Storm

Chapter Four

I heard glass shattering and immediately dropped to the ground.

It was impossible to tell where the gunshots were coming from. I just knew that I was in grave danger if I didn't get out of there as fast as possible.

My body was fortunately blocked by the few feet of brick wall that existed below the glass windows. I could feel bits of the glass in my hair. The others had matched my position, and now we all crouched just below the window which no longer was a window. A sharp breeze drifted in through the opening in the wall.

More gunshots rained down,  but none had a chance to clip us. They slammed into the crate, though, and I was concerned for our goods. We had only just paid for those.

Hopefully, I wouldn't be blamed for this unfortunate turn of events.

I knew this was still a mission to test my trust, but had they expected something like this to happen. An even better question: what was this? Were they citizens suspicious of our arrival? Or even worse...were there gangs here?

It hadn't seemed like gangs had invaded this place when I first arrived. It just seemed like a large city filled with survivors who had nothing left to lose.

One of the bullets pinged off the ground just inches from my feet. It was too close for comfort. We needed to get out fast.

I could tell that Sean was thinking the same thing. As the bullets died down a little, he nodded his head towards the open door. Our truck was still parked right outside the building. We could sneak out the door and then use the truck as a shield. From there, maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to get inside and escape to safety. Even if that meant not having the crates.

But then a new idea hit me. What if this was all part of the test?

What if my goal was to get out of there...but make sure I also got the crates?

If I failed, I'd be out of a place to stay. I couldn't fail.

At this point, Natalie and Max had already managed to get outside the door and, hopefully, behind the truck. I couldn't see them anymore, so I just had to hope they made it. Gina was edging out towards the opening. If I didn't do something soon, I wouldn't have time to consider grabbing the crates.

Sean was crouched in front of me. I watched as Gina quickly disappeared around the edge. There was a gun tucked into Sean's belt, easily in my reach. The bullets came down in a way that made it seem like the shooter was across the street in a higher floor of a building.

I would never be able to shoot the shooter from here. My aim sucked and I barely knew how to use a gun.

But maybe shooting back would confuse the shooter enough so they'd stop for a few seconds. In that time, I could drag the crates to safety beneath the window and then somehow drag them out to the truck. Right now, they were just out of reach.

I had to make a decision. Even if it was risky, I knew I was willing to risk anything to solidify my spot in their encampment.

I grabbed the gun off Sean's belt just as he was about to turn the corner. By the time he realized I'd taken it, it was too late. He was already in the opening of the door. He had no choice, but to keep going. I was the only one left on this side of the store.

I stood up and immediately began pulling the trigger of the gun. Shots rang out. I rushed towards the crates and immediately started pushing them towards my original position. Suddenly, another bullet slammed into the floor. I winced. I pointed my gun upwards and pulled the trigger again. Then, I pushed with all my might until the first crate was safe. I was semi-safe once more. There was no way I was going back to get the second crate, though. The shooter had returned to his or her original job with a greater fervor. They seemed to realize that I wasn't much of a threat.

With all of the shooting I hadn't been able to hear the voices of the other people on my team. Now, I could hear Sean shout something. I wasn't sure what it was, but I had a feeling it wasn't approval. My last job was to just get around the corner and behind the truck. The crate would definitely slow me down.

I looked behind me towards the other crate. It was still being shot down. Now, I also remembered the guy who'd been behind the register. I hadn't even seen him leave, but he had. He'd disappeared likely when the shooting started.

I sucked in a deep breath. It was now or never.

My feet propelled me into the opening, the crate barely usable as a shield. Bullets had been able to get through it so it wasn't much help. I pushed and pushed until I saw the storefront behind me. Then, I kept going until I felt somebody grabbing my arm and pulling me to safety. My head hit the side of the truck. The firm grip on my arm didn't release and I realized it was Sean, and he didn't seem to happy.

He just shook his head, before grabbing the gun out of my hand. "Goddammit, girl. You have guts."