Fractured by N.O Darling

Chapter 301

**Josie’s POV **

I can’t think of my daughter living in this place for weeks, and the thought of other kids living here even longer is breaking my heart. Children need warmth and a clean living space. They need a safe place to sleep that is not a thin mat on a filthy floor underground. All these teens should have been at the academy, where they could be free

to roam with the sun on their faces. Their biggest worry should be what’s on the menu in the academy dining hall.

I doubt any of the kids are here by choice. I just can’t imagine any of them choosing to live this way, and I’m not going to stop until we have saved every one of them.

Luke ports out with another two teen boys as we move into the next tunnel. I pull open a curtain and find the small cut–out space empty.

“Clear,” I say to my guys as I move to the next one.

I reach out for the next curtain and as I pull it back, something lands on the top of my head, my knees buckle under the weight and it takes me a moment before I realise what is happening. The tunnels are collapsing and burying us alive inside. I open my mouth to shout a warning, which is a huge mistake because I end up silenced by a mouth full of soil.

I try to move, but quickly realise I can’t. I am completely engulfed in the earth. Even breathing is difficult. Panic floods the bond and everyone talks at once in a chaotic blur of noise.

“Everyone calm down, we are going to get out of this, but we need to work together,” Deacon shouts into the mind link.

“Easy for you to say, you can port out,” Theo snaps back.

“I’m not going to do that, not yet at least. If I do, I’ll not be able to come back, and I’m not leaving anyone behind. Mason, Josie, start moving the earth. Go slowly in a horizontal path. I’m going to go vertically. If I can get to the surface, I can see where we are and bring in more molecular manipulators to open up this whole area. We have no idea how much of the underground system has collapsed or if there are still teens trapped down here,” Deacon explains.

I say, fighting off the panic attack that is trying to claw

can’t get out of this without us.

good?” Mason

right behind you,” he

I got turned around. I’m going to start slowly moving the earth out in a circular pattern around me. Tell me if you feel any movement, so I can work out which direction

the same,” I tell

right next to the huge pile of mud, you can’t miss

huffs.

and begin moving the earth, slowly opening up a circular cavern around me. I am not as skilled at this as Mason, but I have a stronger gift for it than he does, he just wields it better than me. I have a tendency to overdo

of gift without causing mass

and I stop what I’m doing, waiting to

still feel

“No.”

how about now?”

I feel it,” Axe says, and I let out a relieved breath, this

I’m more determined than ever to get to Theo. We can

I find one of the makeshift beds, and

think it’s some kind of underground creature like a mole, but as the dirt falls away, I realise it’s a hand. I step back with a

mind link as I reach

not him as soon as I touch the hand that

say as I frantically start moving the earth around the hand to reveal an arm and then

if it’s someone I know or not, but when they throw/ their arms around me in a desperate hug, I return their embrace. They’re so filthy, and it’s so dark that I can’t make out any of their features. I think it’s a teen boy