Part Three: The Chase

     Pain. The pain was all he could think of. He tired not to pass out from it. He didn’t want to risk losing to much time. John forced himself up and went after the group. He had no idea of what to expect coming back into the city alone. He had relied on Lokkin to help guide him. The thought came into his mind and he focused on it. Anything really; Lokkin, pain, women, cars, boats, food. Any hint of keeping him going. He stumbled down a few times as he made it into a bizzar.
     ”Aggh” he panted as his muscles healed. The pain was receding quickly. His head stopped ringing, his vision became clearer. He looked for any sign that Lokkin left for him. He was not going to lose them. John ran through groups of people, searching, asking. Some leads got him in the right direction.
     ”What the hell is happening?” He thought out loud to himself. His mind was trying to grasp any idea or concept that could help him get a connection, only one did. ‘The man that Lokkin spoke of?’ His thought became clearer. If you intend to open a door for one side, you need a door on the other to make a connection. The urge to jump up and say EUREKA! wasn’t there. Only finding Lokkin and the group.
     He turned down a corner street and went up higher, he was near an open market. The building surrounding it provided a vantage point to look from. He climbed one of them, he raced forward. That’s when the slap in the face happened. The market stretched for a mile.
     ”Damn” he said, but he wasn’t going to give up, not now. He reached into his bag, pulled out some odd looking specs that he grabbed from Merdin’s place, and scanned the environment. Most of the market had awnings, people dressed in every type of clothing imaginable, creatures running in and out of the crowds, and a group of hooded men. They were carrying with them, another man. He had just seen them cover him with a hood as well.
     ”Lokkin,” he said as he climbed, nearly leaping down to the ground. He headed northwest into the market. John hoped he could make in time before losing them again.

     Dodging back and forth, trying not to hit anybody or collide with anything, John ran faster than ever before. His legs burned as he kept going, he didn’t care, the healing helped him from cramping. He kept going faster, faster, and faster. He was sweating badly. The saltiness from his pores got in his eyes, they blinded him periodically. He didn’t flinch a second as it occurred. He felt like he was close. His blood was surging through his muscles, the oxygen give him clarity. He was sharp, any sudden change in movement and he instantly reacted. He was panting heavily.
     ”Where are they?” He had reached what he believed to be the spot, they were getting to. He took the opportunity to get to a hiding spot nearby, thankfully no one cared about someone who is sleeping on one of the side parts of the vendors tents. He waited, he felt like he over shot them. He waited, waited, and waited. John breathed deeply trying to get his heart rate down. Getting ready to ambush the group. He reached into his bag again, pulling some little black metal looking pebbles. Almost like the one that stunned him he thought. 
     ”Fight fire, with fire.” he grasped two in hand. He scanned the crowd. The group was in sight. “Yes!” He whispered. He prone himself, ready to jump out. He remembered one of the training courses he took back in his academy days about sneaking and trailing suspects. The fact he remembered the thought overwhelmed him, he felt grateful his memories were coming back faster now. 
     The group came closer, there were five of them. All hooded. They were wearing dark red robes. A golden patch was on the front, but it was too small to see. He didn’t care, he wanted to rescue Lokkin. The group came in distance, and he threw one of the pebbleis. The other he held on too. It went off in the groups face with a loud BANG! The group cred:
     ”Aaagghh!!” They all came down, he through the other one for added measure before making his move. He rushed forward. Grabbed the middle man and ran out, carrying the other almost literary by picking him up completely. John made quick movements in and out of alleyways, people, casts, and vendors before coming to a stop in a building some distance away. 
     ”Lokkin, you alright?” He dropped the man, and raised the hood. Although the face underneath was not Lokkin. It was Vic.