Prisoners

FIFTEEN

"Okay, here's how it's gonna go down," I said, opening up a wooden crate with a crowbar. My face felt weird, almost dry, from the tears.

"What's going down?" Travis Stoll asked. We were all standing once again in the back room, the shades drawn and tables pushed aside.

"Our escape. As we speak, the FBI has probably found our location, by the trackers they implanted in our skin the minute we entered the prison. We have, at the most, thirty minutes." I pried off the lid of the crate and dug through the straw to the bottom.

"Perfect," I muttered, feeling the eleven packages at the bottom. I felt a jolt when I realized that we'd only need ten.

I pulled out one, which was wrapped in brown paper, and felt it. Clothing, a holster, two guns, and a knife. Good.

I tossed the first one, which was labelled WOMEN'S, to Thalia. The second one was MEN'S, so I gave it to Jason.

As I handed out the packages, I debriefed them. "Sorry for this, but we're all officially fugitives now. So we need to get off the grid. The nearest police station is a half a mile from here, so we need to head in the opposite direction. I know the location of a safe house that we can get to if we hurry."

"What're these?" Percy asked, fingering the package as I gave it to him.

"Weapons. Clothes. Things we need to survive. I don't have my knife, so I'll have to do with two pistols, four rounds of extra ammunition, and a knife. That's what we'll each get, plus a pretty cool suit."

Percy grinned. "Great."

I turned back to the crate, which held my package, and then changed my mind. "I'm actually only going to have one gun, and two rounds of ammo. There's a set of throwing knives in here that could come in handy. Especially for me."

Nobody questioned my rights to these prized weapons; I was the best at throwing knives here.

"There's also an extra package -" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "And a backpack. Leo, you'll carry the extra package in the backpack in case any of us need it. Plus, you need your computer and shit."

Leo smiled. "You know me too well."

I winked at him, then opened my own package. "Let's change."

I promptly pulled off my shirt. Most people gaped at me. I shrugged.

"I'm wearing a sports bra, guys. Calm down." Thalia gave me a look that clearly said, Really? but I pretended to ignore her.

Thalia followed my lead without a word. She was angry at me still, but I think she knew my plan. I wasn't letting anyone else get hurt on my watch.

"So that's where it is!" Percy blurted suddenly.

"What?" I asked, utterly bewildered as he stared at my collarbone.

"The tattoo! It's right there," he said, pointing at the owl on the left part of my collarbone. Its wings were spread, its eyes straight ahead.

I nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah. There it is."

Then I pulled on the black shirt and jacket, dropping my pants and pulling on tight leggings. I fitted one pistol in one of my pockets, and the ammo in the other. Then I strapped the set of knives onto my back, making sure I could reach them easily.

I could see everyone else suiting up as well. I helped Hazel with her pistols and Percy with his knife.

Suddenly, we were all ready, and we stood in a sort of tense silence. I felt like this was the time to say something sentimental and heartfelt, just before heading into battle. That's what they did in the movies, after all.