The Price of Humanity

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

I don't like being in this position, useless and defenceless. Despite my past innocence and naivety, I'd never been one to act like a damsel in distress, I usually don't like it when my brothers come to my rescue.

I always get mad at them and insist that I can do things by myself. I don't need them to reach the top shelf for me.

If I was brave enough back then I would've done the fighting myself, fought my own petty battles. Now I certainly had to, especially if they were never going to come through that door and I would never see them again.

I sit Mia down in one of the two cubicles, betting on the fact that, hopefully, none of the men outside have seen her. She was pretty well hidden behind the counter, although running through the streets with her may have given them a clue about how many there are of us inside the pharmacy.

I close the door, giving her a gentle smile before leaning against the wall and sighing. Closing my eyes for just a second makes me finally realise the weight of this situation.

My brothers are out there, Adam is out there. About to face at least twenty men on the road and more in the buildings. We also don't know how many of them are around that we didn't see – hiding down an alley somewhere, or on the roof.

To say I'm scared is really an understatement. The silence really isn't helping either.

I suppose it's good that there are no gunshots or sounds of fighting yet, that means my brothers are still fine and standing upright, but the eerie silence intensifies the sound of my beating heart and deep breathing.

The silence eventually comes to an end though, but the noises that follow aren't that much better. After about an eternity of sitting in the painfully silent bathroom, the fighting begins. I hear no gunshots, only sounds of fists beating against flesh and the occasional groan of pain from friend and foe alike.

Mia is silent in the cubical, which I'm actually fairly surprised at. Hearing her brother and people she's come to know being beaten up in the next room can't be a very comforting thought for a girl of eight year's old.

Maybe the twins or I have rubbed off on her a bit, making her stronger than when we first met her.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when the door handle of the bathroom rattles violently. I snap my eyes away from the cubical I had been staring at and leap up from my once seated position on the floor.

I had locked the door on our way in, not enough to deter the attacker if they really wanted to get in, but enough time for me to compose myself and get my katana ready.

A katana, I realised, that was still in the front part of the pharmacy. Shit.

I hadn't even realised I didn't have it, too preoccupied with my brothers and Mia to even think about keeping a weapon handy. I had slumped down to the ground and been so in thought that it skipped my mind completely.

That didn't matter now though. What mattered was protecting Mia with every ounce of strength in my body.

I frantically search for any type of weapon that would be helpful to me. My eyes land on the sink in the bathroom, broken and not working but still has pipes coming out the bottom.

The attacker still hasn't managed to break the lock, although from all the crashing noises outside I don't think he'll be giving up anytime soon.

I wrap my hands around the cold metal pipe and pull with all my force, it surprises me by coming off easier than expected, sending me stumbling back into the door of the cubical Mia is in.

"Alicia?" Mia's small voice rings out in the bathroom. In a hurry, I steady the pipe in my hands and raise it up, ready to attack the man as soon as he comes in.

"My real name's Alex. And Mia? I really need you to stay quiet okay. Not a sound." The authority in my voice sends Mia silent and I hope to God that she does so until the attacker is either dead, or running for his life. I would be fine with either option.

Finally, the attacker understands the door is locked and, from what I can gather, starts trying to kick the door down. He kicks it about three times before the lock busts and the door swings open.

"Hello darling." Oh no. I raise the pipe to another man I've seen before, this one though is somehow worse than his leader. I distinctly remember the phrase 'can we keep her' being used.

I glare at him, fury and adrenaline racing through my body.

"How lovely to see you again." He continues while I stand, silent, with the pipe raised. He looks around the bathroom, eying the cubicles. I shift myself, unconsciously, in front of the cubicles which puts an evil grin on the man's face.

"What'cha hiding there?" Oops. He steps forward and I move my pipe, end of it pressing gently into his chest.

"Nothing you'd be interested in." I reply, he tries to step forward, leaning into the pipe. But I stand my ground and he look down, chuckling slightly at the makeshift weapon.

Suddenly the door swings open again, revealing a heavily breathing Adam. He looks around and catches my eye, then moves on to the man standing at the end of my blade.

His eyes turn dark and he moves to pounce on the man, punching him right in the side of the face. I swear I hear something crack as fist connects with face.

The man stumbles to the side and falters for a few seconds. After a brief pause the two men haul themselves at each other, fighting furiously.

I hear a door creak behind me, distracting me from the fight occurring before me. Mia's head pops out of the cubical, I block her view immediately and face her.

"Get back and stay in there." I demand but she looks past me, trying to see what's going on. I look over my shoulder and see the man looking straight at Mia.

He moves his eyes to me with an evil smirk.

"Well isn't she pretty." Adam growls angrily at this and pounces on the man, tackling him to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the face.