Partners In Crime (Ticciwork fanfic) [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 51: Weak Link

They fled into the closest alley together, Toby's hand clamped tightly around Clockwork's. Images of what was left of the woman's head and face flashed across Clockwork's vision, making her feel dizzy and disoriented. She could barely keep her footing as they sprinted through the alley and into moving traffic.

A car honked loudly and swerved to avoid them - Toby yanked her along and the vehicle's headlight missed Clockwork by inches. The sound of sirens felt like it was everywhere - behind, in front, above, below. Clockwork's head screamed with pain; her ears rung.

"There!" Someone shouted. Toby and Clockwork raced around a corner, a bullet ricocheting off the wall next to her ear. They tore across the street again, cars swerving to avoid them, horns screeching, people yelling.

"Do - do you think we can lose them?" Clockwork panted hoarsely.

"I," Toby wheezed. He was more exhausted than she thought she'd ever seen a person. "I don't know but - but they should send more after Jeff because he's a - he's a serial killer 'n s-stuff -"

"So am I," Clockwork gasped. Toby looked at her with a flash of fear and confusion, then dragged her into yet another alley, this one narrower than all the others. They dropped behind a pile of moldy boxes. Clockwork's legs burned like fire. Toby was wheezing, his lungs making an awful rattling sound.

Toby was still holding her hand. In the moment, Clockwork barely noticed. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, gasping for breath.

"Did they - did they see us go in here?" She asked.

"I don't know," Toby's reply was weak. He looked around the alley and a bent crowbar sticking out of a trash can caught his eye. With a bit of a stretch, he pulled it out of the trash and gripped it tightly in his hand. Clockwork eyed it warily.

"How are we going to get back?" She asked hopelessly. "The police are everywhere." Toby shook his head.

"I -"

"Put your hands in the air!" They both flinched.

Two policemen stood in the entrance to the alley, guns aimed, jaws set. Before Clockwork could even touch her knives, Toby groaned loudly

"My gods," He stood, the policemen trained their guns on him. He didn't seem to care.

"Put the weapon down!" One of the policemen ordered. The other one's hand was shaking as he tried to hold his gun steady.

"I am so tired -" Toby lashed out with the crowbar fast as lightning. The blunt side hit the first policeman square in the temple, and he crumpled like paper. " - of everyone -" He spun around at the second policeman, who seemed glued to the spot. Toby twisted the gun out of his hands, drawing out a painful yelp and slammed the butt of the gun into his forehead.

"TELLING me what to do -" Toby brought his foot down on the officer's chest and pointed the gun directly at his face.

"Toby!" Clockwork cried. His finger twitched, inches from the trigger.

Toby growled softly and shoved the gun into his pocket. Without looking at Clockwork, he bent down and stole the other policeman's weapon as well.

He turned around and walked up to Clockwork, holding the second gun carelessly. "You know how to use one of these?" He asked. His eyes were hard and cold like pennies.

"Um..." Clockwork's heart was pounding. She was seeing Toby pulling the trigger - she was seeing the policeman's face imploding and red and blood and - "Don't you just - point a-and shoot?"

He gave her a long hard look. "No," He tossed the second gun into his right hand. "I'll just carry them. Follow me," Clockwork did not dare disagree, fearing, the scary light in his eyes.