66 CHAPTER 65-THE WOODS

They hurried into the rain, bustling their way through the moist forest. The cloak of darkness still hung on every side, covering the path that was waterlogged and was reaching their kneecap. It was difficult to place a finger on their current destination. And the light that Alex had refused to on—for fear of attracting attention—also added more salt to the injury. Occasionally, they would come to a dead-end and would trace their way back to the way they had come. 

Jeff continued to tag along with the small boy blindly. A part of him was warning him to back away, that Alex might be leading him into another trap. But the other part, just a small part of him wanted to follow the boy against all odds. Alex could be the brother to Vanessa, but he had a heart that was too kind. He had risked his life to save him, twice, and on both occasions, Jeff had been at the mercies of his captors, waiting for death to claim his consciousness.

They smoothed through another bend and hurried down a steep slope of some hill. Alex jumped down before Jeff and continued on his way, without pausing to wait for the older boy. The walk continued for another one hour or two before they finally burst out into a magnetic road, which was all patched up with some side covered with flooding water.

"There, can you see that? Over the mountains?" Alex pointed into the night with the edge of his Sol-K. The features of his face could be seen as the rain kept bashing on them, but the expression that lines them was vague. It was even difficult to read them from his voice. 

Jeff shifted his weight to the other footings and allowed his eyes to follow the younger boy's tender hands. The night still spread its grace on every corner, and it was hard to make out what the boy was pointing towards. As far as he could see, nothing stood for miles, but for the trees and the grasses and the voice or the wind and rain.

"That would get us far from this place and far away from my sister," Alex yelled over the rain and hurried towards the direction ahead.

Jeff didn't move. He wiped the water from his face, still trying to comprehend what the boy had said. Could it be that there was someone or somebody waiting for them in the shadow of the night, or was Alex trying to emphasize the fact that they would cross the other side of the mountain before they get to their destination, wherever it was? Perhaps that should be the case. Either way, he was glad that he was no longer subject or manipulated by some mind-control machine.

Runway from this kid now that you have the opportunity. A voice warned in Jeff's head, but he ignored them as usual. He followed behind Alex as they traced their way into the night, using the magnetic trail. The road must have been damaged or no longer in use. Jeff could tell for its inability to magnetized the metallic buttons of his shirt. If he remembered correctly, the pilots back in the Heroes academy always warn the student to avoid going to a magnetized rail with their metallic boots. 

There had been an accident once about… about…

Jeff bit his under as he tried to search his head for an answer. He knew that an accident relating to the magnetic rail had happened sometime in the past, but trying to recall how it had happened and where was difficult at the moment. It was as if there was a stumbling block preventing him from uncovering his past life.

"I am stressed out and would need some rest," Jeff grumbled, hoping that would make him feel better, but the result was just the opposite. 

The hole in his memory seemed to be much wider than he thought. It was as if he was floating in a void where the meaning of life was farfetched. 

His name was obviously Jeff because Alex had called him that. He also knows that his home was the Heroes city and that his family lived there. The glitch, therefore, was the fact that he couldn't remember the name of his father or mother. Did he even have friends apart from Alex and Vanessa? If he did, where were they and why was everything so vague and confusing.

"Are you alright," Alex asked, obviously noting the frown that lined his brow.

"Yes, I think so," Jeff wiped his face, hoping to keep the boy away from his uneasiness. Alex had tried so much for one night, he would spare him the discomfort that lined his stomach.

"Okay." Came Alex's voice over the wind. He had broken away from the magnetic trail and for the first time that night. He turned on the light of his Sol-K. 

The brightness of the torch drove away the shadows that lurked on every side of the road. Alex was making his way to some grasses which stood under a tree.

"What are you doing?" Jeff asked. Alex tried to answer, but returned to silence when a thunder light flared, followed by a loud clap of lightening.

"I just want to…" Alex paused as if frozen to the bone.

"What is it?" Jeff asked, but instead of responding immediately, Alex stooped and placed his right hands on the magnetic trail. 

"They are coming." Alex panicked as he pushed the button on the Sol-K and turned off the white light.

"Who?"

"The Keepers." Alex shouted, "Come, let's hide" He said and disappeared into the other side of the tree.

Jeff followed him almost immediately, lowering his body just next to Alex, behind the gigantic tree.

They studied the night together, waiting in anticipation for the inevitable. It took ages, but when Jeff thought it would not come, he felt a vibration, shaking the earth from its core.

What was that? Jeff wanted to ask, but the question got stuck in his throat as a gigantic horn bared the night. The vibration continued and soon a bright white light followed.

"Down," Alex instructed and Jeff obeyed, lowering his head under the cover of the leaf. The huge magnetic Land tripler zoomed pass, leaving the vibration and its resounding horn to tell of its existence.

"Bloody Keepers." Alex cursed and hurried back to his feet. He seemed to study the night for a while before he decided to turn on the light of his Sol-K.

"Where are they going?" Jeff asked as he hurried after Alex who was searching the bush.

"To the city of Amanian, I think. The Silvers and the Gold lineage are the only ones that got to decide when the HT (happy-tech) would be installed into their body. El poder puede corromper las mejores mentes" Alex grumbled and continued searching the bush.

"What was that? The last words I mean?"

"Oh, it was Olic, the tongue of the Gold lineage"

"What does it mean?" Jeff asked.

Alex stopped his searched and turned back to him.

"It means 'Power corrupt the best minds.' It is a word used for people who got power drunk and tossed around by the wind of pleasure."

"Oh, I see," Jeff shrugged and changed his weight to the other footing. "In this case, who then were you referring to?"

"That tyrant, of course. General Zack."

General Zack. The name sounded familiar, but it was difficult to place a face on it. Where did he hear the name before? 

Jeff wanted to ask who the General was when Alex suddenly started to push over something that was hidden behind the walls of grasses.

The rain had turned to a drizzle now, leaving the wintry winds to announce its departure.

"Will need some hands here," Alex snorted and wiped the rain from his face.

Jeff stooped beside him, holding on to the edge of the object. Together, they pulled out a massive container that was shaped like an arrow.

"This is our escape plan." Alex smile over the rain. He turned the cover of the lid of the container and pushed it open. With the light on his Sol-K, Jeff was able to make out some Roller-Board that were identical to each other, in color and design.

"Here," Alex handed one of the Roller-Board to him and a Head-plate. He picked the other Roller-Board from the container and hung his own Head-plate on his right ears.

"How did you manage all these things," Jeff asked, nothing the smoothness and the streamlined nature of the Roller-Board. It was a new Roller-Board and by the look of it, it seems nobody has ever ridden on it.

"I bought them for 500 Qiz," Alex said. He had replaced the coverlid of the container and was using the wet grass to cover them.

"By the heavens, Alex. 500 Qiz is a fortune. How did you manage that?"

"Wait until you see how much Vanessa spends in a night."