didn’t make for the exit.
“Run, you idiot, get out of here!” I screamed.
He yelled back, but all I could hear over the screaming was, “death wish”.
I felt something hard press my temple, and turned to see Jake aiming the gun right at me.
“Jake?” I whimpered. I didn’t want to. I wanted to be strong.
“I should have known you wouldn’t work out, but I didn’t think you’d screw things up this much!” He yelled at me so close spittle hit my face. His finger on the trigger tensed.
The gun fired again and I was forced to the side by a body. Dean cried out as he fell past me and hit the floor. Blood bloomed like red flowers through the fabric on his arm.
The coldness faded and I felt some power come to me, like it had when I surprised Dean and his attackers that night. I guessed when he was shocked he wasn’t keeping his feelings under such tight rein and his emotional block didn’t extend out. I didn’t know. I just knew I had to act fast before Jake felt his powers kick in too.
I was stumbling from Dean pushing me clear of the gun shot. I regained my balance fast, spinning with the momentum and knocking the gun from Jake’s hand. I continued the spin and cracked my elbow against Jake’s jaw, making him fall backwards.
I grabbed Dean by the arm, pulling him to his feet, practically threw him over my shoulder, and made a run for it.
Part Three
Strength to Fall
I ran down alleys and side streets, avoiding the sounds of sirens and as many passers-by as possible. Dean bounced over my shoulder where I had him slung in a fireman’s carry. Blood from his arm ran down onto the crisp white of my peasant blouse, the cutest of three tops I had chosen to wear this morning to be judged by those… bad guys.
I hoped the jostling didn’t hurt Dean too much. He was still out of it otherwise I wouldn’t be able to keep moving so fast. I had no idea where I was going or what I should do. I only remembered one thing from first aid class that seemed relevant; the DR ABCs. I had to get Dean and myself out of Danger then check his Responsiveness. I had to get us as far away from Jake as I could. Airway, Breathing and CPR… it had better not come to that.
Dean moaned and coughed and for a split second I was relieved. Then the coldness sank into me, leaching all my strength. My legs buckled and we both hit the cracked concrete footpath. My knees grazed through denim as Dean’s weight on my back crushed me forward.
I tried to roll him off to the side without hurting either of us more. He moved off me, and leant up against one of the high metal fences enclosing the backyards around us.
His upper arm still oozed blood. He opened those gray eyes and stared at me.
I blushed red all over. I had no idea what he thought of me right now.
“We should get you to a doctor, or a hospital. We have to do something about your arm.”
He turned his head to the gunshot wound and brought his other hand up to grasp it and suppress the bleeding. “No. Hate hospitals.”
He flinched at his own touch and stared at me again. “I don’t understand you.”
I coughed a laugh and only a breathy noise came out.
“Were you with them? Or are you just wearing a wig for fun?”
Reaching up, I patted the side of my head, feeling the curling blond waves of the wig. I tugged it off and dropped it on the weed covered pathway.
“It’s complicated.” I didn’t know how to explain without sounding bad, because there wasn’t a way. I’d done the wrong thing.
“Complicated. Like your shopping money not really being your money. But you tried to stop them. Why? You just have a death wish, taking on people like that?”
“I’m not a criminal. I mean, I didn’t want to be. I just got caught up with the wrong people. I thought they were the right ones. I don’t know.” I glared at the pile of synthetic blond hair on the ground, angry at my own excuses. “I just wanted to be a hero.”
“A dead hero by the
“Run, you idiot, get out of here!” I screamed.
He yelled back, but all I could hear over the screaming was, “death wish”.
I felt something hard press my temple, and turned to see Jake aiming the gun right at me.
“Jake?” I whimpered. I didn’t want to. I wanted to be strong.
“I should have known you wouldn’t work out, but I didn’t think you’d screw things up this much!” He yelled at me so close spittle hit my face. His finger on the trigger tensed.
The gun fired again and I was forced to the side by a body. Dean cried out as he fell past me and hit the floor. Blood bloomed like red flowers through the fabric on his arm.
The coldness faded and I felt some power come to me, like it had when I surprised Dean and his attackers that night. I guessed when he was shocked he wasn’t keeping his feelings under such tight rein and his emotional block didn’t extend out. I didn’t know. I just knew I had to act fast before Jake felt his powers kick in too.
I was stumbling from Dean pushing me clear of the gun shot. I regained my balance fast, spinning with the momentum and knocking the gun from Jake’s hand. I continued the spin and cracked my elbow against Jake’s jaw, making him fall backwards.
I grabbed Dean by the arm, pulling him to his feet, practically threw him over my shoulder, and made a run for it.
Part Three
Strength to Fall
I ran down alleys and side streets, avoiding the sounds of sirens and as many passers-by as possible. Dean bounced over my shoulder where I had him slung in a fireman’s carry. Blood from his arm ran down onto the crisp white of my peasant blouse, the cutest of three tops I had chosen to wear this morning to be judged by those… bad guys.
I hoped the jostling didn’t hurt Dean too much. He was still out of it otherwise I wouldn’t be able to keep moving so fast. I had no idea where I was going or what I should do. I only remembered one thing from first aid class that seemed relevant; the DR ABCs. I had to get Dean and myself out of Danger then check his Responsiveness. I had to get us as far away from Jake as I could. Airway, Breathing and CPR… it had better not come to that.
Dean moaned and coughed and for a split second I was relieved. Then the coldness sank into me, leaching all my strength. My legs buckled and we both hit the cracked concrete footpath. My knees grazed through denim as Dean’s weight on my back crushed me forward.
I tried to roll him off to the side without hurting either of us more. He moved off me, and leant up against one of the high metal fences enclosing the backyards around us.
His upper arm still oozed blood. He opened those gray eyes and stared at me.
I blushed red all over. I had no idea what he thought of me right now.
“We should get you to a doctor, or a hospital. We have to do something about your arm.”
He turned his head to the gunshot wound and brought his other hand up to grasp it and suppress the bleeding. “No. Hate hospitals.”
He flinched at his own touch and stared at me again. “I don’t understand you.”
I coughed a laugh and only a breathy noise came out.
“Were you with them? Or are you just wearing a wig for fun?”
Reaching up, I patted the side of my head, feeling the curling blond waves of the wig. I tugged it off and dropped it on the weed covered pathway.
“It’s complicated.” I didn’t know how to explain without sounding bad, because there wasn’t a way. I’d done the wrong thing.
“Complicated. Like your shopping money not really being your money. But you tried to stop them. Why? You just have a death wish, taking on people like that?”
“I’m not a criminal. I mean, I didn’t want to be. I just got caught up with the wrong people. I thought they were the right ones. I don’t know.” I glared at the pile of synthetic blond hair on the ground, angry at my own excuses. “I just wanted to be a hero.”
“A dead hero by the
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