Keep Your Enemies Closer | a Bars and Melody Story [COMPLETED]

Chapter Eleven

"Run." Charlotte screamed, she turned and ducked just as a bullet pierced a tree directly behind where she had been standing. Her arms pumped at her sides and her legs burned, but she kept running. Around the trees and over logs, until her foot caught in the dense undergrowth and she fell to the ground. Dirt and mud clung to her face, her hair was full of leaves. Leo wasn't far behind her. "Are you hit?" He asked, panic rising in his voice. "No, my legs stuck." Charlotte snapped, trying to pull her ankle free of the brambles she had caught it in. Another shot rang out, they had to move fast. Leo ripped the brambles from around Charlotte's leg and pulled her to her feet. She was pretty sure she had sprained her ankle but she didn't have time to worry, time to slow down. "Let's go." Leo said, grabbing her hand. "Not so fast." When he turned around a big, tall burly figure stood blocking their way. Charlotte's blood pumped too fast around her body as she watched the man ignore her and move towards Leo, gun raised. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she swept a leg underneath the man and watched him fall onto the muddy floor, the gun escaping his grasp. He looked at her as he pushed himself to his feet, "silly girl." He made a tsk tsk sound as he pulled a shiny blade from his jacket. The knife glistened in the moonlight, and Charlotte didn't think as she reached for the mans gun. He was focused on Leo, who was trapped against a tree. The gun felt foreign in Charlotte's hands as she pointed it at the back of the attackers head. Her hands didn't shake though, her mind swirled. She had already killed before. She didn't think twice, when her finger found the trigger, she pulled. When the mans body crumpled, lifeless to the ground she stood, frozen watching the knife that still glistened in his hand. "Charlotte." Leo said, breaking her from her trance. "We need to go." Sirens pierced the air, blue and red lights swirled around them as Leo grabbed her hand and they started to run.

When they reached the log cabin the sun was starting to rise. They hadn't slept all night, Charlotte was hurt and hungry and tired as she and Leo stepped onto the wooden porch. "Is it safe?" She asked, watching as Leo stepped inside the cabin. He stared at her, "it will be, for now." Charlotte limped through the doorway and onto the sofa. "Is it broken?" Leo asked, nodding in the direction of her ankle. "I don't think so." Charlotte grimaced when Leo started prodding it. "There should be a first aid kit here somewhere." Leo said, he was up and moving, rummaging through the cupboards. But Charlotte's mind swirled, her head pulsed and she felt herself begin to shake when she thought about what she had done. "I killed a man." Charlotte wasn't aware she had spoken the words out loud until Leo turned and looked at her. "What?" He asked, but the look in his eyes told her he had already heard her. He was already thinking what she was. "Once a killer always a killer." Charlotte whispered, despite the pain in her ankle she got up and started backing away from Leo. He moved towards her, a bandage in his left hand. "No." Charlotte said, she was backed up against the log wall. "Don't come near me, don't! I'll only hurt you." Her voice shook almost as much as her hands. "Don't be stupid." Leo said, he almost laughed. "It's not funny." Charlotte yelled. "I'm a killer, I'm a fucking murderer." She didn't care about who would hear her, she just wanted to scream and shout until she didn't feel guilty anymore. Until she couldn't feel at all. "Don't you dare!" Leo shouted back, it made her stop, made her stare at him. He dropped the bandage and moved towards her. "No, don't." But his arms were already around her. She struggled, wanting to get away, wanting to forget. She needed to forget. "Charlotte." Leo whispered in her ear, still holding her waist. "Stop fighting." Exhausted and tired, Charlotte sank to the floor. Silently tears rolled down her cheeks, she didn't wipe them away or try to stop them. She just stared into space and whispered. "I killed a man." She turned to face Leo, who was sat on the floor next to her. She expected him to do anything but smile. "He would've killed me."

Charlotte squinted against the glare of the sunlight slicing across the room, it took her a moment to remember where she was and why she was there. What had happened last night. Her body ached when she rose from the hard wooden floor, her ankle was bandaged but it still hurt as she limped across the room to the small kitchen. Leo looked at her and smiled, "was the floor comfy?" He teased. Charlotte rolled her eyes. "You could've at least woke me up." But he didn't answer her, he just handed her a plate of bacon and eggs. "Eat." He said, Charlotte did as she was told. They sat on the old sete, neither of them talking until Leo finally said. "We're going to have to leave soon." He didn't look at Charlotte when he spoke. "This place, it's far out enough that it's hard for them to find, but they will find it." Charlotte put her empty plate on the coffee table in front of her. "Can it be tracked to you?" She asked, Leo nodded but he didn't give her any details. "Who are they?" She asked instead, Leo finally looked at her. "Honestly?" He shrugged. "Everyone." Suddenly, despite the summer sun slicing through the windows Charlotte felt cold. "We're never going to be safe are we?" She whispered, but Leo didn't answer her. His silence said enough.

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I hope you enjoyed!

I n s t a g r a m: pengmendes

- Naomi x