Run

Chapter Seven

'What is this?'

'Get it off of me, I'm stuck!' The guy yells.

'It's a trap. It's a trap. We don't have time. Move away, I gotta shoot it' Leo tells him, Rowan rushes over trying to help him. There appears to be a metal wire trapped around his ankle, she tries her hardest to pull and yank at it but it won't budge.

'What?'

'What? You're gonna what?' the man voice raises as he continues to tug at it himself.

'I'm gonna shoot it. Move!' Leo warns him again, Rowan moves aside and stands on the the curb beside Cali.

'Okay'

Gunshots are fired at them from across the street, instinctively Rowan pushes Cali away from the shots so that she doesn't get hurt. The woman who had still not introduced herself cowers as she throws her hands over her head, Rowan watches as Leo shoots at whoever was firing at them from an upper floor window.

'Shoot it! Shoot the cable!' Leo yells, just as a man comes running around the corner about to kill him. Leo grabs his pistol and fires at the man, Rowan watches as the man collapses to the ground 'Shoot it!'

'Shane, hurry up!'

Finally after some struggle he uses a gun that Leo had gave him earlier, and shoots of the cable.

'Get up, get up! Move! Okay, let's go!'

More gunshots are heard as they aim for them, but falling to hit any of the group, Cali rushes over to her mom as Rowan quickly follows behind her.

'There are six hours remaining in this year's...
The NFFA pigs are wrong.They're fucking wrong! Profit-making is not the essence of democracy. Wake up, people. Wake up! It's time to take a stand. Tonight, we write our message in blood. Their blood!'

'It's so quiet here'

'The business district's always quiet on Purge Night, the banks move their money, so no one's ever down here. Let's go' Leo tells the young woman, Rowan follows behind him. Feeling scared at what was going to jump from the next dark alley or corner

'Stop'

Leo walks slowly ahead of them as he checks out what is ahead of him, she carefully watches his back making sure that he was okay. He seemed to be watching everyone else's back rather than his own.

'We don't even know your names. I'm Liz, and this is Shane'

Rowan looks behind her as she sees Eva and Cali talk to the young couple. Before paying attention to Leo who continues to walk along the street looking for predators.

'Hi. Eva. My daughter, Cali. And that is Rowan'

Rowan chooses not to look behind her, hoping that Leo has found a way to get them off the street to their friends apartment building.

'It's nice to officially meet you on this shitty night' Shane comments quietly.

'Yeah'

'Is anyone else kind of curious about this guy?'

'I'm just glad that he's out here with us'

Hearing the group speaking about Leo she heads over towards them.

'Yeah, me, too'

'But we all got stuck out here, and he chose to be. That means he's Purging'

'Look Shane' Rowan speaks up 'That man saved our lives, he could have easily killed us. I don't care if he is purging, i'm just grateful he saved our lives. So maybe you could cut him some slack okay'

'Hey. Let's go' Leo instructs them as Rowan walks away and makes her way towards him. As she moves away she hears the group behind her continuing to whisper.

'Thanks for that back there' Leo tells her as she stands by his side.

'What I said is true, I don't care if you were out here purging, it's none of my business. But you must have a reason for risking your life to be out here, I don't want to know. I am happy that you helped us and saved our lives'

Leo nods as he shows a smile smile before looking ahead, guiding their path along the way.

'Do you know why those men were at your building?'

'No I still haven't figured it out. It just seem strange the number of men that were there, the weapons they were carrying. Normal people don't carry weapons like that, they looked expensive. There is something going on, I can feel it'

'Are you saying that we shouldn't trust him?' Rowan looks behind her as she hears Cali's voice behind her 'He saved our lives'

'All I'm saying is that he's out here armed to the teeth, on Purge Night, voluntarily. That means he's trying to do something nasty'

'I can hear you' Leo speaks up, causing Rowan to quietly chuckle as she looks back at Leo, their eyes meet for a moment. His intense gaze causes her to look away as she blushes, she is grateful it was dark so that he could not see.