Chapter 8: Mad Dash

As a force field closed off the entrance, the wanted man took off in a flash. Charlie gritted his teeth as he hurriedly stood up. “Our ride is trying to ditch us! We can't let that happen!” Sarah's hazel eyes widened and she hollered in her sweet wavering voice, “Follow him!”

They all headed through the waiter's door into the kitchen, where Pen, Sarah and Nicole narrowly avoided a collision with an Ænor carrying six entrees of all sorts of strange foods, but Charlie knocked into it, spilling purple tentacle soup on his head. “Gob! I hate running!”

The four exited out the back and into the nearby æmbre forest, before long disappearing in the thick of their branching limbs.

“Wait!" Nicole cried after the wanted man, barely keeping him within her sights. Pen looked back for just a second, hollering “I can't! Stay behind! They're not after you! Just me!”

Nicole's brows set with resoluteness, “I won't leave you!" she declared.

“Just understand that no matter what, I can't wait!" the escapee retorted, “If they catch me- well, let's just hope they don't catch me! So unfortunately, I may have to leave you behind!”

The red head fumed. “No way are you leaving us! You got us here; you have to take us back! Who are we even running from?!” Sarah sprinted ahead of Nicole like a nimble deer, still finding time to answer Charlie's query. “Pen's an escaped war prisoner! That part got left out of the explanation I guess!”

Pen indignantly glared at Nicole. “That was supposed to be a secret!” She bit her lip. “Sorry! I thought it would help your case when I was explaining the shackles!” Charlie huffed angrily. “Great, our only ride back to Earth is a fugitive!” Sarah tied her hair back into a ponytail hastily to keep it out of her way as she ran beside Pen. “Sorry, it's my fault! I asked about the collar!” Nicole huffed. “No, it's mine! I knew it was a secret and I didn't keep it!” Charlie faked an endeared sigh sardonically. “Don't you think now is a bad time for apologies?!"

A fhuu could be seen in the distance flying towards the group with impressive speed. This was unfortunately not their friend Eeek. It began blowing gusts of wind which whistled through the æmbres, nearly knocking Pen and Sarah into the giant trunk of one. They both tumbled but got right back on their feet, darting behind the large trunk for shelter and continuing on their way.

Two men dressed in long white decorated, buttoned robes ran towards the group as well, guns pointed at them. They shouted in a tongue the three couldn't understand, but Pen snorted as if it were a joke. “They won't shoot us here, not with so many innocent æmbres around; the PR afterward would be a nightmare!” Sarah took a moment to look up at what she formerly feared, “I'm so sorry for before æmbres and I'm grateful for your presence," she acknowledged.

Just ahead, the four could see that their escape ended abruptly in a dead end. A grand organic golden wall covered the entirety of the park border that they could see, but rather than give in, Pen changed his course, darting to the right. The three followed closely behind. They then exited the safety of the park, heading down several roads and ducking into a tight and covered alleyway.

Pen stopped suddenly, much to especially Charlie's pleasure. “I think we've gotten a safe distance. Nicole," he gasped, “I need you to promise me something.” Nicole picked up her head, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “Anything," she panted. He pulled out his PIT and cursed under his breath. “I didn't want to have to do this, but it's the only way. Promise you'll cover me and get as far away as you can, for now.” Nicole's green eyes gazed at him disbelievingly. “What?”

“Just promise me!" he demanded.

Nicole looked to Sarah who was affirming and Charlie who was colorfully refusing, then back to the dark, far away eyes of her spaceman, and she submitted. “I promise.”

Charlie fussed, collapsing against the wall and Sarah clasped her hands together as if in prayer. Pen flicked open the PIT and undid the safety again, aiming the dangerous device at his collar. The alarm, which until that point had been wailing terribly, began to flicker until it warped into a quiet whine and then turned off completely.

Pen returned the safety, shut the PIT and handed it to a questioning Nicole. Charlie flouted, “You could turn it off this whole time? That's so stupid”! Pen smiled at Charlie wearily, “I could temporarily, at a cost," he slurred.

The escapee grit his teeth as the band around his neck forcibly sucked the energy right out of its host, forcing him to his knees with a pained cry. “Pen!” Nicole rushed to his side as he collapsed, unconscious. Sarah held both hands against her mouth with a cry. Charlie's jeering expression melted into a look of displeased understanding and he rushed to peek around the corner, effectively hiding his blush of shame as he looked out for their pursuers. Nothing in sight, not yet.

The collar mercilessly continued to steal its required energy from the escaped prisoner, but it seemed to have reset and was no longer on alert mode. Nicole's mouth trembled as she and Sarah pushed him behind a box, keeping him out of sight. Charlie whipped his head back and ran to his friends. “The guys in the white robes, they're searching the area! I think they're on their way over here.” Sarah squeezed her eyes shut with a frightened squeak.

From the opposite side of the alley appeared a new force, one comprised of menacing red hooded figures handling large gun-like weapons. Nicole tried to pick up Pen, but they aimed their weapons right at her. “Give up. You're surrounded," a female voice commanded in English. Charlie tried to shield Sarah to facilitate her escape, but the red hooded figures were on the other side as well, as if appearing out of nowhere. The three humans huddled together, holding up their hands in surrender.