Seamlessly the large gate slip open on a signal. Wide slient road beyond was illuminated in puddles of light by lamps on one side. It welcomed the carriage with Trace and Thomas.
A few meters pass, the road cut on the left leading into a giant warehouse. But the carriage moved straight. Trace examined the surrounding for any activity, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Number of carriages in the night was extremely less. Probably, the Ranch Office in the East would be lively. Here, only a few people and even fewer carriages could be seen.
Thomas completed one full round of the road inside the Ranch Office. But he did not stop the carriage did not stop. On instructions he drove the carriage for another round again.
Trace was carefully examining the surroundings. During the second round he closed, instead of looking out of the window he closed his eyes and spread out the mysterious senses. Not much range could be covered buy he still gave it a try. Blood drops flowed down Trace's left eye as the round reached it completion. He knocked on the small window in front and asked Thomas to go out of the exit.
"Young master, ya okay?"
Thomas leapt off the seat when he saw Trace had collapsed. He opened the carriage door and climbed up. Trace's head was bend down, fallen on the seat in front.
"Yes.
"I think I found something."
Trace barely managed to open his eyes. Pain in the left eye was spreading towards his right side. After an unknown amount of time, he looked up with a shut left eye.
Opening the door, Trace walked out of the carriage. He looked towards the Binpark Ranch Office. Looking at the street lamps, he could barely keep his right eye open.
Thomas stepped forward to support Trace. He did not know what Trace did but it was visible that some sacrifices were made. They walked along the boundary of Ranch Office.
"Five…" Trace said in a low voice.
"Young master, Five?"
"Take me inside again," Trace spoke again.
Thomas nodded and drove the carriage after helping Trace climb it. They were stopped at the gate. The man at the booth walked out, he gave a deep before opening the path.
"Stop before the exit," Trace said.
As per instructions, the carriage stopped before the exit gate and Trace climbed down. He looked the street lamps outside the high walls. Only their tops could be seen.
"Three…" Trace muttered.
Trace got back on the carriage and it moved towards the parking lot. Trace counted again from inside the carriage. He put his head close to the window and looked above, beyond the high wall.
"1… 2… 3… 4!
"Stop!"
Trace got out of the carriage again. After the exit gate, he could only see four street lamps along the north boundary when looking from inside of the Ranch Office. But from outside, he saw five!
How is this possible, Trace questioned in his mind. After thinking about it for sometime, he came to a conclusion.
"There is a space behind this wall. A secret room!"
"Young master, ya don't say," Thomas exclaimed.
Thomas looked towards the wall behind the parking. His grandfather had once told him about the Ranch Office being an open space. The walls were a new addition. Then he looked at the exhausted Trace.
"Young master, there might be villains inside. Please rest," Thomas suggested.
"No, I cannot," Trace tired to walk out of the carriage but was pushed back by Thomas.
"See, ya cannot even take one push from me, who no Sorcerer. Waiting sometime won't change much," Thomas said
He panicked when Trae was easily pushed back but went along with it. After closing the door, he looked at the parking space. One by one he examined all the carriage. His heart was beating loudly as he constantly looked around to see if anyone was present.
When nothing odd was found on the parked carriages, Thomas walked towards the boundary wall. He put out his hand to touch it. Coldness from the bricks entered his hands. Inch by inch, he began examining.
Inside the carriage, Trace decided to take a short nap to regain his energy. It didn't take him more than two minutes to slip into sleep.
…
On waking up Trace immediately rushed out of the carriage. It was unknown to him how much time had passed. Close to the wall, behind the parking lot, he saw Thomas. Walking forward, Trap kept checking for any missing logo on the carriages.
"Young master, I check all carriages, all locked," Thomas informed.
Trace nodded and put his hand on the wall. Slowly, he channeled mana inside the wall. It readily went in and spread in all directions. In less than five minutes, he found the switch.
Trace walked toward the other end of the parking lot. On a small board it said - 'Reserved for Owners'. From the wall in front of the empty space, he pulled out two bricks. Without any sound a big chunk of wall was pushed back.
Trace asked for Thomas' help to slide the wall but was refused. Thomas did not let Trace touch the wall further, he singlehandedly slid the wall towards the side.
"Young master, ya wicked," Thomas excitedly whispered when a large space opened up
Both of them walked inside the secret chamber. Glittering carriages was parked inside. Trace and Thomas hid behind the carriages and stealthy walked to explore the space.
"Damn expensive stuff here," Thomas whispered.
"Shh, there is someone there," Trace whispered back.
At the end of the space, a burly man was sitting taking support of a carriage. Two horses were tied to the carriage. In front of the man a person was tied up in a chair.
"Poor brother Lucas," Thomas involuntary said.
The voice was low for Lucas to hear it, even Trace thought it wouldn't be heard at this distance. But the man immediately became alert. Seeing the alert men, Lucas frantically looked around.
"Young master has come to save me," Lucas shouted.
The burly man's eyes squinted, he also looked around but no a shadow stood out in his vision. His face darkened, after looking at Lucas, he slowly moved forward.
But instead of directly going forward, he walked along the wall. On reaching the other end, he would have vision of the entire empty space behind the parked carriages.
Trace and Thomas were hiding behind one for the carriages. On seeing Trace's panicked face, Thomas also turned pale. The sound of footsteps loudened echoing in the entire chamber.
"Young master," Lucas screamed again.
...
Trace stood up and revealed himself. Surprisingly, the burly man was still standing at the other corner. But the voices of the footsteps just now were so near, Trace thought. Thomas also came forward from behind a carriage.
"Thrash him young master," Lucas shouted.
After seeing the intruders, the burly man walked back towards Lucas. He was not sure if the number of invaders were only two. This kid must be a bait, he thought.
Slowly, the man moved towards the carriage. The only carriage with horses attached to it. I need a weapon to hold hostage, damn why did I leave it inside, the man thought.
Just as the man opened the carriage door, Lucas pulled the chair along with all his might and advanced forward. He fell on the second step, but take advantage of his round body, he managed to roll a few time before stopping.
The burly man cursed before climbing on the driver seat and steering the carriage towards the exit. The carriage moved towards Trace and company. Lucas barely dodged, avoiding any injury. Out of the secret door it went.
Thomas and Trace rushed to help Lucas. The chair was lifted up after much difficulty. Soon the hands of Lucas were untied.
"Couldn't you catch tha damn bastard," Lucas pushed Trace.
Thomas caught Trace and glared at his brother. "Ya are tha bastard, ungrateful wrench. Blind to what young master did to save ya."
"Yer stupid young master got no power," Lucas cursed.
"Don't listen to tha bastard, young master, even dog see more than him," Thomas apologized to Trace.
The three men walked out of the secret space. But one of them kept turning around to look at the expensive carriages. They all sat inside the carriage, Thomas had brought, to discuss further strategies.
"There were two men," Lucas said.
"One of might come back," Trace added.
Lucas snorted and asked Thomas to move the carriage out. The horses would raise suspicion if the other man were to come back.
"Ya take, keep moving about tha place," Thomas said.
After much argument and grumbling Lucas climbed the driver seat. The carriage was gone, whereas Thomas and Lucas hid themselves behind a carriage.
"Lord, make tha bastard come and find his partner gone," Thomas prayed.
Trace patiently waited. He did not mind getting pushed by Lucas. I will catch the other kidnapper but where is Rose, Trace thought. The carriage driven by Lucas completed its first round.
About ten minutes passed and a shadow slowly closed in the parking lot. Sounds of humming was heard. Trace and Thomas followed the figure with their eyes. It moved towards a parked carriage and opened the door to check inside and then walked away.
"Not him," Thomas whispered when the shadow walked away.
More rounds were completed by Lucas now. After another ten minutes, a shadow appeared again. This time two horses were following the figure. The horses were tied to the carriage that was checked by the previous person.
The horses were successfully tied. But instead of driving the carriage away, the figure walked towards the empty reserved space. Noiseless the secret door was opened. It didn't take long for the shadow to come back.
Trace and Thomas stood in front of the secret gate. Standing in front of them was a burly man different than the one from earlier. He squinted his eyes, before a thought hit his mind.
Before Trace and Thomas could do anything, the man rushed to the carriage. They don't have a carriage, I can run away, the man thought. Following this train of thought, he commanded the horses to run and climbed on.
"Son of a mare!" Thomas exclaimed.
Trace and Thomas gave a chase. Before the carriage could leave the exit, Lucas had completed another round and was here with the carriage again.
"Get of my carriage, we have to follow tha bastard," Thomas yelled.
Lucas didn't want to follow the order but Thomas jumped on the driver seat. So, he got off with a red face full of frustration. Trace also jumped on the carriage and opened the door. Instead of following Trace, Lucas stayed behind.
After making sure Trace was inside, Thomas whistled and pulled the reins. The walking horse began the trot towards the exit. At this point the galloping carriage in front was already at the exit.
Trace looked out of the window, sufficient light outside the exit gate ensure clear vision. Just as their own carriage passed the gate a carriage could be seen in the distance. Thomas whistled again. But this time the sound was thicker and louder than before.
The horses accelerated, the metal they carried swayed faster. Like a war carriage it raced forward. Fuuf, fuuf, fuuf the wheels rotated and the horses let out heavy breaths.
Trace's hair were flowing backwards, his upper body was out of the carriage window. Gusts of winds greeted his face. A shudder of excitement aroused from within his chest on hearing the mixed sounds.
Fuuf!