Carlos did just that. Nervously he crossed the door fearing that on the other side, airport police officers would be receiving him with the arms wide open. But there was nobody there. The dog cage was a few feet away from the door he had just opened. All around there were trolley carts full of bags and packages of all sizes.
- Tell the creature to get into the cage, now!! – said the man's voice irritated.
- I'm not gonna leave him here!!!
- You will meet him again, but you have to follow my directions fast or you'll get caught.
- Luis get into the cage…..
- I'm afraid…. – Luis said.
- I know. But It's the only chance to be safe. Now go…. – he said pushing Luis into the cage and locking it.
He went back the same way he came silently. He got to the street again. He hopped into the pick up again and drove according to the instructions of the stranger into the parking lot and then he walked to the terminal of passengers.
- Now, go to the front desk of COPA airlines. Say your name and don't say anything else. Got it?
- I think so….
Carlos stood in line to the front desk of COPA airlines and finally he was in front of a clerk.
- Good morning, Do you have a reservation?
- Yeah. My name is Carlos Diaz.
- Ok, Mr Diaz, Here's your ticket for San Juan of Puerto Rico.
- Puerto Rico!!!? - said Carlos out loud making all the other people standing in line stare at him.
- Is there something wrong?
- No. I just get excited each time I go.
- Well, anyway…. Have a nice trip.
- Thank you. – said Carlos receiving the ticket. He could not help to murmur to himself.
He boarded the plane and soon they were on departure procedures.
- This morning I was a normal person, and now, without a reason, I am headed for an island. What's this about!!!!!??? – he asked angrily to himself.
He thought that if it were some kind of trap he would have been apprehended in the airport and his friend would be in custody. Since neither had happened it seemed fair to take a nap for the length of the trip.
Finally, the plane landed on Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Carlos came out to the infernal heat of the island. Fortunately as he went indoors he felt the freshness of the air conditioning. The cell phone rang again.
- I made it here. Now what? – he asked excitedly. It was like being in a James Bond movie.
- Go to baggage claim and simply state your name and they'll hand you the cage over.
He went to baggage claim and gave his name to the clerk on the desk near the conveyor belts. The clerk went to the backroom and brought the cage.
- What kind of animal is this? – asked the clerk. – The dogs wouldn't dare to come close to the cage.
- It's an import. – said Carlos with a huge grin on his face.
The cell phone rang again.
- Ok. I'm here. What's next?
- Head for the exit and three blocks away there is a back alley that goes to a deserted field next to abandoned hangars. There you can let the creature go.
- Got it. – Carlos said hanging up.
He came out the door and followed the instructions. He walked to a field apparently used for informal soccer matches. The field was flanked by old hangars.
Luis came out of the cage relieved.
- Those dogs were giving me a hard time. Fortunately it only took my hissing to keep them away.
- Good for you. – said Carlos to the point of laughing. He paused and looked around quietly.
- What are we doing here?
Two minutes had not passed when Carlos heard growling close to the place he was.
- Luis, Are you doing that?
- No. It's not me…. – replied Luis frowning and placing his body in a combat posture.
From behind one of the hangars, there came the one responsible for the growling. It was like a big ox. He had big and fierce eyes and above them a pair of long and threatening horns that had metallic sharp tips. Around his neck there was a huge metal collar with symbols inscribed on it as well as on his huge feet. Over his back he appeared to have a red cape.
- Friend of yours? – whispered Carlos looking to his side and down at Luis.
- No… haven't seen him before. – Luis replied looking to the left and up to Carlos.
The huge ox stared at them grunting fiercely like a bull ready to charge.
Carlos glanced at the entrance of a nearby hangar. The door was open. He moved slowly and then as a lightning bolt he picked Luis up and ran to the entrance like crazy. The ox ran behind them.
Like a sprinter Carlos crossed the door threshold and closed the metal door behind him. The ox slammed its head against it without being able to open it.
Carlos looked around him. It was a deserted hangar. Concrete walls on all sides and a zinc rooftop that was several meters up. The ox continued charging at the door. The hinges were beginning to bent. Carlos was panicked and could not move.
Luis walked to one of the side walls like he was hypnotized. Suddenly he felt he was remembered something.
He paced backwards away from the wall looking at it very concentrated.
- Luis? What are you doing? – stammered Carlos.
- Getting ourselves out of here! – exclaimed Luis as he ran at the side wall of the hangar at full speed.
- Are you crazy?! – screamed Carlos as he saw Luis charging the wall with his head. There was a loud banging sound. The wall had fractured and a big hole remained in the place where he head butted.
Carlos ran to the side wall to aid Luis who simply stood up looking slightly dizzy.
- Are you all right?! – asked Carlos patting his shoulder.
- I knew I could do that! – exclaimed Luis after a few seconds. Come on let's get out of here. – he completed pointing at the exit he had just created.
Both climbed out through the hole and found themselves on a hilltop next to the hangar. They ran along the hill trying to flank the ox creature and escape, but the huge animal saw them and began to chase them again.
The field ahead became irregular and all around there were old walls and pillars of old condemned constructions. The ox stopped a few feet away from both of them and suddenly it stood up on his hind feet. Carlos watched this terrified. The creature now looked like a mythical minothaur (half human, half bull). His front hoofs turned into human like hands and they seemed to reach something on the back of the ox. It was a huge sword the creature was wielding that could be able to cut metal in half.
The ox raised his sword with the intention to strike but suddenly he felt his arm being pushed to the side. He realized that something had pinned his arm to one of the old walls nearby. It was a boomerang like object. His arm was trapped between the limbs of the weapon which was thrown by someone on the opposite side of the hill.
Carlos saw from afar the owner of that strange weapon. It was a winged creature standing on top of the hill. It had a bright yellow beak and shiny blue eyes. Most of his body was covered with brown feathers. It looked like an American bald eagle standing like a knight next to a young girl wearing a white long dress. He didn't reach the waist of the girl in height, but it stood proud like a powerful Indian warrior. And as such it wore a headband with a feather sticking from the top.
- Get away from there!!! – screamed the girl at Carlos and Luis who crawled to safety away from the ox. – Lyle, protect them.
The eagle creature yanked a feather from his body with each of his hand like wings. On his hands the feathers became stiff and curved as sables that shone with the sunlight. Now wielding this pair of swords it leapt into action like a graceful ninja.
The ox had freed himself and swung with his sword missing Lyle for a few inches. Lyle stepped on the wall and doing a somersault it kicked the ox on his chin with his powerful eagle claws. The ox became even more irritated and tried to hit Lyle who dodged his sword with graceful movements.
Finally Lyle leapt over the bull's head and with a movement of one of his swords it sliced across it's throat. Carlos closed his eyes fearing to see a blood bath, but what he saw was more stunning. The throat of the ox began to glow at the point that Lyle had struck.
With a long gasp the ox fell on his four knees to the ground. His body began to fade away like if it was disintegrating.
Before he disappeared completely he yelled something that puzzled everybody.
Traitors! – were the last words coming out from the ox's vanishing body.