Chapter 14
1456 Words
Nathan’s POV
I closed my eyes as I feel the wind passing through my face. The car windows had been opened to let us be able to see outside clearly. We were now passing through a once busy high way but is now deserted as I only see our car moving on the road.
The stores and restaurants had also closed due to the fear that the Pun will visit them and damage their business or worst, kill them.
There are also few to no people on the streets aside from those who wear full gear as if their going into a war.
Well, due to what Pun has created – or possibly ended – the government had to shut down the entire state to lock down to prevent Pun from entering other states or countries. The man hunt operation, and the civilians who likes to take their chance on finding and killing him for that huge amount of money is too aggressive especially that Pun attacks another hard headed store operator last night.
“Look at those black goons or whatever. So prepared to find him huh?” Mica said while looking at the black, open roof car that passes ours. They are all wearing black outfit and has heavy guns on their side. The car has vandalism in there that states ‘Pun is ours.’
“No, we will not let them find Pun. We must be the one to locate him and get him out of here.” Antonov blurted out that made us look at him. Looks like one of the passenger on the other car heard us and whispers something to the other passengers as they slowly glance at us.
One of them raised his hand and hardly taps the side of the car where the text is there.
“Pun is ours!” He shouted as their car runs full speed, leaving us a huge amount of black smoke to inhale and hinder our sight.
“Damn them!” Gene shouted and his palm starts glowing in red as heat slowly rises from it. Mica just taps him on the back to calm him down. Gene exhaled loudly before the heat starts to cool down as if nothing happened.
“By the way, Antonov...” Mica but the latter’s focus is still on the road. He gestured her to go on and she did.
“Why do we need to be first? Don’t you think it will be better if we let them help us? You know... Many heads are better than one. “ She continued, speaking slowly to clarify her point. I also thought of that a while ago but I refused to ask because I know he will just react the same way he’s been reacting now.
The car is filled with sarcastic laugh from him that made the three of us silent. Mica bowed her head and I can feel her emitting a sad energy.
“She’s just asking, bro. Why don’t you just answer us?” I said to cover her up and winked at her from the mirror. She just shook her head and smiled shyly before turning her attention outside.
“Don’t you even think about how come he always survives numerous burning and explosion when he is indeed, the one who is holding the bomb?”
I closed my eyes as I tried remembering how I met Pun outside.
“Are you going to the store or not?”
I stopped in my tracks and slowly turn my head to see who talked. My brows furrow as I saw this weird looking guy with a clown make-up on his face smiled widely at me. His teeth on the side are kind of long that looks like fangs. Aside from that, he is wearing a thick jacket covering his entire body. Out of all the weird things he had, is the big, as in BIG watch he was wearing on his hands. It’s so big that I can even hear the sounds of it when the second meter ticks.
I was about to say something when someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me. It was the red-eye guy who looks furious while dragging me on to the store with him. Before I enter the store, I faced the weird guy who is still looking at me with a mischievous smirk while waving his hand with the watch on it.
“Time is ticking...” I read from his mouth before completely entering the store and this red-eye guy face me before throwing my wallet back at me.
I snapped back into reality as my eyes widen with a realization.
The thick, questionable jacket... That damn big clock indicating the time...
“He’s a living time bomb!” I blurted out that earned reactions from the back. Antonov just nods his head as he continues to drive, faster than the usual rate.
“The government won’t pay that much for some life that is not too worthy. What do you think is the reason why they wanted him so badly?”
“Because he is one of us... They can earn ten times more when they study about him and only time will tell when the time comes that our entire existence will be known to the mortals.” I continued that made everyone silent.
--
“Everyone, wake up. We’re near approaching the destination.”
I rubbed my eyes while yawning and stretching my arms. My hands stopped in the air as my eyes are wide open when I saw the commotion coming from the front.
“What the hell?!” Gene blurted which had the same reaction as mine. Many armed civilians are within the vicinity and is now surrounding the biggest clock tower here in Mecca. Soldiers from the government are also here and they are first on the line to attack.
Antonov parked the car a few miles away the tower. Good thing there is a big oak tree in here and the light posts are quite far away that made our location hidden from afar.
I slowly look up and saw that it is already dark. The moon is big but not shining brightly as a sea of dark clouds surrounds it, indication of an upcoming rain.
The wind blew hard as it touches my skin. I felt a little shiver due to the cold. I almost startle when a hand has been put to my shoulders. Even without looking from behind, the heat coming from its warm hands envelops my entire body with an invisible flame to keep me in a warm temperature.
“Thanks...” I silently muttered before opening the car doors and walking out. I tried squinting but I can’t quite see what is happening that’s why I grabbed the glasses from my small backpack and wore it.
“What the?!” I blurted out. Gene had to cover my mouth as Antonov and Mica glares at me. I tried calming myself and removed Gene’s hands away from me. I returned my gaze to the commotion on the front as we hide in the dark. However, the quiet place made it easy for us to hear their shouts and debate from other groups.
“No! We’re the one who got here! We’re going to take that Pun and get the money!”
“No! That son of a b***h is ours to take!”
“Everyone get out. This is a government order and they asked for us, the military to take over. Move or else we’ll shoot you!”
After a soldier said that, the armed civilians and the military troops start pointing gun and blades on each other. Nobody blinks as their eyes are full of anger and greed. It is clear that this people want the pot money so badly that they even threaten and fight the armed forces just to get what they want.
“I don’t know who spilled the bean about his possible location that made this ruckus but... We badly need to pass through them or else...” Antonov said while slowly pointing his fingers up the tower. I closely followed what he's aiming at and gasp when I saw the group of man wearing black clothes earlier sneaking up on the tower without the others knowing.
Antonov’s finger points at a higher place and as we follow it, I now understand what he is implying to.
The Pun is in the highest floor in the tower, at the center of the giant clock while laughing evilly as the huge bomb on his body starts blinking in red light and the timer starts counting down.
“Time is ticking...”
- Writer
