The Soul Conflict

Chapter 11: Pursuit

This place isn't what I thought it would be. The place is rife with tall buildings, as well as modern European and Japanese vehicles noisily driving across the paved roads. There isn't a grain of sand on be found.

I still have to find a way out of here. I look for all the matter like a beggar on the streets, if not even worse. Maybe I would be better off finding a hospital. Except, I am not sure how much control The Serpent truly has over this city...yep. Maybe it is just best that I be going.

From the sound of the sirens blaring all over the place coupled with the occasional shouting, control is most likely being contended between the Saudi Arabian government and my greatest enemy. I have to keep moving. I started limping down the streets, getting brief stares from the civilians who looked as if they were in a big hurry to get to safety. I can't blame them... the memory of The Serpent's goons raging across Martapura is still all too fresh in my mind. I have to get out of here befor this intensifies into that situation.

Men were dressed in white robe-like clothing that covered their while body. I believe those were called thobes, but what do I know? I am not here to study culture. Hell, I don't want to be here at all. Women were dressed in similar black robes, some with headscarfs. It is oppressively hot out here, making my staggering throughout the city all the more pronounced. Luckily, the sound of the gunfire erupting from the prison caught peoples attention more so than my antics...oh god who am I kidding. More gunfire just means that I am about to be gunned down.

I turned a corner around the street. I have to think of a way to get out of here. The right thing to do would be to look for an airport and fly out of here, but I have no money. Plus, the situation is so dire that I have no time or patience for that. I need a quick solution and I need one now.

Is that...a SWAT car over there!? No, this is Saudi Arabia...it is a dark green armored car with a manned turret on top driving down the road back towards the prison. It definitely belonged to The Serpent, as evidenced by the cold blue armored soldier sitting pretty in the turret. The war vehicle drove right past me; it must be looking for someone else. The Serpent has more forces than I thought...

I took note of the several parked cars on the side of the street. Given how bad the situation was, I am strongly considering stealing one. Would that be wrong? Probably, but at this point I am out of options. The odds are bad enough as it is, as I have no idea how to hot wire a car nor do I have anything to break a window with. My best bet is to find a car with the keys still left in the ignition.

I stumbled towards the line of parked cars, taking advantage of the panic in the streets as people fled the sound of gunfire and sirens. Haven't I just been in this situation yesterday? People fled towards their own cars to drive off towards safety, making me look a little less suspicious as I frantically search for cars with the keys left inside. I'll check these first three sedans left in front of me.

I peered through the first window of a small black sedan. No such luck, this car is locked. I tried the next two only to find that those two were also locked. Dang, there has to be at least one absent minded person who left their car unlocked...

Wait. What am I doing? I am quite literally preying on the weak so I can save my own skin. First I failed to save somebody who needed my help, no, twice! Now I am hurting someone else so I can save myself...I am no officer. Where is my sense of justice? Is my life really so important that I have to hurt someone elses?

But time is so short...there are likely people after me. If I turn myself in, I'll die! I...I am so afraid. I don't know what to do. What do I do? There aren't any choices. The police force here is likely under the Serpent's command. There are no trusted authorities to turn to.