ADOTH: the exiled system.

Chapter 8: Ruined plan.

At the hearing of this, Stan’s countenance changed totally, he did not know what to do again. He was still looking at Trisha but it was obvious to her that his mind was no longer in the thing which she was saying.

So Trisha had to bring his mind back from wherever it had gone. “Gibson, are you even listening to me?”

While Trisha was trying to get his mind to come back to what she was talking about in order for him to agree with her, Ling was taking note of his strange behavior. Meanwhile Rudo was so focused on getting loose from the chair as he also wanted to know how Gibson could hide the power of his chip all the days he was in the Elite academy.

“Of course, I heard you right. By the way, why do you care? I know you are only after your benefit.” Stan replied to Trisha.

“Oh! Is that what it is now? I risked my life to warn of their plot to kill you. I guess that was also after my benefits. You ingrate.” Trisha had to spark up, showing Stan that he was not the only one who could get angry.

“Fine. You’ve made your point. They are yours, do whatever pleases you with them. I’m out. I hope you keep to yours and stop following me around.”

“Sure I will. You will never see me again.” Trisha was quick to give him a reply because she was more concerned about her life at this point than his and her belief was that sending Ling and Rudo back to master Sullivan would make him forgive her of his sin.

“I hope I don’t.” Stan said to her as he finally exited the building, leaving Ling and Rudo at her detriment.

“So this was all your idea? You planned for us to be captured with that fellow?” Rudo asked in surprise. He didn’t believe that Trisha had gone that far to have planned such against them.

“You didn’t hear that.” Trisha tried to confuse him so that her plan would work and they would not later turn to tell the other elites that she planned their capture just to be free from punishment for her crime.

“I know what I heard and I believe Ling heard the same thing.” Rudo said as he looked at Ling. He didn’t like the idea that Ling was quiet about that, so he wanted him to say something so that Trisha would know that plan will not work.

“Are you going to untie us or not?” Ling asked her instead of what Rudo was expecting him to say. This was not because he didn’t understand what Trisha was up to, rather it was because his mind was not in the plan, it was very far from what they were arguing over.

“Now that is someone who wants to be free.” Trisha said as she drew close to Ling and began to untie him. Even as she did this she still said. “Whatever you heard me discussing Gibson is not what I really meant. He caught you and I had to say those words just to let him set you guys free. And yes, I’d also like a favor in return but honestly I didn’t mean for him to catch you guys.”

Ling was not paying attention to what she was saying, Rudo was the one who paid attention to her even though he wasn’t the person being referred to. As soon as Ling was completely untied, he walked towards the exit without waiting for Rudo to be untied too. He knew that his aim at this point was different from that of Rudo at the moment.

“Hey buddy, are you going to leave me here?” Rudo called for his attention as he saw that Trisha had no intention of untying him until he yielded to whatever plan she had for him.

Trisha too was amazed that Ling was walking away just like that, so she also had to call for his attention. “I didn’t lose you to walk out on me. You have a favor to return so we can be even with each other.”

“And you have Rudo with you to return that favor on our behalf.” Ling answered her.

“Ling…. Don’t tell me you believe what this traitor said?” Rudo asked him.

“I guess you have another means to which you will be untied?”

“Yes. And that is you. You are to untie me.”

“Hey, hey, hey, can I get both your attention now?” Trisha yelled out as she didn’t like the conversation that they were both having. Just as she had requested, they gave her the chance to say what wanted to say, so she began by referring to Rudo. “Look, your friend has made the right choice, now it's left for you to decide whether you want to be left here or not.” Then she turned to Ling while she waited for Rudo to make his choice. “As for you, I repeat, I didn’t lose you to walk away from me. You are going to take me to Master Sullivan Nathan and tell him of how I saved you from the hands of Gibson. I mean the both of you, but if Rudo still chooses to stay here tied up in this chair, it is up to him, then you will take me to Master Sullivan alone.”

Rudo just kept looking at Ling to see if he truly meant to leave him there without untying him, and from his observation, Ling was definitely going to leave him there. So he said to Trisha, “You win, now will you untie.”

Trisha turned to him as he said those words but did not make any to act by his request. She only gave him a look which was awful and difficult to determine its meaning.

“Pleaseeee.” He then added after noticing that is what Trisha was expecting from him after proving stubborn.

“I knew you would make the right choice.” Trisha said as she unties him.

After she was done losing Rudo from the chair, Ling then said, “I believe I am now permitted to go. Rudo would talk to master Sullivan on your behalf.”

“And where are you going?” Rudo asked him.

“I’m going after Stan Gibson.” Ling said as he exited the building.

“Then I am coming with you.” Rudo said because he felt Ling was still bent on the task which Sullivan gave to them. At least the Chinese boy was known to hardly accept defeat and one from Stan was going to be a big disgrace to his person.

Just as Rudo was about to leave the building too, Trisha grabbed him by the wrist, “You are going after them, you heard Ling, so you’ll take me to master Sullivan and tell him of how I saved you from Gibson.”

This time Trisha did not say only because she wanted to be free from them chasing her, she also wanted to keep the promise she made to Stan about not seeing him again.

“I don’t think you understand how this works,” Rudo replied, even as she was still holding him, he did not need force to cause her to let him go, all he needed was words as everything must not be done forcefully. “Ling and I were given the task to catch Stan so I can not return to master Sullivan alone. It is either Ling and I return without accomplishing the task or you help us get Stan.”

Trisha was now quiet for some seconds as she thought over what he just said. She could not force him to take her to Sullivan and she also understood his point very well, therefore the only way for her plan to work out was if she helped him get Ling or both Ling and Stan.

“Fuck!” she exclaimed as she let go of his hands.