**Josie''s POV **


    "Luke?" I ask again, even though I know he won''t hear me


    Maybe he is just knocked out and unable to respond, but then why can''t I feel him at all? Usually, I can sense all of my bonds, even when they''re sleeping. I don''t even want to think of what else could have him just gone like this. "Are you okay?" a shaky voice asks, reminding me I''m not alone, and I have stopped searching without realising.


    "Yes, sorry. I''m just... never mind. I''m going to start moving the earth again now," I say, trying not to let my feare through in my tone.


    Harrison has been through an ordeal and is already shaken up, I need to remain calm for him, and everyone else I need to find. Luke will be okay. He will be here somewhere, and I will find him. I bet a rocknded on his head, and he just needs me to find him and heal him. I repeat this lie to myself as I work, otherwise, I will break down and I''ll be useless.


    I know the rest of my bonds have realised Luke is absent too. The mind link has gone deathly silent and all of our shields are up, blocking each other out whilst we process.


    "Not to rush you or anything, but how long before I run out of oxygen in here? Because it sure is getting difficult to breathe," Theo says, breaking the tense silence.


    This is the kind of question Luke would know the answer to and it just makes his absence even more evident.


    "There was a lot of oxygen in these tunnels, there must have been some kind of venttion down here, and the earth that copsed was not tightly packed, so you should be good for a while yet. Just try to rx, we will get to you soon," Mason says.


    "Is that true?" I ask Mace so only he can hear me.


    "I have no fucking idea, but we need to keep him calm, or he will run out faster,” he responds.


    "Okay, I must be close. He wasn''t too far ahead of me," I tell him.


    "I''m making my way towards the direction I think you were in. However big you think the original tunnel was, make the one you are creating twice as big to make sure we don''t miss anyone," Mason says, and I make a sound of agreement.


    "I feel some movement," Theo says just as I uncover his feet, and he begins to wiggle.


    "I''ve got you," I tell him.


    "You''re my hero," he says as I quickly uncover the rest of him.


    When I finally uncover his head, he sucks in a deep breath and I hold out a hand


    to help him to his feet. He gets up and wraps his arms around me, holding me tight for a few moments.


    "Babe, I hate to tell you this, but you really should start showering more, you''re filthy," he says as he leans back to look at me.


    Harrison snorts augh from behind me and Theo introduces himself whilst I get back to moving the dirt. Within minutes, my newly formed tunnel opens up into a bigger one as it connects with Mason''s, and Axel pulls me into his arms whilst Theo throws himself at Mason.


    Mason hugs me next whilst Theo and Axe embrace.


    "Let''s keep searching, Luke should be..." I try to say, but my emotions choke me before I can get the whole


    sentence out.


    No one responds, they know I can''t speak about it right now, that I''m holding myself together by a hair, and we can''t afford for me to lose it right now. Mason gets straight back to work, helping me move the earth much faster


    now.


    We uncover two more teens huddled together, and it takes Axel and Theo a few minutes to convince them that they are alive and that this is not hell. Although it''s starting to feel more and more like hell with every passing moment. Harrison assures them we are here to help and not the bad guys we had been made out to be.


    "I''ming back now. I have three maniptors ready to start moving the earth from above. Start opening up the ground above you, so I can get to you," Deacon says into the mind link.


    "Will do," Mason confirms, before instructing everyone to stand back whilst he moves the earth above us.


    I don''t stop my forward motion, moving the earth with purpose. I''m not leaving until I have Luke. I''ll dig up the whole if I have to. Every time I find something recognisable, like a curtain or nket, I tell myself I''m on the right track, he has to be here somewhere.


    I hear my guys call my name a few times, but I ignore them, too focused on finding my lost bond. Arms wrap around me from behind, trying to stop me and I fight to get out of his hold.


    "Get off me. I have to find him," I shout desperately as Deacon tightens his hold


    on me.


    "Josie, stop, please, just for a moment whilst wee up with a n. We will find him, I promise, we won''t give up until we do," Deacon says, his voice far too calm for the situation.


    "I can''t lose him, D, I can''t. We have Harper, and now we get to go home and be a family again, but I can''t, not without Luke!" I cry, my legs giving out.


    Deacon lifts me and then, in a blink, I am blinded by daylight. He''s ported me out, and I''m furious about it.


    "No," I scream, attempting to break free from his hold.


    "Josie, just stop for a moment and look around you," D pleads.


    I blink a few times, my eyes still trying to adjust to the light. We look to be in the middle of nowhere. I can only see fields and the odd barn for miles in every direction. A few men, including Mason, are spread out over the field, and they''re moving the earth, creatingrge hills as they filter the dirt into piles. I jump to my feet to get a better and Deacon lets me go this time. I peer into therge opening in the ground to see thework of tunnels beingpletely uncovered.