Chapter 29: Kidnapping V - Now? Right Here?

Annabelle concentrated on the communicator that was somehow in her mind. She could almost physically feel it, as if it was lodged in her head, along with some of the other things in her loading bay. She closed her eyes, shutting them tight as if she was trying to now throw up, but deep inside, she was concentrating. 

Slowly, she managed to get a hold of the communicator. I got it...

Reassured that she could grab the communicator whenever she wanted, she felt a bit better. She didn’t have to bring it now immediately. It was much better to gather more information and plan accordingly.

The jeep made fast progress, many times faster than traveling on foot. They bounced over the tracks at what Annabelle believed had to be at least two or three hundred kilometers an hour. Several times the jeep went flying, almost crashing against the walls, but the driving AI always managed to right them and save them from a horrible death. Any human driver would have failed, probably.

She didn’t even need to fake being sick. The violent motion of the jeep made her head hurt. It would suck if she got a concussion from this.

As she took another deep breath to calm herself, she finally worked up the courage to talk to her captors.

“Excuse me...”

“What?” Chameleon managed to gasp out. Even in this kind of situation, he was being mean.

“Can you tell them to go slower? I think I might throw up...” she said pitifully.

“No. Hold it in,” Chameleon snapped, and looked forward again.

It looks like she won’t be getting anything from him any time soon. Gecko, perhaps?

She looked to her left at the younger of her seatmates. He might actually be younger than she was. “Um...”

Gecko shook his head. “Don’t... talk... to... me...”

Okay then. At least she didn’t have to worry about those two thwarting her plans, at least for now. This will last until they get out of the tunnels, which could take a while, if ever. Who knew where these people’s base was located? For all she knew, they could be part of a literal underground society hired by Vesmelda to kidnap her.

The thought of her birth mother sent her spine tingling. She had to avoid everything being taken to her at all costs. 

She leaned forward toward the front seats. “Excuse me. People in the front?”

Bobcat looked back at her while Bear did not react.

“Hello...”

“What? You’re awfully calm for someone who is kidnapped,” Bobcat said.

Annabelle chewed her lips. Did Bobcat really think that or was he just testing her nerves? Did he suspect something? Should she pretend to be more scared or should she remain as she was?

Adjusting her attitude might be too obvious. 

“Well, I’m just really sick. Your driving sucks!” she complained. “I don’t think I can make it for too long if I just stew in the back.”

“I’m not the one driving,” Bobcat said.

“I know. But you’re the one setting it to go this fast. Can you at least slow down so my brain isn’t bouncing around my skull?” She wasn’t lying about that at least.

“No.”

“Fine. How long before we get to proper roads?” she asked. “It’ll make me feel better if I had an actual goal that I can work towards... otherwise—urk... ”

“Uuu...” Her face suddenly turned green as she tensed her abdomen. On command, something went up her food pipe, burning her throat and the back of her nose, and she suddenly pitched forward, spitting a yellowish fluid on the floor of the jeep.

As the fluid dripped onto the floor, Gecko screamed and slammed into the side of the car as he jumped away. “Holy shit! Holy shit!”

To say that vomiting was effortless would be lying. She actually felt a bit tired after that as she looked back up, maintaining a sick expression on her face. “Is it much longer?” she pleaded, ignoring the hyperventilating boy next to her.

“Get her away from me! Bobcat, stop the damn jeep now!” Gecko actually reached forward from his seat, smacking Bobcat’s shoulder. 

Bobcat swatted his hand away. “Hey, I’m driving! Stop!”

“Like hell you are! The AI is! Make it stop and move the girl!” Gecko refused to let up and Bobcat cursed. 

“I’m the leader of the mission! I’m ordering you to keep your hands off me!”

Annabelle watched, fascinated, as her act that was originally just used to gather some information from her captures triggered something far beyond her expectations. 

Even after Bobcat flaunted his position, Gecko refused to let up. Annabelle felt both her respect for Bobcat and Gecko draining. 

Why wasn’t Bobcat able to keep control of his subordinate? Any competent leader should at least be respected enough that this wouldn’t happen.

As for Gecko, it’s just a little vomit. Even if it is acidic, it’s not going to kill him. For someone in the kidnapping business, he sure got queasy easily.

“I refuse! Stop the jeep!”

“That’s an order!”

“Screw your order! How are you going to enforce it, huh?” Gecko shot back.

At the word “enforce,” Annabelle peeked at Bear, who was watching the whole thing from the side without doing anything.

Was this a normal thing for the group, then?

If she had been the one hitting Bobcat and telling him to stop, she had no doubt that Bear would separate them faster than she got her second hit in.

Bobcat finally gave in. “Alright, alright! I’ll stop!”

He stomped the brakes in an act of defiance, overriding the AI, pitching all of them forward as the car bounced over the tracks. Instead of rolling, the car simply slammed into each track and slipped over from its momentum until it finally jolted to a stop, slamming them all back.

Annabelle winced as her tied hands were crushed between her back and the leather seat. “Ow, ow, ow...”

Thankfully, nothing broke. Hopefully.

Bobcat glared back at Gecko, who was rubbing the back of his head. “Happy now? Chameleon, switch places with the girl. And you, don’t get up to any funny business, you hear me?” he growled.

Annebelle nodded earnestly.

Then he nodded to Bear. “Get out there too.”

Annabelle pouted. It seemed that they didn’t really trust her. But Bobcat’s decision was made already, and Bear looked like the obedient type. The huge man opened the door without complaint and stepped out. The bottom of the jeep visibly lifted off the ground. Annabelle swallowed as she was once again reminded just how much muscle was packed into that body.

Muscle was denser than fat, and all that weight was definitely mostly muscle.

Compared to Bear, Chameleon was much more uncooperative. He huffed in displeasure before he very slowly got out. 

Annabelle had to awkwardly slide sideways because her hands were tied. When she got to the edge of the car, she hesitated. The jeep was really high off the ground and she didn’t think she could keep her balance.

“Hurry up already! We have places to be!” Chameleon snapped.

“I’m preparing! I don’t want to fall!” Annabelle shot back. His sour attitude was really grinding on her. He wasn’t even helpful to her plans like Gecko was. When she escaped she had to make sure he eats dirt at least once.

Still glaring at him, she took another deep breath when a shadow fell over her. She looked up to see Bear standing right next to her, her eyes widening. Before she could react, huge hands closed around her torso under her arms.

Bear lifted her and placed her onto the ground, almost as easily as she could pick up a kitty. No, perhaps even easier. Oh no... he’s trouble.

“Um... thank you,” Annabelle said, smiling up at him. He smiled back, and her heart sank. He’s actually nice... but why doesn’t he talk?

Mulling over the topic of Bear, she stood aside, her back to everyone, making room for Chameleon to go in. It would take Chameleon some time to get in, and since he was a large moving object, all the attention was on him. No one will notice what she did behind her back.

Annabelle’s breathing quickened.

This is the perfect chance... Can I do this? Now? Right here?

Her hands were still a bit sore, but...

She reached into her mind and pulled on the communicator, that strange esoteric electronic device that didn’t look like anything she had seen before. She imagined it falling into her hand, and as she curled her fingers, she felt something cool and hard enclosed in her fist.

The communicator was in her hands. 

I’m pretty sure that Akashi can hear my thoughts, but the only way she can communicate to me is through those windows.

There were no replies. Okay... at least partially right. Akashi, please open up the shop.

Chameleon had one foot onto the rim of the jeep. Everyone was watching Chameleon.

Please filter out everything except a knife. Make sure it's the sharpest you can get.

He lunged forward and grabbed a handle jutting out the side of the car.

Purchase the most expensive knife that I can afford and transport it to my warehouse.

The muscles of Chameleon’s arms strained as he pulled himself forward. Half of his body disappeared into the jeep.

Put the knife into the loading bay.

The rest of Chameleon’s body disappeared into the car as he took his seat. Bear’s eyes flicked to her. At the same time, she felt something new brush up against her mind, joining the other objects in her loading bay. A knife. 

In her free hand, the one not holding the communicator, a knife dropped into her grip.

Bobcat’s gaze flicked to her too. “Alright, girl. Your turn.”

She pouted at him again. “Okay.”

You wish.

In one movement, she swung the knife, unsheathing it with a snap of her wrist The sheath flew off to the side and Bear’s gaze momentarily followed it. The muscles in his huge neck bulged.

Twisting her hand, the sharp edge of the knife easily bit into the fibers of the rope binding her hands together, slicing them apart as if they weren’t even there. Her breath caught. That’s really sharp.

But she didn’t have time to dwell on her admiration for the knife’s edge as she forced her hands apart, the rope leaving burns on her wrist. 

She ignored the pain and ran just as Bear silently charged forward, his huge body like a train bearing down on her.