Chapter IV - Summit
After they landed, they immediately rode towards the summit gala. Celestine doesn't have any idea what Jon will do at the summit with all the leaders of the world, but she's definitely sure that it's not going to be good. Jon and Celestine entered the premises and she noticed that the guards just let them in even with the 20 heavily armed men Jon brought.
Upon arriving at the main entrance of the convention hall where the gala is held, Jon gave the signal and the armed men scattered to secure the other entrances and exits. Only two left with Jon and Celestine. Few moments past Jon pushed the entrance door open. The other doors opened as well and the armed men entered and started pointing guns. People inside started to panic most of them stood up from their chairs and headed over the center of the hall. To their surprise their bodyguards did not put up a fight, they all joined the other armed men.
"Everyone please calm down." Jon said.
"What's the meaning of this!?" The President of Argentina stepped forward.
"Even it already stands before your very eyes, you still fail to see things clearly." Jon said. "What do you think?"
"If you want money, take--"
"Money?" Jon interrupted, he circled around the group which are now compressed in the center of the hall. "If I'm after money I would be in a bank now, or some millionaires gala. I certainly won't risk myself becoming public enemy number 1 just to steal from you, wouldn't I?"
He knelt over a waitress who was shaking in fear. "Oh, don't be scared. It was never my intention to frighten you like this."
He stood up and called one of his men. "Free the hotel employees, the waitresses and the staff. I only need the summit leaders. And take all their cellphones and bags. We don't want them calling to someone outside."
Two of Jon's men took all the waitresses and hotel staff out from the crowd.
They immediately ran through the exit. A few guards followed closing all doors
behind them. The ones that were left took all of the hostages' phones, wallets and handbags.
"Traitors!" shouted the President of France, as one of his own bodyguards took their belongings.
"Please don't blame them. Their hands are tied." Jon said. "Even your most loyal of associates would do anything for me. Nobody can serve two masters at the same time, so they had to choose."
"What do you mean?" the French Prime Minister asked.
"What I meant was that they immediately and willingly agreed to help me after sending them a very nice portrait of their own family that I made." Jon snapped his finger. And after a few moments, five of his men brought brief cases and placed them on a table. "And to show you that I bear no ill intentions, you too shall receive gifts from me."
He opened a brief case and took out a bracelet. He then went to the crowd and gently took a lady's wrist and tied the bracelet on. "I want you all to wear this as a sign of appreciation."
"Who are you? And what do you want from us?" The United States President asked.
"Mr. Stuart here will be distributing my gifts and please do wear them. It'll mean a lot to me." Jon said, completely ignoring the US President.
"I demand--!" Before the US president could finish, Jon took a gun and shot the person next to the US President. The US President stood there frozen while staring at the corpse which lay on the floor. Everyone else screamed and started crying.
"Quiet!" Jon shouted. "Anyone of you interrupts, I will shoot whoever's beside you. So shut your seatmate's mouth for me please."
Celestine stood there shocked as she watched the blood flowed on the floor. When everyone became quiet, Jon continued to give out the bracelets until all of the hostages has one on their wrists.
"Now, all is set. Shall we begin?" Jon took the last bracelet and tied it to his wrist. He went over the platform. "Everyone, please take your seat. No need to crowd yourselves in the center."
At first, they were reluctant to sit down. But Jon's men pointed their guns and ordered them to sit. Once all of them were settled, Jon then took the mic and started to speak.
"You may be wondering who I am and what I strive to achieve in this act. But patience, my dear friends, for I shall reveal everything later." Jon said, his voice resonated all over the room. "First, I'll introduce myself. The Philippines has known me as The Cancer. Now I have been telling the media back in my country that I embody the cancer--which is how I got the name--that slowly deteriorates the world to nothingness. And that they fail to see the existence of this cancer."
"Then are you here for the same thing, to tell the world of this cancer?" the British Prime minister asked.
"Oh, yes. But that's not all." Jon continued. "My ultimate goal is to free the world from this cancer. And I need your help with that. People nowadays are blinded by self gratifications, deafened by their egotistic desires and tend to ignore this cancer. So I blasted the Malacanang Palace to pieces. The fiery light of the fire definitely caught their eyes and the thunderous roar of the explosion certainly made them hear."
"That's insane."
"In this mad world, my friend, the craziest things sometimes become the most rational."
People were just silent. Most of them puzzled. Even Celestine was puzzled as to what exactly Jon was trying to say.
"Still confused? No surprise. Well, even blowing up some government buildings, and recently a whole prison, was not enough. Still our country stays in the dark." Jon continued. "So I came here, seeking for help to somehow convince not just my country but the whole world as well. And in order to do that, I require your nuclear launch codes."
"Are you trying to start a nuclear war!?" The US president snarled.
"It wouldn't be a war if I have all the nuclear weapons in control." Jon replied.
"And besides, what's the use of a big red button if you don't push it?"
"You're mad."
"Who's madder, the ones who launches the nukes or the ones who created these abominations?" Jon asked. The President was taken aback and stayed quiet. "With all your resources, you could've stopped this cancer or better yet prevented it from ever existing. But no, you chose to spend billions to create these weapons. The cancer is rotting this world. And if we don't do something, it'll be the end of it."
"Then what is this cancer you speak of?"
Jon smiled. "Me. You. All of Us. We are the cancer."
