Chapter 45: Magazines And Blades

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"Why did you keep it a secret from me?!" Hunter yelled at Benjamin. "How could you--I'm your son."
"This isn't the time for discussing things right now, Hunt."
"Who knows if we don't survive the night? Just tell me why."
Rapid footsteps got closer and closer to us. I could hear every crackle of the dead leaves on the dirt. I ran the fastest, then Benjamin, then Eiffel, and Hunter.
"Guys, they're gaining on us!" Hunter said.
"We need to split: Benjamin and Eiffel head to the right, then me and Hunter will head to the opposing side."
"Use normal words, dude!" Hunter sneered.
"I can't be more clear--we have to split now," I said.
I had one last look of Eiffel. I wish she looked at me. And Benjamin too. But circumstances split us apart. Why did he have to announce it tonight? My conversation with Eiffel was cut abruptly. And we might not see morning's light again. Please let this not be real.
I ran ahead of Hunter, he could barely keep up on my speed. He's doing his best, I know, but he seems to be trapped inside his comfort zone as well. Didn't know a beast like him could ever experience fear.
"Hold up, bro!" Hunter called.
"Run faster, man!"
"I don't listen to freaks like you."
"Suit yourself--but don't blame me if you get shot."
Several gunshots drew closer, poking holes on the trees that surround us. Hunter shields the back of his head with his hands, like it would help. He ran closer to me, obviously even more scared.
"What--you're scared, li'l boy?" I said.
"I'm scared of getting shot, there I said it."
I guffawed. "Finally! Little Hunter feels hunted."
"No seriously! I don't wanna die young," he cried.
"Lights out--they won't be able to see us then."
"What if I can't see?"
"Just keep running."
"What are you gonna do then?" Hunter asked.
"Just keep running," I answer. "I'll hold them off."
"You're no match for them!"
"Just keep running until you reach our stonehouse."
"Are you insane? You'll die!"
I can't believe he cares.
"I said keep on running!"
I clenched the back of his shirt and threw him forward. His body hits the tree nearby.
"Go without me!" I shouted.
With a bit of hesitation, he sprinted towards the stonehouse's direction. I didn't ever see his glow-stick light up.
I stopped running and crouched behind a tree. The number of the men who chased us decreased since the four of us split up, but to me they're still many. If there was a way to get them to stop, I need to block their path. Forcefield barrier, I thought. As they were only a few feet away, I barricaded their way without making physical contact on the glass-like solid. A couple of heads thumped loudly against the hard glass. The two ends of the forcefield touches the tree I was standing behind of and the other tree intersecting my direction infront of me.
Something felt incomplete about the forcefield, like it needs something else.
Electricity.
They pounded on the forcefield, thinking it would help. Guns didn't help either. I almost ran off, but I added one final touch and enveloped the see-through wall with currents. When I had the chance to run, I saw the electricity conduct bright lights that flickered everytime someone touched the barrier.
I did not let the series of tangled veins of electric lights engross my attention and ran straight to the stonehouse's direction.

"Jess, come on!" Called Hunter. "Get inside, hurry!"
I see the top half of his body waving at me. His arm thrashing in different directions, clutching hold the glow-stick. I threw myself inside, where Clare helped me up with one hand and clutched a gun with the other.
"They'll kill us if we don't move," she said ravenously, as if about to attack. "Grab your gun."
"Hold on--before we engage to them, we need to know where Benjamin and Eiffel went."
Hunter boards up the entrance and slid down to his knees to collect some weapons from the burlap bag.
"I don't know where you guys get these stuff," he said. "Either way you guys are still felons to me."
He stuffs the magazine into the pistol's rear amd pointed it at my forehead mockingly. I slap the gun away.
"Don't act like you didn't know what you were doing back at the woods. To me, you're still a little boy," I said.
"Got any proof? Bring it."
"Guys, stop!" Clare interrupted. "We need to find a way off this island without losing anyone. Not again. Not ever."
"You're right--so no more fighting, Hunter."
I put my left hand on his shoulder, which he angrily swatted away. After all I've done to hold those guys off, all he did was run. I'm starting to wonder if Hunter's really a tough guy.
"Okay, that's a good start," she said. "I guess."
"The barrier won't hold up for too long, we have to leave at some point now."
"Yeah, no kidding!" Hunter said. Though he doesn't know which barrier I was implying to.
I secured four knives onto my belt and tucked a small one under my boot. Next, I slipped on two pistols on each side of it. No weapons were left, except for one flare stick, a long coil of wire, two extra magazines, and two walkie-talkies. This'll be enough to leave with.
Once we heard banging on the wooden barricade, I flinched and ran towards the other side of the room, towards the wall.
"Take off this barricade and no will get hurt!" One of the men bellowed.
"See for yourself," Clare said before shooting the barricade. I'm sure she managed to hit one of the people outside.
"Why would you even need a gun if you got knives sticking out on every part of your body?" Hunter said.
"Fine," she said. "If you wanted another gun, you should've just asked.
She tossed the gun to Hunter.
"I wasn't asking for the gun--I was just sayin'."
"Guys, we need to find a way out without getting caught," I said.
"Just run through the wall," Clare suggested.
"We don't even know if we're surrounded."
"We got enough weapons to protect ourselves."
"She's right," he said.
"We have to keep moving--I think they're barbecuing us."
I coughed at the polluted stench of the smoke. I've had enough of smoke and hostage.
"Hunter, take the burlap," I said.
"I take the boys' backpacks," Clare said.
I strapped on my own backpack and the two grabbed my shoulder blades.
"I don't know what we're doing--but I entrust to you my escape," he said to me. "Just make sure no one dies."
I am unsure. Of course someone dies.
I ran straight towards the wall full-speed, but my shoulders were far more than aching. They burn with absolute heat caused by the fire. I shook off some of it--some. I continued running when the army of Zips spotted us not far away. My arm still singed in scorching flames. It spread to my left elbow, my prosthetic arm, nothing I can do to stop it except by flailing around. "Jess, you're singeing!" Clare pointed out.
"We can't stop running--we have to get to the other side in order to get to the yacht."
My skin has never been used to this much heat, like every atom in your cells are slowly dissolving to a melted wax.
"I can't believe we just ran through a solid wall!" Hunter exclaimed. "And I'm still in complete pieces!"
"Shut it, Hunter, and put out the fire in Jess's arm!" Clare commanded.
He rips out a portion of his shirt and smacks the fire out. Little did it help, but he tried at least. "All better?" Clare said.
"I'm okay...for now."
We traveled farther to the areas of the island I never set foot on. I didn't even realize we were running downhill until I slipped down and hit myself in the forehead with a tree branch.
Where could Patrick and Jason be right at this moment? A huge lump formed in my throat, and another ring tones inside my ear because another gunshot sounded. And this time, the bullets traveled to our sides instead of behind and infront. It's like the army chased us faster this time. Or could it just be a mistake?
"Pat, those aren't Zips!" I heard the man say. It wasn't just any man though. It's Jason.
"Hold up," I called. "Jase? Pat? That you?"
I grabbed a tree trunk to steady myself and prevent myself from slipping down when I stop.
"We thought we lost you," Patrick's voice came in.
Hunter readies his gun. "It's not them," I assured him.
"Sure it is."
"Dude, put your gun down!" Jason said to him.
"How do you even know? It's too dark out here."
"I said stop, Hunter. They're not them."
"I assure you...we're not the enemies."
I took off my glow-stick and tossed it to them. In one catch, I knew it was Jason. His bronze skin shone in the neon green light.
"Oh it's them, alright." Hunter lowers the pistol. "Apologies." We walked closer to them.
"Where're you guys headin'? I thought we were under attack," Jason asked. "We heard a ruckus."
"Ruckus? Would you quit that?" I said. "We're being chased by the Zips on this island because Benjamin revoked the Innate-hunting rule," Clare explained. "And Benjamin and the girl ran separate directions to gain all of us some time to escape."
"So we're like...leaving this island for good?" Patrick says.
"That's right."
"Here they come!" Hunter bellowed and pointed behind us.
"Let's go--" I said, but Patrick reeled my singed arm back.
"Running resolves nothin', we gotta reduce their number."
"He's right." Jason snatched the gun from my boot and aimed straight beyond the trees.
Clare, with no hesitation, summons six blades from both her arms and flings it at the incoming camouflaged men. A huge majority of them, right in the trachea and stomach. Hunter, Jason, and I managed to shoot quite a lot.
"Guys, we gotta go, come on!" Patrick said.
"What are you talkin' about, Pat? There's still many of 'em."
"I have our solution so we can escape."
I turn, and his bloody cut fingers fold around a grenade. I elbowed Jason and he missed his shot.
"What's your problem, dude?"
"Look."
His eyes widened when he saw Patrick wrap his finger around the pin.
"Oh my," Clare said.
The Zip soldiers got closer and closer. Every piece of the tree trunks were getting disintegrated by the bullets coming for us.
"Take cover!" I yelled for Clare and Hunter.
Patrick leans back on the tree, getting ready to pull the trigger, and I take on last look at the soldiers and pulled the trigger on my pistol a couple times on them.
"Ready?" He said.
"Let's go, come on!" Hunter ran first, and Jason, then Clare.
I stop shooting after seeing two gray oblivious shadows running towards the soldiers. One was incredibly tall and the other one was far more short. The tall silhouette holds out a firearm and shoots the guys behind the people I was shooting.
"Wait, Patrick, don't--"
It was too late.
As I turned to face Patrick, I see the grenade fly out to the soldiers. Patrick yanks me out of the scene right before the grenade hits the ground. The gravity of the slope pulled us down so fast, I never got to see Benjamin's and Eiffel's shadows again.
In one constant reverberation, the two people who gave me peace inside...were gone.

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