9

After being handcuffed and shoved into a black SUV between Sam and Mikaela, and watching the suited men take Ron, Judy, and Mojo away, I felt a knot of anger in my stomach. Whoever these guys were, they obviously enjoyed doing this kind of crap to people.

The skinny guy in the passenger's seat took out a plastic bag, dropping Sam's cell phone into his hand.

Oh jeez, I thought. I didn't even notice Sam dropping it. Wait, how did these guys even get Sam's phone?

The guy looked through Sam's phone for a minute, occasionally asking questions about Sam's eBay page.

"Last night at the station, you informed the officers your car transformed," he said. "Enlighten me."

Then the sputtering of excuses rolled out of Sam and Mikaela's mouths. Honestly, I don't blame them for trying to protect the Autobots, they're a great bunch, but trying to convince some guy who thinks he's some high-and-mighty government goon isn't going to be doing them or us any good.

"This was a total misunderstanding," Sam started, "that my car had been stolen. From me. From my home. But it's fine now cause it's back."

I nodded in agreement. Glancing between the man and Sam, I could tell that the skinny didn't believe the story for a second.

"Well not by itself," Mikaela added. "Because cars don't do that cause that would be crazy!"

We all started laughing, knowing it was forced. But just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

"So what do you kids know about aliens?" skinny guy asked.

The stunned silence lasted for a minute. We hadn't anticipated him to be so straightforward. And a government goon asking about aliens? Made me think he wasn't a government goon after all. I gaped at him for a moment before closing my mouth, Sam ending the silence.

"You mean like ET?" He scoffed, not a good attempt to show some creepy guy in a black suit you don't know anything about aliens.

"It's an urban legend," Mikaela said, sounding more convincing.

I nodded.

"See this? This is a 'do-what-I-want-and-get-away-with-it' badge," skinny guy threatened. "I could lock you up forever." He pulled out a badge from his inner coat pocket. I saw Sam looking at it, almost believing the guy. This guy wasn't apart of any government branch. Doesn't matter if he has a badge or not.

Looking at the guy's face, he looked utter serious. He meant his threat. The smugness from earlier was gone.

"Don't listen to him, he's just pissy he's gotta go back to guarding the mall," Mikaela insulted, looking him directly in the eye.

I snickered. Never knew she had it in her.

"You two, in the training bras, do not test me," skinny guy said. "Not with your daddy's parole coming up."

I visibly stiffened. Did he mean Mikaela? I hadn't known her father was in jail, if he was talking to her. That familiar bubble of panic rose in my throat and I felt like throwing up. Biting my bottom lip to stop it from trembling, I looked down. When I looked back up at the guy, he had a smirk on his face. Felt like I got punched right in the stomach. He was talking to me too. Turan had gotten out of prison. What about Antonia? I felt tears slowly fill my eyes.

I felt Sam stiffen beside me, glowering at him. I forced the tears away and took a deep breath. Looking at Mikaela, I saw a look of anger on her face. Sam followed my gaze, momentarily distracted.

"Parole?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she lied.

When she caught my gaze, she looked away.

"Grand theft auto, that ain't nothing?" I glowered at him. He was purposely doing this, trying to get a rise out of us.

"You know those cars he taught me to fix, well they weren't always his," she said solemnly.

"You stole cars?" Sam had a look of betrayal and hurt on his face.

"We couldn't always afford a babysitter so sometime he had to tag me along." I felt sympathy and regret for Mikaela. She had to go with her father to steal cars.

"She's got her own juvie record to prove it." This guy was getting some sick enjoyment out of degrading kids; but the look he gave Mikaela, that disgusting 'I'm-checking-you-out' look, I felt more panic rise up in me. "She's a criminal. Criminals are hot."

Mikaela shot him a disgusted look. I shook my head in disdain. Was this how he dealt with people? Degrade them then sexually harass them? I would've done anything not to have been handcuffed.

"It would be a real shame if he had to rot in jail the rest of his natural life," skinny mocked. I felt my anger rising to a whole new level, it was almost unbearable. I considered Mikaela a friend. Anyone who messes with the people who matter to me will deal with a whole lot of hell.

I felt my anger dissipate when something smashed into the windshield, the car swirling violently. Looking out the windows, bright light surrounded us.

It was nighttime. Where did that light come from? I felt that panicky feel consume me. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. The car hit something else and came skidding to a stop. The light shone through the hole of a windshield; everyone was yelling and trying to figure out what was happening. I felt that lively sensation again. Opening my eyes slightly, nearly blinded from the light, I felt a little more calm. It had to have been the Autobots right?

Metal fingers shot through the top of the car and picked it up. The car groaned against our weight and the car fell, the top completely ripped off. Looking up, I squinted against the bright lights. Sam and Mikaela were breathing heavily, the suited men looked shaken up but not entirely frightened.

It was Optimus. He turned his lights off and tossed the top of the car to the side. When I looked at his face, it was covered by some metal mask. I hadn't felt so relieved in such a long time.

"Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Optimus Prime," Sam said, suddenly feeling confident. I gave a small smile.

"Taking the children was a bad move," Optimus said; his voice oozed its baritone authority. I felt a light shiver go up my spine. The driver of our SUV pulled out a gun, along with the other suited men who had followed behind us. "Autobots, relieve them of their weapons," Optimus ordered. Coming up behind us, the others surrounded the SUV. Ironhide aimed his cannons at the others, even Bee had a cannon ready. I saw the guns being pulled from the men's hands. Jazz's hand had used some magnetic stuff to take them.

I felt all giddy and excited. But the thought of how these men were prepared stunned me. It was as if they knew something like this would happen.

Optimus knelt down, the metal mask retreating to show his face. He looked at the men with a frown. "You don't seem afraid," he rumbled. "Are you not surprised to see us?"

"There are S7 protocols okay?" skinny man said in a wobbly voice. "I'm not authorized to communicate with you except to tell you I can't communicate with you."

They're hiding something. How would they know the Autobots would possibly be here?

"Get out of the car." Optimus's voice lowered. Those bright blue eyes - optics? - not leaving those men for a second.

"Now!" one of them thundered. As they climbed out, so did we. Mikaela was able to get all of our handcuffs off. Right after she got mine off, she froze.

"Your eyes." I touched underneath my eyes in confusion. Sam walked over and froze. "They're blue. Like, bright blue."

Blue? No, my eyes are hazel. I've been told I have Antonia's eyes. Unfortunately. That doesn't make sense though! Blue? I felt a knot in my stomach. Blinking a few times, I saw the expressions change on their faces.

"It's normal," Sam said. "That's weird."

I took a cautious step back. I lowered my gaze. When I looked up, their attention was on skinny guy. I saw them take his badge, Sam say something snarky, and Bee "urinate" all over skinny guy. I giggled at that.

"Bumblebee, stop lubricating the man," Optimus ordered. I heard the faintest trace of amusement in his voice. He's got a sense of humor. When I looked up at Optimus, I let my smile drop a little. He looked all business.

I walked over to Sam and Mikaela, crossing my arms over my chest.

Mikaela told me briefly of the plan to handcuff all the men together and have skinny guy handcuffed to the pole. In only his underwear. I smirked.

"Alright tough guy, take it off," Mikaela ordered. I stood next to Mikaela while Sam finalized the handcuffing.

"Your clothes. All of it. Off."

"What for?" skinny guy exclaimed.

"For threatening my dad." I smirked at the guy, feeling pride swell in my chest for her. I hadn't realized just how strong she was.

Skinny guy took his jacket, pants and button-up shirt off. Not without threatening us first. Once we had him handcuffed around the pole, in his underwear and with one of his companions handcuffed to his arm, we walked away, feeling pretty good.

Until I heard the sound of helicopters in the distance.