Richard and the others were sleeping when the terrorists barged in and dragged everyone but him out of the room. He wanted to come out as well but one of the terrorists already locked the door. All the lad could do is watch Thomas, Kyle, Emmett and Tommy get beat up until they can't stand anymore.
"Please! No!" Richard begged but they still continued. After a few more minutes, the four lads were dragged away. The fact that their backs are getting bruised did not matter at all to their captors, they don't care if they end up being paralyzed ... all they care about are themselves.
Richard had another breakdown because of what happened. The amount of trauma he received over the past few days is enough to make him lose his sanity. But the reason he didn't cross the line is Maine. Her picture is still embedded in his mind, the thought of her always brings him back whenever he feels like he's going to lose it.
But even that is fading. The more time he gets to spend being trapped inside these four walls the more he's slipping into the unknown.
He's not suicidal, he just wants all of this mess to be over.
.---
Maine can feel her heart pounding, she's now standing outside the ambulance half a mile away from the foot of the mountain. She's certain they'll be able to save Richard and the others and also find out the answer as to why Nick is not present on the second video. This is a day she'll remember for the rest of her life.
"Maine?" she turned around and saw her Dad in full military uniform.
"What, Dad?" she asked.
"If this thing turns out to be more chaotic than we expected, I want you hop onto the ambulance and have yourself driven away as fast as you can alright?" Mr. Mendoza told her before giving Maine a tight hug.
"Of course Dad, you as well ... if the fucked up terrorists won't let up, just have the other guys shoot them okay?"
"I will" he answered. Mr. Mendoza being one of the primary negotiators puts him up in front of the line, making him open and defenseless to any stray bullets that might be heading his way.
"Take care, sweetie"
"You too Dad, I love you"
"I love you too"
--
"It was another sleepless night for me. But how can I sleep? I had no other choice but to look at my friends while they are getting beaten up. Fuck, I don't even know if they're still alive right now.
Today is our fifth day of being hostages and I'm pretty sure this will also be the last twenty four hours I'm alive. I know the reason why I'm still here is because I'm the grandson of a high ranking military general. I can't say I'm lucky though because I'm pretty sure sooner or later, they will kill me too.
I will write again later, even though I don't know if there's anything else to write"
After scribbling those words using his pen, Richard quickly closed his journal and tucked it inside his pocket after hearing footsteps coming towards the door.
He was right, for it swung open and two armed guys walk in with their guns pointed at him. "Tayo!" they yelled and so he did. "San niyo ako dadalhin?" he asked.
"Wag ng madaming tanong, labas!"
Richard stood up walked out as fast as he can. There he saw a pickup truck that is eerily similar to theirs.
"Sakay na"
"I don't want to" he answered.
"Sasakay ka o papasabugin ko yang bungo mo?" one of the armed guys asked, leaving him with n choice but to get onto the vehicle.
Richard's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sound, his friend's voices. He turned around and saw Tommy, Emmett, Kyle and Thomas being dragged back to their room.
He wanted to come down but the doors are already locked. All he can do is stare at them while he's being driven away.
--
Maine is conducting an inventory on her pain killers when she realized an entire box was left behind at the camp. She knows the supply she has will not be enough that's why she ahs to go back while they still have the time to.
"Kuya, balik muna tayo" she told her driver. A few moments later, they left the field and headed back to the highway.
Knowing that time is a very important factor right now, Maine asked the driver if he knows a shortcut. "Opo Ma'am" the guy replied.
"Dun na lang po tayo" she told him and so they shifted directions. A few minutes after they got on to the road, they were joined by a pickup truck that came out of the woods. That vehicle caught Maine's attention because it looks a little too similar to the one that the lads used before they were kidnapped.
Maine tried her best to look clearly. She can see the silhouette of at least three people inside the truck. "Kuya, bilisan mo" she told her driver and so he accelerated the ambulance's speed while her eyes are still fixated on the ones that are inside the moving vehicle.
"Fuck ... it's him!" Maine screamed after figuring out that Richard is the one sitting on the backseat. She can't be mistaken, she knows it's him.
"Kuya ! sila yon! Bilisan mo!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Maine quickly brought out her phone and called Mr. Mendoza.
"Dad! They're here! ... Richard's here! ... they're trying to move him!" she told him in a panicked tone.
"Hah?!. Maine, wala akong maintindihan!!"
"Pumunta ka sa shortcut ... yung daan na nakita natin kanina ... sundan mo lang yun. Dad, its Richard ... tinatakas nila si Richard"
Maine immediately ended the call and activated their siren.
--
Richard is now holding his pen, he is going to use this as his getaway weapon. There are only two guys in front of him and none on the carriage area right on his back. He will use the element of surprise by stabbing one of them and punching the other while their range is still limited.
He was about to do it, but then he heard the sound of a siren right behind them. Richard turned and saw an ambulance closing in. To make things even more surprising, he can see her ... he can see Maine on the passenger's seat looking at him.
"Holy fuck ..." that's all he was able to say before the driver accelerated.
Richard looked forward and noticed that the guy on the passenger seat already stuck his head out, he has his gun and is more than ready to fire at the ambulance. Thinking that this is the window of opportunity he's been waiting for, Richard quickly leaned in on the driver and jabbed the ball point pen on his throat as hard as he can before pushing the other one further outside in hopes of making him fall to the ground.
The bloodied driver tried to elbow Richard but he was able to make a move first by slamming his face on the wheel. The other guy was about to hit him with the butt of his gun but the ambulance struck them from the back, causing everyone to be launched forward.
Richard hit his head, on the chair and it made him a bit confused. The pickup truck started going off the road, he looked on and saw that the driver is dead while the other one is still trying to maneuver the wheel from the passenger seat. Using every bit of the strength that remains in his body, Richard started choking him.
The pickup truck is now in the middle of a field and is heading straight to the tree line. Richard tried to stop but he's too late, their vehicle smashed into the trees head on. And because he's not wearing any seatbelts, he was thrown forward.
The last thing he felt is his head smashing through the glass before everything went black.
