“We are speaking for ourselves. We are tired of fighting, and maybe they know something.” Leah smiles.
“Yeah,” Mar speaks to me now, “Johnathan says he knows your father, and this may be our only chance in finding out who the IOUSC are and if they plan on helping us fight The Elected.”
“I go where my sister goes,” Zac confirms.
“And I go where mine does,” Eli agrees.
Mar looks at him hurt for a moment, but in the end, I think she knows we won’t be going anywhere separately.
“Let’s just go with them and see what they have to say,” Jake agrees.
Samantha jumps out of the back of the truck, throwing her bag over her shoulder. She begins to run towards the exit, but it is heavily guarded, so I don’t know what her plan would be if she got to them. In true fashion, she has got to be stubborn.
Just as the guard said, she is going with them if she wanted to or not. In seconds, two guards rush up behind her and touch her with a two-pronged device. She hits the ground hard, lying motionless where she falls.
The day Eli and I were taken by The Force, similar devices were used on us. In our training at The Force, we learned they are called Tasers and are used for temporary loss of all motor skills and bodily function. Its effects can last from minutes to days depending on the health and strength of the one it is used on.
A blindfold is placed over Samantha’s eyes as she is hoisted in the air and over a guard’s shoulder. He begins to haul her towards the building, and we watch them disappear into the darkened doorway.
The remaining members of our group huddle together to discuss what we should do.
“There is no getting out of this without a fight,” Shawn says, “so I say we go willingly.”
“I don’t want to be poked with a taser,” Zac agrees.
“Me either,” Mar and Leah say simultaneously.
Jake jumps out of the truck with his backpack on his back and empty m-16 in hand. Slowly, he walks up to the guard that appears to be in charge.
“We were promised release,” Jake says, “if we would hear Johnathan out. Now, if we are going to go anywhere with you, we need to know that we will see daylight again.”
The man looks at Jake for the longest time.
“And what would make you trust me if I gave you my word?” the man retorts.
“I guess you’re right,” Jake agrees.
I hop out of the truck, taking my place by Jake. I square my jaw, trying to look as unafraid as possible.
“If you are honorable and want us to trust you,” I begin, “oh wait, we have been through a lot so trusting you may be a far cry from what is possible, so we may never trust you.” The man nods as if understanding. “Now tell me,” I continue, “is there another way to do this without treating us like animals and prodding us, or treating us like blindmen and taking away our sight?”
“Not a chance,” the guard answers as he prods me in the side with his taser.
The last thing I remember is going down, my body hitting the ground in a limp pile, stars dancing in my field of vision until there are none.
Chapter Eleven
As I open my eyes, all I can see is a thin veil of light coming from no place identifiable. It covers my body, making it look a sickly yellow color. Wherever I am, it is causing a cold and damp feeling to settle into my bones.
I lay still, trying to listen for any sound I might be able to pick up with little to no luck. Except for a distant humming sound, I can’t hear a thing. The hum sounds mechanical, but I can’t be certain.
My mind reels as I lay here wondering what were the events that led up to me being captured.
Captured by who?
Slowly, I begin to remember the trip to the stadium. I remember Johnathan, Smith, and the man in the suit. I remember Samantha being hit with a taser…
Taser, I have been prodded by a taser.
The amount of anger filling me this second is astronomical. I was just trying to negotiate with the guard, I wasn’t even putting up a fight.
Was I?
No, I am quite sure that Jake and I were only asking questions. What harm is there in asking questions?
I begin to move my feet and hands to make sure they remember how to work. I am surprised to feel that I have not been shackled or bound in any way. Matter of fact, I can sit up and even stand, but as I stand to my feet, I can feel the sharp pain in my side left from being shocked.
The light in this place is so thin that if I were to try to walk, I wouldn’t know what direction I was going in, or what was in front of me. I turn in circles, trying to see if I can tell where a door or window would be. Perhaps they are covered to make the room as dark as possible? If that were the case, I should be able to see, at the very least, a sliver of light around the edges.
“Hello?” I say into the abyss with no return. “Is anyone out there?” I scream. I begin to scream over and over, hoping to draw someone’s attention. “Where’s Jake? Where’s Eli?”
I scream until my voice feels hoarse. Either they are ignoring me, or no one can hear a word I am saying. My guess is they hear me and are letting me suffer.
I sit back down, hoping I don’t fall into
