National Exile: A 21st Century Novel about Nobility, Poverty, and Cruelty

by Rusul A. Altaay

  Chapter 26

  Robin Hood

  They all walked to the dining room area surprised as no one was there to stop them. They all knew that something major had happened in the past two days. Something must’ve forced all the guards to leave their positions. However, they were too tired to even think about it. There was limited amount of food in the fridge and in the cabinets. They each started eating quietly.

  “Something had happened for sure. I’m just too scared to find out what.” Rain said.

  “The electricity is still on at the Burj. Maybe watching some TV can clear things up.” Yazan noticed.

  The backup generators at the Burj were kept on. It had enough power to work. Someone made sure that the Burj was not harmed in anyway. Few minutes later, they were able to get the large flat screen in the main lobby to turn on. It took a while to get a signal from the local channels. It was not very clear, but an image was visible. It took few seconds of listening to the news until they realized that something was not right at all. The expression on their faces at that moment is too hard for me to explain. They were neither shocked nor mad. They were neither sad nor surprised. I don’t think that they themselves realized how they felt. It was that weird mix of feelings that no one wants to have. Seeing an entire city, not so far from where they were, wiped out. It was put to the grounds.

  “The orphanage…” Sidra shouted.

  A message from Maki Lion appeared on TV. It was his first appearance in so long.

  “People of Estil, it saddens me the loss of thousands of innocent people. But it was a necessary lose for the greater good. We lost many good men in our fight for the sake of greater Estil. We had to get as many men as we needed for the fight. My soldiers assured me that the attack on the orphanage was just a mistake. They thought those risers were hiding in there. May those children rest in peace.”

  “Rest in peace… Is that all he has to say…” Rain yelled.

  “I want to go and see for myself. I think he’s lying. No human in his normal state of mind would just say those words with such cold eyes.” Sidra added.

  “We have much bigger problem at the moment. I hear helicopters and cars approaching. I think they are coming back.” Yazan said.

  “We can’t just fight all of them. We need help.” Samir said.

  “We have to help. Sidra, please tell me you have a plan like you just did…” Yazan said as he looked at Sidra’s expressions.

  She did not even respond. She just kept looking at the screen hoping for some signs that shows the whole thing was not true.

  “Secure the entrances and make sure we get to the weaponry. We are fighting the administration.” Rain ordered.

  “I’ll take care of that.” Samir said.

  “I’m leaving…” Sidra said and started walking towards the outside.

  “It’s over. They’re all dead. There is nothing you can do.” Rain yelled.

  Before Rain finished his sentence, she was heading to the main door. She started running before anyone could catch up to her.

  “Rain… We really need your help in here, but she does not seem ok. We’ll do what we can in here. Go after her.” Samir said.

  Rain had to go running after Sidra. He could not leave her alone feeling so depressed like that.

  “You need to calm down. What do you think you can accomplish by getting there? This is our life now. We lose people every day.” Rain said while grabbing her arms.

  Setting her arms free, she replied “Shut up, Rain... I don’t need to hear your opinion on the matter.”

  Rain had no choice but to go with her to the orphanage. Using one of the hummers left at the Burj, they got in and started driving towards the orphanage. Lands were on fire almost all the way. Towns were destroyed using containers of chemicals. Even the trees were burned using fire balls that the aircrafts through at them. The smell of burning flesh was still left in the air. Burned bodies were left under the wreckage. Few people were running here and there. Few tried to remove the wreckage screaming for their loved ones. Face to face combats occurred as well between locals and Estil’s soldiers. Rain and the others were really lucky to be in a prison at the Burj when all the soldiers were called to fight.

  Seeing what was left of the orphanage was one of the most painful moments in both Sidra’s and Rain’s lives. They could not find anyone alive. The building had collapsed on everyone who was inside. The surrounding areas were still on fire. They saw a women sitting down and looking at the sky while the fire almost caught up to her. Her foot seemed to be almost burning while she did not move an inch. Rain jumped to her rescue and got her out of the fire. His arm was hurt in the process.

  “We need some water to treat this woman.” Rain said. “She seems to be in shock. I don’t think that she realizes her surroundings.”

  “I don’t think you realize your surroundings either. There is not a drop of water around.” Sidra commented looking pale and scared.

  “She can’t breathe. She seems to have inhaled a lot of mono-dioxide. Also, I think she’s suffering from internal bleeding.” Rain said.

  There was nothing they could have done. She just left this world with no sound or anyone even knowing who she was.

  “I would like to stay and find anyone who needs help, but at the moment, we really have to go back to the Burj and help our friends.” Rain said.

  “I’m not going back. I’ve seen enough.” Sidra said with a serious look on her face.

  “I do realize that we need to put an end to Lion. But we have to get to the Burj now. You are not thinking clearly.” He told her. “I can’t argue with you right now. We need to leave. Our friends need our help.”

  “There is nothing you can add or do for them. We need to finish what we started years ago.” Sidra said.

  “I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m just saying that…” Rain said before Sidra interrupted him saying,

  “Go back to the Burj and let me take care of things on my end. Do not even bother stopping me. I have some people to contact.”

  She took the car and left him before he said anything. She did not even say goodbye. She was just so mad that day than she was ever sad. The kids she thought she was helping all those years, just died before they even knew what life was all about. She could not believe the fact that they were gone after everything she did to keep them off the streets.

  Rain who was just abandoned in there found himself forced to go back walking to the Burj. He did not know the right thing to do. But at that moment, he had to believe that Sidra knew what she was doing. And that it was up to him to help out his friends. It took him hours to reach the Burj area. But he finally got there. He decided to hide in the woods and watch closely. The place was surrounded with soldiers. Many tanks, helicopters, and armed forces had returned. It was obvious that his friends were all captured assuming they were still alive.

  “Can I help you?” A soldier said from behind pointing a gun at Rain’s head. “Turn slowly with your arms above your head.”

  Caught by surprise, Rain had nothing but to obey. A second later, he was able to turn the situation to his advantage. He almost took the guard’s gun. However, in the process, Rain’s arm started bleeding. He had just remembered that he did not take care of the burning flesh. His arm was burned while getting that woman out of the fire. The soldier hit him hard and made his arm bleed even more. Using a small razor blade, which Rain had hidden in his shoes, he wounded the soldier and took his gun. He knocked the soldier down to his knees and tried forcing him to talk.

  “Where are my friends? They were still at the Burj when your people came in. What did you do to them?” Rain yelled.

  The soldier did not say a single word. When Rain finally realized that torturing him was nothing but a waste of time, he gave up. He decided to use him as a human shield to get to the Burj. He was sure that they would not kill one of their own. Not after losing so many soldiers in the last attack on the city.

  The pain in
his arm was unbearable. But he had no choice. The feeling of the skin getting off his body was very painful. But in every second, he remembered the pain the kids at the orphanage must had felt. Weather they died in a fire or the building collapsed on them, it must’ve been more painful than whatever he was experiencing. He pulled himself together and was able to walk in using the soldier as a human shield.

  “Open the main gate of the Burj, or I swear, I will put a bullet in his head.” Rain shouted at the guards.

  They did not respond for few seconds. Suddenly, they received an order to let him pass.

  “Someone cares about their soldiers.” Rain thought.

  He walked into the main lobby and shouted, “Release my friends or he dies.”

  “Put the gun down, kid… Before you hurt yourself.” A man told Rain while walking down the stairs inside the lobby of the Burj.

  Rain raised his head thinking what a familiar voice that was. Looking at that man, Rain could not believe his eyes.

  “You…” He shouted. “You have control over the Burj?”

  “Like I said… Put the gun down. I see you’ve already hurt yourself.” The man said as he stood right in front of Rain.

  “Father…” Rain shouted with an angry voice.

  Seconds later, Rain found himself on the floor. He was shot with a tranquillizer. Everything turned black, and he quickly lost his conciseness.

  --------------------------

  At that time, the situation in the country was getting much worse. The administration was killing anyone who dared rise against them. In addition, the people were fighting among themselves. It was not clear who was the right side. Each fighting side, including the administration, claimed that they were the only ones who cared about the future of Estil. Meanwhile, in the middle of the woods, or what had left of it, Sidra was not in a much better shape. She had nothing to eat for over a day and a half. No clear water to drink and no gas for the car. She was completely on her own. She kept walking in the woods towards a place she had hoped was not intact. Before she was able to get to her destination, a man showed up, out of nowhere with a knife, asking for whatever valuable Sidra had.

  “Do I look like I’m that rich? Look at me… I have not eaten in days.” Sidra said.

  “Give me that navigation system I just saw in your hands.” The man shouted.

  “Who are you? You don’t look like you need some money to eat. From the looks of it, you are not even hungry. Are you with the Peacekeepers?” She questioned.

  “Yes, we fight for your freedom. You people are entitled to give us whatever is needed for us to keep going. Now, give me that navigation system before I leave a scar on that cute face of yours.” The man said with a scary look on his face.

  “You have got to be kidding me… What did you do other than cause chaos and steal from people in the name of freedom?” Sidra shouted back.

  The man did not answer but rather attacked her. As they were struggling, an arrow was shot and placed in the man’s back. He fell on the ground immediately.

  “What on earth? An arrow? Don’t tell me that Robin Hood has joined the fight as well?” Sidra thought out loud with a straight face.

  “Robin Hood? Really? Your sense of humor is just…”

  “Rayan?” Sidra said as he was appearing from behind the bushes. “How did you know where to find me?”

  “I could ask you the same question. What exactly are you doing here?” Rayan asked.

  “When did you leave the Burj? You were supposed to help us get in.” She asked back.

  “Everyone at the Burj was called for the attack on the city. I had to leave and come here when a new commander took over. Now, why are you in this area?” Rayan asked again.

  “What commander?” Sidra asked.

  “What are you doing here? You’re going to blow or cover.” Rayan asked back.

  “It’s not what you think. I’m not after the base. I’m after the communication systems. And since you are here, I’m going to need your help.”

  “The coms. systems? But… why?” Rayan asked.

  “They killed everyone, Rayan. The entire city was wiped out. They killed the kids in the orphanage. I can’t sit back and watch anymore. It’s time we do something.” Sidra said with a sad-low voice.

  “I know what happened, Sidra. I was there. But what do you think you can do with the communication systems?”

  “I can explain later. At this moment, I just need anything to eat.”

  “We have a lot of food at the base. It’s nothing much, but it’s more than enough.”

  “A small head of broccoli sounds really delicious right now.”

  “Let’s go. We’re very close. They would love to have you.”

  “They?” Sidra asked.