PERSONAL JUSTICE by Ramlee Awang Murshid

12

KUALA LUMPUR

24 September 2000 - 7.00 p.m.

RUBEN heaved a sigh. He was hiding at the staircase, pacing and working his mind to look for something that he could use to get himself out of the situation he was in. He was certain the two men were still looking for him. However, as a trained CIA agent, he was not at all troubled by the situation.

Ruben checked his pistol. He pulled out the magazine. He was out of ammunitions. Spontaneously, he groped inside his pocket hoping to find a spare magazine. None was left. He sighed again. He had, since he had began his mission in this country, brought along just one magazine at any one time. He did not count that, today, he needed to use more than one magazine.

He pushed back the empty magazine back into the pistol's butt and slipped the gun into his waistband on his back. He looked around the staircase hoping to find another angle for a way out. Still, it was in vain.

Ruben took out his cell phone. He pressed the number that could connect him to the American Embassy in the country. It was ringing.

"Hello... hello," Ruben said soon as his call was answered. 

Beep! The voice at the other end went off. The line was cut. Ruben glanced at the screen of his cell phone. Beep! Beep! It was that sound again. The words 'battery low' flashed on the screen. Seconds later, the green light turned red. The cell phone had now ran out of battery power.

"Damn it!" Ruben jumped in anger.

He had failed again. In a tense situation like this, he had to act whatever the risk was. Right now, his enemies have the advantage. They were armed and there were two of them. Two against one.

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RUBEN sat at the lowest step. The situation was returning back to normal - quiet. Only the be disturbed by his own breathing. The closed staircase had concrete walls around it that any movement would cause an echo, it did not matter if the movement was by a human or a fallen object. Indeed, anyone opening or closing a door from high above would be heard from here.

While he was pondering, all of a sudden his ear caught the vague chopping sound of a helicopter outside the tower. Immediately, he turned his head up, watching the steel frames of the stairs as it joined together in perspective. Then looked at the walls looking for something. The number '10' immediately caught his eyes. He was at the tenth floor now. His brain went to overdrive.

"Skybridge... floor 42."

Instantly, Ruben ran up the stairs. He must reach the 42th floor before the helicopter hovered away. He was certain that the helicopter belonged to the Malaysian police, scouting over the area. And he was more certain that the police already had the building surrounded. He must muster all his strength. He needed the Malaysian police to rescue him from the two men who were looking for him.

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ABU HASDAL stopped walking when he heard the soft chopping of the helicopter outside the tower. Soon after he had received the call at the security room, he explored all the rooms he could find. He was looking for Ruben. He was sure Ruben was still in the building. Abu Hasdal saw it with his own eyes how Ruben had entered the building while he was chasing him from the Suria KLCC building. He trusted his instincts.

Abu Hasdal ran into the lift floor. He pressed the buttons to every lift. He could not wait for any of the lifts to open its door.

Ting! An lift at the other end opened. Abu Hasdal stepped in and pressed the button marked 42. Ting! The door closed and the lift began its climb upwards.