question.
The
guard on my right released my arm and James opened the rear door of the car. He
ducked my head down with the palm of his hand, his fingers like a spider on my
scalp. I crouched lower, careful not to hit the roof as I climbed in and sat along
the smooth interior. The seats were dark and felt like soft leather. There wasn’t
much lighting inside, adding to the eerie feeling already consuming me. I tried
breathing deeply to sort my thoughts from their collective mess. I wasn’t good
in tense situations. My heart beat steadily, but heavily, and the pounding from
it was like a boulder in my chest, making it harder to breathe. James shut the
door with more force than necessary and disappeared around the back. I looked
ahead and saw another guard sitting in the passenger seat—just as big as the other
one who walked me, marched me, to the car. He was sitting in the driver seat.
The passenger guard was shirtless with a gun slung across his chest, filling in
the rest of the space between him and the dashboard. A second later, a
translucent screen projected from the center dashboard, he tapped a few
buttons, and an icy blue button lit up underneath the screen. He pressed his
thumb to it. Immediately, the car hummed to life and I heard the door to my
right shut. I looked over; James was sitting directly next to me, staring
ahead. Not blinking. And not talking to me.
I
knew his rule about talking, but if there was ever a time to break it, that
time was now.
I
glared at him as the car slowly pulled away from the curb. Still nothing. No
response.
The
car glided around the corner of my street and we were only a few blocks away
from the Academy. The car was silent and my senses kicked into overdrive,
breathing in a nasty smell of sweaty, unwashed individuals—repulsive. I wanted
to puke, but not from the odor, from my twisted, nerve-ridden stomach.
My
seat started getting warmer. My body radiated anxiety all over, my hands began
sweating uncontrollably, and I stretched my fingers out from their tight grip.
When I opened my palms, they were met by cooler air.
I
shuddered when James, who was still staring straight ahead, suddenly gripped my
hand. I glanced down to see our hands as one and then he broke his grip from
mine. A foreign object was left crumbled in the center of my palm. A piece of
paper. I looked over at him, but still no response. As I opened the piece of paper,
the tiny words stay down were jumbled hastily across it.
I
didn’t understand and looked up just in time, observing James’ elbow slam into
the guard’s head in the driver’s seat, smashing the driver’s temple into the frame.
Glass shattered everywhere and then James head-butted the guard sitting in the
passenger seat, who had begun turning in response to the turmoil. Instantly, that
guard threw his hands up behind him over the headrest, grabbing James around
the neck. The force he exerted looked like it would tear James’ head from his shoulders.
James responded by throwing himself forward over the guard’s head, his body now
snug and horizontal against the roof.
All
of this happened within seconds, and then the driving guard grabbed his gun
from around his chest. The car weaved side to side, knocking me around like a
ragdoll.
“James!”
was the only word I managed to yell—trying to warn him as I hit the door
further from me.
James
shoved his left foot into the jaw of the guard and then another swift kick to
his side, throwing the guard’s body clear through the driver’s side door, flinging
him out onto the pavement. Instantly, the car hummed to a complete stop and I
looked back and saw the guard lying next to the car door, sparking from
skidding against the pavement—the guard looked mad.
I
looked back at James and the other guard, who still had a tight grasp on his
neck. He rotated his body, spinning his head from the guard’s grip and then he grabbed
the guard’s arm, pulling his finger away from the trigger of his gun.
The
guard on my right released my arm and James opened the rear door of the car. He
ducked my head down with the palm of his hand, his fingers like a spider on my
scalp. I crouched lower, careful not to hit the roof as I climbed in and sat along
the smooth interior. The seats were dark and felt like soft leather. There wasn’t
much lighting inside, adding to the eerie feeling already consuming me. I tried
breathing deeply to sort my thoughts from their collective mess. I wasn’t good
in tense situations. My heart beat steadily, but heavily, and the pounding from
it was like a boulder in my chest, making it harder to breathe. James shut the
door with more force than necessary and disappeared around the back. I looked
ahead and saw another guard sitting in the passenger seat—just as big as the other
one who walked me, marched me, to the car. He was sitting in the driver seat.
The passenger guard was shirtless with a gun slung across his chest, filling in
the rest of the space between him and the dashboard. A second later, a
translucent screen projected from the center dashboard, he tapped a few
buttons, and an icy blue button lit up underneath the screen. He pressed his
thumb to it. Immediately, the car hummed to life and I heard the door to my
right shut. I looked over; James was sitting directly next to me, staring
ahead. Not blinking. And not talking to me.
I
knew his rule about talking, but if there was ever a time to break it, that
time was now.
I
glared at him as the car slowly pulled away from the curb. Still nothing. No
response.
The
car glided around the corner of my street and we were only a few blocks away
from the Academy. The car was silent and my senses kicked into overdrive,
breathing in a nasty smell of sweaty, unwashed individuals—repulsive. I wanted
to puke, but not from the odor, from my twisted, nerve-ridden stomach.
My
seat started getting warmer. My body radiated anxiety all over, my hands began
sweating uncontrollably, and I stretched my fingers out from their tight grip.
When I opened my palms, they were met by cooler air.
I
shuddered when James, who was still staring straight ahead, suddenly gripped my
hand. I glanced down to see our hands as one and then he broke his grip from
mine. A foreign object was left crumbled in the center of my palm. A piece of
paper. I looked over at him, but still no response. As I opened the piece of paper,
the tiny words stay down were jumbled hastily across it.
I
didn’t understand and looked up just in time, observing James’ elbow slam into
the guard’s head in the driver’s seat, smashing the driver’s temple into the frame.
Glass shattered everywhere and then James head-butted the guard sitting in the
passenger seat, who had begun turning in response to the turmoil. Instantly, that
guard threw his hands up behind him over the headrest, grabbing James around
the neck. The force he exerted looked like it would tear James’ head from his shoulders.
James responded by throwing himself forward over the guard’s head, his body now
snug and horizontal against the roof.
All
of this happened within seconds, and then the driving guard grabbed his gun
from around his chest. The car weaved side to side, knocking me around like a
ragdoll.
“James!”
was the only word I managed to yell—trying to warn him as I hit the door
further from me.
James
shoved his left foot into the jaw of the guard and then another swift kick to
his side, throwing the guard’s body clear through the driver’s side door, flinging
him out onto the pavement. Instantly, the car hummed to a complete stop and I
looked back and saw the guard lying next to the car door, sparking from
skidding against the pavement—the guard looked mad.
I
looked back at James and the other guard, who still had a tight grasp on his
neck. He rotated his body, spinning his head from the guard’s grip and then he grabbed
the guard’s arm, pulling his finger away from the trigger of his gun.
Similar Books
The Alchemist's Code
Dave Duncan
The Pink House at Appleton
Jonathan Braham
Slave Of Destiny
Derek Easterbrook
A Billionaire for Breakfast
Mila McClung
Just Visiting
Laura Dower
Distressed: Enemy Of The State- Book 1
James Hunt
The Pied Piper
Ridley Pearson
