The Journalist

Chapter 69: What We Must Experience

"Leave this country and come with me to Japan!" I repeated my request to ask her to stay in my country.

Although it sounds joking, but know my intentions are really serious. I realized our relationship was very close to separation. There was a time when I would actually return to my country. But I'm not ready to be parted from him. Therefore, I want to bring her along with me.

"Thank you for your kindness offer, but .. I ti—"

"Don't rush to decide!" cut me quick, "me .. will give you time to think. At least, until we can get out and survive this place" I continued back.

I don't think I'm ready to hear his rejection. For that, I gave another option. I hope, she really considered my offer after I gave her some time to think.

We looked at each other for a moment. I immediately turned my eyes away while pretending to yawn.

"Hoaam .. I'm very tired. Just like this my eyes can't stand it. I'll sleep with the camels outside.

When I was about to stand up, Ameena said, "Sleep in here!"

"Eh?" I'm slack.

"It's very cold outside. The aftershock may come at any time" he said, then turned his back on me.

I smiled thinly. I laid this body while looking at him who was sitting curled up in the corner of the cave. That night, Ameena and I slept together in a cave with a bonfire between us as a barrier.

I drowned in my deep sleep. I don't know how long it's been. I heard a noise. I opened my eyes slowly. In a faint vision, I saw several pairs of legs wearing military shoes in front of my eyes. I woke up in shock. My hands are now tied to chains!

"Is this man what you mean?" ask a man with a turban covering his entire face and head.

Someone then entered the cave. I jerked. He was one of the extremist members who confronted me yesterday.

"Really! He's the guy! He admitted to being a foreign journalist. He must be a spy from the American army!" said the man loudly.

The man before me gave a cold smile. "Bring him!"

Not wanting to just fall into their hands, I put up a fight. In this narrow cave, where space was very limited, I attacked them using both my legs. I give a kick to those who approach me. I took my foot to the foot of the man who was about to ambush me. Even banged my forehead against the forehead of one of the men who was about to beat me up.

Someone attacked me from behind. Kubalas by awarding a beautiful kick right about his face. I did the same to the other herds. However, he managed to catch my leg so that my body lost its balance and fell down. Both of my legs were pulled by it so I seemed to be standing in an inverted position. Not lost my mind, I leaned my feet against his neck while giving a lockdown attack. Suddenly, his hand immediately broke away from my feet.

I took this opportunity to escape from them. However, as soon as it came out of the mouth of the cave, my steps came to a standstill as I saw Ameena sitting on a tightrope wrapped around her body. Not only that, there were six people behind him with weapons pointed at him.

In that instant I immediately raised my bound hands and knelt before them as a form of surrender. Some of the people who had been attacked by me now hit me from all directions.

"Chai!" Ameena shouted softly as I fell to the ground.

"They really have a relationship?" Those people looked at us cynically.

"Shameful! Women should be able to maintain dignity and self-esteem! Not running away with the enemy!" shouted one of their gangs.

"No! We didn't do anything. He's just a journalist not an American soldier!" Ameena tried to defend.

A man was about to slap Ameena, but was detained by someone who appeared to be the leader of the group. "He's a good thing, you better not touch him!"

The man then said to Ameena. "You think we're stupid? The area was sterilized before the war between the government and the rebels. Foreign journalists are not allowed to cover let alone enter this region. If he can get in, it means he's part of the American military force!"

The leader of the group ordered his men to take us. We were forced into the car with our hands tied and our eyes closed.

"You have fled wherever you can't escape us because the region is now under our control and American forces are losing heavily in the war," the guy who just pushed me into the car.

I jerked. Like a plot twist in the film, the fierce war over the region was won by the extremist group that came last. Apparently they have a good strategy to monitor the movements of the opponents.

During the journey, I tried to release this hand from the iron chain. Unfortunately, it was just a wasted job. I was silent for a moment. I can't see anything, but I can feel Ameena standing next to me.

"Mina-chan, you're okay, right? Sorry ... I'm no more deft in helping you until we're trapped by them" I whispered.

"We may not survive Khai." Ameena replied to me with a trembling tone.

"As long as we're together .. there's nothing you need to fear because I'll try to protect you" I whispered slowly.

I don't know where they took us. After spending the trip less than an hour. We got out of the car to somewhere. There was not a single light I could see. However, I can guess they took us to jail when the sound of the cell opened.

Meanwhile, Ameena was placed in a cell that was right next to me. Looking at Ameena, my feelings were relieved. In front of our cell was a hanging pole with a splash of dried blood. It seems that this prison is in a basement.

"Mina-chan!"

Soon enough, some large-bodied men arrived and opened the holding cells I occupied. They dragged me out and forcibly undressed me to make me bare-chested. Not only that, they also hung my body on a pole that was directly opposite my holding cell with Ameena. Someone came to bring whips and blows.

They began the interrogation by forcing me to reveal my true identity. They seemed to insist that I was part of an American military force that had entered the mountain area to spy on the group.

"Tell me the truth what is your purpose in the mountains of this region? And what is your relationship with that woman!"

"The woman has explained many times. I don't have to repeat it!"

"A very arrogant answer! Let's see how long you've endured your arrogance!"

Their executioners started torturing me. One whip flew up on my back. Feels very hot and painful.

They gave me the question again. Unfortunately, none of their questions I answered. No, I mean none of their questions I understand. Because, they brought some names of American military commanders and asked me to tell the location of his whereabouts.

I had to take another punch and whip because I couldn't answer their questions. Every physical torment I received was accompanied by the sound of Ameena's roaring cry. He shouted to ask that I be released.

As if unconcerned by Ameena's screams, they continued to lash brutal blows at me. Makes me like their punching bag. Fresh blood dripped from my forehead, nose and mouth. My body was torn apart and full of wounds. I was only allowed to rest for a few hours. Then they came again with new tormentors.

I don't know how long it's been. I don't know the time. Is it still on the same day? Or have they been through for days? Morning and night are the same. If anyone wonders where the hell is? This place fits into the answer.

I was unconscious many times because I could not bear their torment. When I opened my eyes again and saw Ameena standing in tears holding onto the bars of iron, the power to survive grew even greater. Yeah, instead of getting tortured from them, I'm more afraid of parting with him.

Mina-chan, take it easy .. I'm not that weak. I will not give in to death.

The men came back with new tools of torture. They were surprised to see me still holding on.

"Strongly physical you!" The man in charge of interrogating it patted my cheek strongly.

"Although so ... he still claimed not to be a member of the military! Hah ... you liar!" His friend spat right in front of me.

"It looks like you guys are angry for not having as physical as your opponents!" I said while looking at them.

"We won the war, managed to control this region and even seized the combat equipment belonging to American soldiers" they said in an arrogant tone.

I laughed weakly. "Is it a success worth being proud of? You won the war by making children part of the army. Even put them in the front guard. You know very well that the enemy will certainly not be able to fight, because attacking children is the same as committing war crimes."

My words must have ignited his anger. The man's eyes emitted a blaze of flames, as if they were about to devour me that very second. He put the mouth of the gun right in the middle of my forehead with his hand ready to pull the trigger.

"This accursed human really wants to die!"

"Don't do that!" shouted one of them who had just arrived. While looking at me, he threw an international newspaper whose front page was holding my face.

"This man .. the precious prisoner we have today. He's a former Japanese coyote martial artist who's turned international journalist!"

His friends were surprised. "Former coyote army?"

"Not only that, he is the son of a prominent public figure in Japan and also the nephew of the country's justice minister. Currently, the Japanese government is applying for cooperation with the United Nations to search for its whereabouts that were declared missing."

The man who often tortured me then smiled broadly while gripping my cheeks firmly. "We'll see how much money that country can afford to spend on you!"

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In NN cave once said that Kei was like Najwa Shihab in Indonesia. Why do caves say like Mba Najwa. Because for now who does not know mba Najwa. He is a prominent journalist, youth influencer, social activist and is also the son of a prominent public figure in Indonesia.

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