I'm back. Sorry 'bout the delay - I thought I would write more in the holidays... apparently not! I actually had to discipline myself to sit down in front of my notebook and type. Not that I didn't want to write the story, I was just lazy. But don't worry, the passion of writing and story is still there, so you'll never get half-hearted stories from me.
Disclaimer: This story eventually leads to homosexual relationships (we're getting there).
Please comment; say something or anything or nothing at
mask4truth@yahoo.com.au
The Unveiling Chapter 5
The next day, things were somewhat colder between me and Jase. We still talked, but I could 'hear' the disappointment strong in his voice. The others felt it as well, that was why they were always awkward when we were in the same room. I guess Jase knew that too, that was why we tried to avoid each other for the benefit of others.
Once I walked into the living room where Jase and the others were happily playing a game of cards. Feeling the room tense up, I made an excuse and left the room just as quickly. Not knowing what to do, I climbed up the stairs to the roof of our church. Our church wasn't the traditional slanting roof and cross and bell kind of church. It was a rather new building; it looked a lot more like an office with a grand ballroom in the center and a dormitory on the sides. The roof was like any ordinary roof - perfectly walkable with giant ventilation shafts snaking around at certain corners.
The roof was my favorite spot in the church. The night view of the city was splendid. The city and suburban lights of Melbourne alone was enough keep me entranced for hours. Little stars, Jase had called them, since he liked stars and there was no way to see them in the city. To me, the vast array of lights in the city represented the beauty of humanity and the wonders of technology. It was majestic.
Today was different though. It had been this way for many weeks already. None of the buildings were lit, only the lamp posts on the roadsides were. It made Melbourne look so empty - so small. But Jase would like this... the stars were plain in view, sparkling like little diamonds, blessing me with their wonder and mystery. Maybe I should call Jase up to look.
"There you are."
The voice startled me so bad that I didn't register whose was it until I spun around and saw Jean. She was smiling a little.
"You should put that away - it's making me feel insecure," she said, indicating my hand. To my surprise, I was wielding 'Reliever', my pistol, with the safety off.
I quickly switched the safety back on and stuffed the gun back into my holster. "Sorry."
"Don't worry. Just glad you're not Gary. He would have already pulled the trigger, but whether it hits me or not who knows," she brushed it off and walked toward me. "You and Jase worry us you know."
"Sorry."
"But don't worry about it. Real friends fight all the time," she said. Then she leaned forward on the balcony beside me. I could turn around and do the same, but instead I leaned backwards and put my elbows on the balcony. "Tony, I won't beat around the bush. Tell me what you know about them."
I know what she meant - I was captive for a few days with our 'enemy'. I thought for a while and then asked, "What do you want to know?"
"Everything, Tony. I just said it," she chuckled.
"I need to start somewhere. Ask me something."
She looked up to the stars for a while, then asked, "What do they want with us civilians?"
I laughed suddenly, then stopped when I realized how silly it must have seemed. "Ask another. That's a hard one."
She looked at me strangely. "Okay. What had they wanted with you?"
That was easy. "For me to convince the rest of us to join them."
"Bullshit."
I was surprised. I've never heard Jean cursed before. Jean spoke again before I could say anything.
"They already know where we were for the longest time before they took you."
"They did?" I asked and turned so that I was leaning forward on the balcony like Jean.
"Yes, they had planned your capture carefully. They could've put the biggest army there, but they didn't," she explained. "I know it makes no sense, but I'm sure of it. They want something from you, Jase that's the only explanation I could think of."
"Maybe they want us all alive. They are quite a smart bunch you know... we've been killing any army that had come in our way, even those bigger than ours," I tried to reason. "They must have thought the best way to have us alive was to convince us to join them. They did tell me that they captured me so that I could tell the rest of you to join them."
She looked resigned. "You're doing it again." She turned to look at me. "You're defending them."
"What?" I was surprised. "Of course not. I've told you guys, I did not believe them."
"And yet you defended them like they're your friend. That's why Jase was so pissed you know," she insisted. She paused for a while. "I don't know what they did to you. You used to hate them more than Jase did."
I was startled by her 'I don't know what they did to you'. Jase had said the same thing. "I was with them for weeks, Jean. They haven't been the cruel sadistic thugs I thought they would. They were very... human."
"That's not what we see," she said and paused again. Then she waved at the stars. "Beautiful isn't it?"
"Yeah."
We were then silent for the longest time. We only stared at the stars, without saying a word. Whether it was because we were satisfied with where we were or that we didn't know what to say, I don't know. Then I decided to ask her.
"How did you know that they knew where we were before I was captured?"
"Deduction," she said in her explanation voice. "They were waiting for us at that alley. And if you remember, they 'knew' that we were heading toward to docks. That only means they had been watching our route."
Why didn't I think of that? That's why Jean was an investigator I guess. "And how did you know they wanted something of me?"
"Because they planned the whole capture, like I told you earlier," she explained and turned to me. "They wanted you alive, you know. I wanted to tell the rest so that they wouldn't worry so much, but I didn't in the end because I wouldn't have any answers after that."
"Okay," I nodded. "Back to the first question - what do they want with us civilians," I turned to her, and we were facing each other. "They said they wanted to save us."
"You're crazy."
"I know. But I still want to find out if they were telling the truth."
Jean looked at me for a moment, then turned and walked towards to the door. Before she disappeared into the stairway, she looked back at me. "All of us - even Jase, had agreed to come with you to 'Point Zero'."
I could only look at her back. "Why?"
"We want to find out what happened to our family and friends."
We were on the roads again the next day. Jean and Kevin had carefully planned out the safest route to Portsea - 'Point Zero', to avoid detection. I asked them how sure are we that they weren't still watching us like they had before I was captured. Jean only shrugged and said they didn't know, and that they had done everything they could to shake their invisible watchers off them before they came to our church.
I found out later from Dean that the 'everything they could do' to shake off their watchers was an outstanding effort on their part. They had taken extra measures to cover their tracks, make dozens of fake ones, and take many unexpected routes. Dean even used fake IP addresses and created millions of random connections around Australia to the network so that they can't track us using the Internet. And he had even taken care of the electrical and water information that's distributed in the city. How he did that still amazes me - I wasn't a hacker but I still know that something like that requires a real genius.
If the watchers were still watching, then there was nothing more we could do, Kevin had said. But if that was the case, why would the enemy only watch, and not act? That was a question we all preferred to avoid.
Jase and I stayed the same way through the whole journey - we still talked, we still slept in the same room - though not the same bed, and we still laughed at each other. But there was now something less pleasant we were both holding back from each other, and he knew it as well. Jon had called us cowards once when I was talking to him about something entirely different. When I showed that I was confused, he went on to explain that as friends me and Jase should face the problem, instead of hiding it. It may one day destroy our friendship he said. I couldn't agree more, but... but I guess I was a coward. Or a procrastinator. Or whatever. I just want more time before 'facing' it. And I knew Jase needed it as well.
"Something's not right," said Irene after a few hours into the journey.
I turned and saw her frowning. "What is?" I asked. I think I knew what was it, but I wanted to ask anyway.
"The armies," she gestured at the roads. "There's hardly any of them. Isn't that weird?"
Of course it was. They were usually swarming the streets. "I'm sure it's nothing," I told her instead. Until we're sure, it's pointless to speculate unnecessarily.
So I went to ask Jean what she thought. Jean frowned worriedly and said, "What are they up to now? Maybe they think we'll never go toward 'Point Zero', and were searching in the opposite direction?" Then she snapped her fingers. "No... they must have wanted us to come!"
Then I went to Kevin and asked him. He beamed proudly and said, "See, it's working. The route Jean and I planned are perfectly safe!"
For some reason I found it incredibly funny and laughed aloud. Kevin gave me a kick and shot me the 'what are you laughing at' glare. Jean looked over with a glare as well and put a finger to her lips. I grinned apologetically at them. I don't want to blow our cover by laughing for no reason, do I?
We continued the journey regardless, and on the day before arriving, I found myself thinking about Feristel and Pagahar. We stopped at a classy apartment suite to rest that day, and while everyone was sleeping, I went to the dining room and sat there alone, thinking. What if Jase was right? That Feristel and Pagahar were just a part of a maniacal organization. They had been so convincing when I was there. They had even been kind to me... despite how I badly I treated them. There was also Pagahar and his magic display I had seen. That was real.
"Hey."
Jase. I greeted back without turning.
He took a chair and sat beside me. "Tony, look," Jase had a serious look on his face. "Anything could happen tomorrow when we reach 'Point Zero'..."
He stopped, probably waiting for me to say something. I only nodded.
"Look, I know things haven't been the best between us," he continued. "Before we leave tomorrow, I want you to know I'm sorry."
I smiled bitterly. Jon was wrong - only I was the coward. Jase had always been the strong one. "I'm sorry too."
His hand went out to clasp mine. "You know you're important to me right?" I felt him squeezing my hand. "I've always been too cowardly to say that."
I leaned into Jase for a hug and whispered my thanks to him. I was glad - relieved, because if something were to happen to us tomorrow, Jase and I won't have anything to regret. We would never get this far without Jase. He was the rock in our circle of friends. Everyone depended on him - especially me.
"Tony, there's another thing I've always wanted to tell you," he suddenly pulled away to look at me, "You know, I've always admired your strength."
I chuckled. "And I was just thinking that I was depended on you. Like everyone else."
He looked at me oddly. "What do you mean? We all depended on you."
"But I drew my strength from you Jase. I would've crumbled without you. I wouldn't know what to do if you were gone."
Then we were silent for a long time. Finally he said, "You are a lot stronger than you think, you know?" He pulled me into a hug. "I'm surprised you didn't realize that. I'm serious... there isn't anyone even close to you when it comes to the strength of heart."
"Maybe you were the one who didn't realize about your own strength."
He laughed. "Okay, okay. We both didn't realize it."
"Or maybe," I suddenly thought. "We all drew our strength from each other."
Jase chuckled again. "I never looked at it that way. But you're right. That's why we're friends, right? The 'formidable thirteen'," he raised his fist as if to symbolize strength.
I smiled at that. The 'formidable thirteen'. We could just call ourselves that. A just name for the best rebel against the cause of Feristel and Pagahar.
"So what were you thinking about?" Jase asked.
"Right now?"
"I can guess what you're thinking about right now -" he looked up in mock thought "- me?" he said with a grin.
"Us!" I said quickly. "All thirteen of us." I reddened a little. He laughed first, then I joined him.
When we stopped, he asked again. "So, what were you thinking about - before I intruded your space?"
"Them."
"Our friends?"
"No."
Jase sat up slowly. "We've been meaning to ask you," he said cautiously. "When you were captured, did they do anything to you?"
"No. They treated me better than I did them," I answered.
Then I told him everything that happened since my capture. About Pagahar and Feristel, how their base looked like and how they were like. Even about what Feristel had told me, 'Thrae' and all, and that Feristel said he wanted to save us from a transpiring disaster. Finally I told him about the fiery magical display Pagahar had invoked - how real and warm it was.
I never planned on telling anyone anything about the time during my captivity. Even if I did, they would just brush me off as crazy. No, what I told Jase wasn't planned. It could destroy my life - or what's left of it. I could have lost all the trust and confidence my friends had in me. But I was fortunate - blessed, that Jase had listened to every word I had said and believed that I had not lied about anything that had happened.
"You don't think I'm crazy?" I asked him.
"No, of course not. I've never doubted you," he said reassuringly.
"Then do you believe them?"
"That they're trying to save the world?" he arched an eyebrow at me. "Frankly, I'm not capable of that at the moment."
I nodded at him. "Kinda same as me. I sure believed in myself, and I know what I've seen. But I still find it hard to believe in another world."
He laughed. "Well, we'll find out tomorrow won't we." Then he ruffled my hair. It was strange because he had never done it before. "I'm just glad they didn't do anything to you. You have no idea what amazing imagination our friends have; until we got you back, we expected you to be a limb or two lesser."
"What do you see?" I whispered into the dark.
"Lotsa soldiers all around the building. We can forget climbing in a window unspotted," answered Simon, our 'scout'.
We were in a warehouse that was a few warehouses away from 'Point Zero'. It seemed that they hadn't even bothered to put security in warehouses near their very own 'Point Zero'. "Let me see for myself," I told Simon.
"Come."
I ran after him, trying to be as light-footed as him, with 'Reliever' - my trusted pistol - in my hands. When 'Point Zero' came in sight, I could see the soldiers Simon had referred to. If anything, he had understated the amount of soldiers. There were so many that they surrounded the building like a fortress! To make it worse, the building's surrounding was very well lit.
"Can you take me nearer?"
"Tony, no."
I spun around at that bitter voice. "Jase?" I didn't know he followed us; he was as quiet as Simon! Or maybe my ears were just failing. "I'm not going dangerously near, don't worry."
Jase looked like he was about to protest but Simon talked first. "Don't worry Jase, I can take him nearer without any danger. I know just the place."
"They need you there," I said to Jase when I saw that he wanted to come with us. Even though Simon said it was 'safe', anything could still happen to separate us. Not that my friends wouldn't function without Jase or me, but because Jase was the only person apart from me who knew what Feristel had told me. "Besides, one-one-two-point-two, remember?"
A hundred and twelve point two was the frequency that we would use on the radio in case we got separated. Simon had one of the radio in his pocket and Lil' Lily was holding the other. Jase grumbled, but agreed anyway. I never needed to convince Jase too hard - we think too alike. He understood that knowing what Feristel had told me may be an advantage even if it was an outright lie.
So I let Simon lead me closer to them. To my surprise, he was taking me directly to the front door of the building, where there were dozens of soldiers standing guard. As if sensing my hesitation, Simon leaned to my ears and whispered, "Trust me."
Repeatedly telling myself that Simon was sane and that he would not betray me, I kept on following him. Just as we were about to step out into a brighter part of the area, he pushed me down to the ground. Then he crawled in front of me and gestured for me to keep following him. "You call this safe?" I whispered to him.
"It is if you don't get caught - keep your head down!" he hissed.
Shaking my head, I commando-crawled after him. 'Safe as long as we're not caught'? Was he purposely avoiding my question, or was that really how his mind thought? Knowing Simon, he probably genuinely thought that way. Suddenly I realized Simon had disappeared in front of me. Panicked a little, I glanced around to see if any soldier had found us, or if I could find Simon.
"Keep going straight," said a voice which was Simon's. Feeling a little confused, I heeded that voice and almost immediately found myself tumbling down a large drain. Simon caught me before I could further damage myself. "You okay?"
"You could've told me!" I hissed at him.
"Sorry, slipped my mind," he grinned. Simon grinning was a rare sight. He turned to look behind him. "Look."
Then I understood why it was the perfect place. The soldiers never walked near here, there was undergrowth everywhere to provide us the cover, and it was only a few hundred feet away from the front of the warehouse that they had called 'Point Zero'. It looked like any ordinary warehouse from the outside.
"No, we're not going inside," Simon said suddenly.
"How did you know if I was about to ask?"
"I know that look," he shot me a mock-serious look, as if to imitate me. "We can come here because I knew a good spot. But I 'really' don't know how to get in."
Then the door of the warehouse - 'Point Zero' croaked open. Not wanting to waste this chance to see what may be inside, I leaned as forward as I could and squinted. Unfortunately, the door was only opened slightly and a dozen or so soldiers walked out. We could hear them talking from here. They were saying something about one more week to get everyone else.
"Not very different from us, are they," I muttered, looking at the soldiers.
"From Australians?" Simon asked me in an unsure tone.
"From Earthlings."
I only got the 'you are crazy' stare from him. We continued watching them for a few minutes, and when I saw soldiers going in the building, I got an idea.
"I know how to get in," I turned to Simon. He only raised his eyebrow, as if not believing me. "I'll dress as them and follow one of the armies in."
He shook his head in disapproval. "You watch too many movies, Tony. Those armies are people too, they 'will' notice the extra person behind them."
"They will?" I thought a bit. "I guess you're right. I would notice if there was a fourteenth person with us suddenly."
"Unless of course, you make absolutely no noise," he looked up at the soldiers again. "When the soldiers are in formation, they never look behind them. So if you're quiet enough, they'll never know."
"You think I'm quiet enough?"
"Of course not. You could wake the whole neighborhood. But I am."
"No, Simon."
"Heroics are only for you?"
I flinched at that. I nearly broke my promise to Jase again. Was I really that prone to foolish heroism? "Sorry, I shouldn't even suggest that," I said. "Let's go back, okay?"
Simon looked at me as if I was possessed, but he nodded anyway and immediately climbed out of the drain. I followed him, taking the same route back the way we came. When we arrived at our warehouse, Simon suddenly pulled me aside and pushed me to the ground.
"Wha-"
He put a finger to my lips and pointed at our warehouse. I squinted and noticed for the first time the armies in the dark standing by the door. Fear stabbed my heart as I felt a plunging feeling in my guts. Our friends were behind that door. Unable to do anything in this position without risking of getting caught, we only waited. After what seemed like the most painful eternity, more soldiers came out of our building and joined the ones outside it. I didn't recognize any of my friends with them as they went pass us. Simon continued pushing me to the ground as if fearing I would spring up until the last of the soldiers were far gone.
I stood up and looked at the ajar warehouse door. "No." They didn't take any prisoner. Could it mean that they've killed... "No." Simon did not move as well. We were both afraid of what we'll find inside. Then, not being able to stand it anymore, I walked towards the warehouse. Each step was making me dizzy, conjuring an image of what I may find... "No."
My hands was shaking when I pushed the door open. My breathe was caught in my throat. It was empty. I turned to look at Simon and saw that he was ashen.
"They were... taken?" Even my voice was shaking.
Simon stood silent for a while. Then he walked in and looked around. "No," he said, with a hint of hope in his voice. "No, they must have left before we came," he suddenly beamed. "Look how clean this place is - it was messy with Jean's paperwork when we left."
I understood then. Those soldiers wouldn't clean up after us, they had no reason to. I smiled broadly. Jean must had cleaned it up herself to rid the evidence, and left before the soldiers came!
"Tony, let's go find them."
I nodded and we left the warehouse to look for a new hiding place.