Mahingga

Chapter 20: Iban

In Ako's experience of being carried over somebody's shoulder, he assumed they were right.

"Now, if you will please, follow me," bandana-man said. He turned towards an alley. "And I say please, but..." Iban gave Ako and Kita a shove in front of him.

"Come along now," bandana-man said. "This works a lot easier if you just cooperate, I promise."

Ako was very aware that there were three of Yevan's soldiers lying dead on the street in front of him. There'd been six soldiers in the car with them, but there was now nobody else stirring. He curled his lip in disgust and followed the bandana-man, a sick feeling churning in his stomach. Aside from funerals, it was the first time he'd ever seen dead bodies.

"Who are you, anyway?" Ako asked. He recalled Yevan giving a list of his enemies, but he couldn't remember any of the words or names he'd used.

"Friends," bandana-man said. He'd picked up the pace so that they were almost jogging.

Kita rolled her eyes when Ako glanced at her, but she too looked disturbed by the sudden death of the Pawid guards. They'd taken a couple turns and crossed another road where a group of six soldiers were marching past. Bandana-man and the other guy shot the six of them down in about two seconds before running across to another alley. Ako could hardly believe that he just saw six people die.

"What do you think?" Ako asked Kita in Mahinggan. People who could kill like that without any remorse...there's no way he could stick around them.

"I think these guys are a little scary," Kita answered.

"Do you think we can get away?"

She gave Ako a sad look when they were told to wait for a moment. They'd stopped at the rear corners of four ugly, concrete buildings.

"So what're you two chatting about?" bandana-man asked. Iban had gone inside a secreted door. "Plotting our downfall or something?"

"Well, if we wanted you to know, perhaps we wouldn't have spoken in a different language, would we?" Kita responded.

Ako winced as she said the words. Sure, he wanted freedom, but his body still ached with the beatings from the day before. He just couldn't think of how they could get away without maybe getting shot in the process.

Even through the bandana, Ako could see the man's cheeks turning up in a smile. "That's why I'm asking." The door opened back up and Iban waved them inside. "Oh, looks like it's time to go. Get on in."

The man's light attitude about abducting them was getting old really quick. They stepped inside to a room that had no windows and was almost empty, save for a couple old men that sat at a table under candlelight with mugs in front of them. The older men didn't even look up from their mugs as Ako and the others walked by.

"Alright, we're gonna need you two to change your clothes. Can't have you stickin' out too much in those costumes of yours," Iban said, throwing a set of clothing to them both. He opened a door and pointed inside. "Just the lady, first."

Kita looked down at the clothes with a frown, then back at Ako. He shrugged at her, and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"There's obviously no way to sneak out of there or anything, so don't waste our time," the bandana-man said, picking idly at his fingernails. "Just come out when you're done."

Ako took the chance to look at the clothes they'd given him. They were heavier than his robes, and they looked rather big.

Kita came out a moment later wearing gray pants, a white shirt, and some kind of thin, buttoned coat in a bland, tan color. "They're not bad," she said to Ako with a shrug.

Ako's cheeks burned a little at the sight of her.

"Alright bud, in you go," Bandana-man said, jerking his head at the door.

Ako blinked a few times and went into the room. When he closed the door behind him, he found himself in a tiny room with three rock walls and a solid ceiling. A very dim electric light glimmered overhead. Kita's discarded swimming clothes were sitting in a corner. He hesitated to remove his robe, but then did so quickly. He changed into the Pawid clothes and wasn't surprised to find them uncomfortable. The tan pants and coat were tighter than he would've liked, but at least he still had his slippers. When he exited the room, he felt like suggesting that they reconsider their clothing options.

"Excellent," said the man with the bandana, removing it from his face. His smile was as huge as Ako imagined it was. "You won't be needing your eyes from this point on, so we'll just cover them up."

Kita flinched away when he tried to tie a bandana around her eyes. "Come on now, we don't want to do anything violent in here, do we?" Kita clenched her jaw as her eyes were covered. The muscles in her arms tensed, and Ako worried for a moment that she would do something else, but she didn't. Iban used another bandana to cover Ako's eyes. "Alright, and now," Ako heard Kita scream as the two of them were simultaneously thrown against the wall and their hands were bound behind their backs.

"Package prepared," one of the men said. "Pickup point P22."

"Alright you two." It sounded like the voice of the bandana-man. "It looks like you've been approved for delivery."