Chapter 301 - End of arc-1

[Use Revon's old jeep and reach high towers.]

Alpha's first message that Suyin received came at a cost. Since taking Honey was out of question she herself wore the Neck-crushing collar to trick him to believe that someone indeed was wearing it. But somewhere she had a hunch he already knows about it.

Xiu Mei had checked its design and confirmed not only he could remotely control the collar, but it had a tracking device and sensors. 

Following Alpha's instructions, she hoped on to the old jeep and steered towards the high towers in the west. She drove through the burned farmlands. Smoke emitting from the houses and buildings engulfed in flames. Dead bodies lying on the road. Being under the control of militia, this particular area of the country was most devastated. 

She turns the steering to the right to avoid crushing any dead under wheels. 

"AHHH," A jolt of electric shock passed through her nervous system, strong enough to numb her senses, leaving her in unbearable pain. 

The collar!

"Mummy!" She heard Honey's voice from the tiny pea size earphone Wang Shi had fixed inside her ear canal. Another of Xiu Mei's inventions. And no need to tell, it's super irritating to get something so close to your eardrum.

"I'm fine." She bit back the pain, "A desert fox passed by." She heard Honey sniff and mutter a tiny hmm. She knew he caught her lying but not exposing her. "My baby is bravest. I love you." Another hmm, no words. He was crying. For sure.

It was a bad idea to let Honey hear them. But was there a choice? The little one refused to let them go without it.

[Every time you deviate from route, you will get a small surprise.]

Another message.

...

Wang Shi heard Suyin's pained voice too, leaving him gritting his teeth. 

[Mei, cut it off] With a heavy heart he took the decision and messaged Xiu Mei. He had already left with Luo and Evan. Evan taking them from a secret route to Alpha's hideout. While Revon was leading his men from behind in military trucks.

Xiu Mei's lips pursed into a thin line as she paused her work and looked up at the little one curled at the window seat. His watery eyes set on the laptop, watching his parents' position on the map. They were in a military grade SUV inconspicuously moving towards Alpha's base through a different route with Xion's convoy ahead. Jianyu protecting them in the car.

Xiu Mei showed the message to Jianyu. He looked at Honey and slowly nodded. 

She did exactly that.

Honey frowned. He couldn't hear the muffled sound of Suyin's breathing anymore, "Hello? Hello? Ducky?" his eyes snapped at Xiu Mei. She immediately retrieved her gaze, expecting to hear him whine, complain, or request. But the little one did worse.

He did nothing.

Wish he had.

It was heart wrenching to see him look at Xiu Mei knowingly, accusingly. The look of betrayal. Fat tear stained his cheeks as he return his gaze to the screen.

It took everything in Xiu Mei to hold herself.

....

Wang Shi followed Evan's directions, passing through narrow lanes and bumpy road.  Had it not been for Suyin giving a chance to Evan, he wouldn't have trusted him. He was still unsure if the said route would really take him to Alpha or somewhere else.

"Are you sure?" He asked skeptically.

Evan nodded and scribbled something on the notepad on his lap. A few seconds later he showed it to Wang Shi. 

[No one knows about the secret tunnel I had built. It will take us to Alpha.]

Then he retrieved the notepad, turn the page and scribbled something more....

[You don't have any reason to trust me, but I have every reason to reach there. Jamie is my only family. With every passing second, I'm loosing him more and more.]

Wang Shi shifted his attention back to driving. Ignoring him.

"I trust him," Luo spoke up. Evan's head snapped to the man sitting on the back seat, staring at him for God knows how long. As their eyes met, Luo kept an expressionless face. And then, "You remind me of someone. His name was Lucian. We used to call him, Lucy. He was as passionate as you for the people he loves, and can go to any extent for them. Even killing."

Evan studies Luo, a slight frown marring his face. The corners of his lips tighten as he pins a stare at Luo. Luo returned the gesture. 

Now that Evan had shaved, his features clearly visible, faintly resembling to the childhood photograph Luo had been carrying with him all this while. The features that resembles with Ma Roma's first husband. 

The veil of uncertainty had finally lifted. Evan and Lucian were the same person. He was Luo's step brother.

Evan blinks away from Luo, confused, left with countless questions. Something comes upon his mind, but he pushed the matter aside, and choose to concentrate on the matter in hand. Guess he needs to talk to someone later.

********

The night hung heavy and silent. High towers looms ahead of her, the half damaged structure narrating it own story. Once used as a way to execute criminals by throwing them heads down from the open balcony on top.

Suyin's gaze fell on a group of men standing below, wearing Khakhi trousers and shirt. They had cloth wrapped around head and mouth. A rifle tucked at shoulder, and a machete at waist. One of them had a row of grenade wrapped around waist. 

For some reason, her anger against Alpha morphed into dread. 

If she didn't make it out alive, what would happen to Honey? Will he ever be able to cope up her death? What if something goes wrong? She bit her lips and remembered her purpose and the life she'd get after that.

Everyone pointing their rifles at her as she gets down. 

Her heart hammers in chest, sensing the sliding of three metal spiders down her trousers, crawling towards men and sticking to theirs. She breathed in relief. Another of Xiu Mei's inventions. They were spy spiders with camera, controlled remotely by Orange the droid.

With their help, Wang Shi and Xiu Mei could see everything.