OVERRIDE

Chapter 24 The Shot that could Never be Taken Back

Subject: Lia Coleman

Location: 4th Street

Date: December 3rd, 2514

Time: 9:45 pm

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It was pitch black outside. I had no idea where we were running.

"Jordan!" I screamed. "How do I get to the docks?!"

"Keep running straight!" He cried. I could tell that he was losing his breath.

I turned a sharp corner, and my sisters followed. I stood against a wall, panting and sweating.

Jordan finally found me a moment later, carrying. Gracie in his arms. She was sobbing.

"Oh, Gracie!" I cried, grabbing her from Jordan's arms. "Don't cry. We're going to be alright."

"Lia, what's going on?" Asked Peyton, with a sincere scared tone in her voice.

Kara was silent.

"We have to get to the docks so we can leave the country." I said, almost out of breath.

"Why?"

I was about to speak, when Jordan put his hand up. "Let me explain. Peyton, the government is after all if us, so we have to leave."

Peyton shook her head. There was another weird act of Peyton: cooperation.

"We have to run now." I said, still not being able to catch my breath. "Let's...let's go."

I turned the corner again, back out onto the sidewalk. I saw an army of men running after us, but were very far behind. My chest burned from lack of oxygen.

Suddenly, Jordan tripped, and dropped Gracie from his arms. She went rolling out on the sidewalk, and cried.

Jordan quickly stopped and turned around. Peyton and Kara were closer to Gracie, so they both knelt down to try to get Gracie back up.

"GIRLS!" I screamed. "GET UP! DON'T STOP!" I slowed my pace.

"PEYTON!" I cried. "PEYTON!" I didn't know what to do. "GRACIE! KARA!"

Suddenly I heard a gunshot. Then two. Then three.

Then a curse word from Jordan, and I watched as he sped up to me and grabbed my arms.

"What happened?!" I cried, pulling him back to where my sisters were. My heart thudded in my chest. "PEYTON, GRACIE! HURRY UP!"

I strained my neck to see them, but they were too far behind.

They still weren't coming.

Jordan scooped me up, and started running forward.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" I cried. He still wouldn't respond. I looked behind his neck and watched as Kara was running, trying to catch up to us.

"JORDAN! KARA'S COMING!" I cried, pointing behind him. He still didn't say a word. He put me down and scooped up Kara as she came over to us. I noticed blood was dripping down her forehead.

"KARA WHERE'S PEYTON AND GRACIE?!" I asked, running alongside Jordan. She wouldn't look at me. I only saw the back of her head.

She wouldn't answer me either.

"SOMEBODY, TELL ME!"

Jordan grabbed my jacket and turned into a dark alley. He stopped and placed Gracie on the ground.

I was heaving and huffing. I hadn't run like this ever in my life.

"WHAT HAP-" Jordan quickly placed his hand over my mouth. I tasted blood. Gross.

As he was trying to inhale more air, he explained. "They were shot."

I felt my whole body spike with panic. My heart raced.

"Where are they?" I finally managed to say.

Jordan looked at me in the eyes, then up at the dark, polluted sky. "Up there." He answered.

I began to tremble. I collapsed on the floor next to Kara and sobbed. Jordan shushed me, but I couldn't force myself not to cry at this point.

I looked at bloody Kara. She was breathing, but her eyes were closed. I moved some of her hair and noticed a tiny bullet that raptured her skull.

And in that moment I knew that very soon, I was going to be the only Coleman left on this planet.

"I want to go back." I cried, getting up and dusting off my back. "Maybe they're somehow still alive. I want to see them again."

Jordan grabbed my arm. "No Lia, we have to keep going. If you go back, you will guarantee us all death."

"BUT MY SISTERS ARE BACK THERE YOU IDIOT!"

Jordan looked at me in my eyes again. "We can't go back Lia. Trust me."

"Why should I trust you when you were the one that dropped Gracie?!" I yelled, angry.

Jordan's eyes widened. "I'm sorry." He said "but you try carrying around a six year old while running for you life! I'm not robotic anymore!"

Suddenly, I realized I couldn't blame Jordan for what fate had done. I started crying again.

Jordan wrapped his arm around my neck and kissed my forehead. "You're going to be alright, Lia." He said. "And just be happy that Kara's still here."

I sniffed. "Not for long." I whimpered.

"I know, so make her last hour something good, okay? Show her what love is."

He winked.