Alex Rider: Life goes on

Attack

"James"! Alex shouted and dropped down to help his friend.

Blood was slowly escaping from the wound, staining James's

White t-shirt with an ever growing crimson stain.

Alex ripped of the t-shirt careful not to hurt his friend.

"Alex" he said struggling to breath and the words coming out in gasps.

"What the hell's going on".

"You just concentrate staying conscious for the moment, I'll explain later". Alex suddenly realised that whoever shot at them was probably still out there, and called to Sabina beckoning her over.

"Sabina" Alex said "help me carry James in side, we're very easy targets out hear"

Sabina nodded and together they half carried, half dragged their friend inside. Once in the cover of the house Alex quietly spoke to Sabina.

"Are you ok, were you hit"

"No I'm fine" Sabina replied in a nervous quiet voice. "How's James".

"He's ok but do you know where your parents keep the bandages, I need to stop the bleeding or he might lose too much blood"

"Yeah I'll grab them" she replied and ran off, glad to be of help, but also because the sight of James lying there covered in blood made her feel sick.

"You ok mate" Alex said his hands putting pressure on the wound to prevent further bleeding, "I'm gonna fix you up and we'll hold out hear till the police arrive, I'll tell Sab's to call them".

Suddenly the glass just above Alex's head was completely obliterated and shards cascaded down around him, he covered James protectively with his body and felt the glass cut into his back.

"Damn"! Alex said

"C'mon James, we gotta move further into the house" his panic now evident in his voice.

"I can't carry you by myself your gonna have to help me"

"Together, one, two, three, up" Alex's muscles strained as he pulled up his friend, but together they managed to stumble into the living room.

Just then Sabina came running down from upstairs a stack of bandages in her arms, panic and worry etched on her face.

"What happened" she said looking from James to Alex.

"Whoever it is, tried to pick us off" Alex replied.

"Someone must have heard the gunshots by now" Sabina said.

"So the police will be hear soon and then we'll be ok" she said, then looked at Alex's grim face.

"Won't we?"

" They won't be hear in time" he replied gravely,

"We're gonna have to look after ourselves". He walked over to Sabina and took the bandages from her shaking arms, he then went back to James and started to knot them tightly around his middle.

"The shots gone all the way through" he said to James kindly but seriously, "which means it less serious, but still horribly painful"

"Your telling me" James said a half hearted smile playing across his face.

"You just stay here" Alex said to him. Then he turned to Sabina.

" I think I'll be able to hold him, or them, off until the police arrive. Where's that shotgun your dad was using the other day hunting".

" I'm gonna need all the weapons I can get".