I don't pause to think. I don't pause to focus on the ring flash.
I just react.
"DOWN" I yell to Charlie before I slam my body into his left shoulder, hurtling us both to the rooftop. I hear the shudder worthy bang of the sniper rifle before I see a stray bullet slam into the air vent to my right, it should have hit Charlie's head first. It almost destroys the metal item completely, I know exactly what it could do to a human.
"UP UP GO GO GO" I yell as I pick myself up, my hands grabbing any piece of Charlie's clothing that they can. We have seconds to react before the next deadly bullet comes our way. I've been on the giving and receiving end of a sniper to know that speed is essential. I can hear Charlie's uneven and rushed breathing as he clambers to his feet. I push him out in front of me and we run towards the fire exit.
Suddenly I hear another crackle of the sniper and the familiar 'zip' noise that accompanies it when it crashes into the ground merely a foot from my feet.
'Hurry, go faster. Down the fire escape" I yell to Charlie as he meets the first steps of the escape. Thankfully he is quick to descend and I am right behind him as I quickly jump down the escape. As more and more of my body gets sheltered by the building I expect a last shot, and I'm right and very lucky. Just as the top of my head gets hidden, there is a loud clang of metal on metal just above me.
Nearly a headshot. In the space of 10 seconds we went from holding hands and singing songs to running for our lives.
I keep going, following Charlie down the stairs until the ground is in sight. We both leap and drop down to ground level. I already have my handgun out and quickly sweep the alley for any hostiles. Once I'm sure we are alone I turn to Charlie who is not in a good way. He is sweating from every pore, he is shaking almost violently and is muttering to himself like a mad man. We need to get out of here but I can't have Charlie like this or we will get noticed. I approach him and bring my face close to his.
"Hey Charlie look at me. Look at me" I say in a calm and controlled tone to help him. His eyes are vivid with fear, his shaky hands clasp his laptop so much that his knuckles turn white. He looks up to me and maintains eye contact.
"I need you to listen to me, I need to know if you can do that?" I say smoothly but Charlie is losing it so I try a different approach.
"Okay, take a deep breath like me. Ready, in....and out" I do the action and he follows suit. I keep up this action until he has calmed down a lot.
"Good, now can you listen to me?" I repeat my earlier question and this time he nods.
"Awesome, so I will get us out of here but I need you to do everything I say and i need you to be brave, can you do that?" I say encouragingly and he looks like he is really honing in on my words.
"Yes" he mumbles but it's good enough for me. I nod approvingly before grabbing his left arm and towing along the alley way towards the sound of traffic.
"Who was that?" Charlie asks in an innocent tone and I raise an eyebrow at the note.
"The Huntsman, same damn gun he used the first time" I reply and say no more as we approach a pedestrianised area. I give Charlie the once over and conclude that he doesn't look like he is just been shot at so I gently pull him into the crowd and begin the journey to my backup destination.
I keep us moving, never stopping for more than five seconds. I bring us around in circles and zigzags to knock off anyone who may be following us. I keep my gun hidden but ready and my hand on Charlie the entire time. We walk for maybe an hour and fifteen minutes before we enter yet another shabby motel.
I tell Charlie to wait outside while I go in and pay for a room. I don't give off any suspicions to the receptionist and I'm out minutes later. I signal for Charlie to follow me as I walk to the other side of the building for our room.
I shove the key into room 49 and hold it open for Charlie who looks like a kid lost in a big supermarket holding his teddy bear or in this case, a laptop.
I shut and lock the door before throwing the key onto the run down wooden table to the right of the door. Charlie takes a seat at the edge of the bed and just stares into the wall opposite. I've never encountered this scenario before so I'm unsure of how to react. I need time to think so I tell him I'm going for a shower before closing the bathroom door. I push my back against the thin door and take a few deep breaths. I strip off my clothes and jump into the lukewarm shower, letting the water coat my body and loosen the tense muscles. I don't take long before I'm out, dressed and french braiding my hair. I hang the dingy towel back on the railing before heading back out to the only other room. Charlie is still in the exact same position, obviously he has never been shot at before. I contemplate on what to say to him.
"Is there anything I can get you? A blanket, a sandwich...vodka maybe?" I ask not knowing what will ease his mental pain. He simply shakes his head, I think about it again. What would make an IT geek happy? And like that, I answer my own question.
"I've got a name and I need a location. You up for that?" I tease as I lean back against the same wall he is staring at. Slowly he peels his eyes off it and onto me before nodding slowly. He slowly releases the laptop from his arms and in to his lap before powering the small device up.
"Erm, what's the name?" He asks moments later.
"Becker, James Becker".
***
YOU ARE READING
The Girl Behind The Bullets
Action~BOOK TWO~ It's been five and half months since the events in Cuba, since me, The Black Swan, escaped again. I left The Company, it was the best decision for me and the company so now I'm free lance. People pay me to get the job done and that's h...
