Chapter 8

We had prepared to continue on. Seriously, why at night? I was scared.

Anyway, the agent explained a little about the plan and I had to translate it to my friend. In general, find Ashley Graham, the daughter of the President of the United States and wait for the evacuation.

At one point I sat on the bed to change the bandage on my leg. Then we equipped ourselves with our respective weapons and other things which I found very strange that, after what happened in the river, our headphones still work, now that I think about it, also Leon's phone ... well, I guess they are waterproof.

We set out to take what was necessary and I put the backpack, we had some flashlights and ready, we were prepared for this nocturne adventure.

We headed to a rocky path. On one side a man appeared, all three of us were alarmed and pointed at him with our pistols. He walked slowly in our direction until he made a strange movement with his head and it exploded.

- What the hell? - Leon asked.

That man continued standing and without a head, but something appeared instead of it, a kind of tentacles with blades. We took a few steps until that thing attacked us with that which replaced his head, the three of us shot him and finished him.

A lot of blood was spilled on the surface, it was really disgusting. I lowered my weapon and approached to check him.

- What was that thing? - Pamela questioned.

- I don't know Pamelita, but this goes beyond my knowledge.

- It seems that this is what Las Plagas does. - Interrupted the blond. - Better let's continue. - He ordered.

The three of us started jogging to move faster. Our way to rescue Ashley was very long. Sometimes, I had to walk because the backpack was heavy, so Leon decided to take it off to carry it with him.

On the one side, more of those villagers appeared and seriously some people exploited their head, I think the agent was right, it seemed like a mutation or something like that. We had no other option but to run and sometimes we shot them.

We managed to get away from them until we crossed a section where there was nothing but three huts and squawks coming from a group of crows that were flying over that area. Suddenly bars made by hard trunks closed all possible way of escape thus preventing us from continuing our expedition.

The three of us became alert, I felt a chill run down my back when I heard a noise coming from an huge door that was closed.

We noticed that a villager pulled a lever and that huge door opened slowly. Other inhabitants appeared from that door, pushing several strings with great force, they were very hurried.

- Quick! Quick! - They said.

- Use the muscles!

- Hurry hurry up!

We were perplexed seeing what they were doing. We heard terrifying roars. If I had heart problems, I would have had a heart attack long ago.

The ropes got out of their hands and from that huge door a giant was released, he looked like an ogre, he was quite ugly. He began to kill each of the villagers, stepped on them and crushed them with his fist. That was like a live massacre. Suddenly he attacked us with his arm, the blond made a backflip dodging the attack, Pamela pulled back and I simply threw myself to the ground.

Then my friend helped me stand up, attentive as always. We moved away a little from that monster, we felt cornered until we heard the howl of a dog.

- Hey! It's that dog! - Leon exclaimed with a hopeful tone.

The dog came to where we were and began to distract that thing.

Kennedy removed the TMP from the backpack and began to shoot the giant. My friend decided to support him too, both shot. However, I stayed frozen, doing nothing, but when I was going to shoot him he attacked us, took a huge rock and threw it at our direction but luckily we managed to avoid it.

When we stood up we saw that the monster crushed the dog.

- No! - Leon shouted and with all the rage in the world began to shoot at that thing.

Pamela and I looked at each other like "What's up to him?"

We noticed that a strange thing was coming out of the giant's neck, and this one was clenching its head in pain. The american agent thought fast and ran and then jump over the shoulder of that monster to reach its huge neck, took his knife and stabbed it several times.

The beast roared because of the damage and threw Leon out, but he remained standing, looking like an acrobat. That thing lost its balance and fell, apparently, dead to the ground causing a small tremor in the ground. My friend and I look at the blond open-mouthed.

- Woow. - It was the only thing I said trying to enter myself.

- Poor dog. - Pamela said looking at the animal's parts.

- Yes. - I commented still impacted.

- Hey! It's over. - My friend shook me.

Suddenly I reacted when I saw that the bars opened automatically, which I found quite strange. So we continue our way.

We had crossed some bridges and in the distance I could see the church. I was very happy and anxious, I went ahead, hurrying my steps, trotting at a certain moment, but something stopped me. A wolf stood in the middle of the road and growled at me, I cursed in a whisper.

I decided to go back a few slow steps, but the animal ran to my way  and launched itself on me trying to bite me, but I managed to shoot it twice, I threw it aside. I stood up and Pamela and Leon overtook me.

Soon that wolf got up and tentacles came out of its back.

- Las Plagas  - I heard the agent saying angrily.

Kennedy took a few steps forward and shot it with the TMP until he killed it, but more of them arrived and then my friend and I decided to shoot those creatures until we finished their lives. Then we reloaded our weapons and arrived at the location.

We entered the church, there was nobody inside. Where could the girl be? Will my uncle be here?

Leon went to a part where there was a ladder and we followed him. While on the second floor we were able to see a huge portrait of Osmund Saddler, but there was no other way forward.

- So? - Pamela asked.

- I don't know. - I answered.

Kennedy had not said a word and noticed that there was a huge lamp composed of candles in the center and he jumped on it to make a movement and push on the other side.

- Do we have to jump? - My friend asked me.

I just smiled, I love jumping, so I had no problem, despite the problem of my leg, but I was already healing, I managed to cross to the other side. However Pamela hesitated a bit but managed to pass.

- And now that? - I asked to Leon.

- There is a door in the corridor but a steel grate prevents us from crossing to it. - The blond was thinking a brief moment.

- What is this? - Pamela interrupted touching some buttons in a machine that was in a corner.

Some reflectors were lit, they were of three different colors; red, green and blue. These bore certain marks.

- Well done. - Leon commented to then approach the machine.

Pamela looked surprised and decided to give the place to our american fellow. He tried to find some pattern in those marks while pressing the buttons.

My friend and I took a look around us.

- Do you know what I think is very significant about this place? - She questioned.

- What thing? - I asked.

- The symbol is something very peculiar. - She commented

Then I watched as the agent tried to find some connection between those colors and I smiled.

- You're a genius, Pamela. - I congratulated her.

I suggested to Leon that he try to unite these colors as the shape of the symbol of Los Iluminados and that is how the steel grate opened.

- You're welcome. - Said my friend with her sarcastic tone.

Leon put the TMP in his backpack and prepared his gun. We go to that door. Kennedy opened it and we entered our weapons pointing everywhere, we found a blonde girl, very young, about 20 years old.

- Ashley! - Exclaimed the blonde man and lowered his weapon.

- Don't come! - The girl shouted in english and threw a wooden stick at Leon.

Pamela and I looked at each other and burst out laughing, especially because of her shrill girl voice, so we kept our guns. The agent looked at us seriously and we decided to laugh in a whisper but soon we realized that the screaming girl was quite scared, so my friend and I calmed down.

- Hey! Take it easy - The blond said looking at Ashley.

- No! Get away! - Shouted the girl clinging to a barrel.

- Calm down. Everything's gonna be just fine  - The agent said trying to win the confidence of the girl. - My name's Leon. I'm under the president's orders to rescue you.

- What? My father? - The blonde girl asked somewhat surprised.

- That's right. - Leon commented bending down to her height.- And I have to get you out of here. Now come with me.

Both stood up, the blond was ready to make a call and the squeaky looked at us. I gave a look to her, I pursed my lips trying not to laugh and I gave her a smile.

However, Pamela couldn't bear she keeping her gaze on us without saying a word to us.

- I got tired, say something at least a "Hello" - My friend said in spanish but the blonde girl didn't understand and I laughed out loud.

- What are you talking about? - The president's daughter questioned. - Who are you two?

- Excuse me miss, my friend doesn't speak english. I am Laura and she is Pamela, we are Paraguayan. And we are here only to escape from those demented villagers. - I explained and she understood.

- Nice to meet you, my name is Ashley Graham and I'm ...

- The United States president's daughter. - I interrupted.

- Yes, how did you know that?

- Well ... I'm not so stupid to risk my life for anyone, after all I did not come for you or for him, my friend and I just want to get out of this hell, but we can have a little compassion for you in return of a good reward from your daddy.

- You're blackmailing me? - The blondie asked defensively and I only raised one side of my eyebrow and looked for another part ignoring her. - You're a...

- What happen? - Leon interrupted.

- Nothing blond, the squeaky of your mission is a good company. - I said to then look at Ashley and smile.

- How dare you? - She asked a little angry and I let out a slight laugh.

Then, tired, I leaned my back against the wall and soon my mood faded, I sighed in frustration.

- What do you have? - Pamela asked me, worried.

- This is where my uncle was kidnapped, I expected to meet him. - I said sad.

- What happens? - Ashley asked worried.

Leon just looked at me sad.

- Ashley, aside of you, have you seen anyone else kidnapped around here? - The agent asked.

- No, they left me alone here why the question?

- Forget it, it must be too late ... - I interrupted thinking the worst.

- Laura ... - Leon was going to say something, but I interrupted him.

- Now we have a mission, is not that, agent? - I said a little nervous with eyes on the verge of tears.

I could see how everyone looked at me sadly. I took a deep breath and stood firm.

- Something new? - I looked at Leon.

- There is another trail to get out of the village, they will send a chopper beyond there to pick us up - He answered. - But look, Laura, we could see the way ...

- I just have to let him go, okay? - I interrupted him and he understood my decision.