The Protected One

S t r a i n s

I whip my head around to see Claude now accompanied by Leo pointing their guns at Ben.

My face instantly twists into one of horror.

"Claude, you said you wouldn't!" I gasp.

"I'm sorry Frankie but I refuse to let this go on any longer," he says not once taking his eyes off of Benjamin.

Leo on the other hand looks at me with eyes filled with pure anger.

Benjamin seems caught off guard, but quickly replaces his his expression with a poker face.

"Claude please don't," I plead with him.

"Frankie you don't understand," he says.

"Then help me understand. What is killing him going to do?" I ask starting to feel my eyes sting.

"A lot more than you think," he replies.

He steps closer to Benjamin to which I step in front of him.

His demeanor completely changes.

"Move Frankie," he says.

I shake my head.

"What the fuck Frankie? Are you seriously putting yourself in front of a gun for this guy?" He asks.

"I'm sorry but I just don't think that this is the right thing to," I say.

"That's why the decision isn't up to you. You don't know what he's capable of," he says sternly.

Without  knowing what else to say, I simply shake my head.

Claude let's out a frustrated groan.

"Frankie please just listen to us. You don't understand how different he is. This is the same guy that stabbed coded messages in human bodies to gain our attention," he points out.

"There's other ways to stop all this," I tell him.

He sighs and shakes his head refusing to drop his gun.

"Leo..."

"I don't want to hear a word you have to say," he barley looks at me.

I glance back at Benjamin who is still in the spot slightly behind me watching the entire encounter unfold.

I mouth words to him to back up slowly to which he nods his head.

Simultaneously, we begin to slowly back away.

"Frankie don't you dare," Leo warns.

"I'm sorry but I have to," I shrug.

He begins to back way faster, to which I follow his movements.

It's not long before he takes off and grabs my hand to take me with him.

I hear Claude and Leo call after me, and two gun shots go off but I keep running regardless.

Ben leads me through the oh so familiar wooded areas as we hear their footsteps following behind us.

I glance back at the two and I notice that we are definitely leading.

"We're gonna have to jump," he says.

"No way in hell," I say.

"You did it before what's the problem now? He asks.

"I'm not jumping! I exclaim.

"Do you trust me? He asks.

"Absolutely not," I comment.