day,” I said. “I want to go
back to bed.”
Chapter 16: A way out
I had no heart to fight. They led us back
through the hall, up the stairs and down another corridor. I felt
like giving up, walking alongside the soldiers when I smelled
smoke. Then I saw it curl up one of the soldier’s legs. Several of
the men with guns started looking around, confused. The soldier’s
pant leg caught fire, soon the same thing happened to another guy
near him. Both dropped to the ground trying to smother the fire by
rolling around. Soon eight men began to dance around, trying to put
out their pants as they caught on fire while others tried to help
their comrades.
“Run!” said Tracy. She led the way as we ran
for the far door at the end of the hall. When we got through the
door, we saw that we had entered part of the robotic assembly area
again. This time instead of coming out on the balcony, we were on
the ground level. The noise was horrendous. A series of conveyors
moved quickly in front of us.
Everyone paused and looked at me. I didn’t
lecture them about not being able to lead. “This would be a good
room to hide,” I yelled. “Any ideas?”
“How about that?” said Guido. He found an
equipment closet that was mostly empty. There was only one machine
part inside, square with knobs all over it. I had no idea what it
did.
“We can all fit,” said Tracy.
We followed her inside and I wondered where
Hayasa was, so I reached down my hand and instantly he was there. I
gave him a pat on the head while crouching. Han closed the large
metal door, and we waited silently, still breathing hard.
Soldiers came running through the door
outside. I could smell the smoke. “They could have run or they
might have hidden,” said Abe. “You and you, search this room. The
rest of us will move on.”
“But that girl just sizzled the pants off of
me!” whined a voice.
“Go,” said Abe. “You'll have to get new pants
later.”
“In my boxers?”
“Yes, just go.”
“Oh, alright,” he said. “Let's go Joe!”
“I’m going back to the training facility,”
said Abe. “The next session is about to start.”
That meant only two men would be searching
for us. But I remembered, they had guns. An advantage we didn't
have.
We could hear the two men moving equipment
around. Even over the sound of the machinery, they were talking
loudly. “Can you believe it Roy! Three kids escaped! And did you
see the hole in that door? How did they do that?”
I thought about this. There were four of us.
Why. . .
“It's me,” I heard a voice whisper. Guido
touched my shoulder and I could see him in the shadows. “They don't
know I'm with you. Maybe this gift isn’t so bad after all.”
“If they get us,” I whispered, “you have to
get out. Get away and tell the general what we've found.”
“Okay, but I'll bring someone back for you,”
he said.
“Sure thing,” I said, knowing if we got
caught, we’d probably be dead.
Again we listened to the two men outside.
“Sizzled my pants right off me,” said Roy. “The burns will probably
take weeks to heal! It hurts to even walk.”
“Just be careful that she doesn't sizzle more
than that,” said Joe.
“These kids creep me out,” said Roy.
“Everyone with these crazy powers.”
“Yeah, but we have guns,” said Joe. “We'll
get them. Then we'll lock them up. Or maybe we'll shoot them and
say it was by mistake.”
“Hey, that's an idea,” said Roy. “One good
turn deserves another, right?”
Their voices were getting louder. I heard
them open up a locker nearby and slam it closed again.
“No one can pants me and get away with it,”
said Roy. “Shooting them would be justice.”
“Yeah, I was just kidding Roy,” said Joe.
“You don’t want to shoot them. Let Abe take care of them.”
“Yeah, but. Well, you’re probably right,”
said Roy. “Anyway, I can't do it here. I don't have any good place
to put the bodies. Unless one of these lockers would
back to bed.”
Chapter 16: A way out
I had no heart to fight. They led us back
through the hall, up the stairs and down another corridor. I felt
like giving up, walking alongside the soldiers when I smelled
smoke. Then I saw it curl up one of the soldier’s legs. Several of
the men with guns started looking around, confused. The soldier’s
pant leg caught fire, soon the same thing happened to another guy
near him. Both dropped to the ground trying to smother the fire by
rolling around. Soon eight men began to dance around, trying to put
out their pants as they caught on fire while others tried to help
their comrades.
“Run!” said Tracy. She led the way as we ran
for the far door at the end of the hall. When we got through the
door, we saw that we had entered part of the robotic assembly area
again. This time instead of coming out on the balcony, we were on
the ground level. The noise was horrendous. A series of conveyors
moved quickly in front of us.
Everyone paused and looked at me. I didn’t
lecture them about not being able to lead. “This would be a good
room to hide,” I yelled. “Any ideas?”
“How about that?” said Guido. He found an
equipment closet that was mostly empty. There was only one machine
part inside, square with knobs all over it. I had no idea what it
did.
“We can all fit,” said Tracy.
We followed her inside and I wondered where
Hayasa was, so I reached down my hand and instantly he was there. I
gave him a pat on the head while crouching. Han closed the large
metal door, and we waited silently, still breathing hard.
Soldiers came running through the door
outside. I could smell the smoke. “They could have run or they
might have hidden,” said Abe. “You and you, search this room. The
rest of us will move on.”
“But that girl just sizzled the pants off of
me!” whined a voice.
“Go,” said Abe. “You'll have to get new pants
later.”
“In my boxers?”
“Yes, just go.”
“Oh, alright,” he said. “Let's go Joe!”
“I’m going back to the training facility,”
said Abe. “The next session is about to start.”
That meant only two men would be searching
for us. But I remembered, they had guns. An advantage we didn't
have.
We could hear the two men moving equipment
around. Even over the sound of the machinery, they were talking
loudly. “Can you believe it Roy! Three kids escaped! And did you
see the hole in that door? How did they do that?”
I thought about this. There were four of us.
Why. . .
“It's me,” I heard a voice whisper. Guido
touched my shoulder and I could see him in the shadows. “They don't
know I'm with you. Maybe this gift isn’t so bad after all.”
“If they get us,” I whispered, “you have to
get out. Get away and tell the general what we've found.”
“Okay, but I'll bring someone back for you,”
he said.
“Sure thing,” I said, knowing if we got
caught, we’d probably be dead.
Again we listened to the two men outside.
“Sizzled my pants right off me,” said Roy. “The burns will probably
take weeks to heal! It hurts to even walk.”
“Just be careful that she doesn't sizzle more
than that,” said Joe.
“These kids creep me out,” said Roy.
“Everyone with these crazy powers.”
“Yeah, but we have guns,” said Joe. “We'll
get them. Then we'll lock them up. Or maybe we'll shoot them and
say it was by mistake.”
“Hey, that's an idea,” said Roy. “One good
turn deserves another, right?”
Their voices were getting louder. I heard
them open up a locker nearby and slam it closed again.
“No one can pants me and get away with it,”
said Roy. “Shooting them would be justice.”
“Yeah, I was just kidding Roy,” said Joe.
“You don’t want to shoot them. Let Abe take care of them.”
“Yeah, but. Well, you’re probably right,”
said Roy. “Anyway, I can't do it here. I don't have any good place
to put the bodies. Unless one of these lockers would
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