Keeping Big Cats

Chapter 11 (NEW)

Not for the first time, I banged my hands, my feet, my head against the steel bars that separated me from the exit. Again and again. One for the purpose of, well, to escape, and two for the purpose of venting out my anger and resentment.

I can't believe Jerome has betrayed me! I sank to my knees. My nightmare has come true. Had the nightmare been an omen for the future? Probably, because Jerome has killed, if not directly, both me and the cats. Naomi and Maurey... They are probably found already. I clutched my head in my arms. Why did he betray me? He had been my best, if not only friend in the world! I trusted him with everything. But now... now...

All is lost, I thought.

In anger, once more, I banged my head on the steel bars. Unfortunately, adding to the recent injury when the Gombeller struck me from behind with a steel club, my head throbbed painfully and it was not long before I blacked out again.

~~

When I woke up, I was still in the hovercraft. The ride had been long and it was already night time.

Whatever will my mum be feeling right now? She has been devastated when her husband - which was my father - had died in an accident. Now her only child has been lost. She would have been in home right now, back from work, and would have noticed my absence - if not heard on the news - and knew that I was the one who sent the video and was arrested right now.

Oh, how I wish I could go back in a time travelling machine and meet my past self. And punch that stupid idea of making an advertisement to ask for sponsors right out of my head. Yes, I agreed with myself. Punch the lights out of dumb Alexandra Mackenrail. But even if so, after having a second chance, would Jerome betray me once more? Or even more pressingly, would I ever trust him anymore, knowing that he had betrayed me once? I was not sure.

I leaned back and sighed softly. I have long since stopped struggling after I blacked out a second time. It would be no use struggling against the steel bars. My head hurts and my hands are sore but the metal had not even a dent in it.

I surveyed my surroundings.

The policeman and the Gombeller who arrested me and brought me to this hovercraft were sitting in front of the bars, right in front of me and manning the controls. The keys jangled at the policeman's pocket, and the steel club was at the Gombeller's side. There was no windows, but there was a door just in front of the bars. A bucket of water stood at the corner at my side, meant to be used if they need me to do something immediately but I blacked out somehow. Nothing, and no one else was in the hovercraft. Not even a video camera.

Ooh. I thought as I noticed all these. There might just be a chance that I might escape after all.

~~

First, I gingerly took the keys and the slender steel club out from the policeman's and the Gombeller's side respectively. It was hard work, since my hands were cuffed behind me. I thought I had accidentally clanged the keys on the bars once as I took the keys out, but they did not show any sign that they were aware of my movements, so I guessed that it was alright. They probably think that I was still knocked out.

Good. First step done. I nimbly put the steel club away behind the huge water bucket, hiding it away from their view - you never know when they might turn around to check on the prisoner, namely me. And of course they would realise that something was wrong when they saw the steel club in the wrong place

I then tried to open the door which was near the steel bars and I could reach it with my hands outstretched and realised that it can only be opened when a key - the right key - was inserted into a key hole near the bottom. The key for opening the door was undoubtedly one of those that jangled beside the policeman.

So far, so good. Everything was going along with the plan and all that was left to be done was to steal the keys, slide the steel bars up, knock the policeman out with the steel club and then douse the Gombeller with water to short-circuit it. Then I shall escape. The rest I would plan as I go.

I carefully leaned back and relaxed with my back against the wall. I have to wait till the policeman starts to have his fifteen minutes break and the Gombeller takes over as the pilot. By then the policeman would have been off guard and the Gombeller would be programmed to be one hundred percent focused on his task - piloting - and would not fight back even if I stole the keys and bludgeoned the policeman to, well, death - urgh, that sounds gory.

And that's why it usually was the policeman who is piloting.

I kept on high alert. The moment must not be missed, though it must be still hours away, judging from the policeman's freshness. This would be the last dinner he would ever have, before the last meal that he would have before the next day's breakfast before the hovercraft reaches Black Serene. I know, because as I was sliding up the steel bars I saw the schedule. Only the dinner and the breakfast were left uncrossed. I might still have the chance at breakfast but I did not want to risk it. Who knows when they would realise that I had already stolen some of their things and was prepared to escape?

I made up my mind to escape just at the right moment - when the policeman starts to eat his dinner.

Unfortunately not everything went according to plan.