Houston (ON HOLD)

Blake

Lacey slams the door shut, turning the lock and looking back at us with eyes the size of moons.

"Run!" She shouts.

"Follow me!" Joshua says, turning and hurrying toward a door by the kitchen.

He yanks the door open just as the front door starts to shake. Lacey, Percy, and Mason all rush through the door and I look back at the door bucking. The soldiers are trying to break it down. My heart feels like it's beating a million miles per hour, and not because of excitement anymore.

"You all run!" Joshua yells as I go into the door. "Get somewhere safe."

"Dad?" Percy yells.

"Joshua, I'm not leaving you!" Lacey shouts.

"I'll try and hold them off. I'll meet up with you again, I promise. Percy, be good. I love you."

"Dad!" Percy screams as Joshua shuts the door.

I reach up and touch the doorknob, finding that it has a lock. I lock the door just as I hear the sounds of the front door imploding and shouting.

"Come on!" Lacey says, though hesitantly. I can hear the sadness in her voice.

Percy is hysterical. He rushes toward the closed door, screaming for his father. I catch him and pick him up, trying to keep a hold of the boy while he kicks and fights.

"Percy," I say to him as I start down the stairs. "Listen. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. You have to be quiet, or we'll all be caught."

"Daddy!"

"He's going to be fine." I tell him, though I don't know if I believe myself. "Hey, think of your mom, Percy. Just think of the happiest time you had with her and hold onto it."

It takes him a second, but he finally calms down a little. Just as we emerge into a cellar, Percy is just sniffling and hiccuping while his head rests on my shoulder. I don't dare put him down in case he decides to bee line it back to the door again.

"Back door," Mason says, running toward the door and peeking out the window. From what I can see, the coast is clear for now.

"Let's go," Lacey says.

I lug the boy in my arms higher up so that I have a better hold on him and nod. Mason yanks the door open and sprints out into the street, me and Lacey following close behind.

It's getting harder and harder to run with Percy in my arms. My muscles ache and my arms shake harder with every passing second I have to run. I can barely hold him by the time Lacey takes him from me.

"Thanks," I wheeze as we're running down the alley, avoiding the road the soldiers are on at all cost. If they see us, we're done for.

It's just our luck the whole block is surrounded.

Mason peers out from behind the wall we're crouched by, looking out into the street. We'd almost sprinted right into a whole squadron. Luckily, Mason had seen them and screeched to a halt just before we came into sight.

"There's no way we can get out of here," Lacey whispers. "We're surrounded."

"Maybe we can outrun them?" Mason suggests.

"Not likely," I say grimly.

"Well then what do you guys suggest?" Mason snaps.

I notice him still holding his arm. The blood is beginning to seep through the bandage. I'm the one that gave him that wound. I hurt him.