Globe Tracers 3: Heritage of Triad

Chapter 12: Darkness in Light, Light in Darkness

My head hurt as I slowly woke up.

I pulled on my arms- yep, I was tied to a tree. I wasn't even put off by that really, it just made sense. That... that was embarrassing.

I tugged on my bonds, realizing they were actually handcuffs- harder to escape- and both boys were looking right at me.

I was sitting with my back to the tree I was cuffed to. I looked up. "Got ice for my head?" I asked, giving a chuckle.

"You're seriously lucky that fight ended the way it did," Kyle snapped. Kyle un-clipped one of his sheathed swords and shoved it in my face-still in the sheath. "You know what these are?"

"Um..."

"Weapons dummy," Xao continued for him. "Do you know how to fight?"

"Not really..." I said with a small shrug- hard to manage with bound hands.

"Well here's a tip, gather intel before you plan to engage- and don't engage someone if you don't have to- boy that was dumb!" Kyle said. "Guess you figured out now I have a magnet weapon."

I nodded. "How did you know it would work on me?"

"Well you did tip me off that you had a sword and that device on your wrist," he said. "Good guess they were made of metal. I even saw you wearing a metal belt buckle so... pays to pay attention."

I nodded. "You also knew I was there the whole time... don't suppose you'll tell me how now..." I ventured.

Kyle showed me his wrist device and flipped it to show me a display. "I mean it's a known factor now so I might as well. It detects electric signatures. Another pharaoh is as obvious as the sun on a cloudless day, especially when she's using an electronic device." I looked down biting my lip. "You were practically broadcasting your location to us all freaking day."

"Intel," Xao said. "See what happens when you don't ask questions, little trickster?" Xao unfolded his arms and sighed.

"What are we gonna do with her?" Kyle asked. "We leave her out here stuck to a tree a critter could get her, we both know that- but we gotta move in the morning... which is coming fast thank you." He turned to give me an angry look when mentioning the morning. "Was kinda looking forward to sleeping."

"We also don't know if that head-injury hit anything important," Xao said.

Kyle pulled out my envelope. "Well, this isn't a thing anymore." He put it between his fingers, a spark jumping between them.

"Wait-" it burned quickly. I gritted my teeth watching.

"You threaten to kill us and you think we want to make a deal now?" Kyle said, throwing it to the ground and stomping on the ashes. I felt my tears starting to fall. "Oh don't even try!" He yelled his last line, which hurt my head. I hissed in pain. He sighed. He spun around stomping his foot. "No way can we leave her like this!"

"I know- so what do you wanna do?" Xao asked.

Kyle looked at me and went around behind the tree. "How do I get this device off your arm?"

"Like I'll tell you," I responded, feeling at least a little defiant.

I felt him tickle my sides, to which I could only kick forward and grunt. "That actually hurts my head more than it tickles... fine..." He stopped. "There's a latch on the side..." He took off my projection device.

"Sorry I caused more pain," Kyle said coming back in front of me, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Really only meant that to be tickle torture. Myself, Xao, and Jessica are search and rescue, interrogation isn't exactly our thing." He looked at my invention. "Tempted to break this thing." My eyes went wide. "I won't. After all, I don't have a reason to- do I?" I quickly shook my head- which hurt. He reached down and unclipped my sword and sheath from my belt. "I'm keeping this too. Find us when this is all over and we'll return them."