ANTICLOCKWISE

Chapter 19

In Mexico now....

JARED'S POV
I feel so weak but I can't even shift my hands or legs. We have been tied so tightly that we can't even shift a little. I look around and spot Noel on the far left. I don't think he is even conscious at all! He seems to be struggling to stay awake.
I blink back tears at the sight of him so hurt and bleeding.

Then I remember how I didn't tell him how I feel about him! And here we were on a fifty fifty scale of being alive or dead by tomorrow.

Yes, I heard them threatening someone to kill us by sundown tomorrow!

All the time I wasted being angry at him and trying to make him jealous. Life is fragile and short, living in the moment is what I should have done.
This scenario we are is like a bad time out for us to think about everything we have taken for granted.
Raphael is apologizing to Casper. Apologizing for putting football over him and never giving him time.
I can't waste this last chance i have. So I call out to him,

"Noel! Noel ! I shout,
He turns his head not quite figuring out who is calling him.

"It is me, Jared, look this side please" I beg
He turns towards me, and looks at me from his side.

"Can you hear me properly?" I ask him.
He nods his head but winces, must have been hit on the neck!

"Noel, I heard you last time you told me your feelings, I was just too shocked,I couldn't believe that after all this time, you could return my feelings, I have wanted it to happen for so long and when it did, i couldn't react.
I want you to to know that I've always loved you, ever since i met you. I regret not fighting for you more, forgive me if i hurt you. At this moment, the situation we are in, everything falls into perspective. I know that I don't ever want to loose you" I say ,then try to wiggle and face him.

"Its good to hear that Jared, for a minute there i had lost hope. I felt I couldn't reach you and it was devastating, i can't deny my fault in it and and this point, I can't take pulling away from you anymore, i really did try to fight for you, you know, so I promise if we survive this, we are starting on a clean slate" he says sweat trickling down this forehead with the exertion.

"Thank you so much Noel, by the way, what did you mean by fight for me? Were you trying to make me jealous with the whole Raphael thing? I ask

"Yeah, and I kind of sent you gifts like you used to give me" he admits

"The glass figurine! I love it" I reply smiling.

But before he can even reply, the men come in frantically seeming very angry and looking murderous.

"They think we are joking! Bringing only one shipment! " The man shouts angrily throwing things around.

"Boss, they said for every shipment, they want the first lot of the kids, and the next one, the last lot" one his men replies

"They think they hold the power and want to negotiate? I don't think so! They are trying to set us up and am going to beat them at their own game!" The boss says

"Boss, I've seen the snipers they have tried to hide" another one comes in to tell him.

"Very good, I knew it was a trap, let the games begin! Grab all those kids and put black hoods over their faces. Divide them into two and march them to the entrance" the boss explains.

As the men come towards is to blind our faces, we are all terrified especially the girls! They look so weak and tired.

Our faces are hooded and then we are divided. I spot Noel with the other group.
We are then matched to the entrance and I feel us being led outside.

"Give us the first shipment and we give you the first lot of kids" the boss shouts

"Fine!" Someone shouts from the other side.
I hear a heavy duty truck moving, I think the first arms shipment and then we are pushed and people grab us.

Our blindfolds are removed and we start sobbing out of relief at seeing the military and our parents. We run towards them and hug them.

Then the second lot is brought and I can't wait to have Noel in my arms.
They are brought but this time, one of the terrorists gets into the truck instead of it being sent. Even the first one, a driver enters it. They quickly jump inside then one of them releases the others and also gets in and they drive away!

I can't believe they are just going to let them go! After everything we've been through!

"You're letting them go!?" I shout

"Of course not! Look again" my father says

I look and see the military and soldiers lined up on both sides of the road and snipers up in the trees. They are trapped!

The boss just steps out laughing and drags someone from the truck.

Oh nooooo! It is Noel. He removes the hood and we see his frightened face.
My eyes begin welling with tears. As all of us shout and gasp. His mother falls down and collapses!

"You thought we were stupid,don't you? We knew after handing over the kids, you would come after us. So I exchanged one of my men for this kid. That is the reason for the hoods. Now let us pass or i blow his brains out" the guy says pointing a gun at Noels head!

Left with no choice, they give him way but immediately, we jump in and start following them.
On reaching the main road, they speed past us but they don't realise an ambush is also ahead of them.
When they spot it, they jump out realising they are trapped.

"Give us the boy and surrender" the general says.

Next thing we know, Noel is on the ground with a bullet shot and almost bleeding to death.
We ran towards him and see him slowly slipping away from us.

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