Something stunk really bad. I tried to open my eyes but they refused to obey. I lay there on the hard ground gagging at the acrid smell of... burning rubber? What rubber was burning? What had happened? I tried to think back. There was a fight, gunshots, an explosion! I must have been knocked out by the explosion. Cold fear and panic flooded through my body. At least the parts I could feel! I could not feel my legs nor seem to move them. I tried not to panic and hyperventilate. Could I be paralyzed for life? Never able to run or walk again? Not able to save Farren. He needed me now. I became aware of a feeling in my shoulder. It quickly spread until it covered most of my body. Heat. pure heat; painful and burning. My eyes flew open suddenly. I was on fire. Literally. I rolled over and over finding that I had control over my entire body. I was not paralyzed but burning fuel covered my body. The rolling extinguished the flames but they would ignite at the slightest spark. I had to change out of these clothes. I crawled away from the burning wreckage of the plane. There was a shed a few yards away. I painfully and slowly inched my way over to it. I could hear people shouting and running toward the massive pyre. I opened the door and collapsed inside. It was the control/radio shack for the airstrip. There was a first aid kit with burn salve in it and an extra pair of dirty coveralls in the corner. I used up all the burn salve and then gingerly put on the new clothes. the burns were not very bad because my clothes had absorbed much of the heat. the exposed parts of my skin were burned much worse. I could still function but it was painful. I must not have been knocked out for more than a few seconds.I emerged from the shack with a fire extinguisher in hand and did my best to blend in with the crowd. no one noticed me because they were all to busy trying to put out the fire. I handed my extinguisher to someone and then joined a line of people running back to the base for more firefighting equipment, as the fire was spreading along the dry grass at an amazing pace. We stormed into the underground bunker and I followed the flow of humanity until I saw something familiar. It was a door with a window. Through the window I could see the sparing gym. The other side of the gym led to my old cell. Could that be where Diablo was keeping Farren? I was going to have to start looking for him somewhere so I might as well start somewhere I knew.
I opened the door to the gym and slipped inside. A flood of images surged through me. The two Guards I had killed, and the fencing instructor. I nearly collapsed to the ground from the weight of the guilt I felt. Could I have escaped without killing anyone? If I hadn't escaped would Farren still have been kidnapped? I shoved all these thought to the side and prayed. "God, help me to be strong. Give me strength to find Farren and save us both from this evil. You are my Savior and the only One who can get us out of this alive." My peace of mind returned, and I continued on through the other door and out into the all too familiar corridor. I walked past a hallway on the left and then one on the right. Take the second door to the left; pass another hall on the right and take the second door on the right after that. Then it would be the seventh door on the left of a long hall of identical doors. That was my particular hell. Which would be Farrens? Would he be in one? I came to the last door. So far I had not encountered any guards. I peeked through the little window. Two guards. I stepped back and took a moment to pray. "LORD, Help me do do your will. Give me your wisdom. I do not want to hurt these men but at the same time I do want revenge. I pray for the guards, LORD. Help me to get my brother without having to hurt anyone."
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
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