Jake was excited to see his family after all this time and the ride over to their house was a lot for him. Although the time it took them was a mere half hour but a lot went through his head in those 30 minutes making them akin to 30 hours. He was quietly sitting in the back of the taxi looking out the window and contemplating his thoughts.
What would it be like for him to see them after so long? What would he feel, what would they feel? What will be their reaction when they find out that their father and husband are still alive? Most importantly what would he tell them? What answer could he possibly give to their question, where has he been all this time? Why did he not come back? Did he even try to come back?
The questions were going off like firecrackers in his mind right now. Problem was that there was no right answer to those questions or wrong. While thinking about it became a question that he started posing to himself. Quite the conundrum it had become if you ask. Should he tell them about the other world? Tell them where he really has been all this time, in another world? Would they even believe him?
Just as the questions were forming rapidly to torment him, the answer came to him out of nowhere as well but only after he had suffered a little. The answer as Andy had said before was quite simple, be honest. Be honest about it and tell them about his long journey. If they believe his story, well good for him but if they don't well tough luck. These were not some random people that he had to deceive and make believe something that was a lie.
They were his family and the only way he could answer their questions, although unbelievable, was through honesty. He decided that he would honestly tell them what happened to him and then see what happens. He was a little too deep in his thought to notice when Andy called out to him.
"The road is blocked up ahead for some reason. Normally we would wait but we need to hurry up and have this family reunion, plus no need to wait, I got legs now." Andy was just itching to take these puppies out for a spin again. Just imagine you got your legs back after a long time, you take a few steps and then you have to sit in the car for half an hour.
"Let's go, here you go sir, thanks for the ride but we will walk from here." Andy paid the taxi driver and then they got out to walk to the apartments. It would take them ten to fifteen minutes but it was fine for them. Jake needed some extra time to get his thoughts in order, Andy wanted to stretch his legs out, and Alice was just happy to take a walk. She was smiling ear to ear thinking about her friend's reaction when they finally meet.
All the excitement and anticipation bubbling in the hearts of these three turned to fear and dread when they reached to the front of the town. The whole place was surrounded and the town had been quarantined off. The place was crawling with military personnel and government officials. There were people running around the place in a frenzy. People were scared and injured, kids were crying the whole scene looked like a battlefield. There were camps set around the perimeter where medics were treating the injured.
After watching the whole scene, Jake felt like someone had gripped his heart from within. With a cold sweat running on his back and a pit in his stomach, came a memory to his mind. The whole scene reminded Jake of the time when he was a teenager and a gate had appeared in town. That day was like hell for them because he remembered that a lot of people had died that day and many were injured. This scene was quite similar to what happened that day. For Andy, he was reminded of five years ago. A scene that was so similar to what he had witnessed that he simply grabbed Alice's hand.
Jake rushed out and moved through the crowd and ran towards the blockade followed by Andy and Alice. Jake reached the perimeter but was stopped by the soldiers guarding the entry point into the town.
"Stop! You cannot go inside. The whole area has been quarantined, civilians are not allowed." The soldiers shouted at them trying to keep them back.
"What happened?" Andy inquired, "Why is the area closed off like this? Was it a terrorist attack?" This scene reminded Andy of a gate crashing too but unlike the gate break that they witnessed in their youth, the scene in Andy's mind had been upgraded to five years ago. The attack in which he lost his wife and friend. He asked about a terrorist attack, he wished it was a terrorist attack because that would mean better for them than a gate crash.
"A Gate Crash has occurred inside the town. The whole area has been sealed off. Please wait here for a while as the Hunters have arrived. They are doing their job and are sweeping the whole area while looking for survivors."
"Have all the civilians been evacuated?" Jake asked the officer, remaining as calm as possible. There were a lot of people here but no matter how fast and hard they worked it was not possible to get everyone out in time.
"Almost, we have evacuated almost all of the citizens but some still remain inside. Don't worry the hunters have arrived and are rescuing the remaining people as we speak. Please remain calm and wait here. If there is someone you know here then please check the people that have already been rescued." The soldier assured them that the authorities were dealing with it and all they needed to do was wait there.
"Andy, what's the address of Sylvia's place?" Jake turned around after listening to the guard. He could wait there and check the rescued civilians first but what if they have not yet been rescued? It was a chance that Jake was not going to take. He grabbed Andy by the shoulders and asked him for the address.
"You have never been here Jake how will you look for them? Let me come with you I know where they are."
"Just give me the general direction and I will look for them. You need to look for them out here. Take Alice and search for them in the rescued civilians. If you can't find them there then look for the injured patients."
Andy thought about a second and Jake was right this was the best plan that they have right now. Jake would need to protect not only Sylvia and Ellen but also himself. He would only be a hindrance to him plus someone needed to check whether they had been rescued already or not.
"Alright, it is the Ritz Apartments building in sector five, fifth-floor apartment 43. It will be a blue-colored building and has a big garden on its west side and a fountain out front." Andy gives Jake general directions to their apartment and some to make it easier for Jake to reach the place. "I know you are a hunter and everything but still good luck and take care."
Jake moves towards the perimeter and the soldiers see him and try to stop him but this time Jake does not stop.
"Stop right there!"
The soldiers on the perimeter tried to stop him and aim their guns at him. Jake looks at them for a moment and all the soldiers freeze in their places. Just like the gangsters from before. In front of their frozen bodies, Jake's feet leave the ground and start levitating. Slowly his feet rise from the ground and his whole body starts levitating. He rises above them and the blockade, and enters the town and the soldiers can do nothing. When Jake's body leaves their sight they are able to move once again.
"What the hell just happened? Who was he? Was he a hunter?" The soldier quickly informs his supervisor of the situation. " Sir, an unidentified hunter has just crossed the blockade and entered the town. He used flight and some sort of binding technique to stop us, be advised."
Andy and Alice that was leaving the scene look toward Jake. They wanted to know how he was planning to bypass the soldiers. Was he going to fight them? They are surprised to see him flying over the blockade.
"Wow, I did not expect that. He can fly as well. I thought he was a healer because he healed me but flying?" Andy was a little taken aback by seeing Jake fly off like that. Seeing a hundred hunters fly and jump and perform feats of strength that are unbelievable is one thing and seeing your best friend do it is another.
"He might have two skills, healing and flying. Having two skills is a lot more common nowadays Dad. It is still better than him fighting the soldiers here and making a scene. I wonder if he can fly me to the sky as well. I bet it would feel really good, liberating even."
Alice was curious how Jake was flying and wondered if her uncle would take her on a trip to the sky if she asked. Wondering if she might be able to fly as well someday.