Runaway Lover // Andy Leo

Chapter Fifteen

I tie the cloth around my face and grab my rod from where it lays against the wall beside Andy's bed. I take a deep breath, attempting to shake the worry and nerves that have built up inside of me over the last three days. Every second of every day I've prayed that everyone is still okay - if not alive. Today is the day that I'll find out whether all of my praying has payed off or not.

As I make my way down the stairs I go over all of what Andy tought me about fighting in my head, knowing that today will be that day that it matters. I smile at the memories. I remember his face, and determination wells up inside of me. Determination to get everyone back. Determination to keep them all alive. I meet up with the twenty or so lower ranked Runaways that I have become friends with over the last three days, and we all head out toward the Empire in jeeps.

About half a mile or so away from the Empire's holding building we stop and gather inside of one of the abandones buildings. We huddle together, trying best we can to stay out of sight from anyone that may walk past.

"Right. You ready?" I whisper, getting assuring nods from everyone. I grip my pole tighter. "Snipers, fan out. Surround the building, and take them down quietly. We don't want to shake the nest just yet." Five of the Runaways to my right give gestures of aknowledgement before running off in various different directions. "Lets go."

I lead everyone through the buildings in order to stay out of sight from patrolling scarecrows. We huddle into the corner of the building closest to the one containing Andy and the others, and I almost breathe a sigh of relief. We got this far, but I hold it just incase we don't get any further.

We wait in the shadows for a good five minutes before I see the first guard go down. Two minutes later the rest have gone and I see our opportunity to enter. I wait for the signal from the Snipers to say that the coast is clear before gesturing for everyone to follow me and running across the road.

I try the door, becoming slightly suspicious when it pushes open easily. I motion for everyone to file in, and I wait to close the door behind us.

"You guys know what to do." I smile at them as everyone runs off in sets of three. Ashley and Dean - a tall, muscular guy with stroppy dark hair - stay behind, being the other two to our triplet. Ashley gives me a small smile in reassurance, and I take a deep breath before crouch-running down one of the corridors to my right.

We somehow manage to weave our way down various different corridors uninterrupted, making my suspicions grow. I check around the next turning, and take a deep breath when I see the Raven himself stood talking to three scarecrows. I stay where I am and watch their encounter, trying my best to listen in.

"...The girl has definately been the most useful. I think I'll have to spend some more time with her... maybe even let the boy toy listen in." The Raven laughs, and I resist the urge to run up to him and punch him.

"What is it?" Ashley whispers in my ear. I hold up a finger, asking her to be quiet, and listen again.

"Make sure the prisoners stay put while I'm away. I'll have your heads if anything happens to my new toys." He turns to walk past them and I quickly take cover back around the corner and plaster myself up against the wall. I steady my breathing and Dean and Ashley do the same. We wait for the Raven to walk past before I look around the corner again just in time to see the scarecrows take a right, leading away from us.

I make sure the Raven is gone before I quickly follow the scarecrows. We catch up to them about 10 meters down the corridor, and we quickly get rid of them. I use my rod to wind them against the far wall while Ashley butts the end of her gun into one of their faces, allowing Dean to just punch the other two, and they all slump down onto the floor.

"Where to now?" Dean asks as Ashley wipes her gun on her jeans. I look at the coriddor around us - two doors to my left, one to my right, and a metal one at the end of the coriddor.

"Ashley, check those rooms," I nod to my left, "Dean, you take those." and to my right, "I'll see if I can't get that one open." They nod and enter the rooms.

The metal door is heavy, and bolted closed. I slide the bolts open and push against the door, stumbling slightly as it gives way. It leads me into a long corridor, with cages lining either side. I adjust my grip on my rod and slowly tread foward, listening out for any other footsteps. The door slides closed behind me, and a pair of hands close around my neck from behind.

I claw at the hands around my throat in a desperate attempt to remove them. My vision goes dark, and I remember something Andy told me while we were training. I follow his instructions and jab my elbow backwards into the scarecrow's gut, using the momentary advantage to spin out of his grip and pick up my rod from where it lies on the ground beside us. I face him and get ready to swing my rod at him, aiming for his temple. He ducks at the last moment and rolls away from me. I bring my rod up to cover my body at the last moment, deflecting his attack. He grumbles and reaches toward his belt to grab a small pistol that sits in its holster. I bat his arm away and swing the rod up, catching him under the jaw and knocking him unconscious.

He falls to the floor and I take the gun from him, tucking it into the back of my jeans. I also take a set of keys from his belt, trying to jangle them as little as possible. I turn my attention back to the cages and walk through them, checking each one.

I get halfway down the corridor before I hear something move. I freeze and check around me for scarecrows, but the coast is clear.

"Sam?" I spin around to look back up the corridor.

"Andy?!" I see a hand reach out from between the bars and run towards it.

"Sam!" I stop outside of Andy's cage and grab his hand. Tears threaten to pour down my face at the sight I was terrified I would never see again. He smiles at me, his face covered in blood and scratches.

I fiddle with the keys and the lock, my heart beating in my throat. Eventually the lock click open, and I throw myself into Andy's arms. The moment is over quickly as it starts as commotion starts up along the coriddor. I break away from Andy, taking the keys from the cage and unlocking the others.

I unlock Brandon's first, who barely gives me a second look before running over to Megans cage.
"Open it!" He shouts hysterically. I move over, the colour draining from my face as I realise why he's so desperate. I quickly unlock the door to the cage, and Brandon runs over to where Megan is leaning heavily againt the wall. Her right leg is bleeding pretty badly through the piece of cloth that it tied around it. She smiles at me through a black eye before she's lost in Brandon's arms.
I leave them to it and let Brent, Dave, Hayden and Benn out of their cages. All of which are in a much better shape than Megan, getting off with little more than a burst lip.

"Guys, I hate to be a bummer but we have to go!" I shout to Brandon, who emerges immediately with Megan in his arms.

"She can't walk." I nod in understanding and grab my rod from its place resting against the wall.

"Let's go." I run back the way we came and meet up with Dean and Ashley, whos faces light up at the sight of everyone alive. "Megan's not good. We've got to go."

Ashley nods. "The building's clear, but the Raven could be back before we get out, so we have to go quick." She turns and begins to jog down the coriddor with Dean, with me running at the back of the group with Andy.