The Wavering Hawk [ENGLISH]

P14. Let Go

"We look stupid."

"Perhaps."

"You're nuts." He groaned right to my ears. "Who, in their right mind, would escape with an invalid?"

"You planned this." I grabbed his legs. "I am simply bringing the mastermind, make sure he didn't deceive me."

"Right." He huffed and tapped at my shoulder. "I heard something. An alarm, it seems. And...."

"They're coming." I heard that too. My head whipped back and forth, left and right. They were coming from all directions. I didn't know where we were and no maps to tell me anything. "We need to find a lift. Hang on tight."

We turned to the nearest turn as group of wardens and soldiers in black unidentified uniform approached us from the end of our way out. They blocked all our sides but one.

I turned right and there was it: the lift.

"You knew you don't have to do this, Neil." Omar said as he clung to me. "You should save yourself. Don't bother to save me."

He was right and some rational mind in me admitted so. But I couldn't allow that. I didn't want to imagine escape with left him behind, in this place. They could do something worse and just imagined the probabilities of they did worse harm on him made me sick.

"You said you missed your family." I reminded him. "You said you had a son and a daughter. You said your son would be in school by now. You said wanted to meet them."

Omar didn't answer for a brief moment. "Yes...."

"Then I'll take you to them." I said. "I promised you'll meet them. So don't ever think of staying here ever, Omar."

And I would keep that promise until the end.

"What was that? Not 'hey', again?"

"Silence." I cut him. "I'm thinking a way out of here."

At that, Omar laughed in a way that I've never heard of him. "You finally called my name, Sahabi."

***

I ran faster and managed to arrive at the lift before them all. My thumb pressed the button. The lift was not far away, but that damn steel box moved like snail. Our pursuer was ready with their guns and bombs but we were stood still in front of the lift.

"Neil?" I felt Omar pressed against me. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." I swore. "I have a promise to keep. I have to take you to your family.""

"You will." He whispered, then just like when we were in cell, he tapped my shoulders. "I will finally meet them again today."

When it rang opened, someone pushed me to the lift.

I heard a shot. Many times. I turned around as the lift closed itself.

Omar, who had no feet or arms, had pushed me with his torso and whatever remained of his limbs. He shoved me to the lift, and became my shield.

The bullets pierced his neck, crushed his veins, stab his vocal cord. He fell helplessly to the floor, tainted the white road red with his blood. I could everything from where I stood, his blood splattered on my face, the whirred bullets rained at his already helpless vassal.

I could only witnessed him, laying and bleeding on the floor, and for the last time, raised his head to face me. He was smiling through wounded lips. Soundlessly, he said something.

"Take care."

Another shot hit him. Right on the head. And immediately, the lift door completely closed.