Chapter 14
Escape
No, there were five men and two women in the tunnel! What were we going to do? I start running as fast as I can. Kai is smaller than I but between him, Nya, and me, the height difference makes moving awkward. We stumble and drop to the ground, because we took a wrong turn and the ceiling is significantly lower. We let go of each other and start crawling on the ground. Light is on the other side but we have a lot of ground to cover. We move in single file in this order: Nya, Kai, and me. I hear the other people drop to the ground and advance as well. The glow of a torch gives the tunnel a tint of orange and red. Kai halts, panting heavily and holding his shoulder. He moves again, gasping. The pain must be unbearable. We keep moving but I can judge from the noise that the enemies are almost close enough to grab me. I feel a bit suffocated in such a tight space. Sweat drips off my forehead and my breathing is labored. Kai looks like he is about to collapse and is barely able to press on. We are almost there.
"The light is near. Keep moving; we are almost there!" I shout. Nya is out! She reaches a hand out and helps Kai. She then reaches for mine after her brother is safe. I grab her hand, when I feel a ripping pain in my leg.
"Come on!" Nya screams. I use the last of my strength to exit the tunnel. I'm out! I lie on the ground and close my eyes, but then think of the killers. I instantly open my eyes and look about me. I am next to an abandoned hut, but there is no time to bother about that. I glance at my surroundings and spot a huge, spiked, wooden circle. Don't attempt to figure out what this is; just use it! I grab it and sit up, ignoring the pain and shove it against the opening. It fits perfectly. I collapse on the ground and do nothing, hearing the people scream. I lift my head enough to see my leg. It's bloody on the side of the right calf. What about Kai and Nya's father? They must have been thinking of the same thing, because they begin to get up at the moment I do. My leg is throbbing. I stand. I try to walk but can only limp slowly. Kai and Nya start moving towards the village, which is a block or two away. I follow, but cannot keep up long and the distance between us grows.
"Help!" Kai and I start screaming, while Nya runs ahead of us. We keep making noise. When we two arrive at the village, the Nya has the people stirred up already. The men were raising bamboo sticks and gathering in the middle. Nya leads them over. I see them passing by rapidly. After they left, I begin making my way, with Kai leaning on me, to Jane's dwelling. I start to feel weak and my leg is hurting with every step I take. Jason is pacing back and forth in front of the door. He stops when he spots us and hurries over.
"Zane!" he calls out. I sway to the left and Kai and I stumble. Things go blurry and both of us drop to the ground. Jason bends over me, "Are you okay? What happened to you?"
Everything goes black.
Jane hands me a cup of hot tea and gets on her knees by the bed. "Are you feeling any better?" she asks me. My head is throbbing intensely from the fall and so is my leg, but I nod anyway. She frowns, apparently not buying it. "Is that so?"
"Yes. Well, I am better than when I first woke."
She smiled, displaying her perfect, pearl-white teeth and dimples. I smile back, a bit embarrassed. It is awkward being in the same room together, alone. I don't know what to say. "Um, where is Kai?" I ask.
Her smile faded, "He's in my room, still unconscious. He is far worse off than you. He was starved and beaten. Who did this to you?"
I open my mouth to speak, when Jason bursts in the room and announces, "The villagers found Kai's father. He's dead."