Free Minds

Chapter 89.

   Before my eyelids could give their final blink, a wounded cry jolted me awake. I heard a striking sound before the cry erupted again, giving me the chance to trace its source to the Yunie not too far from me that was holding onto Camila. Well, trying anyway.

   Barely believing what I was seeing, I could only gawk on while Camila, who had somehow managed to get her hands behind her and on the gun that was still strapped on her, rammed the pointed end of the weapon into the alien's lower jaw again and again without stopping. After one too many hits, the Yunie's grip was visibly slipping.

   And I wasn't the only one noticing this.

   Looking up at my Yunie prisoner and noticing how his breaths were getting heavier, it was clear that he was going to do something if his alien friend didn't find a way to subdue her. Meaning I was going to have to do something. Fast.

   Gathering up the last bits of strength I had, I began to thrash around in my Yunie's arms with the parts of my body that weren't entirely constrained. The warning shakes and the tightening holds I got in return didn't faze me. After a while of twisting and turning, the hand that the Yunie still draped over my face inched below my nose and closer to my mouth, giving me the golden opportunity to sink my teeth into it hard.

   The howl of anguish which erupted from the Yunie made my ears feel like crap and left a ringing noise in them and the alien's subsequent anger was manifested through a grasp that appeared to squeeze the life out of me. But amidst all the bone crushing, I was still conscious enough to see Camila's next hit finally succeeding in freeing her from her Yunie.

   I couldn't withhold the choked, soft chuckle bubbling at the back of my throat when I saw the direction she was running.

   Camila's search around the wet, grassy patch of land took less than a second. The Yunie whom she'd wounded had recovered fast and was already gaining on her. Unfortunately for it, it wasn't fast enough and that Yunie became most affected by my Yunie whistle which Camila found and won't stop blowing.

   From Cami's Yunie, to mine, to the one clutching Landon, to the one which had just grabbed Dorian, each and every alien fell to its knees–dropping us in the process– and clapped their hairy palms over their ears.

   As I lay on the ground, still trying to get myself together after my breathtaking fall, I noticed Dorian was no longer bent over Rav. He'd grabbed the stun gun strapped behind him, aimed at the Yunie that had just let him go and fired. Then he moved to that of Landon's, then Camila's, then mine.

   I watched the Yunies on the immobile on the ground with a dropped jaw. It was one thing to create a weapon with the hope that it would work, but it was a whole other thing to get a glimpse into the fact that the Yunies were going to stay frozen for the next 20-30 minutes.

"Come on, Beth!" Landon yelled, as he helped me off the ground.

   Rav, Dorian and Camila were already a few feet ahead of us when we joined in on their run. This time, it was clear that there were not going to be any more stops until we got to Tunnel Six.

   It wasn't easy restraining the urge to look over my shoulder as we took off, but I felt like we could handle any other ambushing Yunies better in the future.

   Everyone slowed down as the familiar blue and white building that was the library came into view, knowing what this destination meant. Behind the library was a small car park which ended at where the first chain link fence with the multiple 'out of bounds' signs was positioned. After that fence was a short stretch of bare land with weeds–some overgrown– that led to the second fence which was meant to shield trespassers from the Tunnels.

   For now, we stayed alert at the side of the library, waiting for Camila to finish using the only pair of binoculars we'd gotten through Landon's connections last minute and give us feedback on what she sees.

"Just like Rav and I suspected," She finally turned to us grim-faced. "There are two Yunies in front of Tunnel Six."

"Then it's a good thing we prepared for this." Rav said, his strong, clear voice indicating he was much better after what he'd just gone through with the aliens. "Come on Camila, the sooner we begin with this diversion, the better."

"Actually..." Cami's gaze and the tone of her voice dropped. "I was thinking Landon and I do this instead of you and me."

"Wait, what?" Landon's brows shot up.

"And why is that?" Rav frowned at her.

   I didn't blame Camila for the sudden change of mind. It wasn't just Dorian who'd freaked after Rav was thrown to the ground by one of the Yunies. Even though he seemed fine, it was not safe to risk it. And if anything happened, he would have at least two people– those of us who were going to take advantage of the diversion and enter Tunnel 6– protecting him.

   Rav's expression became darker as I decided to help Camila out by explaining this to him.

   But he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Fine."

"Thank you." She mouthed to me when he wasn't looking.

   Fortunately, we were all present while Rav and Camila explained the contents of their diversion plan so all Camila had to do was simply refresh Landon's memory on how it was going to go and that didn't take long.

"Okay, Beth," Rav spoke up afterwards. "Lead the way."

   Leaving Cami and Landon behind, Dorian and Rav followed behind as I took my usual route to Tunnel Six. Even though we could have gotten to the tunnel by walking straight ahead from where we were previously standing, it wasn't the best route seeing as that route was instead reserved for our diversion plan to be carried out by Camila and Landon. The rest of us had to take a more subtle route.

   Not that being subtle was going to be much of a problem for me. I'd already been to the tunnels countless times. After my first few visits there, I knew that if I didn't wish to be caught, I had to use a less revealing route.

   Which was why as Dorian, Rav and I crossed over the first fence and were now running through the overgrown weeds on the land right behind the second fence, my head had never felt clearer.

   After some more running, we stopped at one of the familiar ends of the second fence, which had Tunnel one almost right behind it, catching the breath we'd lost. We couldn't go through it yet. The diversion had to occur first.

   Right after that thought, a deafening roar rippled through the atmosphere. The ground beneath our feet and the fence we were currently leaning on seemed to give violent trembles at the noise. The latter was followed by the sounds of heavy footsteps, which got fainter and fainter as Dorian, Rav and me stayed frozen at our spots. No one's legs were willing to move just yet.

   My heart began to slow down when the only thing one could hear was the chirps of the crickets hidden all around us. Then, taking a huge swallow, I ventured toward one of the holes in the fence and poked my head through. Even though the distance between where I was and Tunnel Six had me squinting, I knew my eyes couldn't be playing any tricks on me when I saw absolutely no one or aliens at the entrance of Tunnel Six.

   The plan had worked. Camila and Landon had succeeded in catching the aliens' attention with their presence and the Yunie whistle and had allowed themselves to get chased by the Yunitides toward as far as the school's football pitch–at least I hope she and him were able to lead them there. If they did, then the plan would be made complete by them using the stun guns on the Yunies and locking all the doors of the pitch in time to meet us later in Tunnel Six.

   Until then, we couldn't let their diversion go to waste.

   I turned to Dorian and Rav. "Let's go."

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