The gunshot resonates through the city.
Amy stares at me in disbelief.
The two men hold their rifles at eye level, pointing them in every direction.
I'm not sure what to do now, I acted in the moment.
One of them points his gun at the girl once more.
I take another shot, this time aiming closer to him.
The other lifts his gun, and pulls the trigger. Automatic gunfire sprays at Amy and I.
I push her down behind the cover of a discarded vehicle. Clever. I pull my knife and slash the tires, dropping the vehicle to cover our feet.
The bullets fly all around us. I reach up and rip the mirror from the door.
Using the mirror, I look around the corner. I see the gunman walking towards us, shooting his weapon blindly.
I wish I had kept that grenade.
I'm so stupid, I put Amy and I at risk.
I can be mad about that later.
It looks like I'm going to have to fight my way out of this.
"Amy, when I tell you, run." She looks at me with fear in her eyes.
"Do you understand?"
She nods.
"Okay."
I might die today, I just thought of that.
My sacrifice would have been for nothing. If I had just let them shoot her, we probably would've been safe.
I hear the gunman eject an empty magazine. Nows my chance. I stand up from the cover of the car and aim my rifle.
No ones there.
The barrel is shoved aside.
A fist clips my jaw.
I stupidly release my rifle from my grip.
The man leaps over the hood and tackles me to the ground. He holds my rifle over my throat as the two of us struggle for control.
"Run, Amy!"
I hear her speed off as fast as her little legs can carry her.
I bring my knee up to his ribs, kicking him off me. I stand up and kick my rifle from his hands. He rolls over his shoulder and produces a Glock, before he can point it at me I slam my fist into his lower jaw.
A thought of the second one pops into my head.
Someone growls as they slam into me like a professional football player.
I plant my feet and turn my waist.
With my feet firmly planted I throw him to the ground.
The girl comes out of nowhere and twists the gun from his hands. I lift my rifle from the ground and raise it to the other man's head.
"Start walking. Now!"
She shouts.
"You will tell Keepers, you killed me."
One of them begins to protest.
A gunshot near his left leg silences all arguments.
They begin walking away slowly.
She turns her rifle to me.
"Woah! I just saved you!"
I say.
"Yeah, now we're even." She says, lowering her rifle.
"How?" I ask.
"Because I didn't immediately blow you away."
I sling my rifle over my shoulder and turn away.
"Where are you going?" She asks.
"To find my friend."
I run off, shouting for her in fear she might have gotten too far. I honestly didn't think I would survive that.
"Amy!" I shout.
I continue running as fast as I can. The girl strolls out of an alley.
"Is this your girl?" She asks. I Peek around the corner.
Amy sits there with her knees to her chest.
Without another word I move in.
"I thought you were dead."
She says, her voice is course and emotionless.
"I'm very much alive, Amy."
She keeps staring at the wall.
"You could've died though. Didn't you think about that?"
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.
The girl loads in a new magazine she swiped from one of them men, and pulls back the slide, clambering a round.
"We have to move. We're not safe here."
She says. I look up at her, and nod.
"Come on, Amy. Lets go."
She takes my hand and stands up.
"Hey, how did you get here so fast?"
I ask.
It takes her way too long to respond.
"I ran track before the Undoing."
She explains.
"Who is she?"
Asks Amy.
"She's...who are you?"
I ask.
"My name is Elizabeth. My friends call me Liza."
She says.
"And you are...?" She asks, turning her attention to Amy, who hides behind me slightly.
"I'm Amy." She says.
"Nice to meet you, Amy."
She bends down to eye level and places a hand on her knee, the other, she stretches out towards Amy.
Amy takes it, and they shake.
"Why were they going to shoot you?" I ask.
She ignores me.
"Elizabeth."
I call her name three times before she answers.
"I owed them money."
I shake my head and cough.
"What's wrong?"
"Bull crap allergies. What really happened?"
"It doesn't matter."
She replies.
"Why not?"
I ask.
"Look, it's personal, okay? Drop it!"
She shouts. I turn to her.
"No, I saved someone's life today, by shooting at someone else. I put myself and Amy, in danger to save your life! So I want to know what I was about to die for!"
She sighs, and looks around, before giving me an answer.
"Not here. Not now. Lets get somewhere safe, then I'll tell you."
She says.
"Besides...it'll make a pretty good campfire story."
She's wearing a maroon hoodie, that is way too thin for this kind of weather, that alone tells me not to mess with her.
"Why haven't we ever made a campfire?"
Asks Amy.
"Because I don't want to attract attention." I reply.
"You were a boy-scout weren't you?" Asks Elizabeth.
"No. I used to live in a group, and now their all dead. That's how I learned."
She looks at me and scoffs.
"Your really depressing."
She mutters.
"If you wanna put it lightly, then yeah."
A crack of thunder rattles the windows all around.
Elizabeth unslings her rifle, and hovers her finger above the trigger.
I follow her example, getting in a defensive position, and pushing Amy behind me.
"What is it?" I ask.
"That wasn't thunder." She says.
"A footstep."
