The Candles

8

Carl started playing music on an old CD player. Heavy metal music began playing. The whole car was filled with heavy bass sounds and lots of drums and guitars and indistinguishable voices.

Logan and Ava were silent at the back of the Range Rover. One of the SUVs had stopped at the camp to free the prisoners and arrest the Candles while the one with Jane had kept going, chasing after the hostages. Jane kept talking in their heads, reassuring them.

"If we all get out of this mess alive and uninjured, it'll be a miracle," she sighed at the back of her SUV. Logan glanced at Ava but she was still staring through the windshield at the desolate road ahead.

"Crap." Jane sounded panicked. "The SUV is too heavy to keep up with the Range Rover." Logan felt his heart sink. "We're running low on fuel. If you don't stop now, we'll never catch up to you."

"I have to pee," Logan said over the rock music. Frank looked back.

"We're not stopping until we reach the shore," he said in his thick german accent. He turned back to face the road. Logan sat behind Carl and Ava behind Frank.

"Choke," Logan mouthed. Ava understood the message. Logan counted down on his fingers. When his fist closed, both agents threw their arms around the headrest and smashed their forearms into their captors' throats. Both of them choked under the sudden pressure. Carl swerved dangerously and everyone in the car was shoved to the side. Logan still managed to maintain his grip on Carl, but Ava let go and Frank whipped around, pointing his gun at the agents.

"Let go of him, boy," he said slowly at Logan. Logan clenched his jaw and let go of Carl. He gasped for air and stabilized the car in the middle of the road.

"What happened?" asked Jane.

"I guess our plan to stop you guys didn't work," Ava said, more to Jane than to her captors.

"If you move a muscle, I shoot," Frank warned. He remained in his position, with his gun pointing back at them, for two long hours.

Finally, Jane tuned into the com devices. "Guys, I'm sorry, but we've run out of gas," she said sadly. She sounded defeated. Logan and Ava looked at each other.

"Just keep your head cool," Logan muttered. "Jane, you still have our coordinates, it'll be fine."

"Trouble is, the batteries on your devices last only twenty-four hours," she explained. "You won't be able to charge without a battery or a solar panel. You've got about nine hours to go and we'll try to get to you before then. Don't panic, stay cleared-headed. Remember: you're JAYES agents." But Logan couldn't help feeling his heart sink lower.

They had nine hours to get out of this mess. Then, they'd be lost.

The Range Rover stopped in the middle of a wide empty dirt road. The sun had fallen below the horizon, the horizon gave off an orange-ish glow. On their left was a series of low wooden buildings with old signs above their doors. Old AC units rumbled under the windows and puddles of water gathered beneath them. One of the signs said William Creek Hotel and next to it was another one that said XXXX GOLD AUSTRALIAN LAGER. There was a shop in the same building, right next to it. Its sign advertised its dinners and ice cold beers. They also sold petrol and diesel. On a smaller sign attached to the porch railing, it said: SCENIC FLIGHTS OFFICE BOOK HERE.

Logan hoped this stop was just to get gas, and not book a flight.

Logan was wrong. Carl left the Range Rover and came back with a man dressed in cowboy boots as well as the same white hat and dark sunglasses as Carl wore.

"Get outta the car," he hissed, opening the car door. Frank, Logan, and Ava quickly left the Range Rover and stepped into the cool night air. The man was talking about how strange it was to get a request of a tour this late in the day. They followed Carl and the man across the dirt road and towards a long and thin strip of cracked concrete. In the middle of the strip was an old Cessna 206. Logan realized this was an airstrip.