hola, mi amigos
okay i probably just horribly mangled that phrase and ruined it for every one forever! I'M SORRY!!!!! IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!
hehe.
anyway. lotsoflove to all the reviewers! (too lazy to name them all off :D ) you guys rock my world!
but i have to say, i'm a little disappointed in you guys! i haven't been getting as many reviews as i used to. what's with that?? huh?? HUH??
but, you know, it's okay. some people don't like reviewing. but i AM totally spoiling you guys cuz i'm updating anyway ;)
did i say in the last chapter that i wanted 15 reviews? hmm. maybe i should check or count the reviews or something.
......
nahh. i'll go easy on you guys this time...
but next time....
all i can say is, you're gonna want to review. truuuust meeee.
HEY! WE HIT THE 20 MARK! WOOT WOOT! COOLIOOOO!!!!!!!
so, with out further ado--ahem--here is CHAPTER 20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! READ AND REJOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Headquarters, Level C
"The vehicle carrying subjects has docked successfully at Hangar A3," a Project Monitor reported to his superior. "They are currently
in a holding cell, but they will be transported to the Exhibition Area in exactly one hour."
The Higher-Up rested her elbows on the desk, and brought her hands together to form an arch with her fingers. "Good."
The Project Monitor did a surveillance check on his portable inspector. "The two older females are tagged in the system, so
we'll know if anything fails to happen according to plan. They will be conveyed to the Emissary Unit without the others."
The Higher-Up waited a moment before responding. "Alright. Keep me posted on the project through the stem cables."
The Project Monitor nodded curtly. "This will be easy," he said and began to walk away, but the cold voice of her superior
stopped him in his tracks. He turned around to find her facing him.
"Do not underestimate these ones. If they escape, the blame will not only lay on you and your colleagues, but on this
entire company." The Higher Up's expression hardened, her eyes flashing cruelly. "Just remember; you are not irreplaceable.
And I will not hesitate to bring in one of the others if you fail to execute this to a T. Nor will the Level B Higher-Up, or the Highest-Up."
The Project Monitor shivered at thought.
The Level C Higher-Up spun around in her swiveling chair after giving the nervous man one last look. "Don't mess this up, little Monitor."
: : : : : : : : :
Max POV
Well, here we were again. Locked in a padded cell with no visible entrance or exit, a horrible stench (yeah, thanks alot, Gasman), no food or water, and no hope
whatsoever. Can I hear someone say déjà vu?
Iggy was still mad at me over the whole bomb episode, so he sat at the other end of the cell with Gazzy, trying to get some sleep. Nudge was braiding Angel's
hair while Total looked on, making the occasional comment on her technique. Fang and I were talking together, trying to figure out what in the heckabologna
we could do to get out of here.
"We could make a huge commotion, like some one was hurt or something and if they come, we take out as many of them as we can and run for it," I suggested.
Fang rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "Or not."
"Well, I don't hear any better ideas coming from you. Plus, they can't just keep us in here forever. They have to come get us sometime," I said, a little distractedly.
While we talked, I was keeping a constant eye on the rest of the flock. No one breathed without me seeing it.
Fang raked a hand through his hair and sighed. "We don't know that for sure, Max. We're not even sure we're in Washington."
I groaned in frustration, turning towards Fang and finally giving up on the extreme eye I had been giving the flock. "We don't know anything for sure! We never
do! How are we—"
"Hey, it's okay, Max, it's gonna be okay," Fang said soothingly, slipping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. "Don't want to stress out the
kids more than they are already."
I dropped my head into my hands. "I just don't know any more," I said, my voice muffled. "I just wish—"
All of a sudden, a shock wave went through the room, freezing all of us and rendering any capability of coherent speech or movement useless. One of the walls
of the cell slid into the ground, revealing about fifty Erasers outside on our little doorstep.
"I don't think they're here to bring us cookies," I whispered slowly to Fang, my words slightly slurred from the shock.
Fang nodded, equally slowly. Then he turned to me and sort-of-smiled-sort-of-just-looked at me, like he was trying to remember something. Then he shook his
head, and turned back to the little party of Erasers.
They bound us while we were still in our weak and frazzled stage, then loaded us onto this transporter thingy that looked exactly like a ginormous soap bubble.
Besides, you know, the oversized, hulking wolf creatures and the poor, defenseless bird kids strapped inside of it. Exactly like a bubble!
We rode that thing for about five minutes before coming to an air-cushioned halt. The Erasers tossed us—not so gently, might I add—from the car-thing into
separate cages. Oh, crap. My stomach leaped into my throat and I tried not to psyche myself out. Claustrophobic? Me? Nah.
One by one, the Erasers threw each of the flock into a cage. Angel let out a small cry when her wrist slammed into one of the bars of the cage and my blood
temperature rose. I wanted to grab all these goons and smash their heads together! I ground my teeth together and wriggled around in my bindings furiously.
One of the Erasers noticed almost immediately and my squirming was quickly put a stop to.
When my head finally started clearing from the haze induced by all the blows, I realized that there were only five cages. And that I wasn't in one.
I looked around me and saw that Nudge was also standing. Was there a mistake? I thought. Did they screw up?
I started freaking out even more when the Erasers loaded Nudge and I back onto the bubble-car. I twisted around
frantically, trying to get a glimpse of the flock. Angel, I thought desperately. Angel, can you hear me?
Yes, Max! Her scared voice floated through my thoughts.
Sweetie, I need you to stay with me so I can tell you things to pass along to Fang. I need to keep him posted.
And I need you help me out.
Okay, Max. I'll try my best. That's my girl.
I wriggled over to Nudge, and tried to give her a reassuring look, while sort of laying next to her.
Her big, brown eyes gazed up at me and I could see the fear clearly spelled out in them. I did my best to smile
at her, sort of pat her back with my bound hands, then rolled around to look out the transparent walls of the bubble.
Signs, numbers, letters flashed past, creating a dizzying and nauseating array of confusion. My stomach turned, and
I squeezed my eyes shut, then took a deep breath and turned away from the view. I doubted barfing in here would help the situation any way.
But some questions lingered in my mind: what was this place? And what did they want with us?
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poor, clueless Max. well, she'll never learn NOTHIN' if you don't review!! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!! I HAVE... THE POWER!!!!!!!!!!
oh, and this is kind of random but i just curious as to how old people think i am. when (notice i say WHEN and not IF) you review, just take a wild guess! you don't even have to do this, i'm just curious is all. :)
(hint: it's between 12 and 47. and don't take the fact that i use a lot of exclamation points as a hint. because it's really not.) heh heh.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so there. :P
happy friday!
-memrylaine