//------------------------------//
// The Escape 
// Story: The Final Crusade 
// by Enfield 
//------------------------------//

The Crusaders agreed that it would be a good idea. Just as James opened the door, his cell phone rang. James took it out of his pocket and looked at it, he didn’t know the number but he answered anyway.
“Hello?” James asked casually.
“James Rogers is it?” a dark and unsettling voice asked. 
“Who is this?” James asked. 
“I’m with the FBI, that’s all I’m telling you,” the voice said. 
“So you’re an agent?” James asked, “How do you know my name?”
“Don’t you remember operation ‘Air Raid’?” the agent asked, “I was in charge.”
“Agent West,” James said, “Nice to see you’re still delaying every last thing you do, when was the last time you crapped on someone’s life?” 
“Don’t joke with me James,” said Agent West. 
“What do you want?” James asked.
“Simple,” said Agent West, “I want the girls.”
James was about to say no but he let Agent West continue.
“We know who those kids truly are, we have proof the one known as ‘Sweetie Bell’ has an interesting blood type. We want them so we can find out if there is a way to get into their world so we can see what it’s like there.”
“Don’t play that innocent crap with me, West,” said James, “I know you’re planning something so why don’t you spill it, all of it.” 
Agent West sighed and continued with the truth.
“We have reason to believe that there is a tyrannical system of government, and we want to establish democracy,” said Agent West. 
“You’re going to invade Equsetria?” James asked. 
“Something like that yes,” Agent West said. 
“And what do the girls have to do with this?” asked James.
“Easy little thing and rather funny if you think about it,” said Agent West, “What we are going to do once we get a hold of them, is perform medical experiments on them. By doing this we might be able to open up a wormhole and pour through so we can overthrow the rulers of Equestria and start up a new system of American democracy for that land so it can be peaceful.”
“You do know that it isn’t the government’s problem,” said James. 
“Also the Department of Defense had reason to believe that there are WMDs in Equestria that they will use against the U.S.,” Agent West added. 
“You’re not getting the kids,” said James.
“Do you want to know something James?” Agent West asked, “When I want something I take it, when I don’t get what I want, I take it.”
“And when someone wants something that I have I don’t let them have it,” said James. 
“Very well then James,” said Agent West, “I’ll make sure that once we get you and the girls, you get a front row seat of us tearing them apart. And also, there will be no anesthetics so you get to hear their screams.”
“You’re a sick person, West,” James said.
“I will kill you afterward, and it will be slow and painful,” said Agent West.
“The last sound you will hear now will be the last sound you’ll ever hear if you ever come near these kids,” James said as he pulled out this 1911. He then threw his phone into the lawn and shot it. James turned to the Crusaders.

“We have to go now,” he said. The Crusaders reluctantly followed him to the Zecomecks house, James led them to the garage door. James found the keypad that opened the door and he punched in a few numbers. 
“Do you know the code?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I’ve taken care of their dog a few times,” said James, “I think I know it.”

James typed in another code and the door then rose into the garage, James led the Crusaders inside first before he yanked the keypad out of the wall and shut the door with a switch on the inside of the garage. James then went into the living room of the house, he looked at the bird cage which at one point contained a parrot, but it was empty. The Crusaders followed him inside and looked around nervously.
“Is anyone in?” Sweetie Bell asked.
“No, they wouldn’t leave the bird here by itself,” said James, he looked under the bird cage and saw that the dog cage was empty and missing the food bowls. 
James gave a quick sigh of relief and dropped both his backpack and the duffle bag on the couch and sank down next to them. 
“So, are we safe?” Scootaloo asked.
“Only for a short time,” James replied. 
“At least we have the pool!” Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo ran to the door while James stood up and looked over towards it. Apple Bloom couldn’t have bought up a better distraction, James was glad that the Zecomecks pool was still uncovered. He had chosen the best house on the block; it was the last place anyone would look for him, there was a stockpile of food and drinks in the garage, the pool was usable and best of all, there was plenty of junk to barricade the doors. 

Once the doors had been blocked and the food all taken into the living room, James went through the contents of his Emergency Escape boxes, he took the .38 and span the cylinder a couple of times. As he checked the money and the passport, the Crusaders came downstairs after they went to see which rooms they would be staying in. 
“What’s so important about the boxes?” Scootaloo asked. 
“It’s something I whipped up when I was fourteen,” replied James, “I made this in case I was framed for something like a high profile murder or anything like what’s happening now. My plan is to escape the U.S. and try and live in Cuba until everything has settled.”
“But why did you have a gun in the box?” asked Sweetie Bell. 
“Just in case I couldn’t get mine,” James replied.