Chapter 4 - Saved by the Nets

"Isana." Herman, Isana's dad, strode into her office.

"How many times do I have to tell you to inform me before you come." Isana glared but her father just smirked in return.

"Get married. I don't want to hand over the company to you. Though you do your work as CEO really well, plus everyone thinks you're the heir to the company but don't get too high up on your horse."

Isana didn't give a second glance to her father as she continued to go through document's that were placed on her table.

"I can get you off that seat, you know?" He threatened.

Isana felt her blood boil. "I'd like to see you try." She taunted as she put on her coat and left the room.

"Guess you can give the company to anyone you want if I die, huh?" Isana scoffed. But she knew her father wasn't behind this attack. This was...related to her past.

"What are you getting all agitated for?" The leader shouted as he came towards Rhydian, who was handling the people who came at him with ease.

'They're just playing with us. They can easily get this over with shooting us with their guns, plus that would narrow down our chances to escape from 30% to 5%. So, why aren't they doing that?' Isana felt her anger rise. Her pride was too much and she had no time to deal with it at the moment.

'I told I needed a minute but I can't believe I'm using the oldest trick in the book. What a shameful action I'm about to commit!' Isana readied herself. Now wasn't the time to be embarrassed.

Even with Rhydian taking on so many of them, more than needed people had their guns on her. "Tch." Isana clicked her tongue. Everything was getting annoying but without Rhydian her chances of escape would reduce drastically.

'Why weren't the men shooting Rhydian? Even though he was giving them such a hard time? Could it be...because their boss didn't order them? If he has to order them, then it means I was asked to bring alive otherwise I would I have been shot on sight.' Isana was biting her nails. Her time was running out. Rhydian had been holding them off for a few minutes, they probably would wear him out or just kill him when he begins to get boring. Isana couldn't just watch that happen!

'But wait....Why did they bring so many people? Rhydian wasn't staying with me till today and the information that I was alone would clear if they observed me for a few days before hand. I knew I was being observed for the past few days and I was actually going to run away again tomorrow early morning.' She gripped the straps of her bag. She had to think. Think. Think. Think about their goal and how to avoid the outcome of them, fulfilling that goal.

'Was it...that I wasn't their primary target? But...Rhydian?' Isana spun herself to stare at Rhydian. He was getting tired. 'The way their playing with him, they plan to kill him at the end!' She clenched her teeth in frustration. 'I have to do it now.' Isana looked at the sky. The moon had been gone for a while but there were men with torches. Slowly, the cloud that was covering the moon slipped away and as the moonlight began to fall onto the ground, Isana's faked a horrified face and screamed.

"Rhydian run back here! Something's wrong with the moon!" She pointed to the moon. Isana plan of distraction was - De Olde Pointeth, Distract and Runneth. But no one stared at the moon and Rhydian who ran straight back was taken aim at.

"Eh?" Isana's plan had failed but she grinned. "All like I planned. Too bad you guys didn't look up, I warned ya'll." Isana didn't move and the leader laughed.

"Boss, look up-"

"Whatever you say, young lady, I won't fall for the oldest trick in the book."

"Boss!" Many of the men shouted as a loud noise was heard above them. Loud noises blasted into the quiet night. It sounded like things were blasted off into the sky. This time, the leader looked up. Around four-five huge nets were shot into the air and were falling on them fast. There wasn't going to be an escape from them and the leader snickered.

"Nets? You got to be kidding me? This will stop us?"

Isana and Rhydian quickly got into the car and the nets hit the men. Many screams erupted. Rhydian looked confused as Isana quickly started the car.

"Why is the garage door shutting?" He stared at Isana, who gave off a confident aura. When the garage door shut, he looked horrified. It was their only way of escape! They had finally distracted them and could have finally escaped.

"What are you doing?" Rhydian had lost all the strength and confidence he was showing off, when he fought those men and Isana chuckled.

"This garage opens from both sides. That's why the car is facing this side." The other garage door opened and Isana drove them out of there.

"Why did the nets slow them down?" Rhydian asked once it seemed like they were a fair distance away.

"Those nets were no ordinary nets. They had heave metal balls at the ends so that would make them fall faster, once shot into the air, and there were sharp metal pins fixed all over the nets. I guess the pins hit them hard and obviously, one or two are fine, but what if the whole net was covered with them? Plus, the nets are so huge! Well, they'll have a tough time getting out of there." Isana laughed.

"But why are they after you?"

Isana's face turned grim. She glanced at him, with a serious look. "I could ask you why you looked so pale back there-"

"That's-"

"-and you will never tell the truth. Until you can or trust me enough to say it." Isana stared ahead as she drove faster. Rhydian stayed quiet. He himself didn't know what was happening to him but he knew, it was something that, if Isana found out, he'd die.

'Die?' Rhydian thought. 'Why does dying feel so bad now? Before I met Isana, dying was all I wanted to do. Or that is how I felt. Without my memories, everything is so hard! But why is it, that I wish I don't get my memories back?'

The car drive remained silent. It was a break from all the noise they had to go through not long ago. Isana stopped the car at a gas station and got out of the car. "Let's get something to eat." She smiled at Rhydian. Seeing her go back to normal broke the trance Rhydian was in. He began feeling better.

There was a 24/7 drive-through close by and they decided to get something on the go from there. "One large burger." Isana raised her index finger, indicating the number one.

"Make it two!" Rhydian chimed coming into the cashier's view by bumping Isana out of the way. He smiled happily and the cashier stared at his handsomeness for a second. Her eyes sparkled happily as she nodded. "Two large burgers, can I have your number please?"

"873714-" Isana hit him. "Ow!"

"Why are you reciting my number, no, how do you even know my number by heart?" Isana's face darkened. While she was a little happy he had learned her number, it was also unsettling, she shouldn't trust him completely just yet.

"Geh. I thought if I was lost and some good soul allowed me to use their phone to call someone for help, I should know your number. Since I don't know anyone else that would help me like you did and don't take it in the wrong way...." Rhydian mumbled as his face slowly turned red and he turned away from Isana. Isana smirked at the cashier.

"Sorry about my boyfriend. He's a little-"

"B-b-b...Boyfriend??!" Rhydian exclaimed. His whole face turned completely red and turned his back on her.

"I...I'm going back to the car."

"Hm." After she paid the cashier, the confusion of Rhydian's behavior wasn't gone and Isana sighed. "We just started dating yesterday so he's not really used to it yet."

"Oh. I see." She looked away, embarrassed to show the jealousy in her eyes.

When Isana came back to the car, Rhydian was waiting outside, leaning against the car, with a hand on his chin, deep in thought. "What are you thinking so much about?"

"Why did you have those nets in the first place and who put them there?" He looked really polite but his tone was anything but that.

Isana smirked. Obviously, he'd be suspicious of her, even more so, he didn't have his memories.

"Those net launchers were built along with the house because there were bears and other dangerous animals close by before. They were remote controlled. The first time I tried to distract them was a bluff and they took it how I wanted them to. They didn't believe me.

And by then I had already found the remote and had pressed the button. My scream was just to bring their attention to me and not to the sounds that the launchers were making on top of the roof. And it worked well. Then I warned them once more and people looked up but the men only listen to the boss's orders.

Without his orders, they don't do anything. Over that he's an arrogant fool who doesn't want to fall for such old tricks. And such, It resulted in those nets falling on him. I bought the nets though. As if I could get such good nets for free. They were pretty costly so I don't know if they were worth it or not. Hmm..."

Isana explained everything and Rhydian had heard her. But he couldn't say he understood everything because half of the time, his heart beat faster and he just couldn't process what Isana was saying because of how near she stood to him. She was smiling at him. "I'm smart right? Thinking is all I have after all."

Rhydian cupped her cheek, and Isana jumped with surprise and before she could retort, Rhydian smiled sadly.

"Next time, I promise I'll protect you properly."