Part Three

Sedatives.


Ugh.






When I woke up, I was lost in darkness, though I could see a bit of my immediate surroundings. Those silver things were what made me the most crazy.


Now I was in a cage.


A CAGE!


And, if that wasn't enough, my hands were tied behind my back, and my ankles were strapped together the same way. I was on my side, so my right arm was pretty much numb from lack of blood flow. The first thing I tried was wiggling around to fix that. Eh, it worked. Slightly.


Oh, not to mention my mouth. Duct tape kept my lips sealed.


DUCT TAPE!


Yeah, I was pretty much kidnapped.


Boy, I REALLY don't like being kidnapped.


That's when I heard something from the direction of my bent knees. A clatter of metal? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Kind of sounded like keys to me, so maybe it was a good thing.


I hoped.


By now I was sobbing into my chest, which didn't really hurt me anymore. Yeah, I'm a big weenie. So what? What would you do if you were in my situation? I felt so helpless, alone, pessimistic. I knew there was nothing for me to do, and by now I was fearing the worst.


Death.


Maybe that's what the doc meant when he said my brother was discharged.
John. Dead?


The idea shattered me.


He was always the perfect older brother! He taught me all kinds of things, hung out with me, the whole works. Sure, he wouldn't let me hang out with his friends all that much, and he definitely kept secrets, but he was so much more than that. He would always protect me, no matter what. Even if a fellow senior was getting after me, John would stick by my side like glue. He wasn't embarrassed by his kid brother in the eight grade. We were the best buds in the world.


But he was... DEAD?


No! I couldn't allow it! He NEEDED to be alive! I needed to get him back to Mom and Grandmom! None of us got to say goodbye or anything! And Dad, too!


‘James!’


Awh man, his voice! I remembered his voice!


‘James! Calm down!’


That seemed kind of weird, actually.


‘James! It's me, John. This is going to sound totally weird, but we're talking mind-to-mind. It's telepathy. I'm not dead!’


‘JOHN! You're really alive?’


‘Yes, and I'm going to get you out of there and set things straight. I PROMISE.’


I sniffed over and over again, trying to get myself to stop crying. I was getting lightheaded.


‘Just calm down. You're doing great. Now I have to take care of some things to get you out of there. I'll connect you to Rosa and Em for now.’


I nodded, and even though he wasn't there, I knew he felt my acceptance. Then another voice faded into my mind.


‘...what John’s saying now.’ That was Em.


‘I know. Wait!’ And Rosa. ‘James? Is that you?’


‘Uh-huh...’ I really wasn't used to this kind of thing.


‘JAMES!’ both girls’ consciousness screamed at me. Then Em continued, ‘I thought we'd lost you! Are you okay? Any lasting effects of the sedative?’


‘Sedative?’ I asked.


‘Yeah, what that guy in the white coat gave you. The needle?’


‘Oh. I hadn't realized.’ I sniffled again. ‘I thought my brother was dead! I thought WE were going to die!’


‘Shh, shh, we're going to be okay now.’ Em cooed. ‘I'm sure your brother has a plan up his sleeve. He is our leader, after all.’


Rosa added, ‘Just relax for now and we'll take care of the hard stuff. I'm already out of my cage.’


‘You are?’ Em and I asked at the same time.


‘Yeah. I think I know where you are, Em. We'll be out of here in no time.’


I stayed silent. I realized I really needed to concentrate on my breathing, because all I had was my nose, and it was all stuffed up now. I felt so dizzy and tired and weak. All I could do was wait. All I could think about was my brother. John was okay.


‘James, are you sure you're okay?’ It was Em. Rosa was too busy with the keys.


‘I'm scared, I'm tired, I'm cold, I'm thirsty, and I want to go home. Does that qualify as okay?’


Em giggled. She ACTUALLY giggled. So I scowled.


‘Sorry James. I'm nervous and giddy at the same time. I'm excited for the rescue, but I'm also afraid of it failing. Everything's funny right now. It probably has something to do with the sedative.’


All I could do was continue to shake from all the things listed moments ago.


As Rosa and Em came into view through the darkness, a commotion threw the door down. Rosa and Em whipped around to see what happened, but they were blocking my view.


‘They're here!’


‘At last.’


Seconds later, uniformed and ARMED men and women piled into the room, blocking off the rescue group from the three of us. They also flicked on the lights, high above and florescent. The sudden lighting practically blinded me.


“Nobody move!” shouted one of them.


Too late. The rescue group, which I assumed was John's friends, started fighting the guys in front of them to get to us. They advanced pretty far, too, about halfway across the room. But something was pointing at me. And it was sparkly.


Not the coolio sparkly, like a gold necklace on my mom, or the old ring on my grandmom's finger. More like a sparkler sparkly, or even electricity. Only it was closer to ten a hundred sparklers in one round bundle, glowing yellow, ready to shock anyone it touched.


I pushed myself back as far as I could.


“Don't move,” the guy holding the weapon shouted, “or your friend will get it!”


Oh yeah, that sounded fun. Everyone stopped in their tracks. My heart practically gave up on me right then and there, and in my head I was screaming out for my brother.


“Your orders, General Tufftiss?”


 They had a general here? Named TUFFTISS? I would have laughed if my brain wasn't on survival lock down.


“Capture them all. If anyone tries to escape, I'll give this kid the shock of his life.”


My oxygen deprived mind made the General into a scarlet-haired man in a gaudy orange suit, complete with yellow tie and green polka dots. Oh wait, I was just seeing spots.


Then John's voice came distantly into my mind.


 ‘Get James out of there and alive, no matter WHAT it takes!’


James? Oh, that was me. Right. And that voice was my brother, the rescuer. I think I got it.


As the soldier-guys circled their prey, the prey leapt at them in every which direction. Everyone tried to get at the General in good time, but his reflexes were too quick.


ZZZZZZT!


Ow! My neck....


ZZZZZZT!


Uhhng! That was my stomach.


I was floating away. Nothing REALLY mattered anymore. Even that far away voice – no, voices – calling out.




JAMES!