100 Days and Nights

Chapter 4

The shooting came from across the street. A woman was running and screaming at the top of her lungs as a soldier chased her. Zack pushed me to the ground and then covered his body with mine just in case bullets were to head our way, although I didn’t think they would. I caught a peek of the woman just as she collapsed to the ground when the soldier shot her.

We lay there not daring to move. We heard one of the soldiers speaking Japanese, not fully understanding what they were saying. Zack got off me and then helped me off the ground. We walked slowly past the incident, not wanting to attract attention otherwise the Japanese would think we are hiding something if we ran.

We got back to the prison before anything happened to either of us, walking in silence. We were frisked at the entrance. Once we were cleared we walked through the building. There was still half an hour left before we had to go for dinner. We headed out to the field where we knew everyone would be. I looked around for Nelly and my family. I couldn’t see my parents, but I spotted my siblings with their friends. I found Nelly talking to Kevin. She seemed upset with something and Kevin was comforting her.

Kevin spotted Zack and I, pointing towards us. Nelly followed his finger. Her face lit up when she saw us. She stood up, running towards us and threw her arms around the both of us.

“Thank goodness you are okay,” Nelly replied before I had the chance to ask her why she was so upset. “They showed that woman getting shot and I was so scared that you and Zack might have gotten hurt during the shootout. A couple of other people were also shot when they were chasing the woman.”

“We were there but on the other side of the street. We were alright.”

Kevin walked over to us just as Nelly pulled away. “See, Nelly, I told you they were okay and that nothing bad happened.”

“I know. I just don’t want to lose two of my best friends on the same day.”

“And you won’t lose anybody. So, any ideas on how we can escape?”

I glanced around me before I answered him, checking to see if anyone or any of the soldiers weren’t nearby to overhear. I turned back to him. “I thought you said we can discuss it during dinner?”

“We still can, but out here might be better,” Kevin answered. “We don’t have to talk in secret out here. In the cafeteria we do. So any ideas?”

I stood there clueless. I wanted to escape but I had no plan on how to get out of here. So far the escape attempts people were doing all backfired. To do it successfully we had to be smart and find a way to get past security.

“Okay, well the first thing we need to do is get a team together,” Kevin explained. “We need to get a few people to help us out and who are willing to sacrifice their lives and for ones we can trust. Next we need to plan on how we can get the team out of here without being caught. It’s not going to be easy, but we need to do this.”

“Okay, that sounds pretty easy to do,” Nelly replied.

“We have to remember to always to watch our backs so we don’t get caught.”

“What if we do get caught? What are you going to do?” I asked.

“Well, there won’t be a Plan B because you will be dead.”

Kevin was right. We could only make one plan. There was no plan B if the first plan fails on us. One wrong move and we are all dead. But I wasn’t going to be like those prisoners who failed to escape. I was determined to get my friends and family out here, fight until the Japanese realise that this isn’t their country but ours.

“I have a secret hiding place that we can go to tomorrow rather than going to class,” Kevin continued. “We can plan the escape there away from the watchful eye from the Japanese.”