Chapter 17
Fast N Furious or Speed
John had promised to free each and every member caged in that building but he had no plans, no arms and no idea how he was going to do that.
Damn he did not even have a deadline because the girls were not sure when they were expecting their captivators back.
There was no prescribed or followed time schedule.
Whenever they had potential buyers they'd get them there and allow them to choose according to their fancy and requirements.
For girls it was mostly $exworkers.
He was pretty sad to learn that even young boys were sold for same task.
He managed to open all the locked doors, others were actually locked and not like the one he entered
Thankfully he'd managed a thick iron bar from the half constructed room of the building. He used it to hit the lock hard till it broke open.
When every one was together, it was difficult to maintain silence but the dark skinned leadership quality girl Sarah she had introduced herself to John earlier.
John saw that spark in her eyes, the hunger for freedom.
Sarah managed to grab each and everyone's attention.
"We have gathered here for our escape. This kind gentleman has volunteered to help" she gestured at John "only if we join in and help each other united."
Loud whispers were heard as they were discussing.
"We do not have much time" John shouted "now we have to rush" John had no plan but he was simply executing what his instincts asked him to do.
"First it would be all the young children" he addressed the group of boys and girls almost 35 of them "please form a straight line" he instructed "when I came it was pretty calm outside. So there isn't any immediate danger so far" He stated "but we'll take back door and go in groups of two so that no one could notice" he looked in the eyes of scared children then he bent to their level "I understand you are scared but I request you to walk as if you are leaving for school, relaxed" he eyed each and every one of them "you can do that?" he asked.
The poor scared kids nodded
"Sarah" John called the girl, something in her eyes told him that he could rely on her "you'll lead them.
Take them to the nearest bus stop, here's the money but don't let all of them board one single bus." He handed few bills to her
"You guys will get down at Gendry Hills' he addressed the children.
"Then he addressed the slightly older people who were trapped for slavery "you'll walk till the next stop, the second stop is around two and half kilometre away but you will manage?" he asked.
They were scared too but they nodded.
Once the kids have alighted the bus Sarah will return and then I will send you guys too. "He picked another young girl. She was a shy Asian girl
"What is your name?" he asked
"Kyra" she mumbled only loud enough for John to hear. With trembling hands that she'd held tightly to hold herself to stop shivering she came aloof the group she stepped forward.
"you'll lead the young group, girl and boys who shared the room with you all these days
John doubted her efficiency but once handed over a responsibility she squared her shoulders "okay" she nodded and like mother hen she took her lead for others to follow behind her.
"What if they come before that?" one of them asked.
John was scared himself at the possibility but nevertheless he answered, "then we fight together.
"But they have guns" another one of them argued.
John shrugged "then we have to fight smart"
He picked all the possible leftovers from the half constructed room and handed them to all the captives.
"I have heard they are almost 15 of them and you guys are around 55. Oops! 56 including me" John corrected, "even if three people attack one of them and tackle them, the odds are fair.
"We are not professional fighters " one of them intervened trying to hold the heavy stone in his properly "I haven't even used a knife to chop vegetables that my mom would so force me to. How do I use this to hurt someone?" he asked.
"Desperate times " John answered sadly "desperate times dear make you do things that you'd never expect to do even in your dreams"
It was the conviction in his voice or the strong broad personality that the boy nodded and believed in John.
Once most of the rooms were evacuated and the last one was still locked, John wondered why.
When he opened the door, a very suffocating odor hit his nostrils and he found few men and women scared and waiting while other few lying on the floor and couple of them were lying lifeless on the floor and one of them was seething in pain as he held his stomach tight.
On the far end corner, which was probably the source of filthy odor, were lying two dead bodies.
John looked at them "I am here to help. Rescue you all" when he noticed them backing up scared he shouted "trust me. There are others too. Why did they lock you here?" he asked
"They have kept us for organ trafficking," one teenage boy stated signalling the dead bodies lying on the floor, "these two were robbed of their kidneys and when they were sent back they were miserable and in pain, less food and probably no proper medicines were the reasons of their fatality." He then begged "Can you please save us?" he choked, his Adam apple bobbing up and down with parched throat "Can you free us?"
John was shattered and taken aback. With loss of words he nodded and walked towards the lady lying on the floor holding her stomach. He tried to lift her bridal style but she shrieked in agony.
Quickly he joined two chairs and laid her in them.
He asked the teenage boy and the middle age man to lift both the chairs.
"Take the back exit" John instructed, "let the lady out first and then the rest will follow.
With shivering hands they lifted the two chairs making sure that the lady was as comfortable as she could be in such dire condition.
John was invigilating the escape of the last of the hostages when he heard the front door open.
"Hurry up " he yelled but their hosts aka kidnappers who'd gone for a break outside had probably sensed the danger.
They rushed inside and were furious at the empty rooms.
"They should be here somewhere nearby. " One of the them shouted "I just left a hour and half ago" he shouted, "There wasn't enough time for all of them to escape "hurry rush check where are they?"
John stood on the final step of the stair where he was escorting the escape when he found one of the kidnappers noticing him.
Before the person could shout and warn his mates John attacked him kicking his shin and then grabbing the neck of with the elbow, he pressed it tightly enough for the guy to pass out.
However the commotion alerted the kidnappers and they were now attacking John.
John used the long thick iron rod that he had used earlier to break the locks and fought them but soon he was outnumbered.
He'd fought and knocked down four of nine men. But now he was trapped. He was held by them and the tall man with crooked nose, a huge car on his right cheek, probably their leader who was now holding a gun on the side of his head "which gang do you work for?" he asked John "Are you a cop?" He then pressed the barrel of gun deeper into his skull "and where are my people?"
John knew he was doomed but he swore to free the people so he was stalling "gang? What gang are you talking about? I was just wande..."
The guy with scar hurled a loud and tight slap at him and now John could breathe in relief for the gun was away from him.
He had his brains churning and he wondered how he could snatch the gun from him.
Others might be having guns too. But they were not to be seen and this was his best and only chance.
John moved forward and bent slightly to snatch the gun but his other teammate was fast enough to get his gun and aim at John.
John waited for the impact of the bullet but there was nothing. Instead he opened his eyes to find himself in the loud noise and havoc where all the children and youngsters were attacking the goons with their so-called weapons that they had picked from the construction site.
John gave a proud smile
Outnumbering them they were doing a pretty good job.
Goons were taken by surprise and did not know what to do.
John quickly guided people out of the house and looked around
Every one was returning from three directions.
"We did not know where to go?" Sarah said
"the streets bring you around every time I take a new path" Kyra said huffing holding her stomach.
She wasn't used to running' John thought and then corrected 'hell they were barely fed and are weak.
He needs to rescue them; an energetic determination crossed his mind.
He could see a bus parked in the far end corner.
John looked at it longingly. The young girl noticed too.
They passed each other a knowing smile and ran towards the vehicle.
The vehicle was mostly abandoned except the conductor snoozing inside the first seat, a small handkerchief covering his face blocking his eyes from light.
"Excuse me" John called and when the uniformed guy labeled as Ramsay snored back John patted him on his shoulders "Ramsay I noticed that the rear wheel is flat. I think you should check and inform the driver."
"Huh!" Ramsay woke up disoriented
"Puncture " John and the young girl repeated together.
"Ah!" the attendant said disappointed "I knew it. I told the driver to get it checked but he was being his usual ass "
John made a sorry face as Ramsay left for god knows where because John did not wait to see.
John quickly jumped up on the drivers seat, the young girl besides him.
John looked around looking for something.
"You can drive right?" she asked.
John smiled not for an answer but because he could see the keys hanging of the ignition.
He quickly turned the keys.
The vehicle roared into life, moved a bit and came to an abrupt halt.
"I asked, Can you drive?' the girl repeated but by now John had started the engine and the vehicle was roaring loudly "can you drive?" the girl repeated and John noticed that she wasn't alone anymore but the young lad who was scared to hold a knife and yet did a great job knocking the goons was standing besides her
"I don't know" John replied.
"If you don't know how are you doing to drive us"
Ignoring him John toyed with the gears or got hang of it.
Smiled at his achievement John answered the guy whose face had gone pale by now "I don't know if I can drive or not" he shrugged happily and showed the huge glass windscreen and the moving houses and trees behind him "Guess I can" he smiled.
"I do not understand" Sarah looked ahead from the glass shocked at the vehicle moving "how did you drive if you do not remember?" the girl asked holding the metal bar of the bus tightly.
John was now taking a reverse and smiled as he now answered the young lady with the same answer he'd given him earlier "desperate times."
John looked at the empty road and glad that it was secluded turning the steering steep into right and though he'd turned more than essential, he even knocked couple of orange post cones but finally managed to take a u' turn.
John realized he could drive but he was not comfortable with the size of vehicle as it wobbled on the left and right, John even managed to dodge a suv that was parked along the street.
"What is your name?" John asked once he thought he had the vehicle under control
"I am Sarah" the girl replied but the lad who was focusing on the road ahead and turned alert every time John was about to knock the divider on the road "I am Liam but could you please hurry. They have called other members of the gang and they would be here soon," he shouted at John.
John panicked and pressed the accelerator hard rushing to press the breaks when he reached the place where everyone was waiting for him with hope and belief in their eyes.
"Shit" Liam cursed "F##kers" and John realized that there were more guys now ready to jeopardize their escape plan.
John could see a lot of figures in the rear view mirror. But when he pushed his head out of the glass windows he cursed "fuckers! They are a whole lot of them."
He quickly drove to where all the people were waiting some were even eagerly running towards the bus amidst escaping the whole gang who were trying to catch them again
John himself jumped and helped people into the bus and quickly leapt back on the driving seat.
Few hundred meters and he saw on the side mirror that he'd left a limped man back there.
Fortunately there were no other gang members after them
John looked at Liam and Sarah. Sarah nodded but Liam nodded his head in denial "we cannot risk everyone else for one person who is limped."
Sarah elbowed Liam "how can you be so selfish?" She begged to John "please do something'
John closed his eyes for a split second and then observed the crossroad repeating the steep movement of the steering he stirred the vehicle and turned it 180 degrees to take a u turn and reached the limp man who was in his mid forties but looked like he'd crossed his fifties
John would forever remember the look of gratitude in his weary eyes when he gestured him to hop on to the bus "Liam help him" John shouted and Liam quickly followed.
John's heart was racing hundred times the regular speed when the guy entered the bus and suddenly a loud blast was heard.
John could actually taste his heart in his mouth Figuratively though.
He turned around to look for the source of loud bang and blast and saw panicked people
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Liam cursed "Drive John" he barked ordering, "Drive fast. They are following," he yelled from the steps aside trying to help the people who were injured when one of the following cars had banged the bus.
John did see a dent at the rear end.
Hence the explosive noise" he gathered.
John sped the vehicle as fats as he could not remember that he did not remember if he could drive.
Not remembering how he learnt driving.
Not remembering that he was indeed a proficient driver.
Not remembering if he had ever driven such a humongous vehicle below.
Only thoughts in his head were he had to save all of them
And the bad guys were following
And it wasn't one vehicle they were in groups three groups with a pair each of them driving similar looking black jeep.
They were either blocking his way or banging the bus obstructing the escape.
"Holy F##king Shit!" Liam exclaimed "its like I am part of movie Fast And Furious or freaking Speed. This is so cool."
John cringed at the comment but he was too busy trying lead the chasing game to respond back to him.
He focused on his driving.
John had managed to dodge the black jeeps; he made swift left turns and right turns to escape them. He might have even missed few of the lights, broken some cones, trespassed one ways but the jeeps were like honey bees attacking him, never giving up.
And if this was not enough John noticed now that the screeching musical alarming sirens now accompanied noise of wheels.
John looked at the side glass mirror to see that two white cars with lights on top were also chasing them.
John was officially screwed .....