(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174: The poison gate strikes back

Hill tilted her head, as she unwrapped another lollipop and shoved it into her mouth. Kellen noticed how tired she looked, but how well she was keeping on a brave face. He winced. He wanted to help her, since she was probably in need of guiding, but it wasn’t his place to do so.

Not right after he’d just solidified his relationship with the Captain. He had a feeling that it wouldn’t go well if he was caught guiding another person the next day. Even if it was Hill.

Especially if it was Hill.

"Well, I’m sure it’s not anything you wouldn’t have expected, Kellen." She started, and Kellen grabbed his tea cup and sat back in his chair, happy that they had gotten over his stuff, and were now onto things he had more knowledge in. More comfortable knowledge in.

"I’m not sure I know what you mean." Kellen told her, and she chuckled.

"Well I’m sure you could figure out on your own it was a fucking gong show." Brent rolled his eyes, leaning back into his own chair. He crossed his arms behind his head again and closed his eyes. It was obvious from his actions that he had already heard everything, so turning his attention away from Brent, Kellen focused on Hill.

"Well, a new gate with a strange base is always going to keep others on edge. Especially when it is what it is." Kellen said, and Hill’s smile was a little tight.

"Oh yeah, no argument from me there. But, with Captain Sergei on the front lines, his Lieutenants have stepped in to manage the Guild that’s still here. As you know, we had to pull all of our members from the front lines when we decided to try to get the gate rights. Captain Sergei was the same. So he’s been working on rebuilding his base camp, and so have we. But we can’t have all of the Captains on the front lines. So even though Captain Sakura ducked down to the front lines, she had to come back. Captain Donaldson is going to the front lines in her place, since they obviously have more of their people there. The D.E.C. never take their people away from the front lines." It took Kellen a moment for him to realise who she was talking about. When he did, he moved towards her, his eyes wide.

"Uncle Tom is going to the front lines?" He was shocked, and his expression and words showed so. Uncle Tom hadn’t been to the front lines in the seven years Kellen had been there. This was a big fucking deal.

Hill’s mouth firmed into a thin line, before she nodded, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Yes, he is going to the front lines. It took quite a bit of thre-convincing on our part. It happened when Captain Thatcher was being...difficult yesterday." Kellen’s cheeks heated but he nodded. He couldn’t fault the Captain for feeling the way he had, not after how long it had taken Kellen himself to calm down. He cleared his throat.

"So how long is he going to be down? And who is covering for him?" He asked, and Hill sighed.

"That’s the problem. It’s a newbie we’ve never worked with before. A fresh-faced idiot who hasn’t earned their stripes by working on the front lines yet." Hill muttered angrily, while Kellen was intrigued.

"Oh? What’s their name?" Hill scrunched up her face, trying to remember their name. That alone told Kellen that she really didn’t like that she was dealing with someone who didn’t spend time on the front lines. He couldn’t blame her. He also had a hard time respecting those who hadn’t tried to close the gates like they were supposed to, but Kellen was going to hold his judgment until he met them in person.

"I think it was Lieutenant Fisher? I hope I’m remembering it correctly. Anyway, we’re now dealing with them for things in the city, while Captain Donaldson makes his way out there." Hill blew her cheeks out before looking at Kellen. "No one died, which I think is a miracle, but if one person had been closer to it, things could have gone south." Kellen nodded.

"I think you said something about it, but I can’t remember." Kellen admitted and she smirked.

"Well, you’ve been a little bit distracted, which is very unlike you, Kellen." She nudged his shoulder a little too hard as his cheeks heated at the reminder. "But I forgive you. The gate, as we’ve now discovered, mini exploded? There just isn’t another way to describe it. No monsters came out, but poison did, and it rapidly grew in size on the outside. It took up several more meters, feet, whatever you want to use to describe it. All I know is that several tents, research and otherwise, got swallowed, and if people hadn’t been wearing hazmat suits like was suggested, we would be dealing with fatalities. More than the first scouting party." Kellen winced at the reminder.

"No one was close to the gate?" She shook her head.