Chapter 19

George, Bill, and I walked out of the bathroom stalls to avoid being put under suspicion. We all had the same set of clothes but different colors. I suggested that we should go into the library at varying intervals to time to not get kicked out when we regroup later. The twins agreed.

First, Bill went in. George and I simply waited outside before strolling down various lanes and gardens before an hour passed. Bill hadn't been kicked out yet, so we assumed that we were good to go.

I went in next. I only devised the plan because the twins were acting paranoid of getting caught. I still had no idea why. I walked up a couple of fleets of stairs and slid my hand over the cool, metal railing. The sun reflected off of the blinding, white paint or stone that was covering the place. I lifted my arm above my eyes so that it would block out any rays from the sun. It wasn't noon anymore, but the dome made many environments more...rigid. I glanced back at George who was nowhere to be seen. Well, it's just me.

I made my way over the steps and finally found myself being bathed in shade. The stark contrast made my hair rise, but then it slowly settled down before, "You! What is your reason for entry?!" A young man in a nice black and white suit pointed a finger at me.

There was no one else besides me, so I answered back, "For books? You know cause this is the...public library?"

His ancient Native Indian facial features smoothed a little bit. He then realized how stupid his question was. "Oh, I'm sorry!" He rubbed his neck with the palm of his left hand.

I replied in a question, "Are you new?"

He said, "Yeah. I've been trying to graduate from the university that makes normal people like me, into professional soldiers."

The sentence seemed a little weird to me, "Does this university have a name?"

He looked left and right before closing in on me. He whispered, "I can't tell you. It's supposed to be top secret."

I internally slapped my head. But, I saw how disappointed he was after he couldn't even ask the question right, so I decided to talk to him. "You know, I was in the building that has the registration before I came here. There was a guard there that looked real experienced to me, so maybe you should ask him for some pointers...or something?" My voice rose a little at the end because I didn't know where I was going with this.

The guard seemed to understand my point. He lifted his hand to lock me in a handshake; I shook it. But, I didn't understand why. "Well, thank you, kind stranger! I will take your advice and go find this man."

I slowly turned my back and slowly looked back at him and said, "I think his break's in twenty minutes."

He bowed his head to me, "Thank you! Thank you!"

I quickly jogged inside. The people in this city were different. I can't say worse. But, different.

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Micheal Grey POV:

The pilot's voice erupted over the intercom, "WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!"

Flin rushed to the cockpit and investigate in a great hurry. Angela was clinging to my arm as she shut her eyes in fright. The pilot's voice, although a bit softer, tore through our eardrums, "THE PLANE IS GOING DOWN!!! I REPEAT THE PLANE IS GOING DOWN!!! EVERYONE STAY CALM AND WHERE YOUR OXYGEN MASKS! I WILL TRY TO MAKE A SMOOTH LANDING ON THE ISLAND RIGHT BELOW US!!"

While everyone was busy fastening their masks and holding their kids to stop them from wailing, I walked over to the pilot and asked him a question, "Does the island have a runway?"

"Yes! Yes! It does!" He pulled the intercom back on live and said, "Everyone, we're saved! There's a runway on the island!" Cheers erupted from the back. The pilot looked back at me with wide eyes, "WHAT KIND OF QUESTION WAS THAT?"

I closed in on him and whispered in his ear, "Quit the bullshit. If this plane doesn't keep flying safely in the next three minutes, your whole family is going to go down the drain. Literally."

"That's impossible!" the pilot sputtered.

"What is?"

"I don't have a family!" He said boldly.

I paused for a moment before saying, "I wonder what would happen to your sister who's about to graduate? What about your father? Is he doing well with his back pain? Your mother seems to be fine making beaded jewelry down by the neighbor's yard."

The pilot looked at me with trembling pupils and said, "Wh-who are y-you?"

I gave him an evil grin, "I am your worst nightmare. Now, if this thing doesn't land on its planned destination then your family is fucked. Think about who you care for."

With that, I walked back to my seat and comfort Angela. Flin walked back as well and gave me a thumbs up. I nodded to him. The intercom rang out again, "Hello, everyone, the plane has now been fixed of its precious technicality. The original destination will not be compromised." I smiled. Good.

***

The flight soon ended at around three in the afternoon. It was a short one; we were only going from Clear Water to Arior. The passengers single filed out the door until the three of us were the only ones left. I took the lead and went directly to the cockpit. One of the air hostesses blocked my way, "Sir, you can't barge into the captain's space like that."

I cackled, "Says who?"

She flustered with embarrassment, "The captain."

"Move aside, sweetheart, you captain has to talk out something with me." She reluctantly gave me a way to enter.

Once I stepped inside the cockpit, the pilot didn't look at me before saying, "I know you wanna turn me into the cops. I'm fine with that, but could you please help me pass down the money that I've earned?"

"The money that you exploited, looted, and stole of people?" He looked at me with remorse. I laughed out loud, "That's exactly what I do!"

"So, what do you want from me?"

"First, what's your name? You don't have a name tag like everyone else."

"Alejandro."

"Alright, Alejandro, listen to me and my offer," he showed great interest, "I won't turn you in to the police if you come and work under me."

"But, why?" He was wide-eyed.

"You're a crook, I'm crook. The difference is you got caught. But, you got caught by me. I believe that people in the same profession should look out for each other, don't you?"

He enthusiastically shook his head, "Sure! I mean, yes!"

I took a good look at him, "Okay, you're hired. Now, your starting salary is twenty million. If you want more, then prove it."

His jaw dropped. "T-Thank you. Am I going to be your pilot?"

"What? Noooo!" I remarked. His eyes drooped a little bit. I said, "You've been flying these hunks of junk since you graduated. It's going to take some time before you learn how to fly my machines." His eyes lit up. Pshh! What a simple character. But, these are types of people you may as well trust the most.

"Thank you! Thank you!" he praised.

I was beginning to walk out the door when I remembered that I forgot something. I walked back to Alejandro and said, "Is your sister doing good in school?"

"Of course, she's always in the top three in her mock tests! She might as well be first, but the other kids bribe the officials. The same happened to me." He then said, "Why do you ask?"

I brought out of the wallet and my phone. I gave him my business card and made the 'call me' sign to him. I then brought out my phone and began to dial a number as I start to walk out. "To transfer her to a better school, of course."