Special Someones

Chapter 27 Flight

Summer camp, day 19

Xue Ge hadn't woken up yet when heard knocking at the door. As he got up he found that a certain other boy was lying next to him in bed. Xue Ge ruffled the rascal's hair then moved over him to answer the door, as the knocking grew more fierce and persistent.

Fatimah was behind the door. "Don't panic. But we have a situation on our hands."

Xue Ge's sleepiness was immediately thrown off. "What is it? They find us? What we do now?"

"I told you not to panic. It's not the Islamic council. It's... I don't know," Fatimah said and pointed outside, "See for yourself."

Xue Ge followed Fatimah out the room and looked out the window.

Outside, there was a convoy of expensive cars surrounded by foreign men in black suits, directing passers-by to move on. Just in front of their house was a ridiculously long limousine, with bovine longhorns mounted on the front.

"So? What is it? What are we looking at?" Fatimah asked.

Xue Ge searched his memory desperately. It *has* to have something to do with Matthias, right? Everything bizarre in this world is related to him somehow.

That and the cow horns were kind of a give-away.

"I think it's Matt's father," Xue Ge said.

#

The ladies and the five kids were all holding an emergency summit in the living room. Jenn and Chee Yok had been dropped off by their parents who were curious enough to co-operate (they hung about outside to gawk). Bolin came on his motorbike. All three had to be ushered in by Fatimah, otherwise the men in black didn't allow them past. Curiously, there was no sign of policemen or Islamic council members.

Everyone could tell Matthias was cross. "i'm actually very keen on going to school today. this was an incredibly disruptive and selfish act."

Jennifer wasn't entirely pleased either, but said, "Not that I disagree, but you can't fault him for being concerned and looking for you immediately."

Matt shook his head. "you don't know my dad like i do."

"How is he even here? Isn't he in jail or something?" Chee Yok asked.

"it was ruled as a 'Class A' misdemeanour. a year in jail and $4,000 fine at most."

"Like that only? How can? He hit your mum! His wife!" Xue Ge exclaimed in shock.

"it's the same a striking a random woman. breaking marriage vows to cherish each other is not a punishable offense," Matt explained.

"Crazy," Bolin commented simply.

Fatimah had other concerns. "If that wasn't enough, this shelter has been exposed! We can't use this home anymore. How did he even find us so fast?"

"I don't think it will be so bad," One of the ladies said sheepishly.

Fatimah turned to glare at the lady who just said that. The rest of the ladies tried to subtly tell her to shush up. This didn't escape Fatimah's notice. She looked around with realisation and anger in her eyes.

"Girls. What did you do?" Fatimah asked.

The ladies looked at the floor silently.

Bolin looked at them in horror. "...Cannot be. How could you do that?"

Xue Ge didn't get it. "What? What they do?"

Chee Yok did. "They sold us out."

Jenn glared, fury in her eyes. "How many of you sold us out? For how much?"