them right outside onto a deserted road. The night air was cool and crisp, a relief after the claustrophobic tunnel.

Uni let out a sigh of relief, her muscles relaxing. "We made it," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

The girls in the back looked out the windows, their eyes widening at the change of scenery. After the cramped and dark tunnel, the open road seemed almost surreal.

Stephanie pointed forward, her voice calm. "We're not in the clear yet. There's a good chance security will be on high alert after we escaped earlier. We need to stay vigilant.”

Uni nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the surrounding area. The night was silent, only the sound of crickets echoed in the distance. The girls couldn't see anything in the darkness, but they knew they couldn't let their guard down.

Uni continued to drive along the deserted road, her eyes darting to the mirrors, checking if they were being followed. The girls were tense, their hearts still racing from their narrow escape. Every rustle in the bushes, every sound in the night seemed to send a chill down their spines.

After a few minutes of driving, the girls noticed a large building in the distance. Uni slowed down, her eyes narrowing. "That must be the facility," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The girls in the back looked out the windows, their eyes fixed on the imposing building. The facility was large and well lit, its outer walls covered in razor-wire. It looked ominous and foreboding compared to how it did in the daytime.

Uni steered the vehicle towards a cluster of trees nearby, carefully hiding it behind the foliage. The girls knew they had to be stealthy to avoid being detected. The facility was heavily secured, and they had no way of knowing what kind of security measures they were dealing with, especially after triggering the alarm.

The girls got out of the vehicle, their footsteps hushed in the silence of the night. They huddled together, their gazes fixed on the imposing building ahead of them. Uni looked at the girls, her voice steady. "Alright, here's the plan. We need to get in there, get Piper, and get out as quickly as we can. We can't afford to mess this up.”

The girls nodded, their faces set with determination. They understood the gravity of the situation and the risks they were taking. Uni turned to Stephanie, her voice firm. "Stephanie, you know the facility better than any of us. What's our best approach?”

Stephanie pointed to a section of the outer wall that was covered in shadows. "That section there. It's the least guarded part of the wall. We can try to climb over there and move in using the cover of the shadows.”

Uni nodded, her eyes fixed on the shadowy section of the wall. "Sounds like a plan. Let's do this thing."