THE NIGHTMARE

Chapter 99

Valerian nodded at everyone. “Any more questions?”

“Just one,” said one of the brothers. “What happens if either team one or two gets caught?”

“If either team one or two fail to turn up at the mansion by sunset tomorrow, team three will have to launch a mission to find and rescue everyone else.” Valerian paused and watched everyone’s faces, lingering for a moment on mine. “For this reason, team three will be tasked with the toughest task here, and they will also have the most numbers.”

I got increasingly terrified as this plan unfolded, but the rest of the team members seemed completely at ease. “They’ve probably fought a lot of dangerous battles together,” I thought as I struggled to reign in my fears. Who knows, maybe a few years from then, I too would be unfazed as we geared up for some new mission.

“So who goes where?” I asked.

“Ivan,” Valerian began, “you are Team A. You will follow the first track to return to the castle. While there, confirm whether Ysanne is being held there a