[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

For a long time, they continued to walk in search of someone to ambush. Well, all of them but Delano, who was simply tagging along. It was nearing the time when they would be forced back outside when one of them spotted a group of lions in the distance.

Once again, Delano was crouched down in the grass, waiting for something to happen. He was certain that they came across a police patrol, and hoped that it was the case, but from where he was, he couldn't get a clear view. And because of their last hunt, he couldn't afford to make any mistakes this time, otherwise risk raising suspicion.

[TheWhistlerify]

Gakuru and his group closed the distance between them and the group of lions slowly and quietly. After a short minute, Gakuru motioned for them to stop. He looked at the group for a moment, studying every single detail he could; the way they talked, the way they walked as a group and their body language in overall. After a few moments, he gritted his teeth and said in a low growl, "Police patrol." it looked like they would be returning home without having done anything today, unless they would stumble across another group which wasn't from the police.

[DGFone]

From where he was hiding, Delano let out a sigh of relief. He had gone though his first day without a hitch, and had already saved a pair from almost certain death. So when he heard the order go around to get up, he had to stop himself from grinning. They regrouped, and for once, Delano was not the source of the group's frustration.

He looked at the sun, and saw that it was getting late. Hopefully soon, if not now, they would have to return, or risk being caught out in the open at night, when the police were at their most active.

[TheWhistlerify]

Gakuru was not too worried about the fact that they didn't get any kills today. There were a few more groups and even larger ones who were also walking around. As long as at least one of those groups was successful, Sanders shouldn't cause anyone in the underworld any problems. On the rest of their way back next to the border they didn't see anybody else, which only increased Gakuru's and the other two lions' frustration. After a while, they were back at the underworld's cave system.

[DGFone]

Delano could feel the frustration of the group he was with, so when they finally returned, he tried to avoid them as much as he could. It was only a matter of time before one of them would pick on him for ruining their attack, and he proffered not to be around them when that happened.

He walked back to the entrance, and though of quickly running to the waterhole, leave Lina a message, and run back. But even if he were to run really fast, he would be gone for a long time, and his absence would cause concern if not suspicion.

Lowering his head in defeat, Delano retreated back into the cave system. One of these days, he would find a way to contact Lina again.

[TheWhistlerify]

Gakuru and the other two lions didn't seem to mind the fact that Delano retreated back to where the lions were sleeping. He was lucky to have done that because after a few moments Sanders came to ask the group about what they've done today, and of course that he was upset to hear that they missed the chance to kill two adult males. "Well do let me know if the rookie keeps messing things up... We can't have clumsy lions around him, their clumsiness will expose us eventually and they'll prove to be a waste of food." of course that kicking someone out meant killing him, since they couldn't risk having someone they kicked out get angry at them and then go to the police and expose everything he knew about them.

[DGFone]

Not realizing how close he was to having his cover blown, Delano made his way back to the sleeping caves, and once again lay down at the far end. He could feel the eyes of the others glaring at him, but he didn't care. While it would help him to get friendly with them, to lower their guard against him, Delano wasn't eager to start chumming up with them. He didn't mind being the foolish new guy for now.

As he lay at the far end of the cave, Delano felt himself miss Lina even more than before. But as much as he wanted to get back to her, he couldn't. Slowly, he fell into a restless sleep.

[TheWhistlerify]

Meanwhile Lina arrived back at the den with Muroki and Umeme. This time there was no new message from Delano. So far he got to leave a message every day because until two days ago he was training at the police, and not being in the underworld working undercover. But in her point of view, Delano went to the underworld the day he left, she didn't know he still had training to do, so in her perspective, everything with Delano's work undercover was fine until today.

The most horrible options ran through her head; that his cover was blown and he was killed, or maybe the police raided the underworld and ended up hurting him because they did not recognize him, and many other unpleasant possibilities. Muroki and Umeme both managed to somehow calm her down by saying that she shouldn't worry so quickly, but Lina was able to tell that at least Muroki was nervous just as much as she was, even if he was dealing with it better than her.

(( Skip to the next day now? Also, Delano needs some sort of a way to expose Sanders. Maybe he can go talk to his trainer again and try to convince him to go with him and spy outside of the cave and look for Sanders? The trainer won't believe him at first of course but something about Delano would make him agree and go with him. ))

[DGFone]

Umeme noticed that both Lina and Muroki were uneasy after Delano failed to leave her a message. Even though she and Muroki tried to calm Lina down, and were somewhat successful, Muroki's and Lina's nervousness grinded against Umeme, and she too became nervous, even if she didn't want to admit it.

"I'm sure he's fine, Lina," Umeme told her sister yet again. "Just because he couldn't leave a message doesn't mean that he's gone... Just that he's busy. That's all." But even as she said it, Umeme hoped that it was true.

----------

Delano couldn't believe his luck. He was once again in a group sent out to find someone to kill, but a police patrol found them and attacked. In the resulting confusion, everyone scattered, and he found himself alone. Wondering what to do, Delano realized that this might be his only chance to talk to someone. Even without proof, he needed to tell about Sanders. Unless the police know that their enemy knows their every move, they will never be able to accomplish anything.

He turned into the direction of the police caves and ran. Even if he were to be spotted now, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. As long as he would get the word out, he would succeed.

Eventually, he spotted the cave entrance and ran over. Again, it was guarded by two lions, and when he demanded entrance, he was asked a password. "What? No, I don't know the password, but I need to go in!" Delano told them. "It's urgent."

One of the guards whispered something to the other before disappearing inside. Shortly after that, he came back, and the two of them blocked the entrance. Delano sighed in annoyance. "I need to get inside! Right now!" But what he didn't know is that by failing to provide the password, issued to all lions in the kingdom the day before, he was flagged as a potential hostile. As he waited to get inside the caves, he didn't know that the police were gathering a group to arrest him.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki, being next to the two, looked at Lina and forced a smile. "Yes, I'm sure he's fine. He loves you so much that he's not going to give up on his life, not that I think he's in any sort of danger." As horrible as it might sound, one of the reasons Muroki was coping with the stress better was the fact that Lina was way more nervous. Not that he was happy about her being in so much stress, but having someone with a bigger problem always made your problem seem smaller and of less importance.

---

After a few moments a lion of a higher rank in the police arrived with a few more lions, as if about to head out on a patrol. As the other lions passed by Delano they suddenly stopped and formed a circle around him. The leader stared at Delano for a few moments, "Come, bring him away." without even giving Delano a chance to react to anything, the lions forced him inside, growling at him to let him know that any sign of resistance can and will lead to violence. With all that has been going on lately, they couldn't trust anyone, no matter how innocent or how truthful they looked.