Chapter 19
Suicide Mission
We are outside. Overlooking the ocean.
“Levon, we’re heading to the sea. On my command, hold my hand, and we will all jump into the water—”
“Wha—” Levon’s voice cracks, confused.
“Please don’t ask questions. It’ll make sense when we are under. Just hold onto my hands,” Pesh says.
She sighs, worried, as we walk past security guards on the shore. I notice grey circles all over the buildings, one with every step we take.
With each step, my heart is pounding, dying for the moment when my feet will touch the water. Pesh said there would be an underground submarine that we could board from underwater. It made no sense to me. But I gave up reason a long time ago. It is either this or death.
Everything is going according to plan. No one has stopped us yet. Just as we are halfway to the waters, I begin to hear scampering, like someone is being chased.
Pesh ignores the noise and begins to speak as though he is used to this, “In 60 seconds, we hold hands.”
With darting eyes, he looks all around to make sure no one is watching us. He is focused on the goal, as usual, but my ears are drawn to the growing noise that is now turning into a scream from what sounds like a boy. I can now hear the shouts of a man as though he is attacking the boy.
“There you are! You had one job—wait at the elevators, and you can’t even do that!
You won’t need to anymore once I take down your ass!
” I hear the man’s voice from behind. But before I can look with the corner of my eye, I notice the boy jumping past obstacles and throwing stones at the man, who seems to be a guard.
I’m not supposed to look. I keep my head bent.
I can’t look. But in the second he zooms past me, I catch a glimpse of his face as his eyes collide with mine.
He is a curly-haired boy with a rigid face, porcelain-pale skin, light brown hair and piercing green eyes.
He has a certain depth to the way in which he stares at me, a depth to which an average person would misplace for rebellion, but to the most discerning of us, potential, like gold in a pile of dirt waiting to be found.
Before I can break eye contact, I see him run past the guard.
He is suddenly right next to Levon. I gasp in shock, confused.
He begins to speak, “Hi, I’m Swin!”
“What the fuck—” Levon reacts, flustered and thrown back.
“Get away from us now,” Pesh commands. But this boy, Swin, begins to walk alongside us, imitating our speed.
“People are beginning to look,” Levon whispers to Pesh.
“I’m sorry. Patron Pesh,” Swin mutters.
“What!? Can we help you?” Pesh asks, annoyed.
“My name is Swin. Please. I’m about to be killed. But you can take me to whatever special task you need these two for. I’ll do anything, please!”
“No. Leave us,” Pesh commands.
“He’s about to blow our cover!” Levon exclaims.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just—” Swin stammers.
“Five seconds,” Pesh pronounces.
“Five seconds for what?” Swin asks, confused.
“Do we still jump? They’re staring,” Levon says.
The guards running to chase Swin seem to multiply, and I can feel everyone now crowding to stare at us like the sands off the seashore.
“Pesh, what do we do?” I ask. “They’re staring. We can’t just jump now.”
Pesh is silent.
He contemplates.
If he does anything at this point to garner attention to himself, it will prevent us from jumping into the water.
As our feet crash into the sands toward the water, Pesh is at a loss for what to do. This was supposed to look like a suicide mission, but now Swin has complicated everything. Yet, he continues to plead, not realizing what he’s done.
“Please take me wherever you guys are going! They’re about to kill me for leaving my station during work time.
I did it to see you. Please. I can help you in what you’re planning.
I know a person like you can’t live any more days serving this kind of institution.
Please let me help. I am so smart, so smart, I promise!
” Swin begs, but Pesh ignores him and begins to do a countdown for Levon and me.
“Four.”
“Wait, we’re still jumping?” Levon asks, confused.
I snatch a look behind to see a guard touch the gun at his waist and sudden terror consumes me. If they shoot, it will most certainly mean death. If Pesh stops to control the situation, it will mean no escape.
All around, I see the students outside doing that L and C sign again—next to their legs, then closing their fists.
Suddenly, I see Gihard sprinting toward us.
I look to see Pesh lock eyes with him, and Gihard’s eyes widen in shock and confusion upon seeing us.
The guards raise their guns to shoot at us.
Gihard runs to them, screaming, “That’s the master’s son! What the hell are you guys doing!?”
“Three,” Pesh continues the countdown.
“Please. Doctor Val is my aunty. I know all about your family and everything. I also know you’re the only kind Patron and the greatest Patron to have ever lived,” Swin pleads as Pesh grabs mine and Levon’s hands.
“Two.”
Pesh holds our hands tighter in an iron-strong grip. Swin looks at us, chasing to keep up with our speed, erratic and confused, eyes widened in horror.
“Wait. Where are you guys heading? Into the water? What the fuck!”
“One.”
We are surrounded. All eyes on us. There is no escape now. What can we do?
“The question is. What the hell is he doing!?” the guard responds to Gihard.
“Runnnnnn!” Pesh screams.
We all run toward the edge of the cliff in haste. Swin follows us despite his confusion and grabs onto Levon to her imminent resistance. As the crowds roar and the guards look our way in confusion, we jump toward the water, Swin screaming his last words of plea to Pesh in our plunge.
“I know about The Begon!!!”