Mahingga

Chapter 20: Iban

Ako thrust his hands into the pockets of his robes. There was a chilly breeze blowing in from the west. The sun was just barely getting lower, though Ako's Palam still thought that it was just about time for the sun to be rising. He'd have to fix that later. They'd just stepped out into the walled-off courtyard of the engineering building. Soldiers bustled about, getting ready to open the gate.

"We're sending them across. They should be there shortly," Professor Naliksi said, speaking into a radio tablet.

After they'd packed the car full of soldiers, they finally told Kita and Ako to enter. The woman guard waited at the door for them to get inside, then she sat across from them as before, her small gun setting naturally in her lap.

Before the door closed, Ako caught a glimpse of Professor Naliksi waving to them and smiling broadly.

The car rumbled into motion and went out the gate. The street looked a little different than Ako remembered. Perhaps it was the time of day. He was stifling a yawn when he recognized that the street was completely empty. Not a single other person was on the road. His memory went back to the two men he'd seen leaning against the wall of the building—the spot was now vacant.

A jolt to the car sent Ako sprawling to the side of the vehicle. Kita landed on top of him with a hard elbow to his ribs. Pawidan exclamations abounded.

The person seated next to the driver opened the door and jumped out of the car. "Flat! All flat! We must've hit—" his voice cut off, but Ako couldn't tell why. Another instant later, the driver was yanked out of his door with a yelp. The soldiers sprang into action. A flurry of the gun's explosive sound rang through Ako's ears as the doors opened.

Ako tried to sit up so that he could see what was going on, but Kita pulled him back to the floor of the car and hissed, "Stay down!" He recognized her wisdom and obliged, placing a hand over his head as he got as low as he could. It looked like Yevan was right about sending them with an armed escort.

The sound of gunshots ceased. Ako couldn't hear a sound other than him and Kita panting with a rush of adrenaline.

Kita gave him a questioning look. He nodded back and got to his hands and knees, crawling just far enough to see out the door. As he peeked out the door, he found a gunpoint aimed at his head. Despite himself, he let out a soft whimper.

"Get out of the car," said the man with the gun. His voice was surprisingly calm. "Both of you."

Ako let out a gruff breath and crawled out of the car, Kita coming behind him. Perhaps Yevan should have sent them with a little more protection. A wave of fear and anger rippled through his chest.

"Are you sure it's them?" the man asked, but he was addressing another man that stood to his side with his arms folded, the lower half of his face covered by a red bandana. "They're just kids."

The bandana-man nodded. "It's them, Iban. The boy looks weird enough." His gun was slung over his shoulder by a strap. Neither of the two men looked like soldiers. They didn't wear tight gray and black uniforms like Yevan's men. Instead, they wore loose tan clothing and their hair was almost the same color as Kita's, albeit a little darker.

The Pawids had such strange varieties. And yet, they thought he was the one that looked weird.

"I hope you're right," Iban said, still aiming his gun at Ako.

"Congratulations," bandana-man said. "You've just been rescued."

"Rescued?" Kita asked, placing her fists on her hips as she frowned at the gun.

Bandana-man shrugged. "From Yevan's men, yes. The gun is just a precaution. We could tie you up and carry you over our shoulders, but this usually works a little better."