The Town of Ruins

Chapter Seventeen

            Don't look so surprised. You knew it would happen eventually, as did I. Our missions were being run purely on luck and it's a surprise we didn't get caught sooner. Let me finish before you start making assumptions. When I woke up, I realized I was blindfolded. Not being able to see, I took in what I could feel, smell, and hear.
            First, I tried to move my hands and feet a bit. They were both tied. I felt along the chair that I was sitting in and realized it was wooden. I moved my feet along the legs and felt that they were bolted down to the ground. Next, I sniffed the air. It smelled of cleaning solution, money, incense, and very high egos. Lastly, I listened. I could hear pencils against paper, typing on keyboards, and stylists against tablets. This along with people whispering. I tried to count how many people based on where the sound of their voices was coming from, relevant to me, and there seemed to be about seven or so. I heard a gavel hit a desk. "They're all finally awake. Take the blindfolds off." I heard someone say. My blindfold was removed, and I looked around. I was in a circular shaped room, with only lights that bore red light. Along the walls was one very long counter top that held the effects of seven people. I looked at the wall behind the person in front of me and saw the old symbol for the United Nations before it was disbanded. I looked at it a bit more and realized that it looked more like the map for the Flat Earth. On the wall behind the person to the left me, I saw a triangle with an eye in the center of it. On the right I saw a portrait of seven people. Four men and three women. I recognized Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin immediately. After a moment I recognized Alex Turnbull, the Prime Minister of Australia after his father, Malcolm died. I recognized Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Oludamilola Osinbajo, the daughter of previous president of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo. I recognized Merit Steinmeier, who took over Germany after her father died. Lastly, I recognized Michel Temer, who became president of Brazil after his father and older brother died.
            I looked around the room and saw everyone in the painting except for Trump. Vladimir saw me looking around and said, "Ah, so you've noticed our missing member eh? Well you know where he is, so make this easy and spill your guts now before we take them out ourselves." I kept my mouth shut. "Fine, you don't want to talk about that, then ask me a question. I'll let each of you ask me or the others one question. Any question. We will answer honestly and fully." I looked at the others, and back at Vladimir. "How did you do it? I mean you must be, what? 116? And Trump is about 122. How do you stay alive past the regular man's lifetime?"
            "Well, it's very scientific you see. Every so often we get implanted with new cells. Cells that were made from our DNA when we were younger. This makes the young cells duplicate as the old ones die, and in turn makes us younger. Next question please." He said. "What is this place?" Asked Sammy. "This is the meeting hall of the leaders of every continent. The largest, most dominant country in each continent sends their leader here every so often and we have a meeting. It is called the Hall of the Illuminatium." "When are you going to let us go?" Bella asked. "When you are dead." "So, I guess you didn't catch the other eight people in the ballroom that night then?" Simon asked. Every eye in the room turned to him. "Oh, you didn't know? Oops." He said, looking like he just spilled out the password to every confidential file in the world. "There were twelve of you in that room?" Jacinda asked. "Well of course there were. You didn't really think they would send four teenagers out alone to kidnap a president, do you?" Bella said. Everyone in the room started muttering. "Enough! I do not believe these lies that you have told us. However, I suppose it might be better safe than sorry. Go collect everyone who was at that ball and bring them here." Michel said to us and the guards in the room respectively.
            I looked at Bella and I saw that she had been loosening her hands in her ties. She had them practically out, all she needed was a distraction. We were still wearing our dresses and necklaces, but the earrings were gone. The boys still had their bowties, but their cufflinks were gone. As Bella was on the opposite side of the room from me, I decided to be the distraction she so desperately needed. I started acting like I was having a seizure. Everyone turned and looked at me. Everyone except for Bella. "She's having a fit, take her down to the hospital ward!" Alex said. "No, she's faking it!" Oludamilola said. Jacinda and Merit both got down from their chairs and ran to me, along with Alex and Michel. Vladimir and Oludamilola both tried to get the rest away from me. In the distance, I heard the cutting of rope. Which meant Bella had to be on her feet now. With everyone crowed around me, no one was paying attention to the others. I heard Bella saw through Sammy's ropes, and then Simon's. Simon and Sammy both got their bowties and stabbed Vladimir and Oludamilola in their throats. I kept up my act, and Bella got Alex, while Sammy got Michel, and Simon got Jacinda. Merit was trying to stop the bleeding from Vladimir's throat, when Bella came to untie me. When I got up, I used my knife on Merit.
            With all the world leaders dead or dying except for Trump, I couldn't help but wonder how long it had been, where we were, and how we were going to get home. Bella led us out of the room and through the hallways of the building while I thought of what to do. We could say we were attacked and held hostage and get the government that just held us hostage to pay for our plane tickets home; that would be too obvious. When we found the exit, there was a van parked right outside. Bella got in the passenger's seat. Sammy the driver's, and Simon the back. I was just about to get in when someone grabbed me from behind. I twirled around and kicked the man in the groin and ran for the car. He recovered quickly and grabbed me again and held a knife to my throat. I stopped moving. "Go! Now!" I screamed at them. Bella looked at me in the eyes, then at Sammy. "Go." I heard her say. "NO! What happened to no man left behind?! This isn't right!" Simon screamed. "Simon, Go!" I yelled at him. "Tell everyone I love them!"