The P.U.L.L || #Wattys2017

Chapter 29: Regroup

"Emma!" Joshua exclaimed as he hugged him. "I'm really glad to see you right now!"

"Me too!" Emma cheerfully said. "Rick and I were looking for you for quite some time. I thought you'd still be in their house."

"Where's Rick?" 

"I left him somewhere" Emma replied. "Come on, let's go!"

Joshua heaved a sigh of relief. Rick and Emma never cease to amaze me!  How did they even escape from that kidnapping? He cheerfully asked himself as he followed Emma.

"Now, how did you escape? And why did you leave us alone." Emma asked him. "We literally had a hard time escaping without you, you know!"

"I'm so sorry! I got electrocuted just like you, and I struggled to hide myself while they were loading you. I was in a daze myself." Joshua replied. "How about you, how did you escape?"

.....

A few hours ago...

Sunlight glinted from the car window as Rick and Emma woke up. To their utter disappointment, the late morning heat began getting into them, aggravating the headache that they already have, due to the incident with Emma's aunt and uncle. 

Emma and Rick didn't know what hit them while ago, but now that they already got their senses back, they began to realize that they had been abducted. However, Emma and Rick didn't lose their wits.

Because they knew that they had been carrying their pocket knives all this time.

Aunt and Uncle must have forgotten to check our pockets before tying us up. Emma told herself as she tried to struggle with the ropes they've been tied with. Rick and I can escape anytime now, but this must be the only way we could put an end to everything. 

"Psst. Emma!" Rick whispered at her, making sure that Mr. and Mrs. Tratzky on the front seat won't hear it. "I got an idea! Since we have our pocket knives and all that, why don't we just escape after we see the mastermind's hideout?!"

"That was my idea!" Emma defended. 

"Stop whispering, the two of you!" Mr Tratzky shouted. "We're almost there."

Rick and Emma had a bittersweet feeling as soon as they heard that they're almost there. Although they are happy that they are finally going to uncover the mastermind's whereabouts, they knew that there will be more danger and less probability of escaping as they get nearer and nearer. 

Having that thought, Emma began to squirm as she tried to  position her hand in a way that will let her easily get her pocket knife. Rick started off doing the same after Emma signaled him.

Just a little bit more! Emma assured herself as she strained her wrists.

Phew!

Emma heaved a big sigh of relief as she touched the rim of her pockets. After squirming for a few more seconds, the pocket knife smoothly slid out of her pocket. As soon as Emma felt it touch her hand, she immediately gripped it and simultaneously signaled at Rick, who seems to be having a pretty rough time.

Emma set to work at cutting her binds as soon as she got a stable grip. Sweat poured down her face as she tried to move her wrist in an awkward position. Even so, she continued to do it, for it's the only way for the two of them to escape.

Before they get caught for real.

Snap!

Hearing the rope snap one by one as she cut it made her feel more at an ease. Before she knew it, she was able to cut all the ropes. After doing so, Emma began helping Rick while trying to cover up what she did from her aunt and uncle. 

"Thanks a lot, Emma." Rick whispered as he felt the taut rope loosen. After a few minutes, both Rick and Emma were free from the binds. Still, they pretended that they were still tied, so that Mr. and Mrs. Tratzky won't find them out.

"We're here." Mr. Tratzky began to announce, making Emma and Rick almost jump from surprise. "Now, be quiet, the two of you. And behave for your lives'sake."

"Aren't you happy? You're finally going to reunite with your parents!" Mrs. Tratzky excitedly said. "So, please behave."

Parents? So, the mastermind still have our parents?! Emma thought.

.....

"What?! You mean, the mastermind has them in their hideout?!" Joshua shouted so that Emma could hear it in the midst of the storm. "But how did you escape?"

"Oh, that was the easiest part, as far as I know." Emma told him. "Not only did we know which power plant the mastermind is using as his hideout, we also know how to get in and get out without getting noticed. Aunt and Uncle didn't  even notice us cut our ropes, as if trying to let us escape." Emma chuckled as she told Joshua everything.

"So, we just need to go there, rescue our parents, turn off the power source, and capture the mastermind." Joshua confirmed.

"Yeah! That's pretty much the plan!"

"So, how did you escape?" Joshua curiously repeated.

"I already told you, it was the easiest part." Emma told him. "As soon as we entered the tunnel leading to the underground of the power plant, Rick and I jumped off the car and rolled on the ground. After that, we ran as fast as we could, thinking that we'll be chased once again. To our relief, no one chased us. And that's how we escaped."

 Something's not right here. Joshua said to himself after hearing Emma's story. If you jump off a car, it would be totally impossible to not make any sound at all and not alert the driver. It's either they were too focused on something other than the kidnapping, or they just let them go. Something really isn't right here.

"Joshua, we're here!" Emma told him as they arrived at an evacuation center. 

"Hey, guys!" Rick waved at them, ignoring the storm around them.

.....

After heading inside and drying themselves up, Joshua, Rick, and Emma helped themselves with food that has been served in the evacuation center. Although it was just hot soup, the three of them enjoyed eating it. After what they've been through, they just realized how hungry they were the moment they were served some soup.

"Man! After all that stuff, this soup tastes so..."

Click!

Rick's contemplation suddenly got interrupted by a blackout. The once lively evacuation center suddenly fell silent. 

A loud crashing noise could be heard from outside. 

Curious as to what it was, the three of them opened the door of the evacuation center to take a look outside. A sudden gust of wind blew against them as the door was forced open by the wind. It took all of their strength to hold the door in place.

"Wait, what is that?" Emma asked Rick and Joshua as she saw a huge figure from afar.

"What is a tornado doing here?!" Rick exclaimed, as he saw the looming giant.

"Don't ask that. What's worse is, it's heading straight towards this evacuation center!" Joshua told him.