Coming Back Down

Sleeping Giants

  "Help! Help me! Help! Help!" The man screamed as he was impaled on the trap. He had stepped too far, triggering the log with sharpened metal tied to it to fling up and stab into his gut. He was struggling to get free, but he only made things worse as blood gushed out even more.

  "How much longer do you think they'll be?" I muttered while crouching behind the boulder next to Clarke. She looked through her rifle's scope to scan the treeline.

  "I don't know."

  "When do we kill him?"

  "Not yet." The blonde replied while rolling her shoulders.

  "Help! Help!" The man was still screaming.

  "They're here." Clarke hissed, and Roan drew back the string on his bow. His back was flat against a boulder, and he looked at the people coming into the clearing while taking aim. Most of them took cover behind dead trees, but three kept going.

  Clarke shot the first in the head, and Roan's arrow caught the second in the throat while the third dropped and quickly rolled back to cover. The blonde cocked the rifle while Roan nocked another arrow.

  A man stepped out with a cannon-looking weapon, but an arrow impaled his leg before he fired, causing the tops of the boulders in front of us to explode. The noise was deafening save for the high-pitched whine left in my ears as dirt and rock rained down.

  "Dia?" I faintly heard a voice through the ringing. "Dia, are you okay?"

  "Get up. Run! Run!" Clarke's voice was urgent as my head swam, and I got to my feet. There was still a ring in my ear, and we kept low as we scurried across the ridgeline. At least now we knew what that big thing did.

  Roan and I had to help Clarke along since a shard of rock had hit her side, cutting deep and making her struggle to keep up.

  "Come on, we need to make it to the North Cave." I urged the woman as we hurried through the forest.

  "You have to leave me." Clarke panted. "I can lead them away, you two make it back to the kids."

  "We're not leaving you." Roan kept his gaze straight ahead.

  "There's no time to argue this." The blonde jerked free and stood there as she held her bleeding side. "I'll find my own way, I promise, but the kids need someone. They can't be left alone if they're found again." She pulled the gun from the holster on her thigh and checked the magazine. It was almost full, and she slid it back into the gun. "I have this and plenty of ammo, I'll be fine."

  "Clarke-"

  "Go. I'll be there as soon as I can." Her face was firm, and Roan and I exchanged looks.

  "Don't die." I told her before she nodded, and then we separated. Our pace changed drastically without Clarke, and it was a lot quieter. Even after six years, Clarke just wasn't as good as the rest of us in the woods unless she was going slow. However, if she remained going slow, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that she could make it past those prisoners. But, knowing her, there was a chance she'd try to run.

  "Where's Clarke?" Madi was on her feet as soon as we stepped into the cave. "Where is she?!" There was panic in her voice as she held Enan, and Roan knelt in front of her.

  "She had us go on ahead, but she'll be here soon." He explained. "Clarke chose to send them in another direction before coming back here."

  "What if she gets hurt?!" Madi's brows furrowed.

  "We'll wait a few minutes, if she's not here by then, I'll double back and find her." The girl glanced at me as Roan picked up our son. "And, if she's captured....I'll take them out."