Aera-Kerr: Dusk of Desolation (Act 1 - free sample)

Chapter 9: Evasion

Tyrell awoke to the sight of flashing blue and red lights outside of the motel room window, through the edges of the blackout curtains.

"Huh?" He uttered, standing to see what was going on outside.

Peering through the blinds, Tyrell saw a squad of police vehicles in the motel parking lot, and several officers beaming their flashlights around the area, including in a few of the rooms on the first floor. His eyes went wide and his pulse quickened. Did they know that he and Aria were there? If so, how did they get that information?

"Guys!" Tyrell said loudly.

Aria sat up, rubbing her eyes. Casey groaned as he slowly rolled.

"Ngh . . . what's going on?" Aria asked.

Casey pulled a pillow over his head. "Unless it's nine in the morning, then please don't wake me—"

"No, look!" Tyrell said, pulling the blinds open completely.

Aria sat straight up the instant she saw the flashing lights. "Are you serious right now?"

Casey groaned again before pulled the pillow off his head. "Oh, alright . . . I'd just like to know why we—" he stopped speaking the moment he glanced out the window. "Uh . . . you really weren't kidding about the cops, were you?"

Tyrell quickly put his boots on. "C'mon, we gotta go!"

Aria and Casey wasted no time and jumped from their beds, rushing to get their own footwear. Tyrell and Aria grabbed their swords, putting the sheaths on their belts.

Tyrell looked out the window to see a few officers climbing the stairs to the second level, as indicated by their flashlights.

"Hurry!" He said. "If they're here for me and Aria, we gotta go now!"

"We're gonna need these!" Casey said, pulling three long-range, secured radio transceivers out of the dresser drawer.

"Why?" Tyrell asked.

"It's just in case we get separated," Casey said. "We'll be able to stay in contact."

"Fair enough," Aria said, taking a transceiver.

After prepping as best as they could to escape, the trio opened the door and crept out, staying low to the floor.

"Okay," Tyrell whispered, "we need to move quickly and silently if we're gonna get around these guys. This is gonna be tricky."

They crept along the upper level, hidden from view by the vegetation overflowing from the railing planters. They made their way toward the opposite side of the building to see if they had any viable route available to make a getaway.

Tyrell's heart hammered and his head felt heavy. He could do little to control the trembling of his fingers and the unsteadiness of his legs. Sweat manifested on his forehead underneath his bangs. He desperately hoped they could escape before their presence was apparent.

But it was wishful thinking. Two cops spotted the trio from behind just as they happened to glance back.

"Hey!" The leading cop shouted.

"Crap, go!" Tyrell said to Aria and Casey.

Immediately, the three of them broke into a run to the other side of the building, the officers drawing their nightsticks and giving verbal commands as they pursued the adolescents. They came to a dead end, and were forced to slide down the drainpipe, narrowly avoiding apprehension.

"Dispatch, one-eighty-three, I got a ten-forty at Lakewood Motel!" One officer spoke over his radio. "Three on foot, Eastbound! Possible signal zero!"