Chapter Six

Thinking back about this Reader incident five years ago, it was really the first time I discovered the potential of emotions and the power of love.

With emotions and love, I can trust Jessica. Sometimes without agreeing upon a point, we automatically think about the same thing.

A year ago I landed in this village for invasion.

I saw Jessica.

I saved her from the RPG and the stray soldier.

Then we were cornered by two commanding officers. The flashlights shone right into my face.

“Hide!”

Jessica immediately took cover in the thick bushes. As long as they didn’t light it up I guess she would be fine. It was my life that was in more danger.

My eyes didn’t even look back, but I threw the assault rifle into the bush almost directly next to Jessica. I pretended to be natural, just “dropping” my weapon. If Jessica understood how to use that weapon she would probably have a greater chance of survival. I would get her once I got free from the two officers.

The officers looked satisfied seeing me no longer armed, and they cuffed my hands behind my back. It was kind of ridiculous, I could break out of the cuffs in less than three seconds. We learned so much in the base that in the end we could use it against them. Ironic wasn’t it?

What about the rifles in their hands. I could never be faster than a bullet.

I scanned the surroundings: no one for distraction or help, no cover, two mountains besieged me and there was only one narrow pathway in between with the width of one vehicle. At the other end of the pathway was the temporary base of the soldiers. Once I reached there I would have no chance of escape.

“Think outside the box!” I cried in my mind.

What even was the box?

I was so desperate. I felt like a tiny cockroach trapped in a glass box to be drowned. I couldn’t escape by power nor speed. I couldn’t disarm their rifles because there were two of them, and the moment they realized my cuff went missing they would shoot without thinking.

There was no way to escape.

If there was no way to escape them, then how about not. Instead of playing stealth, how about a full on blasting-off-the-door strategy.

What could I use?

The mountains. There were rocks and rubbles on the mountains after a missile hit it. The layers of sedimentary rocks below were instantly vaporized into loosened sand. If I could slingshot a projectile at the right angle, I might be able to let the rubbles fell. Even if it didn’t hit them it could distract them.

Well clearly there wasn’t any projectile. Would bullets be fine? The size was small but the speed was piercing, and if I could fire many rounds it would probably knock the rubbles off.

I still needed a distraction.

Just then there was a flash and gunshots. Unfortunately the bullets missed the officers. The two officers immediately held up their rifles and aimed at the origin of the shot. Oh no, if Jessica grabbed the rifle and used it, then she had nowhere to hide now.

There was a rumble like thunder above me, followed by a hailstorm of rocks. The bullets tore the major rocks apart and now they were falling.

“Thanks Jessica,” I muttered.

The two officers still didn’t know what was going on. They were too concentrated in finding Jessica. I pulled out the sidearm pistol from one of the officer’s belt and ran.

The two officers then saw the death from the above.

They ran right after me, surprisingly one of them even got before me. It seemed like that man cared about his life more than his honor. There must had been a flaw in their brainwash.

I shot that officer in the ankle, and I sprinted passed him. A few seconds later the rolling stones covered his body.

The other one tackled me onto the ground, we rolled together as the falling rocks crashed right after us. I punched him ini the face again and again, until I could break free.

I ran back to the clearing where I first saw Jessica in the village. This was the only location that meant something to both of us, so if she was also on the run she would probably also come here.

There was suddenly a searing pain in my leg as a bullet went through. It would heal, but it needed time. I drew out the pistol immediately and pulled the trigger, but my arm was then swept away and the pistol was twisted out of my hand.

“Let him go!”

I didn’t even need to look back to know who was shouting. I knew too well of Jessica’s voice. Every night when I slept and every day when I woke up, the voice hovered in my head. She was what I would live for and what I would die for.

“Jessica run!”

The officer pressed the pistol on my temple and twisted back to face Jessica, holding me in front to block his torso. Jessica also had the rifle’s red dot lined up.

“You pull the trigger, and he dies!” the officer barked.