Sixty Seconds

Chapter Thirteen

Jessica

The last thing I saw before I shut my eyes was Carter being leapt on and tackled to the ground. All hope was taken from me as he struggled to fight off the masked attacker. My lungs felt like they were about to burst as I closed my eyes. I tried to keep calm but panic kept rising in my chest, threatening to pull me under. I kicked out in one desperate attempt, my feebleness proving how weak I now was.

Suddenly I felt myself being dropped. I hit the ground spluttering. Taking in lungfuls of air while clutching my throat. I felt my vision clear as my attacker fell down beside me, whether unconscious of dead I couldn't tell. I looked round to where I had last seen Carter. He was still there, his pistol lost somewhere during the attack, I blinked, wondering why my attacker had just fallen.

“You know, you look quite cute down there.” I heard a familiar voice say. I looked up and met amused green eyes.

“Alex?” I whispered finding it hard to speak. He was standing there with a bat in his hand, one eyebrow raised. The rough wood of the bat slightly dented from where it had been introduced to my attackers head.

“The one and only” He reached out a hand and pulled me up as if I weighed nothing, his muscles tensing in the street light.”You okay?”

I nodded numbly. Trying not to speak. For a few seconds I was lost in his emerald eyes.

“We should probably help your friend” He said, I nodded again, leaning into him slightly. He hoisted the bat up just as a shot rang out along the deserted alley. In the dimness I couldn't tell who had been shot.

“Carter? ”I whispered, the panic from earlier beginning to build up. Someone moved towards us, leaning against the wall. Alex brought the bat down. It wasn't hard because I was gripping his good arm with all my might.

“OWW” Carter shouted, gripping his head. He grabbed the bat out of Alex's hand and threw it down. “Are you crazy?” he demanded his hand firmly planted on his head. I breathed out a sigh of relief and without planning to reached over and hugged Carter. All complaint stopped as I did. I felt the hand that wasn't gripping his head wrap round my waist. I let go and stepped back, Carter's dark eyes following me, looking deeper than usual, the dark brown boring into my nearly black ones.

“Thank you” I whispered. Carter blinked painfully. Still holding his head.

“You're forgetting about me” Alex said from behind me. I turned and hugged him as Carter leant against a wall, looking jealous and beaten. He pulled out a spare ear piece and requested back up and medics. I let go of Alex and stood silently.

Carter looked up suddenly, wincing. “Harper”

“Who?” Alex asked, looking confused. My eyes met Carters.

“The woman with us in the hall” I explained, my voice cracking slightly. Alex looked from me to Carter, who was attempting to stand up without the wall.

“I'll get her” He said and ran off towards the alley. I heard sirens in the distance as Carter and me were left alone.

“You okay?” Carter asked as soon as Alex left.

“I'm fine” I whispered. “Thank you” He smiled slightly.

“Like I said, It's my job to protect you, as much as I- ”

“Hate it” I finished for him, I returned his smile.

He looked down, making a slight laughing sound. “Yeah, that.”

***

“Okay, How old are you? What's your name? And what colour shirt am I wearing?” The medic asked, shining a light into my eyes.

“I'm not the one who got a bat to the head, moron.” I said, sarcastically.

“She's fine” Miss Harper said, coming up behind us. I had been given extra oxygen to help stop me from passing out and was now sitting on the wall outside the hall. Alex had gotten Harper then disappeared with out leaving any form of contact. Carter was insisting he was fine, even though he couldn't seem to tell which way was up.

“So am I” Carter insisted. Jerking away from the disinfectant. Another medic placed paper stitches over his head.

I laughed quietly at his discomfort. Then I saw two body bags being put into a van, it made me feel sick, I put my head between my knees and breathed deeply. When I sat up my attacker was being put into one of the black jeeps they all seemed to drive.

“Okay, you have a mild concussion but should be fine in a few days” The medic told Carter.

“Best news I've heard all day” Carter said, sarcastically. “Come on Jessica, We're going home” Carter stumbled slightly and pitched forwards, only to be caught by the same soldier he'd knocked out in combat practise. “Thanks Joshua” Carter said, blinking.

I turned to Miss Harper. “I'm not getting into the car if he's driving.”

She laughed. “I'm driving.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to the car. Carter climbed into the front beside Miss Harper and we left the hall, headlights sweeping across the road.

***

I grabbed the keys out of Carter's fumbling hands. “I HATE concussions” He complained. I unlocked the door and walked in. Carter headed straight towards his room.

I locked the door behind me and headed towards my room. I climbed into bed, exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep. I could hear Carter in the next room, having trouble with hand-eye coordination. Something crashed to the ground and I heard him swear. I found my thoughts wandering to Alex and how he hadn't even given me a number. I hoped even more that I would see him again. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply.

I barely heard Carter entering the room, sleep was taking me. He knelt down beside me, thinking I was fully asleep. “You know, It might be the concussion but I think, I'm actually beginning to like you”