Escape

"Capitán," someone calls him to distract his attention.

"Cuál es el problema (Is there a problem) ?" he asks in irritation. His man whispers to his ear. His face turns dark.

"Reúna a todos! (Gather everyone!)" he orders his man. He looks at me with a smirk on his face, "You can rest for a bit now," he says before taking the needle from my skin.

I sigh in relieved before I feel a hard hit with a loud 'clang' sound on my head. Everything instantly is black.

----------------

"Mister.. Mister.."

Someone wakes me up by shaking my legs. I open my eyes. Though only can be opened halfway, I can se a blurry silhouette of a boy. "Roberto ?" I ask.

"Yes.. me," he replies. He then leaves from my sight. Before I can track him down, I hear sound of engine being turned on and soon my body is being lowered down to the ground. Once I sit on the cement floor, the engine is stopped and Roberto goes back to my sight with a wide grin on his face.

"How.. ?"

He whispers cheerfully in Spanish, which of course I don't understand. I shake my head. He stops then pats his own forehead. He then gropes his pocket and takes out my phone, puts an earphone both in my ear and his.

"Can you understand me now ?" he asks. I nod. He widens his smile. While stepping on my lap and trying to release me from the cuff he keeps on speak to me.

The armies are gone to handle the riot downtown. It is actually dr. Ramorez' work. Those people are his 'army'. He has hypnotised them for some times now. With certain trigger, this people can start a riot, whenever and wherever he pleases to. This time dr. Ramorez uses them to distract the army's attention on me. Thus, Roberto can sneak out and rescue me.

"There, you're free now," Roberto says at the same time as a click sound on my wrist. I free my wrist from the cuff and murmur a thank you to the boy. "Can you walk ?" he asks. I nod.

With Roberto's help, I stand and limping toward the door.

"There are only two guards left. They are all guarding the gate. The motorcycle is about fifty meters away from the gate. I will distract them ..."

"No, wait! It's too dangerous!"

"Don't worry.. my friends are ready to help me," he convinces me.

"But, still.."

"Trust me. They are armies. They won't kill me," he says again. I exhales heavily.

"Okay.." I finally agree. He smiles in satisfaction.

"I will distract both of guards' attention so you can sneak out. Whatever happened, don't stop. They won't kill me but definitely will kill you," Roberto explains right before he walks out toward the guards, not even giving me a chance to object his plan.

I can hear one of the guards shouts at him, I think telling him to stop but Roberto of course doesn't listen to him. Instead he starts running which make both of the guards chase him.

I quickly run to the gate that is now unguard. Just a couple meters from the gate, I heard a gunshot. Automatically I stop and turn my body.

Roberto is held by one of the guard with a gun muzzle pointed on his head but still he looks at me with a disappoinment face.

"I kill the boy!" The guard says in rough English. Roberto rolls his eyes.

"He lied. Just run! RUUUN!!" He shouts at me while being pulled closer to the guard's chess.

I finally running but toward the guard instead. I decide to take advantage of my brain to the fullest.

As I expected both guards immediately pour a rain of gunshots to me but they are all like in a super slow motion effect. I can easily dodge them and bring my self closer to Roberto who closes his eyes.

I twist the hand of the guard who capture Roberto and shoot his partner's leg before I shoot his own leg. Before he falls to the ground I grab Roberto, lift him on my shoulder like a sack then run away.

"Jesus Mister! Are you Superman ?" he asks with full excitement. I grin to respond his question.

Fifty meters from the gate, just like Roberto said, I found the motorcycle. I start the engine, halt enough time to make sure the boy sits right then ride it away from that place.

"We can't go to downtown. The armies are there," Roberto says.

"Is there a way to reach the hangar ?"

"Yes, we can use sub-urban road though it will take double time."

"Show me the way," I ask him impatiently. My brain hasn't decreased its speed so his words are like a snail speed to me.

Once Roberto pointed the way, I race the motorbike to its maximum speed. The sun is almost set and according to Roberto the road has no lighting.

"Miiissteeerr.. yooou aaareee too faaass.."

KA-BAAMM!!

Before Roberto can finish his sentence a loud sound of explosion is heard, followed by wiggling movement of the motorcycle. I'm having hard time to control it because of its speed.

Before it hits a power pole in front of me, I grab Roberto and jump off the motorcycle. With the kid in my embrace I roll my body away while I hear a loud crashing sound between the pole and motorcycle.

I cover my head, protecting it from any explosion wave. But after some minutes, there is no explosion.

"Are you okay ?" I ask the boy once I rolled my self away from him. The boy nods.

Slowly he stands and walking toward the now wrecked motorcycle.

"My father will kill me," he whispers in tremble.

"I'm sorry," I say regretfully, sitting down my body. "I will send you a new one once I'm back to my country," I promise him.

"You will ?" he asks me with hopeful blinks in his eyes.

I nod. "I promise."

Roberto grins so wide and hugs my neck. Somehow that gesture touches me.

"We need to get you out of here then," he says while letting go his arms.

"How much further ?" I ask.

Roberto shrugs. "Three.. Four hours, maybe.." he says indecisively.

"Okay then.." I struggle to stand, ignoring a sharp pain on my foot.

"Your right leg doesn't seem right," Roberto says, pointing at my leg.

I look down only to see my leg in an unusual position. My foot is almost 90° turned inwardly. I try to fix its position but an unbearable pain attacks me until I go back to sit.

I stand up again slowly and trying to step with my injured leg.

"I'm o.. Aaw... Aaww," I yip in pain. Roberto quickly gives his small body as my support.

"You can't walk," he says.

"I will be able to. I just need to sleep first," I say to give him some ease.

"Are you sure ?" he asks in disbelief.

"Yes, don't worry," I assure him, "Now help me to rest there."

With his help I'm limping to a tree and sit my self there. Roberto sits beside me, doesn't make any sound as if afraid to disturb my attempt to sleep.

Three slow hours later I still can't let my self to sleep. The night has totally conquered the sun now. It's almost pitch dark.

I sigh.

"You're awake?" Roberto asks.

"I can't sleep," I tell him.

"So you still can't walk ?" he asks in worry.

"I'm afraid so.."

"What shoul we do to get you out of here then ?"

"Let me call my pilot first.." I say in calming tone.

I dial a number that my pilot gave me earlier. He responds it in first ring. I give him my coordinate and he says he can pick me there. Only two problems, I need source of light surround mr so he can see me and.. the power poles on each side of the street make the plane is impossible to land.

"Do you have long rope ?" I ask him.

"We do " he says.

"Then just pick me up," I order him and explain to him the plan detail.

After the call, with Roberto's help we drag the motorcycle body away from the pole to the middle of the street. I then ask Roberto to take every drops gasoline of the motorcycle to a plastic bottles he just found.

Around half an hour later my pilot calls me, telling me that he is about to be in my location.

I pour the gasoline from the motorcycle away for few meters then make a big circle out of it. After making sure Roberto to stay far away from the circle I grab a wire from the motor battery, cut it and peel enough skin out of the cuts. I pull the two wire cuts near the gasoline end and swipe them just enough to make a spark to start a fire.

Just as my fire circle starts forming I cab hear a roaring engine of my plane is coming.

Holding the pain, I limp in the middle of fire then waving my hands above. The fire is getting bigger. The heat is starting to hurt my skin.

The plane is now flying as low as it can above me. From its baggage door there is a rope runs down to me. Once I can reach it I pull my self upward. Since I have a wounded leg, I use my upper body's strength to pull my self.

On my halfway, suddenly a huge explosion wave hits me that almost makes me lose my grip.

"Go! Go! Go!!" I shout to the stewardess up there. She continues my order to the pilot and the plane starts moving, leaving Roberto who is waving at me next to his father's burned motorcycle.