The rescue mission

Janzo didn't know what to do now. He has been starved the entire day, and now that he's about to quench his hunger, these men wanted to take away the food.

"Please go away," he pleaded, holding the plate firmly, "I can't give this food to you men".

"Hand it over now looser," said another of the four.

"It looks like you want to bring trouble upon yourself fellow, peacefully hand over the food, or we make do it the hard way".

Janzo was about to cry at this point. He began to think, what has he done to deserve all these? what wrong has he done to warrant him suffering like this? He had been a good and peaceful person, kind and caring towards others. He was the most respected and reverenced economist in the history of Sirkari, due to his peculiar mode of honesty and selflessness.

"No," he finally said, "I can't give it".

On hearing this, they forcefully snatched the food from his hold, and ate it in relish, leaving him in abstract starvation. To add up to the pain, they forcefully dragged him to an empty corner, and beat him up mercilessly, leaving him lying helplessly on the floor. As he lay vulnerable on the floor about to pass out, he saw the image of a man offering a hand to him. He looked up to see who this was, but he was so dizzy, and his vision was so blurred to let him do so. The man sat him up and offered him a slice of fish which he managed to collect and eat. The man helped him up to his feet and took him inside the tent, laying him down on a bed. After a short sleep, that evening, he woke up and saw someone sitting on a chair beside his bed. It was the man that helped him.

"You're up already," said the man.

"How do you feel?" asked the man.

"I feel better, though my head is a little heavy," answered Janzo.

"Take this," said the man, offering him a bunch of some green leaves, "It'll help reduce the pain".

Janzo took a few bites from the leaves, they were so bitter.

"But who are you?" asked Janzo.

"My name is Mobius Morrison," answered the man.

"I'm Janzo, it's a pleasure meeting you Mobius," said Janzo, offering him a handshake.

" I'm sorry about what happened," said Mobius, "I guess you've become a target of intimidation by a group of bullies, but I can help you".

Since that day, Janzo had been a member of Mobiuses' gang, making them three in number, almost evening the odds. Janzo knew he had to man up. Life in the camp of labor was all about the survival of the fittest. He refused to face any further intimidation from their rivals, and he also tried to keep a low profile to avoid being monitored by commander Raja.

Alec took Tobin to a secret underground hide-out he found. They were there to plan their operations on rescuing Tobin's parents from De voe.

"Welcome to the party!" exclaimed Alec as they passed through the round tunnel-like entrance of the place.

Tobin snorted in laughter, "Some party".

"Where do we start?" asked Tobin.

"Well we don't start now, we wait for the guests to arrive," answered Alec.

"Guests?" asked Tobin abruptly, with a look of surprise on his face.

"Yes guests," replied Alec, "I told you we'll be needing more men".

There was a rattling sound heard outside the hide-out.

"Did you hear that?" asked Tobin curiously. He felt he heard approaching footsteps.

"Oh, I guess they are already here," said Alec with no sign of panic, unlike Tobin who was all geared up to the teeth.

"Hopefully, I managed to recruit some of my old friends that can be of help," said Alec, as someone came in through the entrance. Tobin looked carefully at the person, to see if he recognizes person. Tobin was left in a petrified state of a surprise seeing the appearance of the woman, who walked to the center of the room where the light from above shone. The light cast on her revealed vividly every detail of her physique. She cut her hair short, and her broad chest and sturdy limbs could confuse anyone the same way it confused Tobin about what gender she was. He tapped Alec by the side and whispered to him.

"Who is this?" he asked thoughtfully.

"She's Ruby Shelton, she was once a member of the last Samori troops," answered Alec.

"She?" asked Tobin in a low tone, trying not to make any further eye contact with Ruby.

"You got a problem with that?" asked Alec.

"I mean, look at her, broad chest and all biceps," said Tobin, displaying his unbelief.

"Now let's go introduce you to her," said Alec, holding him by the wrist and taking him along to where she stood, busy with her blades.

"Hay, wait... wait... wait...," whispered Tobin in panic, yanking himself, alongside Alec.

"Why are you acting silly?" asked Alec, a little bit infuriated by Tobin's sudden childish behavior.

"Don't Tell me I'm the only one that sees this Alec, she's intimidating," said Tobin m

"I wouldn't want to get my ass whooped in the process of Oh now she's coming this way," he said, in an attempt to move to a different standing position, but was prevented by the firm grip of Alec.

"Let go of me," mumbled Tobin.

"Seriously Tobin, why are you acting childishly? Do you act like this more often?" asked Alec.

"Great, now she's gonna kill me". Tobin almost froze to death now, she was standing before them.

"Hello Alec, what's the plan?" she asked.

She also had a deep voice, Tobin could stand it no longer.

"First, we have to wait till the arrival of the others," answered Alec.

Tobin stood straight, gazing elsewhere. She came closer to him and looked intently into his eyes. He just couldn't avoid her stare now.

"And who are you?" she asked him.

"I'm Tobin Logan," he answered shortly.

"You better buckle up Logan," she said sagely to him, lackadaisically walking away to the center of the room where she stood previously. He was completely infuriated.

"What does she mean by that?" he muttered.

"If you had behaved normal, she wouldn't have said that," said Alec.

"You're taking sides with her?" asked Tobin.

Alec snorted in amusement, on hearing this from Tobin.

"Taking sides? Tobin don't you take things like this seriously?" asked Alec.

"Remember the sole aim of this mission," he advised Tobin.

"But she sucks anyway, I bet she's not though as tough as she looks," said Tobin.

Alec was paying deaf ears to the one-sided conversation.

"Actually do we need her? We've got the others right?" he said concerning some other men that had joined them already.

"We can just reconsider," he said.

"Reconsider? Do you hear yourself?" asked Alec.

"Obviously I do," said Tobin.

" You're talking about the meanest and toughest woman in all of Sirkari, and there's a good reason for that. She's a big asset Tobin, and you should be grateful for having her on your team," said Alec.

Tobin was quiet now, having a think-over of what he had been told. As they all stood waiting, an enormous-looking man forced himself into the round entrance. He was a brawny brute of a man, about seven and a half feet tall.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Tobin in open-mouthed astonishment.

"Hay Alec, who's this hawk of a man?" asked Tobin.

"It's Jay the giant," answered Alec.

The gigantic man approached Alec and Tobin where they stood.

"Alec, big Jay wants to say a big to you and your buddy," said Jay to them.

"A hello to you as well big Jay," replied Alec.

"Hi," greeted Tobin.

"Big Jay would be entirely grateful to be at your service," said big Jay to Tobin.

As Tobin gazed up, impressed by the incredible size of big Jay, he heard a whisper in his ear.

" Don't be tensed kid, no one's biting," whispered Ruby Shelton, "And just quit behaving like a muppet," she added, leaving a little grump of infuriation on the face of Tobin. Then referring to Alec, she said,

"It looks like you forgot to build up a little morale on your boy, look how shaky he is".

Alec couldn't help but burst out in laughter. This made Tobin get even more infuriated.

"Enough of this okay? Do we have a problem or something?" he asked Ruby.

"We do have a little issue here, and it's for you to brace yourself a little bit, and summon a little more courage," answered Ruby.

"Do you know me?" asked Tobin, more earnestly. For the fact that you've so much pissed me off, I'll give you a little preview of who I am," he added.

" I'm a former five times arena battle champion, two times grand slam champion, and one of the best young warriors in this realm, and I bet you can't beat that," boasted Tobin.

"Wow, bravo," said Ruby, clapping her hands with a sarcastic smile on her face.

"What a read-me of accomplishments you've got there boy".

"Watch it, lady, it's man, not boy or kid or any similar mode of address okay!" he stormed.

"Guess what? I'm gonna do you a favor to ask anyone here about me," said Ruby.

"Come on go ahead, don't be scared now".

Alec came to the center of the room to address everyone.

"Listen up everyone, since we're all here, I think now is the time we get started," he said, placing a large sheet of paper on the table.

"Enough of the quarrel you two," he said to Tobin and Ruby.

"Before we start this, there's something important that I need to do," said Tobin.

"Not now Tobin, we don't have much time left," said Alec.

"Let me make something clear, this is my mission, and if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do things my way," said Tobin to Alec.

"And what is it that you want to do?" asked Alec.

"The next right thing Alec, that's what I want to do, and you're coming along with me," said Tobin.

"The rest of you, wait here," he added.