String Theory

Chapter 12

Even with Eggsy's more than ample skill set, waking up in the trunk of a car is still a terrifying experience.

When he stirs to consciousness, he's met with darkness; he blinks, but there's no difference in having his eyes open or closed. Between the dull roaring of the car, the throbbing in his head, and the thick scent of gasoline burning his nose, it's difficult to orient himself. He can't feel his hands, which are bound behind his back, and when he pushes out with his feet, they meet metal. Panic swells in his gut as he realizes how close his quarters must be, and he writhes, giving a muffled grunt against the tape over his mouth. He struggles uselessly, lighting up pin-prick tingles around his tightly bound wrists and knees.

The car goes over a pothole, sending a jolt of pain throughout his whole body. He grunts, goes rigid with the pain, but prepares himself for the next bump. When it comes, he uses it to his advantage. The momentum of it gives Eggsy enough leverage to flip onto his back, and he arches his spine to keep pressure off of his hands. With a new angle, he can now see the glowing handle to the trunk escape latch, but his hopes fall as he realizes it's been cut off of the wire, and is resting on the floor of the trunk.

Fuck, Eggsy thinks. That's fucking useless. Might as well shove it up my ass.

Using his bound hands to prop himself up, he bends his knees enough to touch the inside of the trunk lid. He wiggles himself towards one side until he's met with the trunk hinge. With a little grunt, he shifts, lifting his hips and trying to spread his knees enough to fit the hinge between them, hoping something sharp on the hinge will catch the edge of the tape. It takes a minute or two of these awkward movements to make any progress, and by the time the tape begins to tear, he's broken a sweat. All he needed was to get it started. As soon as there's a rip in the edge, he stops and puts all his strength into spreading his knees, grimacing with effort. The tape rips easily, and Eggsy collapses onto his side, stretching his legs slowly. Blood rushes to the numb parts, and he gives a little groan of relief. He can feel bruises starting to form on the inside of his knees, and the joints pop painfully when he straightens them.

Eggsy rolls to his stomach and does the same procedure with the tape on his hands. Although the position is less strenuous, the tape is triple-wrapped here. He can't see what he's doing, and the screw protruding from the hinge is sharp, catching the skin on his hands and wrists and gauging at it. By time the tape is loose, his hands are dripping blood from several small cuts. When his wrists go free, his hands fly to his mouth to tear the tape off. He sucks in a rattling breath and rolls to his back, allowing himself a moment to rest and catch his breath.

Judging from the dryness of his mouth, the painful chapping on his lips, and the raw nosebleed feeling, Eggsy guesses that he was knocked out with isoflurane on a cloth. The thought sends a chill down his spine. He pats himself down slowly, feeling his pockets for anything useful — his phone, his watch, a knife, anything that he could use to help. When he comes up short, he mutters a quiet curse and lets his head thunk against the metal.

The car slows and passes over a bump. He thinks very little of it until it does it again a few moments later, in the same pattern. An idea dawns on him, and he shifts quickly, bracing himself against one end of the trunk and propping his feet against the inside of the trunk lid. As the car passes over another bump, he rams his feet into the lid, hoping to kick it open. With each bump that it hits, Eggsy draws back and kicks the lid at the same time, disguising the noise as well as he can. If it works, the trunk will come loose, and he can slip out of the car without getting the driver's attention.

He's almost successful. The trunklid bends, and he can hear the metal latch whining in protest as it approaches its breaking point. But, the next time the car slows, there is no bump. The car comes to a stop, and the engine shuts off. Eggsy goes perfectly still as the driver's door opens and shuts. As footsteps approach the trunk, he draws his feet back, ready to come out kicking.