WHEN THE DARKNESS COMES I NICK CLARK

Beware Of Angels

Beware Of Angels

"Chris!"

Chris whirled around at the sound of Lourdes's voice, her shout rising above the racket, tearing him out of the almost trance the anarchic atmosphere had him under. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped, lowering his video camera, Lourdes fighting her way through the throng to him, their parents right behind her.

"I saw your little sweet ass television appearance," Lourdes snapped back, "and decided to drop by. You should have told me you had a cameo in the chaos."

After much argument, wasting time they didn't have, Lourdes had been allowed to come with her parents to find Chris, leaving Madison to look after Nick and Alicia, Lourdes just wanting out of the suffocating house, her head still spinning from what had happened at the school. With the sun now starting to set, the day having felt like it had no end, they had finally reached where the riot had broken out, Travis parking the pick-up several blocks away, having fought his way through the gridlock, illegally accessing one-way streets and driving on the thankfully empty sidewalks.

"What the hell did you bring him for!?" Chris spat, gesturing wildly at Travis, nearly dropping his video camera as the crowd surged forwards.

"He's our ride out of hell," Lourdes said, grabbing Chris's arm, only for him to yank it out of her grip, his face suddenly ugly with fury.

"Don't you dare touch me!" he yelled, spit flecking the air, Lourdes reeling back, startled, her mother swiftly steadying her.

"We're heading home, Christopher," Liza said firmly, "you'd had your fun. Time to make tracks, kiddo."

"I'm not a kid!" Chris objected, folding up his video camera, slipping it into his pocket.

"No, you're an ass-wipe," Travis snapped, "now get your butt into gear."

"Mom, he just called me an ass-wipe!" Chris protested, turning red with rage, Travis turning away from him.

"No, you're an insult to an ass-wipe," Liza said smartly, glancing up as a purple-haired punk woman staggered into view just beyond the barrier, the police officer stationed there drawing out her gun, "now move!"

Before anybody could react, there was a sudden storm of gunshots, all four of them whirling around, only to find themselves caught in the crowd which was now an almost amalgamous entity. Rows of police advanced into view, blocking the road, marching with riot shields held in front of them, moving in measured formation, reminding Lourdes of the Romans she had read about so long ago, spending the summer engrossed in ancient history, a summer that now felt like it had happened to someone else.

"We need to go, now!" Travis yelled, grabbing Lourdes, Liza doing the same with Chris, the three of them following Travis through the crowd, Liza letting out a scream as the police officer suddenly shot the purple-haired punk woman through the eye, her body crumbling onto the asphalt.

"What the hell is going on!?" Liza cried, hauling Chris on, glancing over her shoulder as she moved, unable to believe what was happening. The police officer was now firing at several people staggering towards her, hitting their bodies with bullets, but still they kept walking, Liza's eyes going wide at the sight, flinching involuntarily at every gunshot.

But Travis didn't answer her, only focusing on getting her and their children the hell out of there, cursing Chris for bringing them here in the first place. He dragged Lourdes down a flight of stairs, Liza and Chris hard on his heels, Lourdes leaping the last three steps, struggling to keep up with her father's longer-legged stride. Smoke was starting to fill the air, the crowd become a swarm of strangers, people running and screaming, a thickset man crashing into Travis, nearly knocking him down.