The sun is already peeking on the horizon in the East.
This means the morning has come...
Usually, people still sleep when this happens. Or for now, they may be still awake in tired because the always-hungry new alpha predators are never stopping to hunt as long as it is possible. So afraid and alert make they must still awake, for survival.
But here somewhere in East Africa, precisely in Kolo's hideout, the situation is a little bit different. All the people there already wake up and prepare things... They will go to South Korea by plane.
Gerald, Ros, Rory, Qunn, and Seol Yeum Bi are packing their needs that they going to bring to South Korea. Kolo is refueling his plane with enough QAV* to go to Seoul. (QAV is aviation kerosene or airplane fuel.)
Yeum Bi no longer wears her uniform. She already folds it neatly and packs it in her backpack that she get from Kolo. Meanwhile, her attire right now is borrowed from Ros. Even though she borrows a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from Ros, they are both still reluctant to speak a lot to each other. For Ros, her reason is that she still feels guilty about her actions even though she knew Yeum Bi's fiance just pass away, she feels sorry but she kind of hesitant to apologize directly, maybe because Ros's character is introverted and shy. And Yeum Bi herself, she also reluctant to start a conversation with Ros because she thinks Ros is a very serious person, she just wants to avoid any negative argumentation, and Yeum Bi is also introverted.
So after everything they need is prepared, they just get in Kolo's plane and fly off.
Seoul, South Korea is their destination.
Inside the plane, they are all silent, all with their own busy thinking.
Some maybe think like this: "Is this right? They are present at the beginning of the pandemic at the source place. But now they are in comfort, flying in a plane in a safe condition, sleeping well last night. Is the chaos happening? Well, maybe this is how it feels to be like a bird that migration first to safety before the disaster happens."
After flying for an hour, they start to feel sleepy again, because they must wake earlier in the morning, so now closing their eyes and taking a nap feels great. So they all start to sleep again except Kolo, and maybe Gerald and Yeum Bi.
... they sleep more deeply...
... sleep...
...
SWOOSH!!!
The sound of Fighter Aircraft is heard loudly just passing Kolo's plane in the near distance. There are two of them.
(Picture above is just for rough imagination. Your own imagination may be more correct to describe the situation)
"What is going on?" Rory that waked at that sound asked.
"Suddenly there are two fighter aircraft flying approaching us," Gerald explained.
"Where are that planes?" Kolo asked.
"Still approaching us, from our tail." Yeum Bi answered based on her observation through the windows.
"BBE-G071, halt!" Kolo's communicator sounds, Kolo's plane code is called and gets an instruction.
"BBE-G071, I repeat, Halt! Your plane flies above our territory without permission. You must land or we shoot above." Kolo's communicator sounds again, and this time is a clear warning.
"This is BBE-G071, hold your fire, this is an international free flight zone, what do you mean? Over." Kolo answered that threat.
"Not anymore. Land your plane or we shoot!" The fighter aircraft threatened seriously.
BIP... BIP... BIP... BIP... BIP...
"What is that?" Rory asked confuse hearing that sound.
"They just locking us with missiles," Gerald explained.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE! I REPEAT HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Kolo said in a panic.
"Comply or we shoot!" The fighter aircraft threatened again.
"Alright! Alright! I comply!" Kolo said.
"Land your plane at our airport." Said the fighter aircraft.
"Affirmative," Kolo answered.
"This is a cargo plane, how come we avoid that missile and fight that fighter aircraft," Kolo said to people inside the plane.
"Where are we?" Rory asked
"Somewhere in the Middle East, I think," Qunn answered.
"Ah, we are above this country. This country just has a coup last year right? Now who is ruling this country?" Gerald said and asked.
"I don't know, but now they just change the international agreement? This is serious, we better watch out." Kolo said.
So nothing they can do besides follow the order of the Fighter Aircraft. The fighter aircraft guide them to land at the airport that is not far from there.
After Kolo perfectly landed his plane, he open the cargo door on the tail of the plane, and there already waiting a lot of men aiming their AK47 rifles inside the plane. Nothing Gerald and others can do besides raise both of their hands and comply.
All the members from inside the plane are asked to get out and then their hands are tightened behind their backs one by one.
Some of the men escort the member to walk inside the airport, and the others are busy looting every stuff that they can find inside the cargo plane.
When they enter the airport, the airport is so quiet, it is non-operational, and they do not know is because of the coup or because of the pandemic.
But what is for sure, they can see that the airport is already damaged, ruin...
(Picture above is just for rough imagination. Your own imagination may be more correct to describe the situation)
They can imagine that the airport used to be beautiful, nice, operational, and busy. Now is damaged, with many bullet holes in the wall, the glass is broken, etc...
How pitiful a military act just destroys something that hardly builds by many and is not cheap either.
But nothing they can do besides thinking in silence and keep walking following the man that point their rifles at them.
Outside the airport, already await a truck and some cars with artillery. Gerald and others were just forced to climb and sit at the back of the truck.
After all aboard the cars, they then start to move.
In the beginning, Gerald and others are confused, as to why they do not see any infected? Does the pandemic not happen in that country? But it is kind of impossible because the Middle East is a very close region with China.
But later, when their car starts to pass a town, they can see that their doubts are answered.
They can see some of the infected suddenly come out from the random buildings and start to chase them. But this situation just makes the men that holding rifle laugh and happy. After they exchange the eye signal, one or two of them just shoot that infected pursuer. One or two infected pursuers get shot and fall to the ground, meanwhile, the others just back and hide anywhere after hearing that shot.
Now Gerald and others can make a little bit conclusion, maybe the airport location is quite far enough from the town, that is why it is empty. Now after they near the town, they can see the infected already infested the town. So now they also understand why their car is running fast above 40 km per hour, maybe to avoid any the infected.
But now seeing the rifled men happily shooting the infected, they can be guaranteed haven't watched the video from Prof. Bill that aired on Rory's channel all the time. People like them easily predicted only consume something that gives them benefit only, something like intellectual knowledge only will become the obstacle for them to gain their individual benefit.
Now between the people that are infected with something like disease, and can't control themselves to maybe kill others. Compared to healthy and conscious people that intentionally love to kill others. Which one is the monster?
But Gerald and others don't have too much time to think in that direction. Now their future is in questionable condition. What is happening? Where they are going to be taken to? What will happen to them?
To at least they can have a little bit answer about that, they must try to observe silently the situation all around them. But now what they can see is that country's city or town design uniqueness. All buildings are still in the ancient age style, the buildings are just square with small windows. The wall is mostly made from stone and clay. The whole town is kind of designed clustered by clustered, maybe based on the water source like an oasis.
Each town is surrounded by a garrison wall with a height of approximately 3 meters. And the wall is covered by clay, so it becomes smooth. It will be hard for the infected to climb that wall, maybe that is why the impact of the pandemic in that country is not as terrible in other countries. But maybe because the density of the civilian also not as high as others. This country just has a coup, many bullet marks and artillery marks are here and there. So maybe many civilians also already left and become refugees in other countries.
Besides, outside of the garrison, between town to town, what they can see is a huge open dry space with almost none-vegetation conditions. Like the desert, but still not sandy.
(Picture above is just for rough imagination. Your own imagination may be more correct to describe the situation)
How are the infected acts facing this rough geological situation? What will their instinct tell them to? Well, no one knows without further research. Will the people holding AK47 rifles do the research? Never. Don't hope.
...
So after they pass town to town, passing garrison after garrison, finally they kind of approach their destination. The last garrison that they come closer to, looks more noble compare to others. Maybe that is not a normal town, it is the main town Gerald thought, but Gerald is wrong because it is just a huge Palace. After passing the main gate, Gerald can see many normal buildings on the outer ring are kind of just the place for the Palace workers live, but in the middle, of that cluster, a huge and beautiful Palace stands.
That Palace was covered by gold and ceramic. Even though some war marks are still left to be seen, but mostly they tried to fix and renovate the Palace, maybe because their leader live or stay there.
So their convoy stops. Gerald and others are forced to get off the truck and follow the riflemen to enter the Palace.
Now they can see more clearly about the decoration of that Palace. The gold and ceramic are designed beautifully. But it is really in contrast with the people that they can see here and there inside the garrison. All are men, look scary like a Middle East nomad, and carry a weapon, either a gun or melee weapon.
What is waiting for them inside the Palace? Who knows...
After entering the Palace and passing a few rooms, now they are entering a huge hall room with a Throne in the middle top of the hall. That hall definitely designed glamor and look rich. But they are not welcomed as an honored guest, but like a prisoner facing the king to get the punishment. It is true because now Gerald and others are forced to kneel under the Throne.
"So this is the fugitives that were announced by the US government... What must I do to you? I can send you back there dead or alive, both are offered the same reward." A man that sat on the Throne said, he is wearing an all-gold robe, he is definitely the leader of them all.
"I'm sorry sir, we don't ha-"
"SILENCE!"
Gerald wants to say something but the person who sits on the throne rise his tone and stops Gerald.
"In this room is only I am that may speak. You don't know who am I?! I am The King here. The Prue Bloodline of Prophet, Jaffar the Great!" Said that man again.
Jaffar said that by aiming his all-gold desert eagle handgun at Gerald. Of course, it means Jaffar's threat is real.
"Now, between these two woman, one of you must be the Archaeologist, which one? Let me guess..." Jaffar said while playing with his gold gun.
"Permission to speak your Majesty?" Kolo dares himself to ask permission to speak.
"Sure, that is how you should do in here, ask my permission first. Go ahead, speak." Jaffar said.
"As the pilot of the plane, I am really sorry to fly above your beloved territory without permission. I deeply regret my ignorance. But please your Majesty, please show us how Great you are by forgiving us just this one time. We promise we will repay you someday. Please your Majesty." Kolo pleaded.
"Ah... so you are the pilot?" Jaffar asked.
"Yes, your Majesty," Kolo answered.
...
BANG!
"OH NO! KOLO!"
King Jaffar just shoots Kolo right in his chest, that shoot is lethal, and Kolo must leave them all, forever...
That sudden King Jaffar's acts make Ros scream, and the others panic, especially Gerald that wants to come closer to Kolo but is stopped by the guard inside the hall.
"SILENCE!!! Or you want to follow your friend, so be it..." Jaffar said.
Of course, they all don't have another choice but to try to calm down again and follow what Jaffar wants.
"Good... Alright, because I am a merciful person, so one is enough. You, two women, from tomorrow you may do your archaeological thing in this country, my man will escort you. Everything you find, you must tell me. I am a nice king, right? I also want to know the good information that is good for my kingdom."
"And for the men, well... just sent them to work."
"For now, put them all in the prison. Separate them between man and woman." Jaffar gives a command and his subordinates just do the command right away.
"A-a... wait... Three men together, maybe dangerous, just split the beard one with the women, and the red hair and the fat one in other one cell." Jaffar gives another command.
"What about this body?" Jaffar's subordinate asked. Of course, the body that he means is Kolo.
"Just throw the body outside the wall, the beast will clean him out until the bone." Jaffar gives the last command.
So that is what happens to them inside the Palace.
Become a real prisoner.
What will happen to them next?
***
The night before they fly to Seoul.
"King, there is a phone call for you." A subordinate comes to King Jaffar's room.
"From whom?"
"He doesn't want to say, King... But he says it is really important."
King Jaffar then just take that phone and give a hand signal for his subordinate to leave.
"Hello," Jaffar said to the phone.
"Hallo Jaffar, long time you do not contact me anymore. After you win the coup now you are changed, is that what you want to tell me?"
"Ah, it is you Elad. Well, yeah as you know, I am the leader now, the King... I think you should respect me more, I am rich right now, and in no matter of time, I will in the same level as you Elad. You better treat me well from now."
"Hahaha... I don't know that becoming a king can create a delusional disease."
"Watch your mouth Elad. If I want I can attack your country right now."
"Hahaha... It is you who should watch your mouth, Jaffar. Do you forget from who you get all your artilleries? Who supports you with all the military equipment for your coup? Do you think your country's income right now is just happening like that? Do you want to dare me to tell every buyer to stop buying your products? Do you forget all countries around you are under my influence also? Do you dare me to call them and command them to attack you at the same time? Let's see how long you can survive."
"I-I-I... I am just kidding Mr. Elad, please forgive my unfunny joke."
"Hahaha, good... Now you remember how to become one of my dogs, right? Alright, listen, I also don't want to waste your time. Tomorrow, there will be a private cargo airplane flying above your territory. I want you to capture them, keep them as your prisoner, and hold them forever."
"Really? Just like that? You know me, Mr. Elad, I must give them shock therapy in fear, if not, they won't obey me."
"You must kill one of them? Well, I don't think that way at the beginning... Well, what for sure is don't kill the female one, I still have need of her. Instead, you must let the female one keep doing her archeology thing in your country, she is an expert archaeologist, and her founding maybe can bring benefit to me. And... Don't kill the red hair one, I don't want to have a mess with his father. Well, actually I don't think you should kill one of them, are you really must do that?"
"I can't guarantee Mr. Elad."
"Well, if you must kill one, then kill the pilot, I don't have any need for the pilot."
"Consider it done Mr. Elad."
Then their conversation of them ends.
Jaffar then asked his subordinates to tell him the information about Mr. Elad.
And believe it or not, people like Jaffar also have an intelligent power that knows the issue all around the world. So from there he more and less knows the situation about who Mr. Elad talking about. He knows the correlation between the pandemic, Mr. Elad, and the female archaeologist.
So that is what happens.
That night, a phone call was made.