In Saving the Imperfect

5. As we were bound together

Layne took deep breaths in an attempt to control his heartbeat when the Carriers rushed them into a straight line.

That was it.

Remy sobbed by his side. It was almost encouraging, in a way – at least they weren't alone. It seemed like the light buzzed louder than ever before – or it might have been coming from inside his mind.

When one of the Carriers grabbed Layne's wrists, he instinctively jumped to defend himself, forcing one of his arms free and throwing his elbow back into the man. He missed. Nonetheless, the action resulted in a harsh punch to the back of his head.

His wrists were bound in cuffs, the cold steel slowly warming up from the heat of his body. One of the RCI employees pulled Remy back in a sudden motion – so much that he gasped and barely not fell to the floor. As he was lead out of the room, Layne expected it'd be his turn. Instead, another Carrier grabbed Coden from his other side. The third one skipped Malia and Alana and went straight for Troy.

"What are you doing?" Layne addressed the last of the officers, who now paced back and forward with a gun still ready in his hand.

"Shut it, Reject."

"Where did they take them?"

Instead of an answer, he received one more punch to the back of his head.

To distract himself, Layne tried thinking about something nice – except for the fact that he didn't have that many nice things to think of. All the things he had lost – his niece, his parents, his freedom, followed every happy memory. Perhaps, he was to lose his life next.

When that didn't work, he couldn't help but wonder why Remy, Coden and Troy were taken, but not the rest. Couldn't have been from the date they got there. Definitely not the alphabet. Their crimes? A possibility. Layne chose to ignore the thought about their height - it was too depressing to think that only Alana was shorter than he was.

The three Carriers returned. Without a single word, Layne was seized by his handcuffed wrists and pushed out of the room.

* * *

Sat in a helicopter, strapped in and blindfolded. He only knew that just beside him, Malia and Coden were having the same treatment. Likely, all the others as well.

The trip was long as uncomfortable to say the least. Layne has never flew in a helicopter before and he did not enjoy it. He hated everything starting from the noise and finishing with the feelings of helplessness that came from his situation.

The helicopter was still in the air when someone removed his restrains. Layne didn't have the time to comprehend what was happening before he was pushed off the open door. Luckily enough, the fall proved itself not to be very long – just enough for some aching sores. More bodies fell next to him. One – on top. They crawled away from each other and pulled off their blindfolds.

The helicopter was already rising up again. The noise diminished together with the silhouette. The six Rejects were left alone.

In his first instinct, Layne scanned the environment. He was sitting surrounded by long, around knee-length grass, each stem covered in droplets of evening dew. The sun was sinking behind the tall trees surrounding the field they were in.

One after another, the Rejects got back on their feet and rubbed their aching body parts.

"Is no one going to question this?" asked Malia.

Layne shot her a side glare. "Is there even a need to do that aloud?"

The girl blushed and bowed her head down.