Globe Tracers 1: The Case of Thomas Crain

Chapter 28: Who are we Dealing with?

Xao:

I watched as Thomas began to fall and Jessica started screaming desperately for it all to stop. The gargoyle we had been fighting jumped into the air, shooting across the side of the building Jessica was standing on and snatched Thomas out of the air. Huge wings ripped out of the creature's back and he flew away.

I wanted to scream too but kept my mind about me. I rushed over to Kyle, a serious wound now on his leg. He must have been shot at some point, though I wasn't sure when. His shin was bleeding and there was no telling how bad the damage really was- though given the gun... Kyle's leg was still in a natural position, so I supposed it could have been worse, but I still got to work. I commanded him to lie down as I started ripping off a piece of my shirt to wrap around his leg over the wound.

Kyle started shuttering at the pain and the blood wasn't stopping at just that so I started scanning the region. I spotted our duffel bag and shot over to it. I quickly then took out my sword, shedding its plastic casing and cutting off one of the straps of the bag. I then shot over to a small metal pipe I saw on the ground, and finally dashed back over to Kyle. I wrapped the strap around Kyle's leg above the knee tying it off and inserting the bar under it. I turned the metal, tightening the strap. Kyle screamed at the pain I inflicted, but didn't fight me, instead slamming his fists into the ground again and again.

Jessica appeared beside me. "Is he gonna be alright?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

"It's called a tourniquet," I replied. "I'm cutting off the flow of blood to his leg so he doesn't bleed to death."

"Is that necessary?" she asked.

"I don't know, probably. I'm doing it just in case." I cut off the excess from the strap and used it to tie to Kyle's upper leg to secure it.

"Should I get in the habit of doing that?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, you really should learn how to do this right, ask around when you get back," I said. Jessica took off her backpack and pulled out a small needle injecting Kyle's leg. "Is that tissue rebuilding chemicals?" Jessica nodded. "How long before it works?"

"Judging from this wound, Kyle should have a bum leg for the next few hours at least," she replied. Jessica got up, folding her arms, tapping her foot, and seeming to shiver as she looked around. Finally, she grabbed her head and doubled over screaming and crying.

"Jess?" Kyle asked.

I quickly went over to her. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted, tears streaming out of her eyes. "That's the point. I'm Kyle's bodyguard and I was supposed to be Thomas's hero. Now Kyle has a wound that could have killed him and Thomas is no better off than if I had never showed up at all. The only one who didn't get in serious danger here was ME!" She grunted. "I don't get it, why choose me? I beat up the guards at Kyle's house, but is that really a reason for Kyle's father to accept my application for bodyguard?"

"You... you took out Kyle's family's house guards... more than one even... to prove you could handle the job of bodyguard?" I asked.

She nodded. "Um... and they're still alive... save the traitor I was rooting out." She nodded again.

"I might just have an inclination as to why Kyle's dad might have taken that resume."

Kyle pushed himself into a sitting position. "Don't act like it's all on you," he said, hissing at the pain. "We were all giving orders... in fact, you were the only one not telling anyone what to do." Kyle shook his head, "You're supposed to be in charge in situations like this but I just went with the heat of the moment. Really it's on me."