The first one barked an order at Ayo — not the one I’d heard Gideon use twice now. This was something new. Ayo was still standing in the circle of my arms, and although he didn’t move, there was a subtle change I couldn’t quite identify. It was as if he’d gone away, and yet not far. “Ayo?” I asked, holding his cheeks, forcing him to look up at me. He didn’t answer, and yet I could see some spark of recognition behind his eyes. I dried the tears on his cheeks. “Please,” I said to the men. “Just let us go.” I had no hope that they’d listen, but I had to try. They didn’t bother answering. “You’re coming too,” the one in front said. “Will you come peacefully, or do we need to do this the hard way?” I closed my eyes, still holding Ayo. I was terrified, and my fear made me want to fight. But to what end? “I won’t cause any trouble.” “Good.” He stepped toward me, and as he did, he pulled a syringe out of his pocket. “Wait!” I backed away from him, holding my hand up to ward him off.
