British Exchange Agent

Chapter 34

My eyes flickered open, my senses gradually waking up. I was lying on something rock hard. And warm. I shifted, groaning. Pain ripped through every muscle in my body. Every bone.

Forcing my eyes to focus, they slid to the object I was lying on. They trailed up a muscled arm, travelling up to a sharp jaw line. Oh.

Cyrus.

Wait a second. I squinted, frowning. My heart began to beat faster. My lungs screamed louder. Wait. I quickly scrabbled up, my eyes beginning to burn. I could taste smoke. I could smell burning. I could hear a roaring groan. I could feel searing heat.

But I couldn't see anything.

I took in a sharp gasp of air, only to be met with harsh, brutal smoke colliding with my lungs. I choked, my heartbeat drumming into my skull as I frantically looked around me.

We were surrounded by a hazy smog. Everywhere. All I could see was...white.

"Cy...Cyrus." I choked out, before launching into a coughing fit. I grabbed the hem of my shirt and held it up to my mouth, feeling through the smoke and shaking Cyrus's shoulder. No response.

"Shoot!" I shouted. "SHOOT!" Fear gripped me. The jet was on fire. We were still inside. Cyrus was unconscious. Or...

No. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead.

A loud crackling sound vibrated through the jet, followed by an even louder roar. The smog was accented by vibrant orange, and my eyes grew wide.

Shoot.

Thinking fast, I grabbed onto Cyrus's arms and began to drag him into the deep white...unknown. I couldn't see anything as tears streamed down my face, my eyes screaming in protest.

Dropping Cyrus's arms, I ripped off my shirt and wrapped it around the lower half of my face, before wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I stumbled backwards, towards...nothing really.

Dizziness began to cloud my head as I struggled through the jet's interior, looking for a scrap of light. I frantically scanned around, looking for anywhere to escape.

CRACK!

The fire was spreading - fast. Too fast. Heaving a big breath, I ignored my clouded vision, my dizzy thoughts, and yanked Cyrus's limp body through the burning jet.

There. I could see it. A crack of light struggled through the white smoke, making my heart leap in my chest. I pushed on forward, dragging us both towards it, before more tears escaped in relief.

There was a large gap in the side of the jet, just big enough to fit through. I plowed towards it, squeezing through, before tearing Cyrus out behind me. His body mass tore through my muscles as I gritted my teeth, pulling him away from the plane with all my might.

CRACK! BANG!

"Come on!" I shouted, hauling us over the scorching sand, as far away from the jet as possible. "Argh!"

I let out a scream as I tore through the stitches in my hand - it had just started to heal after the glass incident with Hatrov. I ground my teeth together so hard I thought they would smash. Ignoring the blood pouring out of my hand, I hooked my other arm around Cyrus's chest, dragging him backwards.

BANG!

I stumbled to the floor just as a colossal noise erupted in the atmosphere. His body covered my legs and chest as the impact surged through the air, my hands gripping onto his arms tight. The blood from my hand oozed down his bicep as I clutched onto him, keeping my head down.