SNAKESKIN (Tangerine) ✓

十五

Tangerine

"Come out, motherfuckers!"

Shit! I thought, desperately trying to spot Lemon and Bronte in the chaos. I reached for my gun, cocking it and holding it up by my head. There were too many people for the three of us to take on by ourselves. Our only option was to try to escape.

"Tang!" I whipped around to see Bronte, crouched behind a wooden crate. She frantically gestured for me to come to her, a nervous expression on her face. "Get over here."

I nodded, scanning the room to make sure the coast was clear. It was, so I quickly scuttled over to her, ducking behind the box as well.

"Where's Lemon?" I whispered, peeking over the box to watch the guards pacing on the other side of the warehouse. "We need to get the fuck out of here."

"I know that!"

Suddenly a dark shape ducked out from behind a pillar about twenty feet away. Lemon! He sprinted towards another pillar, pressing his back to it on the side facing away from the guards. He was facing our direction so I leaned out over the box, waving my hand to get his attention. He saw me, nodding in acknowledgment, before making a run towards us.

"What's the fucking plan?" He hissed as he squatted down in between Bronte and me. "How are we getting out of here?"

I shook my head. "I have no fucking idea." I looked past my brother at Bronte, who was still peering around the box, her eyes trained on the guard that had strayed away from the group. He had his gun raised and prepared to shoot as he crept around the room, looking behind every crate and box. "What do you think, Bronte?"

Bronte tore her eyes away from the approaching guard, instead scanning the room in thought. I followed her eyes, noticing when they stopped moving, locked on a point at the far end of the room.

"There," she whispered, raising her gun and using it to point at a high window across the room. "If we can get over there, we can climb on top of those crates to reach that window."

"Great," Lemon muttered in exasperation, rolling his eyes. "How the fuck are we supposed to get over there with all of those fuckers?"

I glanced at the five guards. One of them was to our left and the other four were in front of us. "Follow me," I ordered, creeping around the right side of the box. Bronte and Lemon kept close behind me as we made our way—slowly—around the outskirts of the room.

The guards kept to the left-hand side, making it easy for us to sneak around them. When we reached the crates we needed to climb up. we stopped, ducking behind it.

"They're over there," Bronte whispered, nodding to the area we had just been hiding. "If we go now we can make it out."

I nodded, preparing to haul myself up onto the crate when a loud clicking sound reverberated from behind me. I whipped around, my gun held in front of me.

"Drop it." One of the guards was standing right there, his gun aimed directly at my chest and his face rigid and grim. "Put it down or I'll blow your fucking brains out." He glanced at Lemon and Bronte, who were standing on either side of me. "You two, as well."

I slowly lowered my gun, letting it clatter to the floor and raising my arms above my head. "Just do it," I muttered through gritted teeth and Lemon and Bronte reciprocated.

"Good," the man drawled, a sinister smirk spreading onto his face. "See, that wasn't so hard." He took a slow step forward, his attention turning directly to Bronte, on my right. "Now, what is a pretty lady like you doing with these two?"

I gritted my teeth, trying hard not to retaliate with a snarky insult or well-aimed punch to the gut. I could tell Bronte was trying her best to control her temper as well; she hated being belittled, especially by some old man trading her like a weak little girl.

We all remained quiet, despite the raging fire in my stomach. How dare this geezer speak to Bronte like this! I was sure there was smoke coming out of my nose and fire from my mouth, but I remained silent. Getting angry wasn't going to help the situation at all.

"Well?" The man leaned forward, extending his free hand towards Bronte's chin. She averted her gaze, clenching her jaw as he stroked it with his forefinger, clicking his tongue as if she was a misbehaving child he had to berate. I couldn't watch it.

"Don't fucking touch me," Bronte growled in a deadly tone. "I'll fucking kill you."

The man just chuckled demeaningly. "Is that so?" He stroked her cheek, clearly relishing in Bronte's discomfort. "How are you going to do that?" I glanced at Bronte, my eyes slits of fury, but I was shocked to see Bronte's expression. Her eyes were wide in fear and her mouth agape as she breathed in and out at an erratic pace. Her fists were clenched by her side and her arms were shaking uncontrollably. My eyes widened in concern and her physicality. What the hell is wrong with her?

Without thinking I shot my hand out, grabbing my gun and turning it on the man. He startled, dropping his hand from Bronte's cheek as he raised his own gun. But before he had the chance to shoot, I beat him to it, letting two deadly bullets find their home in his chest. He stared at me in shock, right before he slumped to the ground with a thud.

I immediately turned to Bronte. She was still in a state of panic, her chest rising and falling erratically and her eyes fixated on an unknown point in the distance. I rushed to her, grabbing her shoulders and bracing her. She looked at me, her eyes softening when they locked with my own.

"It's okay," I assured her, trying to hold her shaking form still.l "I'm here, Bronte. You're okay. But we have to get out of here now."

She nodded quickly, standing up, as I supported her. She was still shaking, but she seemed to be back in my reality, for she looked up at the crate, and reached up to grasp the rim.

"I'll boost you up," Lemon suggested, dropping onto one knee and holding up his palms. "Step here, Bronte."

Bronte nodded, stepping onto the foothold Lemon made with his hands. He boosted her up and she disappeared over the top of the crate. She reappeared shortly after, lowering her hand down to me. "Come on." She suddenly looked over my head. "Shit, they're coming. Hurry!"

I whipped around to see the other four guards rushing towards us, guns raised. I raised my own, easily shooting two of them in the chest before they could do the same. They dropped to the floor and I turned back to Bronte as she raised her own gun, shooting the remaining two. Stepping onto Lemon's hand I grabbed the rim of the crate. Lemon boosted me up and Bronte latched onto my arm, hauling me up onto the crate beside her.

"Thanks," I said, leaning back over and extending my hand to my brother. "Come on, man. We have to hurry."

Lemon took my hand and I pulled him up. when he was high enough to rest his forearms on the edge of the crate, he hauled himself the rest of the way, rolling on his side, with a heavy sigh.

"Come on," Bronte ordered, crawling towards the window. She pulled it up, enough for us to slip through and put her feet over the sill. "Let's get out of here."

I nodded as she dropped out of the window. I followed, dropping down onto the grass outside, Lemon following close behind.

Bronte led the dash back towards the car, waiting around the corner. She jumped into the passenger seat and I ran around to the driver's side, pulling the keys from my pocket as I did. Lemon hopped into the back as I shoved the key into the ignition.

"Let's get the fuck out of this shit hole!" Lemon yelled as I hit the gas. I didn't look back as I turned onto the main road, heading back towards El Dorado International Airport.

A/N: I think this is my favourite chapter so far. I really love writing the flashbacks. Today, I want to know your honest opinion of Bronte as a character. Do you like her? Do you not like her? What about her do you like or dislike? I'm curious. Also, Bronte is not an OC of mine, nor is she based on anyone I know, so don't worry about offending me with your thoughts.

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