A Soul's Journey

Chapter Twenty Eight

Michelle led the way.

Jim's group had just moved down to the 19th floor when Michelle's reached the stair of the 20th floor.

The phone rang; Mang Teban was on the line again. "You have just missed them. Von is instructing you to go down using the elevator down to the basement."

"What basement?" Michelle gasped for air.

"Wait for them at the first basement."

Michelle pressed the red button of her cell phone and looked around.

"Let's go to the..." Where did they go?

She dialed the team leader's phone. "I received another call instructing us to proceed to basement 1. Let's meet there."

"No Michelle, wait for us; it's too dangerous..."

She didn't hear the team leader's piece of advice anymore. Her surge of adrenalin made her ran into an elevator about to close.

She stayed behind the other passengers. She closed her eyes trying to regain strength and pacify her mind. Oh my, why did I separate from them? This is the worse decision I ever did in my life. Every stopping of the elevator rocked her nerve. What if Jim comes in and recognizes me? No answers to her question.

The elevator stopped again and heavy steps rushed in. She opened her eyes and her fear came to reality. Two men came in, holding the half conscious Kim by the shoulder and arm, helping her stay on her feet. A third man he recognized as Jim, stood behind them. The man turned his sight on Michelle and their eyes met. As if lightning struck her heart and she almost collapsed. I'm a dead meat now. It was the first time that she feared for her life. Michelle held on the railings to prop herself up and she closed her eyes again, waiting for a miracle. It was a long wait she never wanted to be in.

Then she heard the group rushed out of the elevator. She opened her eyes and she was alone and alive. She dropped to her butt and lowered her head between her bended knees. Thank you Lord, he didn't recognize me.

A man came in, probably a driver who had parked his car. "Ma'am, are you okay?" He held her hand and tried to pull her up. I'll let the guards bring you to the hospital."

"No," she readily hesitated. The word 'guard' gave her an additional strength to move. He knew she wouldn't be safe with those men under Jim's payroll.

Michelle struggled to her feet and out of the elevator. She leaned against a wall as her eyes scoured the area. At the same time she phoned her companions for her whereabouts.

Just when she thought that everything was fine and calm, Jim came out behind a post and stared at her again. Their eyes met anew. Jim pulled a gun from his waist and leveled it to her head.

He recognized me! She quickly docked as the bullet grazed her right shoulder. She crawled behind the nearest car. This is not the right time to die. I still have to save Kim.

From under the car, he saw Jim's feet walked to her direction. She continued crawling to the next vehicle and then to another. Another bullet fired. It missed her. She stood up with shaking legs and hid behind a post.

A car cut his path. "Sir, we better leave. Let OIC take care of her."

"No, I want her dead before we leave."

Might be my end, Von. My feet couldn't bring me away from Jim anymore. Meet me. She leaned on the post and slid down on her back; then sat on the floor.

But NBI agents came in rushing out of the elevator with their rifles ready for action. Jim changed his mind and hopped inside the black car. It sped off to the exit followed by an SUV.

They're gone...I'm still alive but Kim is gone, too. She stood up and wipe off the dirt from her dress. Her strength slowly came back.

She looked at the team leader. "They're gone, we lose them. The group sped away in two vehicles."

"Do you have an idea where they were going?" the team leader asked.

"Just follow me. Somebody will guide us where they are going."

"This guy is hard to get. He was involved in many crimes like this but we always failed to pin him down."

"Not this time officer. You can bag him...before he could harm my friend."

"I have a feeling that someone is watching our moves and reporting to Jim," one of the officers said.

Michelle turned to them while they were walking. "The guards are the ones reporting to Jim. They are from the Security agency owned by his father."

A group of guards came in coming from the exit. Their hands were on the holster as if ready for a battle.

Mang Teban dialed Michelle's number again.

Still talking with Mang Teban, she warned his group immediately. "Guards are here to get me at all costs upon instruction of Jim!"

The NBI agent's team leader just laughed and stared at the guards coming in their direction. He cocked his long firearm and hold on to the trigger. "It would be too late for them to know the meaning of suicide."

The guards put away their hands from the handle of their firearms and walked away from Michelle's group. Fright was written all over their young faces.

.................

Jim's group entered a subdivision and stopped in front of a bungalow house with no neighbors yet.

Kim could already walk on her own feet but had no knowledge of what was going on.

Jim angrily banged the door with his right hand after knowing that he didn't have the key. With one strong kick, the lock broke.

Michelle's group followed Jim, guided by Von but the subdivision guards stopped them.