RECLAIM

Chapter 10. Trigger Happy

~ Laith & Arden ~

As Laith disconnect the call, her instinct suddenly comes alive. There's no time to think, just react. She has already moved when the first projectile tears into an empty space, mere one inch besides her head. Laith sprinted across the alley as a heavy sound of automatic rifles tore through the night. Zigzagging, she jumped off her last step and throws all her weight against the door. Slamming against the door with enough force to guarantee a nasty bruise, Laith kick it close as she catapulted over one of the sturdy sofas.

"Gunfire!" Tucking herself as small as possible, Laith screamed above the heavy sounds of tearing. She manages to locate Arden and Ratty hurdling behind another sofa, at the back of the room.

"No kidding!" Arden pushed Ratty to the floor. He then toppled a table and used it as added protection. "Move away from the door and windows! They're aiming for it!" He shouts at her as hard pings resonate inside the room.

"Stay down!" Crawling as debris sprayed violently around them, Laith jerked away and manage to land alongside them. But not before a fire seared her right shoulder. Just her luck.

"Are there any other way out of here?" Arden jerked as wood from the table exploded above their heads. Ratty mumbles some unidentified words. "Snap out of it!" Arden slapped him, hard.

"Yes! There is! The back door! Right behind us!" Ratty hissed.

Laith calculates their chances. A bullet flies past above her and embedded itself into the cement floor, right where the dubious protection of the sofa and the table ends. Not good apparently, she thought as her shoulder throbbed.

"We'll never make it!" Ratty voice now edge with hysteria.

Arden ignored him and faced Laith instead. "How many?"

"At least three." Laith is already reaching for her guns. "One was shooting from above. Two other on foot."

"Weapons?" Cements splatter inches from Arden, tearing a hole on the wall. He nudged Laith and Ratty deeper into the shadows, half covering them with his body.

"Theirs, various. Mine, two guns, six clips and a knife. Any suggestion?" There's no way that they can move an inch, let alone a few feet. Judging from the angle of the gunfire, it's pretty obvious that they were pinned down.

Arden cocked his own weapon, an impressive handgun. He then turned to peer from the table edge, assessing shelter point scatter all over the room. Very few and far in between, but it's still better than nothing. All around them, the rat-a-tat-tat of automatic weapons, single sharp bursts of revolvers and booming sound of shotguns continues.

"We have to make a run for it!"

"Cover shot?"

"Empty all your clips!" Arden turned his attention on Ratty. "You have some hidden armory we didn't know about?"

"No!" He stared wide eyes and shaking all over.

"Right, you better stay close then!" Arden aimed his revolver. "Ready?"

Laith brings her guns up. "As I'll ever be."

Arden gave a single sharp nod. "On my count. In three, two, one and go!"

Arden yanked Ratty and takes off at the same time towards their next stop, an asymmetric bookshelf. Laith runs after them, delivering rounds after rounds of bullets. They felt dust raining down, choking them as they move fast and low. Arden and Laith cover each other back as they make their way through.

A bullet grazed Arden thigh as they reach a halfway point. Fortunately, it's shallow. Laith tied an emergency bandage as they catch their breath for a second and off they go again. Along the way, she forgot that when someone thinks it can't get any worse, things always tend to go downhill.

Just as they almost make it, she vaguely heard the sound of a car engine from the back door. Laith tap Arden shoulder and gestured at the door. He nod grimly and keeps his focus ahead as she aim at the back door. Footsteps closing, she steadied her breath. No time to hesitate. Even if it's their doom, she goes down swinging.

"It's us! Don't shoot!" After several luck defining attempts earlier, nothing has sounded sweeter to Laith than Carlo voice.

Laith keep her attention at the twins directions for a second, watching as they breaks through the back door. In their hands they carried the latest model, powerful M-16 rifles spraying bullets like nobody's business. What timing, as usual.

"Hurry up guys! Almost there!" Camille shout from the door as the twin shoots above Arden, Laith and Ratty heads.

Arden and Laith both throw Ratty towards the open door with every strength they can spare. Bracing themselves, they leap at the same time without looking back as the twins simultaneously close and barricade the door. Camille helps Laith as Carlo snatch Ratty and hauls him forward. He then offers a hand to Arden, who takes it gratefully. They hastily load the car and speed out.

"Thank you," Arden said as he catches his breath.

"No problem. Sorry for the delay," Carlo said from the front seat.

"Are you guys OK?" Camille looked back and forth between Laith and Arden.

Laith nodded. "I'm fine..."

"Lying won't do us any good at this point," Arden interjects. "That guy over there is fine. Oh, he's Ratty. An informant." He point at Ratty who still in the state of catatonia, likely from shock. "Laith and I were both shot. Mine, a graze. Her wound on the other hand, will need some medical attention."

Arden stares at Laith from the rearview mirror dared her to contradict him. She sighed instead. Oh well, he must have seen the blood. Laith can tell that she lost quite a lot of blood since her head was swimming. No matter, they are safe. At least for now. When she wakes up, there's gonna be hell to visit. As the though occupying her mind, the world begun to dimmed around her. Arden worried and angered gaze was the last thing she sees before all goes to black.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Action scene! I hope everyone likes it XD

Thank you so much for giving this book a chance. I would love to hear your feedback, so feel free to comments. If you like this book, please do vote and add it to your library. Thanks again and read on!

Video : The Vines - Get Free