Page 221 of Claim Me
He quickly pulls another item from the compartment, a box filled with large capsules.
"What is that?" Simon asks, tense.
"Tracking capsules. The police will be able to locate us."
"If they take us underground, that won’t help much."
"It’s still a chance."
We all swallow the capsules, but it’s just in time.
The gunfire from our security dies down, and from both vans at least a dozen men pour out.
"Fuck, Blue, I can’t handle a dozen… too many paths, too many visions!"
"I know," he replies, grim.
Two masked men approach the limousine.
"They’re going to place two devices on the window, blow it, then pump something inside to knock us out," I say fast.
"I have masks…" Blue starts, and taps another button on his side, which opens a small compartment, revealing a few neatly tucked gas masks. Wow, he really is prepared. There are also two sets of handcuffs in there.
Blue and Simon make a move as if they want to take a mask out, but I stop them, the vision already showing me the outcome.
"It won’t work, through the second opening they’ll slide a barrel in and shoot if anyone tries to put one on."
Four seconds later it happens exactly like that.
Two masked men press small oval black devices to the side windows, there’s a strange hollow sound like air being sucked out, and two holes appear in the glass.
Then one of them attaches a tube to one of the openings and we hear the hiss of compressed gas flooding the inside of the limousine. Simon lets out a weak, high-pitched whimper.
"I’m sorry," I whisper. "Forgive me, Blue."
"There’s nothing to forgive."
My brain is working in overheat, and in the last half second I make another move. I grab the handcuffs and clasp them over my wrist and Blue’s. There’s sudden understanding on his face, and he slightly nods.
Then I close my eyes, and everything goes dark.
???
I open my eyes slowly. It feels like coming out of a really deep sleep, the kind with no dreams, almost like hibernation.
Nothing really hurts, just a bit of stiffness in my neck, probably because I’m sitting and my head’s slumped forward onto my chest. I’m coming back to awareness weirdly slowly, like I have to carve my way through a fogged-up brain.
It’s hard to fully open my eyelids. I blink a few times. They feel heavy, like someone has put coins on them, and I try to push through.
Then I become aware of my body. I’m sitting with my arms pulled behind me, tied with something cold, probably a metal wire.
Smart choice. A lot of alphas can snap handcuffs, but a metal cable works on a different principle. It’s thin enough to cut into your skin if you try to break it and thick enough that it won’t give easily.
My legs are tied the same way.
There’s also something strapped to my chest. I figure it out fast, some kind of armor, maybe chain mail or a metal plate. It’s definitely there to block the capsule signal. Whoever set this up thought it through.
I blink again and finally look around. My vision adjusts.
