Page 8 of Echoes From Within
I return his smile, ready for the pain. With each punch, I adjust myself and wait for the next one. After four or five solid punches and kicks to the side, we’re good to go.
“Take these,” Ghost says, handing me some pills.
“I need to be clear-headed,” I say. “Well, as clear-headed as I can get, anyway.”
“It’s just ibuprofen,” he tells me. “It won’t mess with your head any. Take them so it can get a head start on that swelling.”
I accept the pills and swallow them.
“Let’s test the earpiece,” Jacobs says. “Try and activate it.”
Jacobs’ buddy was in and out in thirty minutes flat earlier today. The process of placing the earpiece was painless but slightly uncomfortable.
“When you set it up make sure you program it to activate using a word or phrase that won’t sound suspicious to the people around you,” he told us. “The signal will reach several hundred miles out and will only be heard by this radio on the set frequency of your choosing. Messages will not be able to be sent to the earpiece unless the person wearing it has activated it to be turned on. So, keep the radio on and charged at all times for when he reaches out. Once you are finished and need to turn the signal off, use a separate word or phrase.”
“My fucking head hurts,” I say and nod when I hear the static of the earpiece being activated. “Can you hear me?”
My voice echoes from the radio in Ghost's hands.
“Is it too loud?” Ghosts asks, sending the message through the radio.
I can hear his voice clearly, but it isn’t loud so I shake my head.
“Now, deactivate the signal,” Jacobs says. “I won’t be able to hear you in my earpiece, but my signal is connected to the radio your brother has as well. So, if I need to get a message to you, or vice versa, it will have to be through Ghost. Got it?”
“I’m over it,” I say, nodding, and hear the slight tone of the earpiece being turned off.
“Good,” Ghost nods. “You might not be able to keep track of the time but try and radio in at least twice a day. In the morning and at night. I’m calling in all the allies we have and we will be ready to break down those fucking doors and get you out at the first sign of your life being in danger.”
“We really need to go,” Jacobs says. “I need to have you there in less than an hour.”
“Don’t fucking die,” Blaze says. “I don’t want to go on a revenge killing, but I will.”
Smiling, I pull my brother in for a hug, making sure to hug them all tightly. Nothing else is said as I walk to the car and wait by the back door.
“Sorry,” Jacobs says as he ties my hands behind my back and puts a sack on my head. “I don’t want to risk someone catching us if we stop to do this closer to the house.”
“It’s alright,” I say as I clumsily fall into the back seat.
“We need to ice your side,”Doc says.“That fucking detective kicked you too hard.”
I want to laugh at Doc being Doc, but I don’t. He’s right. My side is fucking killing me.
***
“Alright, we’re here,” Jacobs mutters quietly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to you from this point on. You won’t stay here long before the trucks come and take you and the other new prisoners away. I don’t know the location of Malachi’s home, but I have people working on that. Just don’t do anything to draw too much attention to yourself.”
“I’ll be smart,” I say from beneath the hood. “I’ll check in once I get settled to wherever they’re taking me.”
“Here they come. Remember to act as if you’ve been drugged.”
I don’t respond and relax all of my muscles. I won’t fight these men. Not yet.
I can’t explain the reasoning behind it, but this feels like the most important mission of my life. Something is about to happen to me that will change my life forever. I don’t know if it’s going to be a good or bad thing. But it is going to be important.
Chapter Three
Sophia