On the run

"am going through all this stress for nothing." Sandra murmured with a scowled face as they all faced the security men who approached them with a prideful look.

"smart…it's great you guys saw there was no use in running. Thanks for making my work easier." One of the security man said while the other two smirked at themselves. "Sandra swam. You are so daring. You pretended to be kidnapped to play with your friends and you…" he looked at Liam and said excited "you are such an actor." The man laughed.

"I was kidnapped. I was brought here against my wish." Sandra said.

"smart…" he chuckled. "quite smart. You are quick I must say but there is no use to defend yourself. Young master will take all the blame whether you are an accomplice or not. He is favored like the other rich kids so relax." He said confidently looking down on James.

"Hmm...I had in mind to take you to your father, to gain his favor thinking that all parents cared for their children. But your father instructed that I should take you to the penalty room and inform the staffs." He smirked. "today, I knew that the rumors about your father's hatred towards you is true…" his face suddenly looked disgusted "and I have been trying to kiss up to your feet when am meant to expose all your wrong doings to him"

"You talk too much..." James contradicted. "let's go" He commanded.

"Sure" he immediately gestured for them to move forward to keep an eye on them. To avoid being tricked.

From a distance James, Sandra and Liam sighted the topiaries. It was beautifully cut like the others. It was like the snake was about to devour the rat. All the topiary was arranged accordingly inform of a food chain. The stronger animal topiary always looked like it's about to devour its prey, portraying the circle of life.

5 kilometers away from topiaries of the snake and rat. Liam quickly glanced back and checked on the security men behind them. They were walking very close to them but were a bit distracted admiring each topiary they came across. He then called to the attention of James and Sandra to run at the count of three with his fingers.

'1...2' he slightly raised his index finger, followed by the middle one and slightly turned back. The security men were totally distracted by one of the topiary. From the look in their eyes bewildered by the beauty. This was the opportunity Liam needed. He immediately moved his ring finger '3'.

They zoomed off. They ran in between the topiary of the snake and rat. Liam quickly grabbed Sandra's hand to drag her along since she was lagging behind. "left..."he whispered and they simultaneously turned left. They kept running forward. James quickly turned his head back to check whether the security men were on their tail and they were right behind them. he knew that with just a matter of steps the security men would catch up to them. They were well trained.

seeing a dead end and two cross path in front of them, James immediately said "Liam check the next…"

"left…" he said cutting him off. He had already crammed the few path they were to follow, to avoid referencing back to the map which would definitely slow them down. he still held his sister tightly running forward.

"Where next? Where are we to turn to?" James quickly asked as they ran forward. They had to lose those men.

"right after that left…" Liam replied. They turned right and immediately met a cross path before them. They went to the left direction.

"yes this is what we need" James said with a smile.

The security men lost track of them and looked round. None of them could decide which path they followed. "Let's separate and search for them" one of them suggested.

"no we can't. we might end up getting lost here. I have heard rumors of how confusing this place is. Let's wait for them outside they will eventually come out. the two of you will go wait at the back gate. Use the normal route if u don't want to get lost." The loquacious man instructed.

"but we can be in contact with one another using our mobile phones. There is no way we won't find our way out of here." The other security man tries to convince their leader.

"You haven't heard the rumors of the five missing staffs here." The loquacious security man said lazily.

"I believe we have lost them. I doubt they will still be on our track." Liam said panting as he slowly reduces his speed. "turn left again" he instructed and they followed. "At this rate, the chances of the security men catching up to us is pretty low except if they decide to split up."

"I …can't…run…anymore… am tired" Sandra said catching her breath. She squatted down, struggling to get hold of herself. She overstressed herself. The speed she ran at was something she thought she wasn't capable of. Liam dragged her along at a high speed that she was no longer in control on how fast her legs moved. She was completely exhausted due to the fact she focused her whole strength on avoiding to trip.

"don't worry. You can rest now. There is no way they will find us here. We have gone far." James said at ease. "let's catch our breath for a brief moment before we continue." James had a relaxed mind.

"shhh..." Liam made a low sound telling James to keep quite. He kept looking at one direction.

"what's that?" James whispered.

Liam slowly stood up and soundlessly tiptoed to where he has been starring. He saw nothing there and walked back to where he was. "I saw a shadow. I feel we are being watched." He said to James.

"I doubt. Relax guy. None of the security man know their way around here. we have lost them" James said and laid on the floor with a light smile on his face. "give me the map" he requested.

Liam handed the map to him and he opened it still lying on his back. He swiftly brought down the map from his face and looked at the route they were currently in. It was the same topiaries of a snake and a rat. He looked around and said quickly "Liam we went round." He stood up and walked out in-between the two topiary but didn.t see the straight path they walked on earlier with the security men.

"most of the topiaries are repeated." Liam stated. "didn't you notice it on our way here? They were repeated and were carved the same way. I guess this is what's makes it confusing to identify the paths." He continued gently wiping his sweat off the bruise on his forehead.

"I never heard of the topiaries being repeated." He was bewildered.

"because you are dumb. you can't notice trivial things." Sandra rebuked. "Dim wit, didn't you see the repeated topiary of the chicken in front of us when we let the security men catch us."

James said nothing to her. this wasn't the time to exchange words with her besides he still needed her help. "let's go." He said standing up.

Liam extended out his hand to him and James helped him up. Sandra immediately copied Liam action expecting James to help her but he walked pass her like he didn't see her.

Liam smiled and dragged her up. "why are you always picking on him?"

"me? Who has the strength for that." she denied, picking up her bag.

"bro, there is no topiary of an antelope and a lion here." James said to Liam looking round once again.

"is that the next path we should follow?" Liam asked.

"yes, but I can't find it here. Am not sure we are in the right place. The map said we should walk in-between those topiaries next but they aren't here." He looked in between other topiaries as he spoke worriedly.

"are you saying we are lost?" Sandra asked.

"let me see the map" Liam collected the map from James and it was exactly what James said. he dropped it on the floor and squatted to look at it closely.

James squatted as well. "you see; we are missing something. We might have taken the wrong turn. Let's go back and start from beginning." He suggested. This maze of topiaries was really big and the last thing he wanted was to get lost in it.

"am sure we followed the right path. I checked it very well. I just don't understand why I can't find those two topiaries here…cheetah, hyena, wolf, panda, zebra…" he slowly turned around, looking at each topiary encircling them closely but none of them was an antelope or a lion.

"guy, there is no time for this. We need to hurry up before it gets dark. Besides if my father finds out am here he won't hesitate to come here. He doesn't need the map to know his way around here. He has mastered it since he is the only one that cuts and maintains the shrubs of the inner topiaries of this maze."

"your father maintains the topiraries?" Sandra asked curiously.

"yes, the workers maintain the outer part while my father takes care of the inner part. He doesn't want people to know the in or out of the maze. That's why he restricts his workers, in fact anybody except himself from entering the place."

"why?" Sandra asked and James responded by raise both his arms sighing that he doesn't know.

"hey! Come and see this." Liam called to their attention. They both looked at Liam to see him with a piece of paper rising it directly to the sun staring at it intensely.