Runner

Chapter 21

Tonight was the night, i could feel it in the air. I didnt even have to look at Officier Mitchell to know he wanted me dead. Everyone was tense, and the hallways semmed chilled even thought it was a warm evening. I realised that one of the soldiers escorting me down the hall was Golden-cover-Cale. I knew it was time, the heels of my shoes clinked along the marble floors, a hollow sound. Soon the guards began to disperse into the room ahead, and i was left with a burly 6ft man to my left, along with a shorter man with bulging muscles, Cale and another man to my right. 3 against two, and i was not very confident with shooting a gun, though targets i had shot with Cale on the outskirts of the city were always dead on. I just couldnt see myself making the target of a small animal, and it warping into a living breathing human being. My forehead begun to show small beads of sweat. We kept walking towards the room, and suddenly Cale pulled away to another door. The soldiers were obviously confused, but Cale settled them. "We have to pick up prisioner Cale Henderson, remember?" He was so great at lying the lie rolled off his tongue easily. I almost believed him. Undoubtingly, they went along with it, and we were near the end when i saw Cale lift his hand to his thigh. Get your gun, it's time. I knew the signal immediately. My leg swung up and hit the tall man to my lefts thigh, making him lose his grip on my arm, I grabbed my chance and elbowed his face, dropping him to the ground. I swung at the smaller burly man but he blocked my shot, and i felt a surge of pain up my arm. He got a swing in to my face, and i knew i would bruise later. I tried to get my hand to my thigh and pull out my gun, but was stopped again by another punch, this time to my stomach. I felt myself swaying. "Duck!" I heard Cale's voice. I did so immediately, and i heard the shot go off, the burly man who i had just been fighting dropped to the ground immediately. This was it now, if they hadnt heard Cale and I fighting the men here, the gun would give us away. I saw the man Cale was fighting incapacitated on the ground. I was frozen in place. Would the man be dead? Did Cale just kill him? I Had no time to think of that now, as Cales cold hand grabbed my arm, breaking my train of thought. "Hurry up Charlie, we have to go, we have to get out of here. Now."

We started running, my feet, never before having encountered such useless shoes, starting springing in pain as i ran. I kept going though, as we heard the first footsteps behind us. I was about to turn around to see who it was, but Cale was one step ahead, as usual, and shots rang out again. My heart pounded with each one. I thought they would all be blocking wherever we were running too, but this was our only chance, and we kept going. But the Golden fired back, I felt the bullets fly past me and we soon reached a door. Was Alex in here? "Alex in here? we have to get him out too!"

"Charlie, i couldnt get to him." My stomach sank, and my running slowed. "I had to pick one of you. There was no way, he, he..." Cale couldnt finish the sentence. We couldnt unlock the latch, and they were catching up- fast. Cale shot the padlock, and the sirens went off. Shots rang again this time only centremetres from my head. We ran out into the dark alley, and the huge wall between us and the lake made me loose all hope. Alex. Alex. Ale.x. I couldnt form coherent thoughts. I had to go back for him. How could i leave him to die? But Cale pointed to a net hanging over the wall, and we began the climb. He will be okay he kept whispering. But the tears rolled down my face, I couldn't stop them. I was a horrible person. I believed the mantra. Runners only think about themselves. It was never more true than now.

We were not too far ahead of our hunting party, but i knew every step counted. Cale went up first, so he could pull me over and catch me on the other side. But i kept slipping up, my tears making my vision blurred. It was my life or Alex's, and i couldnt forgive myself. It was hard to nagvigate the net with the barrier of my tears and the fact i was holding a gun in my hand. Thats when i heard him behind me.

"Remember, i still have my opinion on you. I have your brother miss may, please remember that. And Charlie, pass this on to Cale; He won't have to worry about his father much longer." I didn't need to turn around to know who it was, and I didn't hesitate as I grabbed my gun out. Not processing Officier Mitchells words, I shot down at anything i could get. My anger over leaving Alex pouring out. I heard yells. I hit someone, maybe two? It wasnt officer Mitchell, he would be fully protected. But as i shot each one i felt more and more of who i was slipping away. Not like I wasn't already half way there after abandoning my own brother.

Leaving the screams and shots of the Golden behind me,I jumped down into the blackness that surrounded me.