Jump Line (Book 1 - Jump Line Series)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"When are we going to get Samuel? He's been there for too long now." My voice was a little shaky as I tried to get some information out of the group. I knew they were making a rescue plan, but they hadn't included me.

"We're leaving in just a few minutes," Audrina said.

"Really?" It didn't feel like they were about to leave. Once again, they had given me only limited information.

Yes." Theo looked down at his watch.

"Can I go this time? I want to help." The words escaped my lips before I could stop them. It was true that I wanted to go, but I knewthat I would most likely not be allowed.

"Are you ready, Esa? You know this mission may involve you using your powers on someone? You won't be able to hesitate or get lured in by Paul, suddenly believing he's a nice guy. You need to be strong. Just remember some of the defensive moves we worked on in the gym earlier," Audrina said.

Gave had come to the gym shortly after Audrina and I started working out, and he'd shown me, once again, how to create weapons with electricity. My first few attempts had been a disaster, but finally I'd got it down, and after only a few minutes of training, I was able to create a ball of electricity and hit the bullseye, leaving a charred mark in the wall. For some reason, Gave hadn't seem surprised by my accomplishment.

"That's my girl," he had said. "I knew there was a little bit of the old Esa in you."

"What does that mean?" I had asked. I had seen myself kill someone, but I was still eager to learn more about my old self. Anything that might help bring back my memory.

"It means, Captain Esa James always hit her target. You were, or, I guess, are, perfect at everything. Precision is your greatest capability."

I shook my head as I looked back over at Audrina. "I'm ready and, trust me, Paul will not be able to lure me in or make me forget why I'm there. Samuel is coming home... with us."

Luther continued to prepare for the mission by arming his suit with various small, odd-shaped weapons and what appeared to be explosive devices. Each addition caused his suit to bulge. Just as I was about to say something regarding his lumpy exterior, he threw two small knives past my head. They hit the large wooden pillar in the middle of the room with a soft thud.

"Esa, take those. You may need them. Just touch the tips to your palm and it will electrify the blade. You also need to have one of these," he said, pulling out a can and spraying its contents into the room.

The smell made my eyes water and my throat dry, causing me to cough. Instantly, I knew what he was holding. "Why do I need mace? Who uses that stuff?" I asked through coughs.

"Duh, we do, and because it's always a good thing to have. You never know when you will need to go old-school on these futuristic beasts."

"What Luther is trying to say is that we've had success with mace. It's very much something from the twenty-first century, but it's effective. The technology in 2105 and beyond will have a problem with it simply because it creates too much moisture. Plus, this isn't an ordinary can of mace; it's been Samuelized," Gave said, plucking the can out of Luther's hand and walking over to hand it to me.

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"It means it's been specially enhanced with all sorts of cool stuff. That's why we keep Samuel around. He's the man who knows how to enhance weapons to our liking," Luther said.

The mood in the room grew serious as we looked at each other. I enjoyed being near all of these people. Luther had turned out to actually be funny.