Chapter 25 #3
Just as Pesh turns back, Beatrice comes out from the elevator, bumping into him. Before his gaze pivots, she strikes an injection filled with blue serum into his chest.
He falls. His skin begins to contract, and his veins bulge and turn blue.
“I know you too well. I know you made backup copies. Where are the copies?” Londe demands.
Pesh gasps for air, struggling to speak. “I would rather die than tell you that.”
“Your mother said the same thing when I asked her to hand you over. And look how that turned out.”
“Oh my God! Pesh is down!” Swin blurts out.
I gulp in shock, terrified. My teeth clench as my heart beats against my chest. My eyes cloud with tears, but I tighten my fists to stop myself from being altered. I need to be strong for Pesh.
Instantly, I turn to Levon and Swin and begin to speak. “Swin and Levon, you guys have to go through Doctor Val’s place into the mainland, then to The Lawtem now.”
“What about you?” Levon asks, zipping up the pockets of her black jumpsuit.
“I have to go save Pesh before Londe kills him!”
“How are you gonna save him?” Levon asks.
“I don’t know, but I can’t let him die. He would do the same for me! I’m gonna tell Londe that The Lawtem officers are on their way or something. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll fight with everything I am, like I always do.”
Levon opens her mouth to rebut, but resigns, realizing I’m not going to change my mind.
To my surprise, she steps forward and touches my cheeks.
“You always do. You always do.” She kisses the side of my forehead and tears cloud her eyes.
“It should only take 15 minutes for us to get to the mainland if we run like crazy. It’s farther for you, so you should take the Motoron!
It should get you there in 15 minutes if you drive like crazy before Londe’s bomb blows up! ”
Just as the words leave Levon’s mouth, we all run toward the entrance, enter the password to open the ship’s door, slide down into the water, and swim out to the shore.
We look around to see a vast island. I didn’t know Commonda Island was so big.
Our eyes dart around. And then, we see it.
A door beneath the sands. We slide it open and jump down.
And there it is, Pesh’s Motoron.
The wheels are partly transparent with gold particles all over its tires. Its curves as smooth as a screen. I don’t have time to look at how advanced it is when…
Levon and I hug tightly.
“Ride fast. But ride safe. And please, don’t die,” Levon says to me.
“I won’t.”
“And I won’t disappoint you. Come on, Swin, let’s go!” Levon says, then leaves with Swin.
I mount onto the glowing Motoron and race toward Patron De Londe’s mansion.
A flash of lightning.
A flash of thunder.
A force surges into me, crashing me to the ground.
Lenon.
Screw you!
He rides around in a thunderous silver Motoron that looks like a ruthless beast. His eyes collide with mine. “I told you not to let me catch you again.”
My heart drops. What? That was a dream. My eyes widen in shock that those things could have been real.
He smirks, winking at me while riding away, flying the white sand like an ocean current to my face.
Argh! He must have just made me have those thoughts.
It can’t possibly be real, I tell myself.
I hate him! I grip the Motoron and press hard, riding against the surging pressure.
Fifteen minutes later, I arrive at the secret entrance to Pesh’s room in Londe’s house.
I open the door above me and enter.
I see a picture of Pesh as a child, as well as a picture of his mom in the corner.
I smile, then turn. To my shock, I see two guards waiting for me at the door.
Before I can pivot, another guard grabs my arm from behind.
Before I can fight, strong hands grip my neck back, cuffing my wrists.
Urgh. It’s Lenon. He smiles, delighting in this. Is this some sort of a joke to him?
“Your little sand trick didn’t work on me,” I say with regard to not only his attempt to stop me from coming here, but also whatever the bloody heck he did to my mind.
He smiles, whispering into my ears from behind, “If I wanted to stop you, I would have. Don’t doubt how fast I can kill a person I don’t like.”
He smirks, drawing away from me.
I open my mouth to tell him off, but before I do, a net covers me completely. They tie my hands and mouth. And Lenon disappears. He is not in sight. Bloody bastard!
The guards pull me toward the living room, where I see Pesh on the floor.
Oh God. He’s dying. My body shivers, distressed.
Patron De Londe presses Pesh’s neck violently, and Pesh groans in pain, fighting for a grain of air. The blue poison in Pesh’s body seems to hurt him more when Londe touches his skin.
Oh my God. Pesh.
Just as De Londe is about to claw his hands deeper into Pesh’s skin, he jerks Pesh’s head up. Pesh’s gaze shifts to see me held by two men.
As soon as Pesh sees me struggling and fighting against their vicious grip, a torturous yell tears through his throat, “No! Shantavia! Nooooooooo!”
My Pesh… He was suffering, and I couldn’t do anything but watch.