Lucia: "Captain!"
The officers rush over to Captain Tobias, while Bonnie and Arnold seat Kassius with the wall behind him, not too far from them.
Tobias: "Wait, if you've been caught, does that mean..."
Lieutenant Michael: "No. We were a lone squad. Extra forces will be alarmed soon, including Captain John."
Tobias: "How did you manage to find me?"
Lucia: "We had our own intel on the base. But it was a bandit that lead us here "
Tobias: "A bandit helped you?"
Lieutenant Michael: "Helped isn't the right word. She tricked us into thinking we could get you out and now we're in here."
Tobias: "I see... and them? The boy over there, he looks hurt."
Lucia: "He um... he fought Sado Talman."
Tobias: "What?! Why?"
Lieutenant Michael: "Might've been an ego thing. A humbling, for sure."
Lucia: "That aside, let's try focus on the main task at hand. We need to come up with an escape plan."
Over at the camp, in the boss' tent, Sado and his top commanders all seat around a huge pan of food, including Ayana. They all eat, enjoying themselves, while Ayana slowly eats.
Dune: "Boss! Is there any other jobs to do? I'm getting bored around here."
Sado: "At the moment, no. I'd prefer you remain here for the time being. Watch over our new prisoners. Let them lose some hope. Then, Kassius Moore can be tamed."
Sandworm: "Him? With all due respect, I feel you give him too much credit."
Sado: "That is where you're wrong. Valeria couldn't stop him. Neither could those brothers. With a little refining, he could become a very useful asset."
Sandworm: "Hmm..."
Henzo: "Boss, who have you decided to take with you on this journey?"
Sado: "Ahh. This time, I was only going to take Hamza, but I had a last minute change of plan. Ayana here, will also be accompanying me."
Everyone looks surprised.
Ayana: "Me?"
Sado: "Well, of course. You did steal the diamond. It's only right you get to see it off."
Ayana: "I'm uhh... I'm grateful. But wouldn't it be best if Henzo went with you? He's more capable after all."
Sado: "I'd prefer Henzo to remain here, keep an eye on the base in my place. Besides, you have nothing planned, correct? So why stay here?"
Sado stares at her and she tries her best to maintain eye contact.
Ayana (in head): "Does he know?"
Ayana: "You're right. I'll come along."
Sado: "Perfect."
Whilst they continue to eat over at the camp, back in the prison, Lucia and the other officers sit with Captain Tobias.
Lucia: "Is there really no way?"
Tobias: "Everything I thought of, didn't work. I'm not sure we can escape on our own."
Lucia: "But you were by yourself. Perhaps with our new numbers, another plan is possible."
Tobias: "I wasn't alone. All these people you see around here, even longer than I was in here. We all have tried, not just me."
Lucia: "I-"
Lieutenant Michael: "Lieutenant. Listen to the Captain. He's been here longer. He understands the situation more than us."
Lucia: "You're right, it's just..."
Captain Tobias: "I respect the determination, Lieutenant. However, sometimes it is best to understand where you are weakest."
Kassius: "Ugh..."
Everyone looks towards him. Arnold gets down on one of his knees.
Arnold: "Kas. Just get some rest. You've been hurt pretty bad."
Kassius sits up straight and looks around.
Kassius: "Is this the prison?"
Arnold: "Yeah."
Kassius: "So now we just wait for Ayana, right?"
Lieutenant Michael: "The bandit girl? That beating must've done a number on you. Did you miss the part where she admitted to tricking you?"
Kassius: "Tricking... Oh. Does he know?"
Lieutenant Michael: "Know what?"
Kassius: "Yo, Where's... you know who?"
Lieutenant Michael: "Don't ignore me!"
Bonnie: "Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing him since we entered"
Lucia: "He probably ran while we weren't looking."
Lieutenant Michael: "One of the smart ones, I'd say."
Arnold: "He didn't run away. In fact, he might be our only way out of here."
They all look at Arnold, confused at what he said. Back when they were following the officers through the desert,
Kaizen: "Look, if you're still worried about this, I have a plan."
Arnold gets closer in.
Kaizen: "When we reach the base, try focus on entering the base with everyone. I'll slip by and leave. If you guys get caught, I'll come free you. Just in case she doesn't."
Arnold: "Yes, this can work."
Back at the black sand bandits base, Kaizen rushes down a path. At the end, he peeks around the corner to see a room, with two people in it. They are seated on a small table, playing cards with a radio on the table. Kaizen opens his shirt for Palu to come out.
Kaizen: "Time to work some magic."
Palu runs in and jumps on the table. He snatches the radio and drags it off the table.
Room guard 1: "Hey! What the-"
Palu runs off back out of the room.
Room guard 2: "How the hell did a monkey get in here?"
The 2nd guard goes out of the room to look for Palu but gets instantly whacked by Kaizen in the head with the bat.
Room guard 2: "Argh!"
Room guard 1: "Yo! What's going-"
Kaizen walks in quick with his bat. The guard, raises his hands as Kaizen holds the bat pointing at him. Palu climbs onto his shoulder as Kaizen looks in the corner of the room.
Room guard 1: "Whoa. Heh, how did-"
Kaizen: "Surveillance of the entrance. That's how you knew when to close the cave."
The bandit kicks the table, hitting Kaizen. He gets up and pulls out his machete but as he looks up, Palu jumps on his face..
Room guard 1: "Argh! Get off! Get-"
Kaizen: "Up!"
Palu jumps off the guard. Just as the guard can see, Kaizen knocks him in the head with the bat.
Kaizen: "Both should be incapacitated for some time. Seems there are only cameras outside though. It's probably why they didn't come looking for me- who is that?"
Through the surveillance, Kaizen spots a man walking towards the entrance. He is a 6"0 tanned male with black wavy hair, dark brown eyes and a slight cut scar on his cheek. He dawns the same attire as the bandits but has a purple scarf. The bandit, is Hamza Rafik. As he approaches the entrance, he notices it closed. Slowly behind him, the ACO officers attempt to ambush him. Just as they get in close, he vanishes.
ACO officer 3: "Where'd he-"
In an instant, Hamza appears in front of him and kicks him straight in the abdomen, sending him rolling. The other officers, surprised, rush in to fight him. Kaizen watches on as Hamza dismantles all three of them. As they all lose consciousness but one, Hamza goes down on his level.
Hamza: "Are you alone?"
ACO officer 5: "Ugh... go to hell..."
He loses consciousness. Hamza gets up on his feet and looks around. He continues walking and reaches the entrance.
Hamza: "It's Hamza! Open up!"
Kaizen looks around and sees a lever. He pulls it and the cave entrance opens. Hamza walks through.
Kaizen: "Hamza? Assuming all is bad, their entire top force is here. Plus the numbers, too. On the bright side, at least we did find something useful. Since we've taken control here, escaping should be simple if we can find a way to get out quick. Let's go look around."
Kaizen and Palu leave the control room. Back in the prison, Kassius, Arnold and Bonnie are talking.
Clyde: "Hey, excuse me."
Kassius: "Hmm?"
Clyde: "I heard you mention the name Ayana."
Kassius: "Yeah."
Feela: "Is she alright?"
Kassius: "Well, I guess she is."
Feela: "Really? That's so good to hear."
Bonnie: "Are you the friends she mentioned?"
Feela: "She mentioned us?"
Kassius: "She came to help you."
Feela: "Even after all this time, she still holds out hope for us."
Clyde: "Dammit!"
Feela: "Clyde..."
Clyde: "We couldn't help back then and even now, we're useless. He killed Jen, and we couldn't do anything. She should've left us behind, maybe then-"
Arnold: "Don't continue."
Clyde: "..."
Arnold: "You continue, and all her efforts, the time she's spent trying to help you, is pointless. If you really are her friends, you-"
Clyde: "If we were really her friends, we'd want what's best for her. Which would be to leave us behind. Jen's death... it should've shown how hopeless it is."
Kassius: "Then what would be the point of her calling you her friends?"
Everyone looks at him, as he slowly sits up.
Kassius: "I don't know all that's happened to you. But she wants to save you. If she believes you can be saved, but you guys don't believe in her, then you shouldn't call yourselves her friends."
Clyde: "I..."
Kassius: "How many of us are in here?"
Bonnie: "Uh... about thirty."
Kassius: "Thirty. It isn't terrible."
Over at the camp, Hamza walks through as everyone around notices him. He walks into Sado's tent as they finish eating.
Hamza: "Hello."
Dune: "What's up, Hamza?"
Sandworm: "Swallow your food before speaking."
Henzo nods his head, greeting Hamza.
Sado: "How are you, Hamza?"
Hamza: "I'm well. Are we ready to depart?"
Sado: "We are. Everyone, I would like to speak to Hamza alone, so please clear the room. You too, Ayana. But be back here in fifteen minutes."
Everyone leaves the room, including Ayana.
Hamza: "The man is in Jahtan. He said he'll be waiting for us"
Sado: "That's good to hear. Jahtan... It'll be worth it. She'll understand, one day at least."
Hamza: "Yeah..."
As Kaizen walks towards the cut off, he stops.
Kaizen: "It splits? Guess I have to gamble. Which way Palu? Left or right?"
Palu points towards the right.
Kaizen: "I guess we'll go right."
Kaizen walks down the right path. As he walks down, he notices somebody walking towards him. He hides in a path on the side. As the person gets closer, he pulls out his bat. Just as the person walks right past him, he begins to swing but stops, as both of them notice each other.
Kaizen: "It's you."
Ayana: "Didn't you get..."
Kaizen: "Have you freed them already?"
Ayana: "What?"
Kaizen: "So this isn't the way to the prison, I assume."
Ayana: "It isn't"
Kaizen: "Well, it was a 50/50 chance. Let's go."
Ayana: "I... can't."
Kaizen: "What?"
Ayana: "I can't explain quick enough. Jahtan. If you escape, tell Kassius to bring Clyde and Feela to Central Jahtan Train Station, by 10PM tomorrow night."
Kaizen: "Alright, I will. But we do need a way to leave. Is there transportation?"
Ayana: "Yes. But it's in the camp. Go to the first tent on the left, there should be keys on the table. I'll order them by car, left to right. OK, I have to go. Remember, Central Jahtan Train Station."
They both go their separate ways. Back at the camp, the vehicles are loaded. A few of the men get inside the vehicles. As Sado and Hamza exit the tent, they walk towards their vehicle. Following from the entrance of the camp, Ayana leaves the tent quickly, blending in and walks towards the vehicle.
Sado: "There you are. Take a seat in the front."
Ayana enters the passenger's seat as Sado and Hamza enter the back seats.
Bandit: "Loaded! You can leave!"
The vehicles start turning on. Slowly, all four of the vehicles carefully leave the camp and go through the tunnel to exit the base. They drive off, heading towards Jahtan. Watching, the ACO officers left behind see them leaving.
ACO officer 1: "Four vehicles are driving off. Should we alarm early?"
ACO officer 2: "Lieutenant Lucia said to not alarm until the time given. Let's give her some time."
Back in the prison, Kassius gets up on his feet, but notices the damage on himself.
Kassius: "Damn. He got me good."
Arnold: "Just rest some more."
Kassius: "Nah, it's fine. It isn't too bad."
Tobias: "If I may ask, why did you challenge Sado Talman?"
Lieutenant Michael: "I told you already Captain, all criminals are the same. Ego filled, probably thought he would win."
Kassius: "No, I knew I wasn't going to win."
Lieutenant Michael: "What?"
Kassius: "Yeah, I was too exhausted and hungry anyways. Didn't even have my suit on hehe."
Lieutenant Michael: "A suit?"
Arnold: "Is that why you used the level step early on too?"
Kassius: "Mhm. I just wanted to see his reaction. He's no amateur, that's for sure. Speaking of, when I did try kick him, he vanished after I hit him. Was it just me?"
Bonnie: "Yeah, I saw that too. It was like he was there, and then he wasn't."
Lucia: "I saw it as well. Very strange."
Arnold: "Maybe he used the level step right before you kicked him."
Kassius: "I guess, but it did feel like I hit him. I don't know, it was weird."
Tobias: "Hmm, perhaps-"
Prisoner guard: "Argh! Where did you- oof!"
The loud thud of a man falling onto the ground goes around. Everyone in the prison is confused and nervous, but as the door fully opens, they are shocked to see him.
Kaizen: "Hello."