Linked

Chapter 18

We reached the edge of the state fast.

After confirming the theory of the state corners, Liam and I knew where the next friend would be.  I kept my foot on the pedal like it was no longer apart of my body.  The foot had it's own thoughts, own actions, own mind; and it kept driving for me.  Methodically it pushed on the gas.

Gas... break... gas... break...

And each time it did so, the driving got easier.  My thinking got better.  And my goals became set in stone.  We are going to save the rest of them.  Cyrus, Emily.  The list would only get shorter.  So I kept my empowered foot resting on the pedal; waiting for the moment when Liam would say...

"Here.  This is good,"  All three of us looked around, and were swept up in our surroundings.  Even though the climate was still a forest, it felt more isolated and deadly than the first two destinations.

I opened my door, and walked to meet the two boys at the other side.  We glanced at each other, and slowly stepped through the brush.  We trotted forward for a minute or two, and were met by the same familiar sight: a large, foreboding compound.

"Wonder what's gonna be inside this one,"  I thought out loud.

"Yeah... I never did ask what you guys had to get through to rescue me,"  Dustin mentioned, "What happened?"

"Well, it involved turrets, guards, and closet cells... Oh, and me getting shot,"  Liam said matter-of-factly.

"Yep.  Oh!  And don't forget the stairs.  Lots of stairs,"  I nodded my head facetiously.

"Okay then," Dustin seemed slightly confused, "Anyway, we can take this on.  Let's go guys.  For Emily and Cyrus,"  He saluted the air with respect and hope.

"For Emily and Cyrus,"  Liam and I repeated.  And with no further comments, or an electric fence this time, we headed inside.

I creaked open the door and looked inside quietly.  Motioning for the others, they crept through the door with me right behind them.  Suddenly, a guard spotted us and yelled for backup!  A flood of men flew from all directions and rushed us with stickers.  Well, what did I expect?

We braced ourselves, and each took on a guard one at a time.  Left!  Right!  We swung our fists into the bodies of others and tried to avoid the object that could stick us at any moment.  I was concentrating on a certain jailer, and brought my fist to his jaw, knocking him unconscious.  But just as the blow landed, I was struck in the leg with a sticker.  Ah!  My leg screamed out in pain and I fell to the ground, waiting for the blackout.  Yet the blackout did not come.  As Liam rushed forward and punched the guy who'd struck me, I felt the effects wearing off.  And then I remembered what Cyrus had said the first time he'd told me about stickers.

The effects didn't always make you pass out.  I'd been stuck in my gut all the other times, but now that it was centralized in another area, I was regaining my strength!

Coming back to reality, Liam and Dustin were still fighting off guys.  I slowly rose, and joined them.  Left!  Right!  Left!  Right!  Each blow more anticipated then the rest.  Soon enough the guards stopped pouring in, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed Dustin do something smart.  He quickly grabbed the sticker off a guard and shocked him with it.  Both Liam and I followed his instincts until all the men lay at our feet unconscious.

"Yes!"  We high-fived.

"Dustin, how did you know the stickers would work on the guards?"  I asked after drawing a breath.

"I didn't,"  He smiled, "But I guess they have similar effects as they do on us.  They may not try to spark-out their powers- which they don't have- but maybe the sticker can still shock their brains.  Ya know?  It all seems to be related to the mind."