As the team got inside, everybody siwtched their flashlights to investigate. The walls were in a good condition suprisingly, yes they were old and decaying but still strong enough to keep this place stable. The space was wide too, an average adult had to jump to touch the ceiling. There was a corridor extending at the other side of the room, leading to more rooms on both sides of it. The doors were made out of some kind of metal, -hard to tell the true material- left to decay for a long time ago.

Stephen shut the trapdoor and switched his light as he came down. After taking a good look at the room, he took the first step. "Lets move." As he got closer to the corridor he lifted his hand back to stop the team. Then he reached out to a lever, wihch was positioned on the wall and pulled it down. The lights turned on and lightened the dark space entirely. He then turned back at his team "Everyone pick a room and search inside."

Every soldier seperated and got into the different rooms ahead. Stephen took the second room and started scanning. The room had a table, a big refrigerator -just like a butcher's- and a few chopping knives hanging from the ceiling with hook cahins. The refrigerator wasn't working as expected and it was empty inside. The knives had blood stains on them; seemed like someone cut something alive in here before. And there was the table: Stephen got closer to the wooden furniture and took a closer look. It's surfce was covered with blood, dried a long time ago. And alongside of blood, there was something else covering it, that bluish slime...

Stephen recognized this quickly and took a closer and more careful look at it. He touched the fluid with his fingers once again "What the hell are you?" As he wipe cleaned his fingers, he pulled his hand back. He gave a sigh and just before he was about to turn around, a voice boomed on his ear "Oh what the heck is that!?" Stephen backed away and aimed his rifle at Sasha, standing in front of him. After realized the situation that it was only his teammate, he put down his gun "Jesus, Sasha what is wrong with you!?" He stared at him with an enraged expression.

Sasha looked at Stephen with an ashamed face "I-I'm sorry Colonel, It's just that... thing on the table. It seemed so strange..." He turned back at the table as Stephen came closer. "What is this thing?" he gazed at Stephen.

Stephen was worried, this thing was the same material with what he had seen in the forest, on the trees. But the question is, what is this thing; and what does it belong to? "I wish I knew..." He patted Sasha's shoulder amicably "Lets go gather with the rest of team shall we?" The two got out of the room.

Everyone gathered in the corridor and turned to Colonel who was coming closer with Sasha "So what have you found?" he eyed the members one by one. Olivia took a step closer "Sir, I have found a radio and a communication device. I am not sure if it works but I can try."

Stephen nodded and turned to Cheng. Chinese man just opened the door right next to him and presented inside with his hands: It was a room with three beds positioned on the floor. Stephen turned to Cheng and nodded "Excellent Sergeant." Cheng just smiled and nodded like he was saying You're welcome.

And finally there was Sasha who was rubbing the back of his head "The door of the room I went to search didn't open. I tried to open it but either it's locked too tight or stuck."Sasha looked like a student who forgot to do his homework at that moment.

Stephen lifted a brow but didn't say anything. "And anything strange?" Olivia and Cheng nodded negatively while Sasha just glanced at him. "Very well then. Guys, I think we all deserved a good rest for our efforts today." He dropped his rifle and let go of his backbag with relaxation. "Tomorrow evening, we hit the road again. But until then" He opened his arms to both ways "enjoy your time!" He closed the door they came from with Sasha and headed to the bedroom.

A hand caught his shoulder from the back. He looked back and see the blonde boy staring at him with his blue eyes worriedly. "Is something wrong Sasha?"

Sasha looked around to be sure no one is listening, the turned back at Stephen "Sir, aren't we going to tell them about..?"

Stephen's expression changed to serious and stood silent for a few seconds. "I don't think that will cause such a problem." They got inside the room. Stephen opened his bag and took out a canned beef stew then turned to Sasha again "Don't worry" he threw to can at Sasha to catch "we are leaving tomorrow and you know we have much bigger problems than some dirt. Don't let it bother you." he smiled at Sasha and had a return from him.

Stephen then took out three more cans and offered one to Cheng, who was sitting on one bed and reading a book he got before they came here. "There ya go buddy." Cheng took the can and thanked colonel as he opened it. Stephen looked at the cans in his hands. The food wasn't perfect but it was good enough to eat. He then stood up and walked out of the room, headed to the other one which Olivia was working on the device she mentioned earlier. She was so focused that didn't even realize Stephen was inside. "So Oli, how's it going?"

Olivia turned his head immediately with shock but after seeing it was just her leader she sighed with relief "Oh Colonel, couldn't realize you came over."

Stephen got closer and sit to the chair right next to hers "Easy Oli, you can just call me Steve. I might be leading but we're friends after all." Olivia looked at Stephen with a warm smile. He offered the meal to her. "Hungry?"

Olivia took the can, opened it and started eating with the plastic spoon she took from her bag. Thanks." she then returned to her work, as he kept eating.

Stephen actually waited for her to talk more but it seems like she was too busy with the radio. Getting no word from the girl, he finally decided to start a conversation. "So... have you figured out what's wrong with this old fella?" he patted on the radio carefully, not to damage it.

Olivia didn’t take her eyes from her work "It seems like the circuit board has burnt because of high voltage." She picked up the part and lifted up slowly. "It is impossible to make this thing work." She put the part back in it's socket and turned back to Stephen as she folded her hands. "It's no use."

Stephen put his hand on his chin and lifted his brows then got up from his seat "Welp, okay then, at least you tried. Then it's only option to leave it as be..." He the stopped for a moment, focusing on something on the table. He pointed his finger at the big, dusty, metal object on the table, standing alongside the other parts of the device. "What is that?"

Olivia turned to direction he was pointing at and took the object he meant. She took a closer look right after she blowed on it. "It's a video camera."

Stephen took the camera from Olivia and opened the side screen. "Wow I remember I had one of these. Pretty old though."

He then pressed the power button on it, not expecting it to work but surprisingly , one of the lights of it shined for a second. Stephen then turned back at Olivia with excitement "You saw that?" Olivia glanced at Stephen with a curious face not understanding why he excited that much. Stephen brought the camera to her face and pressed again, making the red light shine. "This thing works!" his excitment faded away just as he realized why isn't the camera working "But, it's battery is dead."

Olivia reached out to the table and took out a cable with a smile "Maybe this can help?" Stephen took the cable and plugged it on the wall. Just he was about to start the camera, Olivia grabbed Stephen's arm to stop him. "I think we should wait for it to recharge" Stephen looked at Olivia quizzically. "This camera is old Stephen, we can burn it when we want to check it."

Stephen pulled his hand back slowly and nodded "Very well. Then lets go have a sleep, tomorrow morning we can see what's hiding inside this little piece of metal."

They headed to bedroom together, seeing two other members fell asleep in two beds. And there was the last bed, remained unoccupied.

"You take the bed" Stephen reached out to his backbag, took out a sleeping bag. "I was prepared anyway." Olivia watched as he laid the sleeping bag on the floor.

Olivia lifted an eyebrow "Are you sure?” She patted on the bed “We can share it if you want." she teased Stephen with a naughty smile.

This actually made Stephen blush but he managed to hide it, he then turned back at Olivia and returned the smile "Not under these circumstances." After this long day, with the fatigue of the day, they both fell asleep and the night continued silently...

Author's Note

So yeah I finally started to get the action, and this is the time I start posting. Tell me in comments if I have any mistakes with writing or grammar. And if you have anything to say, usr the comment section below.