Chapter 216 - Operation: Run and Escape (1)

Alexandra remained seated on the ground, a serious look on her face. Her lips were forming into a frown and her eyebrows were furrowed, she was also emitting this dark and menacing aura. It was kind of scary that even Amana was having a hard time to approach her. Honestly, she was just thinking. Thinking really hard about her plan with Harrison, the one that they discussed a few hours ago. About escaping this unknown place along with the kids.

Thus, she named this, Operation: Run and Escape.

It wasn't a simple plan nor was it that hard either. Harrison was able to come up with a plan with having only a little information with him though that information was valuable and what she really needed. They didn't inform the others about this except for Amanda who was quite reluctant and worried that it might not succeed and they would just be risking their lives.

To think that a 12-year-old girl like her would do all of those just for them. But it's not like she's actually a 12-year-old kid, the same goes with Harrison.

Well, she won't do all it alone because Harrison was there to help her. He even (somehow) declared or told her that she's going to be the hero and he'll be her sidekick which is quite an unusual thing for him to say. Does that mean he does want to help everybody but was reluctant because he doesn't want to do it alone or probably, doesn't want to be in the spotlight but still wants to escape and save the kids? How kind of him, she thought to herself.

However, Harrison's reason wasn't like that at all. It was entirely different as he was doing it for Alexandra, to protect and help her at the same time because no matter what he does or no matter how many times he tells her that it's dangerous she would still do it. Though he already guesses that Alexandra would do it.

Alexandra turned her head at Harrison's direction who was also looking at her in the corner of his eyes, he gave her a small nod indicating that the plan must now begin. Alexandra was reluctant but she just sighed before doing it.

"Ah! My stomach hurts! I want to puke, the food tastes like crap!" Alexandra said as she bent over the ground and held her stomach, shouting and grabbing everyone's attention. She kept on shouting and complaining that her stomach really hurts and so one of the kids rang the bell that signals the guard outside that somebody needs to go to the bathroom.

A man entered, he looked flimsy and thin, he was also short and he looked weak. Nice. "Ah, Mr. Guard! My stomach hurts, the food tastes like crap and I want to puke it out. I don't want to puke here. Please, Mr. Guard." Alexandra said whimpering and whining, acting like she was in pain but in the inside of her mind, she was screaming and telling herself that she must do this for the plan. Harrison and Amanda just watched her do it, Harrison was trying his best not to laugh because of Alexandra's acting.

"A-Ah, then. Bathroom, where's the bathroom? Oh, right, it's outside. B-Blindfold, I must blindfold you first. S-Should I tie your hands? T-That wouldn't get in the way, right? But what if you also want to pee. God, w-why am I even doing this job?" The guard rather became a mess and it seems like he wasn't used to this kind of thing, the way that he tied her hands was even loose but the blindfold on her eyes was rather tight.

"Mr. Guard, the blindfold is hurting my eyes so much," Alexandra complained as they were walking. The man was holding onto her collar as they walked and he was treating her with the utmost care while trying to act tough, he must not be used with this kind of thing then. Probably was forced to do this.

"J-Just deal with it."

"Mr. Guard, I want to puke now."

"W-Wait, we're near there already."

The guard was quite a nervous person and it seems like she would be able to handle him easily. It doesn't seem like he can put up a fight either and she could be stronger than him.

She was acting and this was a part of their plan, to lure one guard out so she could head to the bathroom. He said that there were two guards. Harrison would be the one who will take care of the other guard, I don't know how he will do it though, she thought to herself. He said that there are only a few guards patrolling around the place and some were on stand-by, it would be better if they did it around the afternoon as most of them are out, looking around for kids.

Harrison knows that it was already afternoon and was counting time which is quite amazing, did he not sleep then?

Then she felt herself being pulled back by the collar of her shirt and she heard the sound of a door opening before she was pushed inside and was taken off her blindfold.

"We're here. You can handle it alone, right?" Alexandra didn't say anything and just went to the sink. How do you pretend to puke? Cough multiple times then scream?

So she did but she didn't scream, she just coughed and made some wheezing sounds (Author: God, I'm bad at this.). Turning on the sink to add more effects and such. She decided to look around the place to find something that she can use to knock the guard out. If she found nothing, just bang his head against the wall hard. That is what Harrison told her to do when she goes to the bathroom, she needs to knock the guard out before she goes to the office.

--"With your brutality and strength even as a girl, I know that you can do it."

Was what he said next and Alexandra gave him a smack on the back of the head.

Quite brutal but that's the only thing they can do as they can't use magic at all, the amount of pain that she would feel depends on the amount of mana that she would use and they think that a spell that will cause another person to faint costs a high amount of mana as you're infiltrating the brain and controlling his consciousness.

Then as she was looking around, she spotted something in the corner. It was a mop with the handle or stick made out of plastic. I guess that would be enough to knock him out, she thought to herself and took it. She then walked back to the door, standing in front of it as she put prepared herself before sucking in a breath and shouted.

"Mr. Guard, I need help!" She said and the man immediately rushed in.

"W-W-What's the ma—Gah!" When the door swung open and the man was revealed, Alexandra relied on her instincts and strength to knock the man out. Hitting the top of his head pretty hard with the handle of the mop. A sound of a loud thud was heard soon after and Alexandra let out a sigh before she pulled the man in the bathroom using his leg as his body was sprawled outside the door. I hope that didn't kill him, she thought to herself and apologized to the unconscious man.

Maybe he won't wake up after an hour but I still have to hurry.

--"After you knock the guard out and pull him in the bathroom to hide him, you should get out and you would see yourself in a hallway. There are no guards around that area and go straight down the hallway and you will pass by multiple doors but don't mind those. Be careful though as there would be guards patrolling around. Turn left then you have to go straight to this one room at the end of that hallway you turned at and look for the keys for these collars in our neck. I'm sure that it's there because I saw it when they were putting the collar on me, they hid it inside one of the desk's drawers inside that room."

Harrison's words echoed inside her head as she took a step outside the bathroom and walked down the empty hallway and passed by multiple doors, true to what he said. The room would be found at the end of the hallway when you turn left. Isn't this quite a hard task for me? But Harrison has to deal with the kids and the guard there so I guess he also has it worse. Well, he has done well memorizing everything even though he just went here once.

The walls, the floor, everything was made out of wood, there were even a few potted plants and boxes, and the hallways were quite dim but that isn't a problem. When she would hear the sound of footsteps approaching, she would hide with the help of either the plants or the boxes, that isn't a problem either as the guards would only past by her. They were only walking around and not patrolling the area at all, they didn't check their surroundings and such.

The only problem was—

Alexandra hid behind the wall as she peeked her head out to see the room found on the other end of the hallway, the one that Harrison was talking about.

--The guards standing on each side of the door. Though they weren't armed, it looked like they were dangerous people. They don't have a huge body or build but I could tell that they can put up a fight, they are probably good when it comes to using magic. At least she has to lure them away from their posts but how?

--

Currently, on Harrison's side.

"Are you sure Alice is going to be fine?"

"Yes, I am sure about it."

"But what if she was caught? What if she stumbled into some sort of danger and can't get out?"

"She might be a reckless person but she isn't that careless. Besides, she's already in one and she's trying to escape along with us all with the help of me, of course."

"But what if she got stuck in a situation that she doesn't know what to do?"

"I'm sure that she can find a way to solve it. I know her long enough."

"But—"

"Just have faith with her, she can do this."

Amanda was worried about Alexandra and her current state as she knows what they are planning to do. She was fidgeting and playing with her hands, one habit that she learned from Alexandra when she would become nervous or feel some overwhelming emotions inside her. Harrison looked pretty laidback though as he was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed as if he was going to sleep.

"Why is she the one doing the dangerous task? Shouldn't it be you?"

"It suits her more than me, heroes are always the one giving the hard tasks while the sidekick would help her out and do the small yet troublesome ones."

Amanda just let out a sigh and remained silent afterward. Talking with Harrison doesn't do anything at all, his answer was always laidback or nonchalant and he put too much faith in her. Well, that's because he knew that she's going to succeed. Harrison opened his eyes and he leaned forward.

"I think it's time."

"Time for what?"

"To cause havoc and do the second part of the plan."

"You mean the one where we do what happened before? The shouting and crying one?" She was referring to what happened a day ago with the boy who suddenly started screaming and shouting that he wants to go out and come back to his parents then the other children would cry and join him too.

"You're bad at describing but yeah. We just need someone to do that screaming part," Harrison said, turning his head to look at her direction slowly. She already knew what he was trying to say and she could only let out a sigh.

"Fine."