Glitches

Chapter 18 - Captured on purpose

At first, Miranda just stood in place. On her back she got two big rusty cans, one strap over each shoulder. Making them look like a weird looking jetpack on her back.

"Are you deaf? I clearly said that we need to hurry. I had to kill 8 guards and flee through never ending tunnels to find you. I can't believe I didn't just leave you in the first place. The only thing you have caused is trouble. But guess what? We're stuck with each other now."

"And I said: That we can't, because Stephanie is running out of oil," Sam repeated, slowly pronouncing every word clearly.

Within seconds, Miranda ran to us, pushing Sam away from his position in front of me.

"How did you manage to loose gandolie this quick?" she asked, scanning my whole body, as if she would find the answer tattooed on it somewhere.

"Long story," I mumbled, not really in the mood to even think about it.

Miranda looked at me with one eye screwed up, but her face slowly softened once she got a good look at my current state.

"We have to make this quick," she mumbled, sliding of the straps on her shoulders, and placing the cans in front of her, "and when we're getting to Paul, you have to tell me the long story about what happened to you guys from the second we separated."

"Wait, who's Paul?" Sam frowned, giving Miranda a suspicious glance.

However, she chose to ignore Sam's glare, and began to screw a transparent plastic tube into a hole in one of the cans.

"He's the guy who is going to help us crossing the border to Scotland," Miranda explained, checking on something on the side of the can, before nodding contended.

"Scotland? We're going to Scotland? Why are we going to Scotland?" Sam asked, even more confused than before.

"You ask a whole lot of questions," Miranda sighed irritated.

"I promise I tell you, when we're out of here. Right now, we don't have time. But to make it short. RTI have no power in Scotland. We'll be safe from them. But before we can get to Paul's place, we need to get out. And while you love birds have been in here, sending lovely gazes to each other. The east door has been guarded. So, we need to move to plan B."

Sam's face had gotten a slight shade of pink, and he kept gazing at the floor, fidgeting with his hands.

"We weren't doing that," he muttered.

"Whatever you say," Miranda huffed, handing me the tube. "

Hold it over your mouth and get ready to sink. I'll try to pump the gandolie out in small amounts to make it easier for you."

I did as she said and leaned my head backwards. Holding the tube over my mouth, the opening facing my lips, I prepared myself for the well-known taste.

And as soon as Miranda turned the opening mechanism, I felt the familiar thick liquid on my tongue and lips along with the mud taste. The liquid kept running out of the end of the tube, making me gag every time I couldn't swallow it fast enough. I began to need air, the oil making it impossible to breathe, as it came running down my throat.

Just before I had to turn my head away to not getting choked by the liquid, Miranda turned the opening mechanism off.

I quickly swallowed the remaining liquid in my mouth, wanting to get rid of it as fast as possible. Unfortunately, I swallowed a little too fast, and the liquid got down the wrong hole.

A burning sensation filled my throat, making me break out in a coughing fit. I closed my eyes, the coughing fit seeming to have no end, when I felt someone patting my back.