pain was rasping around inside of my chest, trying to escape with every breath. Though my ribs were horrible, my ninth rib was almost poking out of my skin and tearing it open, my leg was the worst. It was flaming pain, searing through ripped flesh.
I had to move, had to get away. This was a bad place to be with five broken bones.
Luckily, my brother heard my cry and jumped down the broken skylight, landing solidly on his feet next to me.
“Get down here Salah!” He yelled up, ducking down next to me.
“Kai? Can you hear me?!” He whispered nervously, seeing my fluttering eyelids as I floated in and out of consciousness for a while. I managed, despite it all, to nod.
He let out a relieved sigh. “Listen, are you okay?”
A nod, a lie. If I made Rowan nervous, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything.
“What’s bad?”
I lifted up my throbbing hand, touched my leg and then my ribs, giving across the message as clearly as possible.
“Alright. Can you walk?” He sounded nervous as he asked this, and Salah plopped down behind us.
“Oh my god.”
“Not helpful!” Rowan snapped.
I shook no to Rowan’s question curtly and attempted to sit up; the effort made me woozy and Rowan was suddenly behind me, holding me up.
“We have to get out of here,” I said, gasping.
“I know, I just don’t know how to get you out of here.” He told me, his eyebrows furrowing in thought and frustration.
“Leave me here,” I said, “I can get out by myself.”
“No!” Salah protested, breaking his silence. He turned to me, “You’re our leader. I’ll carry you out myself before leaving you here. In fact…Rowan, grab her arms, I’ll support one of her legs and be careful with the other. We will get her out if it’s the last thing we ever do.”
“And it may be.” Rowan told him seriously, “But I can carry my little sister by myself, thanks,”
“I’m older,” I mumbled with effort.
“Whatever you say,” I heard Rowan reply under his breath.
“And boys,” I whisper, gaining back some of my strength. The pain had ebbed a little, though it still felt as if my leg was being sawed off by a hot blade, “Shut up about carrying me. I’ll walk; I just need to lean on one of you.”
For a moment or two, they glared at each other. It was obvious both of them wanted to be my splint, but they would have to argue it out since I didn’t have the strength anymore.
For another painstaking minute, they stood debating silently with each other, slow in deciding despite the obviously deadly situation.
“I’ll do it,” Salah piped up.
“No, you won’t. She’s my sister, I’ll do it.”
“Shut up !” I said as loudly as I could muster, “Salah will help me, he offered first. Stop acting like four year olds fighting over your mother’s attention!”
A plan was already forming in my head.
Rowan glanced at me, and then nodded curtly. He clenched his jaw and grabbed my arm. He pulled me up and then Salah took my other arm as Rowan let go, somewhat hesitantly.
Thank god Salah’s strong – I leaned on him very heavily as we slowly trudged to the bottom of the building, where the police were waiting.
“Salah,” I whispered, quiet enough so Rowan, even with his impeccable hearing, wouldn’t notice, “There’s a vaporizer strapped to my side, under my shirt, it’ll kill all of those police officers, but you’ll have to get us out of there, and fast, okay?”
“All right.” He said, and I felt his hand slip again to my waist, where he lifted my tank-top and loosened the small cube that would expand and become my Rizer. At his touch, I noticed my heart thudding a bit – irrational response to stimulus, just like before.
“Now,” I instructed, limping forward, “There’s a turquoise button glowing on the top – press it and it’ll expand to about the size of your hand. Good. Now, see that red button? Do not press it, that’ll make it fire. I want you to pretend your holding me
I had to move, had to get away. This was a bad place to be with five broken bones.
Luckily, my brother heard my cry and jumped down the broken skylight, landing solidly on his feet next to me.
“Get down here Salah!” He yelled up, ducking down next to me.
“Kai? Can you hear me?!” He whispered nervously, seeing my fluttering eyelids as I floated in and out of consciousness for a while. I managed, despite it all, to nod.
He let out a relieved sigh. “Listen, are you okay?”
A nod, a lie. If I made Rowan nervous, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything.
“What’s bad?”
I lifted up my throbbing hand, touched my leg and then my ribs, giving across the message as clearly as possible.
“Alright. Can you walk?” He sounded nervous as he asked this, and Salah plopped down behind us.
“Oh my god.”
“Not helpful!” Rowan snapped.
I shook no to Rowan’s question curtly and attempted to sit up; the effort made me woozy and Rowan was suddenly behind me, holding me up.
“We have to get out of here,” I said, gasping.
“I know, I just don’t know how to get you out of here.” He told me, his eyebrows furrowing in thought and frustration.
“Leave me here,” I said, “I can get out by myself.”
“No!” Salah protested, breaking his silence. He turned to me, “You’re our leader. I’ll carry you out myself before leaving you here. In fact…Rowan, grab her arms, I’ll support one of her legs and be careful with the other. We will get her out if it’s the last thing we ever do.”
“And it may be.” Rowan told him seriously, “But I can carry my little sister by myself, thanks,”
“I’m older,” I mumbled with effort.
“Whatever you say,” I heard Rowan reply under his breath.
“And boys,” I whisper, gaining back some of my strength. The pain had ebbed a little, though it still felt as if my leg was being sawed off by a hot blade, “Shut up about carrying me. I’ll walk; I just need to lean on one of you.”
For a moment or two, they glared at each other. It was obvious both of them wanted to be my splint, but they would have to argue it out since I didn’t have the strength anymore.
For another painstaking minute, they stood debating silently with each other, slow in deciding despite the obviously deadly situation.
“I’ll do it,” Salah piped up.
“No, you won’t. She’s my sister, I’ll do it.”
“Shut up !” I said as loudly as I could muster, “Salah will help me, he offered first. Stop acting like four year olds fighting over your mother’s attention!”
A plan was already forming in my head.
Rowan glanced at me, and then nodded curtly. He clenched his jaw and grabbed my arm. He pulled me up and then Salah took my other arm as Rowan let go, somewhat hesitantly.
Thank god Salah’s strong – I leaned on him very heavily as we slowly trudged to the bottom of the building, where the police were waiting.
“Salah,” I whispered, quiet enough so Rowan, even with his impeccable hearing, wouldn’t notice, “There’s a vaporizer strapped to my side, under my shirt, it’ll kill all of those police officers, but you’ll have to get us out of there, and fast, okay?”
“All right.” He said, and I felt his hand slip again to my waist, where he lifted my tank-top and loosened the small cube that would expand and become my Rizer. At his touch, I noticed my heart thudding a bit – irrational response to stimulus, just like before.
“Now,” I instructed, limping forward, “There’s a turquoise button glowing on the top – press it and it’ll expand to about the size of your hand. Good. Now, see that red button? Do not press it, that’ll make it fire. I want you to pretend your holding me
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