Escape plan

Tobin was so surprised to hear this.

"A trap?" asked Ruby in disbelief.

"What are you saying, mother? We're here to save you," said Tobin.

"De voe didn't drink the wine, he knew all along that you'll be coming," said his mother.

Right now Tobin couldn't contain the words he heard. Somehow De voe had known about their plan. But how?

"How is that even possible?" he wondered.

"Does that mean we have a mole among us?" he said.

"No way," said Ruby.

"He must've found out through his men," said Tobin's mother.

"But how come, they didn't suspect us," said Tobin.

"Don't you know? Somehow he can see through their eyes, and hear through their ears," replied his mother.

"Wait, what?" said Tobin in disbelief.

"I think I've heard enough mysteries already, we should start leaving now his men are still down," suggested Ruby.

"Wait," said Tobin.

"Father, where is he?" asked Tobin.

"He's not here, he was taken away to somewhere else I don't know, when I was brought here," she said.

"Let's get out of here Tobin, we have to inform the others," said Ruby.

Tobin helped his mother to her feet, and they came out of the room, walking through the corridor.

"Oh no, the girl that Zain talked about," said Tobin abruptly, he had just remembered that there was still someone left.

"Ruby, you take my mother downstairs with you, to the others," he said, "I have to go check the top tower."

"Not... so... fast," came a voice from behind them.

They all turned around at the same time, to see who that was.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked De voe, slowly approaching them.

They were all filled with fear. Tobin stepped in front, and spread out his arms, guarding his mother and Ruby behind him.

"What else does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking my mother home," said Tobin with a focused stare.

De voe scuffed.

"If I'm to ask, by what power, or by whose authority have you come to do this?" asked De voe.

"Why are you doing this to us, why would you be so wicked!?" yelled Tobin.

"It's quite the guts you've got there kid," said De voe.

"I'm not scared of you," said Tobin, "Your men are fast asleep, so there's nothing you can do to us."

"Give it up, it's over," he added.

"Is it?" asked De voe, with a smirk smile.

"You see, I've heard so much about happy endings, but never, in reality, only fairy tales," he said.

"Don't live your life like it's just a mirage, try to think about the dark sides of things too."

De voe lifted his arms, clenching his fist firmly.

They all stared at him, in a confused state of fear, wondering what he was doing.

"Ahhh!!!" he groaned out loudly, clenching his fist tighter.

Ruby hurriedly tapped Tobin on his shoulder.

"Look," she said, pointing out her hand.

"Holy shit," muttered Tobin in surprise, "He's waking up."

Downstairs where Alec and the others were, unaware of what was going on upstairs, something strange began to happen. For some reason mysterious, the men who were totally blacked out by the effective sleep potions given to them, all began to show signs of waking up.

"Alec," called out one of the comrades, backing away from one of De voe's men, who seemed to be waking up.

"You don't want to see this," he added.

Alec sensed that there was a problem, this looked like the time mission B comes to play.

Back upstairs, Tobin, Ruby, and his mother; Rael, watched in absolute terror, as De voe summoned his sleeping men. The men around there were already starting to get to their feet and maintain a stable vertically base. The men were on their feet now, they didn't look anyhow like they were fully conscious. They began to step towards them, like a pack of crazy sleepwalkers. All Tobin and the rest did, was to make sure to keep their distance.

"Run," muttered Tobin, as the steady back steps instantly turned into a run, and as well, a chase. They headed quickly for the steps leading downstairs, De voe's men followed them too, carelessly swinging their blades.

"This mission is compromised!" said Alec to the others, "Right now we follow the escape plan."

Before they could make a move, De voe's men were already on their feet, surrounding them. Right when Alec thought they would come at them, De voe's men all rushed upstairs instead of attacking them. Alec wondered why that happened, why they were ignored by De voe's men. He remembered that Tobin and Ruby still weren't down.

"You all have to leave here at once," said Alec to the others.

"Stay alive, will you?" he added, then ran upstairs after the men who went there.

He remembered that he guaranteed the safety of Tobin, and all the comrades, he didn't want to fail them.

As Tobin and those with him, were running down the stairs, they ran into another group of men. Tobin tried as hard as he could, kicking and punching the way through. But they already got delayed enough for the other men chasing up the stairs, to catch up with them. They were trapped in between. Alec came to their aid, helping to clear up the way. After knocking about a dozen men down the narrow stairs, there was a bit of opening for them to escape. They all ran down the stairs.

"You both go on with my mother, let me buy you some time," said Tobin to Alec and Ruby.

"What are you saying?" asked Alec, "Come on."

"I have to do this," said Tobin, "Take my mother away from here, where you'll all be safe".

"Nonsense Tobin, I can't leave you here," insisted Alec.

They could hear the rumbling sounds of footsteps, crashing down the long stairs.

"You have to go now, they're coming," said Tobin to Alec.

He kicked up a straight blade on the ground.

"Stop trying to save me, Alec, this isn't your burden to bear," he said, running back up to the danger zone.

Alec and Ruby took Tobin's mother with them, as they proceeded outside. Alec went back inside, to get Tobin.

As Tobin went up the stairs, he saw De voe coming down too.

"Stop it, boy," he said to Tobin.

"You think they're going to succeed escaping?" asked De voe,

"You think they're going to make it through the yard?" He asked again.

Tobin stood there, lesser alert, expecting anything.

"They will," replied Tobin.

"There are over a hundred men waiting at the gate for them outside, to bundle them back in," said De voe.

"I want you to analyze the situation around here, mother isn't leaving here, there's no escape."

"How are you doing this?" asked Tobin.

"That doesn't matter now. What matters now is a choice for you to make. I really like gutsy people like you, so I want to do you a little favor. I want you to choose who gets to remain here tonight, your mother and your friends, or you".

Right then, Alec came there.

"Why are you back here Alec?" asked Tobin, "Why wouldn't you just listen?" said Tobin.

"I should protect you, that's why I'm here, I don't care if you want it or not," replied Alec.

Tobin stepped up to De voe,

"Take me, and let them go," he said to De voe.

"Wise choice son," said De voe.

Alec was still trying to understand what was happening.

"What are you doing?" asked Alec, seeing Tobin drop his weapon, surrendering to De voe.

"I made a deal Alec, that's what I did," replied Tobin.

"Tobin come down right now, let's get out of here," said Alec.

There was no response from Tobin. He bowed his head low.

"Tobin get the hell out of there!" yelled Alec.

"I'm sorry man, I had to do something, I had to save everyone," said Tobin.

"But no one needed saving, we were out already," said Alec.

"No Alec, De voe knew all along about the mission, he was one step ahead of us, that's why over a hundred men are outside now preventing them from going. So that's why I had to decide on staying, instead of you guys being killed," explained Tobin.

Alec was in disbelief now, Tobin sacrificed himself for them.

"Enough of the friendly discussions, I believe you both must've said you're goodbyes already," said De voe.

He ordered some men to take Tobin away.

"Nooo!!!" yelled Alec, rushing to stop them, but he was outpowered by the numerous guards, who sent him out of the palace.

Tobin's mother and the other comrades, who were still out in the yard were eventually set free to go. Tobin's mother couldn't see him amongst them.

"Where's Tobin?" she asked worriedly, but there wasn't a reply from anyone. She became more worried.

"Where's my son?" she screamed continuously, struggling to go back inside, but she was prevented.

Alec heard her eventually, she was so worried, he didn't know how he would tell her that her son was left behind, and that he couldn't save him from the grasp of the terrible De voe.