I shifted quickly, hovering over top of her.

She grinned widely at me. "I knew I liked you. Now get me out."

I gave her my own smirk, my eyes dead serious. "Not without my body of silver."

She snorted loudly, looking at me like I was delusional. "What?"

My eyes glowed that bright silver. "We made a deal. I'll break your iron chains in exchange for a body with the strength of silver."

She narrowed her eyes at me, glancing between me and the door that Peter was slamming open. "We don't have time for this."

I took a step back, putting my hands up. "Have fun in this pit with the rest of the lowlifes."

Bahari's eyes widened with anger, roaring at me.

More guards slammed at the doors. Their desperation sounding like anger.

But the guards weren't trying to capture me, they were just trying to save themselves.

Bahari didn't know this place was about to come crumbling down. She would just think the guards were desperate to capture me. The creatures in here would have no idea that the bang they heard, had actually done damage.

"Listen to me fox." She growled menacingly. "If you don't let me go, I will make you burn at the bottom of Marianas Trench."

"No you won't." I lied through my teeth. "Because you're going to be stuck here for the rest of your life."

I turned around to walk away. To pass the threshold to my freedom.

"Fine." She spit with venom. "I will give you a body of silver if you let me out."

Arrogance shown in my eyes. "I thought so."

She glared at me with the rage of an ocean storm. It didn't scare me because the actual ocean was heading this way.

Bahari spit on her hand and held it out for me to shake. That was apparently the sign of a true deal with a sea creature. Spit.

I spit on my own and held it inches from her.

The smallest glint in her eyes had me halting.

I narrowed my own eyes. "No tricks."

"What are you talking about fox?" She hissed annoyed.

"Sea creature always have a secret agenda. A hidden meaning. Knowing you, you'll probably turn my skin silver or something and let me sink into the ocean."

She hissed in that strange language.

"No tricks. You give me exactly what we dealt, nothing more and nothing less."

"Girl." She threatened with one word. "You are testing my patience."

I glanced back at the slamming door. "I'm kind of out of patience, so you either agree to my terms or say hello to them. It's your choice."

"Fine." She dragged out. Getting antsier by the minute. "I swear to you a body of silver, with no tricks attached, but only if I get out of here."

I grinned widely, finally collapsing my hand with her own.

We shook once and the deal was done.

I swiftly pulled the needle end out of my pocket and in moments Bahari was standing up and snarling at my audacity to treat her like this.

"Now let's go before they break down the door and lock us up again." She glared at me.

"Actually," I raised a finger. "I have one more thing to do."

She started to protest, but I ignored her.

I ran to the metal door they were trying to break down. I crouched to the ground, picking up the set of golden keys that I had grabbed from Peter's pocket.

Bahari's jaw dropped lower and lower as I went to each captured creature and set their iron chains free.

The creatures looked at me in shock and confusion. They were amazed and did not know how to react.

"Go," I told them. "Get out. Get to safety."

Slowly, one by one they stood up. They were wobbly on their feet and did not have much strength. But their eyes shown a little brighter then before and I knew they would make it.

Me on the other hand, that was a different story.

I felt a force slam me against the wall.

Bahari held me by the neck and cracked my head against the stone.

"You lying, cheating fox." She hissed with vengeance, eyes crazed. Every word louder then the last. "You tricked me. You save these lowlifes for free but I have to pay."

I couldn't help but smile through the pain. "I thought you said you could spot a fake diamond miles away? I guess you're not as good as you thought."

She threw me against the wall again, hitting my head so hard my vision blurred.

"How dare you?" She screeched. "I will kill you for the this. I will eat your eyes with a silver spoon and leave your body on the bottom of the sea so the fish will lay their eggs inside your eye sockets.

I clicked my tongue at her, my words choking from her hand around my neck. "That's not a nice thing to say to your savior."

"I am Bahari. I do whatever I please. Nobody tricks me."

I raised a brow. "Well then shouldn't I get some brownie points for being the first."

She got even closer. "I will cut your tongue out for your attitude."

I sighed deeply. "Listen, we don't really have time for this. Those hunters are going to break down that door any second and lock us up again. Why don't we finish this conversation after I get you out of here?"

"I don't need your help."

"No?" I raised my voice in mock surprise. "I didn't know you knew how to pick an iron lock?" 

Was I threatening the beast? Yes. Did I enjoy doing it? Absolutely. Would I continue to do it until it got me killed? One hundred percent.

Life was boring if I wasn't living on the edge.

She roared loudly. The cave vibrated from her frustrated screech. But she did let me go.

I landed softly on the ground, rubbing the red marks her hand left. I turned on the balls of my feet, not giving her the opportunity to change her mind.

I pushed through the throng of creatures desperately trying to open the door.

As expected there was a giant heavy iron lock prohibiting the door from opening.

Bahari was the first behind me. Creatures parted for her like the Red Sea. Terrified that she would kill them with a look.

Not going to lie, she probably would have if they didn't move.

Everybody stared at the lock keeping inside.

I have always had an obsession with locks. As a kid I would play with them. I had competitions with my siblings on how fast and swiftly we could pick a lock.

Not to toot my own horn, but I always won.

It was one of the reasons my siblings hated me so much.

I leaned over and did my best work.

This iron lock might have looked intimidating but it opened just like all the others.

Just as the lock clicked open, a crack emanated from inside the cave.

Everybody froze looking for the source.

It was dead silent as we heard the crack travel.

Hesitantly I looked up. I couldn't help but watch with horror as the stone roof cracked from the pressure of the ocean.

Just like the break in the other hallway, water started to pour in from the ocean.

I gulped loudly. "Did I do that?"

As this metal door opened, so did the other.

Hunters rushed out with panic in their eyes. Their clothes were sopping wet as they tumbled past the empty chains. Pushing and shoving each other out of the way.

Peter lead the pack still holding his gun.

We all heard the stone wall come crashing down. The wave from the ocean breaking the remaining cave open.

"Time to get a move on people." I shouted loudly.

That snapped everyone into focus.

If everything else was in slow motion, then now it was twice as fast to catch up.

If you didn't run, you would be trampled to death. Even Bahari had to run in fear of being trampled.

Creatures were shifting so they could run faster. One creature shifted into a giant bird to fly out. Others gripping the walls just so they wouldn't loose balance.

I was about to shift myself to gain speed when I made the mistake of looking behind me.

Creatures had pain stricken faces trying to get away from the hunters and the water that followed.

There bodies weak, barely able to move. Running was almost an impossibility.

One older male had fallen behind. He was limping badly, his body worn and destroyed. Coughs raked his chest and his body shook violently. He had been here longer then me. He had no more energy to spare. He was so slow the hunters were closing in on him.  

"Damn it." I yelled. My stupid ass conscious for once making an appearance.

I swiftly turned, jumping as high as I could. Mid jump I shifted into my new silver furred fox.

I dodged and manoeuvred around the creatures and headed further into the cave.

Just before I could reach the old creature Peter was behind him. He had grabbed his beating baton and went to strike the male with it.

I surged forward, leaping from my hind legs on top of Peter. The force slamming him against the wall.

Another hunter was right behind him, trying to get me out of the picture. I jumped on top of him, my claws sinking deep into his skin.

I snarled ferociously ripping the back of a hunters leg with my teeth.

All while running. Yes, I was that good.

I reached the males side and shifted into my human form. I wrapped my arms around his waist to relieve some of his weight. "You're not dying yet."

My efforts to save him gave him more reason to continue forward. Determination lit his eyes as he pushed his body to its limits