“Make sure you make the same amount of effort to return them safely. We have too much invested in them. We’re already taking measures to make sure this little insurrection doesn’t happen again. We’ll be tagging every one of those children with their own personal bodyguards and around-the-clock security. They won’t be able to go anywhere without being leeched. Anything else we need to know?”
“The girl, Huddleston, we caught her and N-8 post coitus.”
“You did? Good. You’re bringing her in, too, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll notify the doctor to have her tested as soon as you arrive. How far out are you?”
“At least another two hours.”
“Good. That’ll give us enough time to reconfigure their quarters and get the additional security measures in place. Have the front gate beep me when you get here.”
“Will do.”
N8 straightened as G8 climbed inside the van.
“Anybody else?” Coxwell called out. “Last chance!” When nobody moved or answered, he nodded to the driver, who hit the button to close the door. They had to act now if they were going to have any success.
“Hey, P8!”
“Yeah?”
“When we get back, why don’t we meet over at my place and watch my favorite movie?”
P8 laughed aloud. “Which one is that?”
“Cool Hand Luke.”
“Oh, yeah!” T8 acknowledged. “What was your favorite scene?”
“The part where he eats all those boiled eggs!” N8 yelled back. “You know, because you’re counting along with everyone else! One, two,three!”
The six of them rose as one body and launched themselves at their captors, each person taking an individual man. N8 launched himself at Coxwell, who raised his gun and aimed it at him. Lifting his bound hands above his head, he waited for that split second when the man would follow his action with his eyes. When he did, a quick jump kick connected the toe of his shoe with the man’s chin. There was a loud crack, and the man’s head snapped backwards, hitting the fire extinguisher attached next to the door. The guy slumped unconscious against the seat.
He whirled around to find the others had also managed to take out their targets as well. “Grab their telephones and weapons, and let’sgo!Run for it!”
He turned to reach for Cydney, but she’d already left the seat and was shoving the unconscious leader out the open door. K8 held up the keys to the van. The driver lay slumped over the steering wheel. “Why run when we can drive?”
“This van probably has a tracking device on it,” G8 argued.
Cydney reached up and grabbed the keys from her. “So what? We can take it back to the motel and leave it there. Even if it does, they won’t know what direction we took after we leave in my car.”
N8 started to respond, but decided to wait until they were back on the road. As Cydney strapped herself into the driver’s seat, the others dumped the rest of the incapacitated guards into the culvert on the side of the road. Without phones or transportation, it would take the guards a good while to reach the nearest location where they could contact help.
Once the van was cleared, the group moved to the front where T8 cut their bonds with a knife he’d found on one of the men.
She turned the vehicle around and was heading back to town when N8 addressed them. “I found out how they were able to track us. And how they’re tracking us now.” Cydney glanced at him with wide eyes, but he quickly reassured her. “It’s nothing you’ve done. In fact, there was nothing you could have done to prevent it.” He turned to stare at F8. “I know now how they operate. They have us microchipped, whatever that means.”
“It means they inserted a little computer chip inside you!” Cydney yelled over her shoulder.
“Where?” K8 asked. “Where inside us?” she repeated, addressing N8 directly.
He shrugged. “They didn’t say specifically. Just that we’d been easy to track because of microchipping. F8?”
F8 nodded and began running her hands over P8, who sat next to her. “Can you detect anything?”
The man tilted his head, as if listening for something. His brows lowered as he concentrated. “No. It must not be putting out a signal.”
