Their Villain, My Hero

The high altitude

The same emotions as in the morning envelop our minds. We really didn't think we would end up in the same situation again, not when we are so close to the final destination. Certainly, in those two hours left, we will find police on the road we have to drive to get to the helicopter. Everyone is no longer hungry or thirsty because of the stress. We need to change our route or the rendezvous location. Joseph already knows this, we can't risk another car chase, so he puts his hand in his jacket and takes out his radio station, contacting his colleague:

"Agent 032, we have encountered a problem! The meeting area must be moved closer to us as soon as possible! We will not be able to get there safely! Over!"

Not long after, the same interrupted voice is heard from the device:

"Agent 413, this is not possible! We have to stick to the plan! We cannot make such last-minute changes! Over!"

"You don't understand! If you don't do so, there is a great chance that the whole plan will go down the drain! The police are after us and we can't escape them!"

A moment of silence ensues. The agent is probably talking to the other co-workers about Joseph's words. We all stand breathlessly, waiting for an answer. Finally, the man speaks again:

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. You must try to get rid of the danger and, at the same time, get to the location without any delays! Good luck!"

A void swallows my body. Joseph feels like he's losing his mind.

"Oh, fuck off, mate!" He throws his walkie-talkie in the cup holder in-between the seats. I watch him fearful, thinking he'd yell at me after, but he didn't. If I was more careful, maybe this wouldn't have happened...

After he calms down, Joseph looks for his pistol. He pulls it out and holds it in his hand, checking to see if it still has ammunition inside it, breathing loudly. Chris reveals his gun too, putting it next to him. The atmosphere in the car becomes oppressive. I don't even dare to move a single muscle. We can only hope for a miracle. Maybe those people will find a solution to change their initial plan. I keep an eye on the radio station, waiting for any sign from them. And so it is. At one point, the quiet is broken by another voice coming from in between the seats:

"Agent 413? Can you hear me?"

Joseph quickly picks up the device and puts it to his mouth, a spark of hope igniting in him.

"Yes, yes! Who's this, by the way?"

"You're talking to the helicopter pilot. I received orders to let you know that the meeting place has been updated. We're now on our way to you! The location data has been uploaded to your GPS."

We look at the GPS and see how the route recalculates itself. Now it's only a 30 minutes journey, which appears to be on some deserted country roads. We are saved! Happiness flows through us. We will be finally able to get rid of everything that happened here, of all the troubles! However, something displeases Joseph. He has a doubt.

"Why didn't agent 032 let us know about this? He is the one who has to take care of us and our bloody mission!"

The voice delays its answer for a second.

"The orders were given by Mrs. Clarke." The man continues.

Joseph pauses. I see him relax. He takes a deep breath and ultimately responds:

"Copy that... We'll get there soon. Over!"

This time, he puts the device back in the inside pocket of his jacket. Me and Chris watch him silently. If he is okay with this situation, then so should we. But who's this Mrs. Clarke though? I guess we will find out soon. Following the GPS' directions, Chris takes us to the new rendezvous area. During all this time, we were finally able to drink and eat, recovering our strength. Joseph seems to be much better as well, physically and mentally.