Eloa took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. The room was full. Everyone was here. All the candidates. Each would be given just 10 minutes before the Triumvirate before a decision would be made. He opened his eyes to glance at his watch. 60 minutes to noon, his scheduled time. Just 120 minutes before the results would be announced. He could feel his stomach churning. He glanced around, carefully noting the location of the restroom. Just in case.
A slight vibration caught his attention. He glanced down at his watch. A message glowed up at him from the small screen. “Operation timetable decided. Noon today.” His gut twisted even more. He was going to be sick. He bolted for the restroom.
He threw up twice. Anxiety and fear gripped him, and he had trouble concentrating. But it took him only a few minutes to make up his mind. Twenty minutes to the train. Thirty minutes on the train. Another ten minutes to Yrial’s apartment. And that was just walking. If he ran, he could make it easily. He wiped the bile from his lips, splashed some water into his mouth, and exited the restroom.
He ran for eight straight minutes to reach the train station. He ignored his burning side, knowing that he’d have time to rest during the long train ride. The train ride was the hardest part; each stop seemed to take much longer than normal, and he battered himself with questions. Was this the right thing to do? Would he make it in time? How were they planning to pull it off?
He got of the train 15 minutes before noon, once again taking off running. Four minutes later, he was standing at Yrial’s door, pounding against it. Nobody answered. He called out, “Yrial! It’s me, Eloa.” Nothing. He had to figure out a way to get in. He headed for the elevator.
The door slid open, and Yrial stood there. Eloa turned around and wrapped her in his arms. “It’s not too late,” he said.
“Eloa, what’s wrong?”
“Come on! There’s no time to explain. Just come with me.” He grabbed her by the wrist and headed for the elevator before pausing again. “No, we’d better use the stairs.”
“What is it, Eloa?”
“I’ll explain later. Just do as I say.”
She jerked her hand away and stopped. “Eloa, you’re scaring me.”
“They’re coming for you, Yrial. We’ve got to hurry.” He looked at his watch again. Eight minutes to noon. “We’ve got to get out of here before they find out you’ve left.”
“How do you know this?”
“Please, Yrial, just come with me. I’ll explain it on the way. But please, we’ve got to get moving.”
As they headed down the stairs, Eloa told her about the strange message he had received the night before.
They reached the bottom of the stairs right at noon. Eloa pushed open the doors, Yrial right behind him.