24 Hours

11:00 p.m.

I'm not entirely sure what happened. All I remember hearing were gunshots, scuffling of shoes on concrete, grunting, and someone yelling, "Claude, look out!"

An arm wrapped around my neck, yanking me backwards. My neck constricted under mounting pressure. I gulped, saliva barely squeezing down my throat.

"Ah!" I choked out. Cold metal pressed against my temple.

"Everyone freeze, or he gets it." It was the British man speaking. What happened to my safety being of the utmost importance?

"Claude..." someone muttered from across the room. I assumed it was Raven, exasperated since I was unsuccessful at the one job I had been given—to not get caught. It's not my fault. I ran as fast as I could!

I scanned the room. Raven stood inches from the female gang member, gun in hand. Falcon and Parrot had their fists beared, ready to take on the male in the black jumpsuit. Cougar had a table lifted over his head, aimed... Oh great. It's aimed directly at me. I could feel the metal crashing down on me. Imagine the look on the doctor's face when he had to write 'death by table' on my death certificate.

Slowly, Cougar lowered the table to the ground. Raven gun's thumped on the ground. Falcon and Parrot relaxed their stance. My life is more important to them than evading capture again, I realized. Now I really felt bad.

Our only hope rests in Jordan. He got away...I think.

"Don't try anything," Boyd said. "This fellow is acting as my shield. Anything you do to me will first go through the spineless sea sponge first."

"He-!" I tried to say 'hey,' but he applied more pressure to my neck, suffocating the words. I gasped for air, but none could pass in or out of my lungs. Pain crushed in my esophagus. This is it. I'm going to die. I'm going to choke to death.

Red stars flooded my vision. I closed my eyes. Am I on my way into another world right now? Is this what it feels like to pass from life to death?

I snapped back to reality as Boyd yelled directly in my ear. "What's going on? Who turned the light out?"

He loosened his grip on my throat. I sucked in as much air into my lungs as possible. The stars started to dissipate, and I opened my eyes to pitch black.

Boyd started to pull me to the side, still with me in a choke hold. My shoes scraped against the ground, resisting the motion.

"Drop him," a voice declared.

My throat released. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

"Nobody move, or your boss gets it!"

In the dark, I could faintly see amber eyes sparkling. Calico saved me! She must have her knife at his back of something.

I wondered how she had managed to find Boyd in the darkness. I couldn't even see my hands. She must be part-cat or something like that.

"Are you okay, Claude?" It was Parrot talking now.

"I'll be fine," I croaked. I rubbed my throat. I hope my throat isn't bruised. How embarrassing would that be!

"Cougar and Falcon have his assistants under custody," Raven said.

"I grabbed Boyd's gun," Calico said.

"Good. Tie them up. Claude, you need to turn the electricity back on. We've got everyone we need under custody."

"But I can't see," I protested.

"I have my mini flashlight," Parrot said. A tiny stream of light flicked on. When Parrot said mini, he really did mean mini. The flashlight was about the length of my index finger, and had the circumference of a quarter.