Chapter 5

"So, we stop by the shop."

"Get the stuff and group."

"Then next stop Texas!"

What had I just gotten myself into?

~~~~

When thing started to clear I could hear a faint yet annoying beeping to my right. Everything ached, especially my leg. A groan had escaped my lips as I struggled to open my eyes. I reached an arm over to rub one to find it stuck. I glanced over to find my right arm had been handcuffed to the side of a hospital bed.

I laid in the bed wearing a hospital gown and vaguely wondered where my clothes went. Then all at once it set in.

The others were gone. I was alone.

I looked around to see a cop standing guard at the door. He faced the other direction but there was no way past him. Even if there was I had to get the handcuffs off first.

I sighed and stared up at the ceiling with its florescent lights.

Part of me wondered why I even did it. Why had I sacrificed myself to help all of them? I barely knew them. Not to mention we only had one thing in common, what happened to us. But I guess that was enough for me to save them. But what now?

I was supposed to sit there while I waited for cops to come interrogate me? Just wait as they brought me to someone else who wanted to run tests too?

"Good to see your awake."

I look up to find a man and woman standing there. They hold up their badges for me to see.

"I'm detective Grane," said the man.

"Tanner," said the woman.

I said nothing and watched them both.

Grane cleared his throat. "We would like to ask you a couple of questions. First off, your name?"

I remained silent and just watched them both. Grane made eye contact with Tanner who frowned.

"Come on kid. We can't help unless you let us help," she told me. When I said nothing she sighed. "Can you just tell us your parents name? Age or something?"

"Fine," Grane said. "How about you start telling us about the bank robbery?"

Still, I said nothing and watched the two of them. Grane seemed more annoyed than anything as he sat in the chair and drummed his fingers against a blank notepad. Tanner remained standing and she watched me with a look I couldn't place. Finally she spoke.

"These are serious charges. And until we understand who you are, who you're friends are and what you can all do, we can't get them lessened. Do you want to go to prison for the rest of your life?"

The way she said it made it sound like prison was hell on earth. She didn't  know I had already escaped something much worse.

"Okay let's talk about something totally different," Grane suggested putting his hands behind his head and leaning back slightly. "You're a junkie true or false?"

I blinked more than surprised at the question. "False," I answered finally.

He gave me a look of disbelief. "Here's what I think," he started. "You and your friends owed your dealer some money. You didn't have the money. So you rob a bank to pay him back."

"You truly are an idiot," I told him. "And what do drugs have to do with anything?"

"Your arms are full with needle marks kid. I know what those mean. I worked in narcotics for a while. And, I forgot to mention they found something strange in your blood that they couldn't identify. But don't worry, we will soon."

I rolled my eyes. "If that's what you want to believe."

"Why don't you tell us the truth then?" Tanner suggested.

"Even if I did you wouldn't believe me. He's already come up with an explanation in his head. It won't change."

"So you rather go to prison than tell us this 'unbelievable' truth?"

Thoughts reeled in my mind. Prison? I wasn't even the one robbing the bank. I was just the Sprinkler Boy. It wasn't my idea. They couldn't say it was...

"Prison?" I asked "What for? Because you think I do drugs?"

"You robbed a bank," Grane deadpanned.

"Did I?" I asked. "I don't remember doing that. Even if I did- which I didn't. Can you prove I did?"

"We have you on video."

"Let me see the video then."

Grane frowned causing Percy to internally smirk. Grane rose from his seat. "We'll be back."

~~~~

They didn't come back in time.

I had laid wide awake staring at the darkness around me trying to focus on something other than the feeling of dwindling painkillers.

A small click caused me to sharply turn to my left. A figure stood at the window. While I wasn't sure what floor we were on I knew it wasn't the first. I vaguely wondered how they got up here. The figure used some sort of device, hitting the window frame m with it or something.

I started to panic when the window opened. At first I didn't move, then I saw the thing in the figure's hand. It was shiny. Like a knife. My eyes widened as I desperately pulled on the hand cuffs. I opened my mouth to scream for the cop which I knew was outside the room.

A gloved hand clamped over my mouth. "Shh!" The figure whispered. "I'm trying to help you." The voice was male. "If you scream I can't get you out of here understand?" I nodded slowly. He removed his hand from my mouth and he reached over with the knife like thing which inserted into the lock on my handcuffs which kept me connected to the bed. It popped open with a soft click.

Clothes hit my face. "Get dressed," He ordered as he cautiously watched the door.

"Who are you? What's going on?"

"I'm breaking you out of here. I was paid to do so. Things will be explained later. The guards should be switching shifts soon. We don't got a lot of time. Get dressed."

I was confused but I did as I was told. I pulled the shirt on first but the underwear and jeans were a bit harder with my leg I could barely move. Finally he groaned and much to my embarrassment helped me pull them on.  "I better get paid good for this," he muttered as he helped me off the bed and to the window.

Below us was at least a five story drop.

He turned to me and I could make out his brown hair and blue eyes. "Ever gone rock climbing?"

I raised an eyebrow and shook my head at the question. He shrugged and reached out the window grabbing two ropes and harnesses.

"We're gonna repel down."

"But- um-," I started trying to get words to come out. "Heights?"

"It's either that or I can leave you with the cops."

I glanced down and swallowed.

~~~~

"See it's not so bad," he told me as he repeled down next to me. I closed my eyes again as he held my rope and brought us both down. After what felt like eternity my feet hit solid ground. We landed in the back of the hospital, how we were seen I'm not sure.

He disconnected the cables and left them without much thought as he grabbed my arm and pulled my limping self after him to a car. I was shoved in the backseat and he hopped in the driver's seat as the car sped off.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Name's Connor. Connor Stoll."

~~~~

We said nothing else on the short ride. Soon we stopped across the street from a bar. Connor slid over to the passenger seat and pulled out his phone and shot a text. Not much later a guy emerged from the bar and walked hopped in the driver's seat. It was impossible not to notice the resemblance.

"We're not twins," Connor said instantly. "He's older."

"Alibi is all set," said the older brother. "I talked to that girl from the flower shop all night."

"Honestly," Connor said rolling his eyes. "when are you just gonna ask her out?"

"S-shut up." The older one turned to look at me. "I'm Travis. Nice to meet ya Christian."

"My name is Percy," I told him.

He blinked. "What?"

"Percy."

"So you're not Christian Reed?"

"No...?"

Travis turned to glared at Connor. "You got the wrong guy!?"

Connor shook his head. "No I didn't. You gave me the room on this sheet of paper," he said digging a paper out of his pocket. "See? Dakota Hospital. West wing, fifth floor, has a leg problem, under police watch."

Travis snatched the note away reading it himself. After a moment he facepalmed. "I meant to write the North Wing..."

"See you fucked this up not me," Connor said. "So... What do we do with him?"

Both turned to stare at me.

"Wait a minute..." Travis said. "I've seen your face... You're one of those guys who robbed that bank! Yeah, I read about you in the police files! You have freakish powers or something!"

I blinked a couple times unsure of what to say.

Identical smiles split across their faces. "We'll make you a deal," Connor said. "We'll get you a new look, clothes, even identity of you want."

"In return you help us rob some banks," Travis continued.

"Uhh..." I started. "That sounds cool and all... But um... I didn't come up with the plan for that or anything.... It was all Valdez's-"

"Valdez?" Both asked in unison.

I nodded slowly silently regretting mentioning the Latino boy.

"Short? Latino? Scrawny? Elvish?" Travis asked.

I nodded once again. "Yeah... Why?"

"Do you know where he is?" Connor asked.

"Why?"

The brothers made eye contact.

"Do you remember the string of bank robberies across the states about 2 and 1/2 years back?" Connor asked.

I shook my head. "I was... Elsewhere."

"Bummer, well... That was us. Leo Valdez, and few others. He was our computer hacker guy. Kind of need him back, many more places to hit after all."

"So do you know where he is?" Travis asked.

I paused. "Not exactly. I got separated from our group when I got arrested. We were on our way to California he said he'd come with us for part of the ride."

"Texas," both said at once.

"So... Percy was it?" Travis said. "What do you say? We get you a new look and we all head for Valdez?"

"I-I guess..." I said.

"Sweet!" Travis shouted pulling on to the road. "Connor call Chris!"

"Already dialing," Connor answered putting a phone to his ear. "Yeah Chris. Guess what?.... We got a lead on Valdez... We need the girls to give one of our friends a make over first.... I don't care if you're working a case.... Money dude. Money.... Nice. We'll be over in 20." Connor hung up the phone and smiled at his brother. "So, we stop by the shop."

"Get the stuff and group."

"Then next stop Texas!"

What had I just gotten myself into?