Tais-Toi

Chapter Sixty-Eight

I sit on my knees and see in the corner of my eyes that Peters is hiding behind a small cabinet. When the shots pause for a second, I take a machinegun that's stashed close to me and starts shooting at our intruders. I stop every time I think it gets too dangerous. Between the shooting sessions, Peters displaces him to the couch too, which is large enough for the both of us. I start thinking of a way out. We have to get out of here as soon as possible, but we can't just walk out, can we? We need something bigger.

We're going to need air support!

"No way! That's difficultly crazy! It could-"

Kill us all? He looks at me and I know he's thinking the same thing. I know. Where's your tablet? He glances around in the destroyed room and looks back at me.

"Far." Is his answer and I sigh.

Good luck. I nod and jump up to shoot at the people outside to keep their attention away from Peters. I even assume that I hit someone. I see Peters shoot twice and stumble to his desk. A bullet that went in his direction gets caught by a computer screen and sparks shoot up like fireworks. But Peters doesn't stop and makes his way to the desk to take his tablet, that looks intact, luckily. It's impossible for Peters to creep back to me because I'm pinning all attention at me so he slinks behind a bulletproof box in which he usually stashes his computer gear.

I aim for agents who try to get inside through the shattered windows. I see Talin, Andrews and Satori doing the same thing. I can't help but being relieved when I see they're okay. But fate has a different plan when Talin is out of bullets. He's out of bullets and he's standing in the middle of the room, without anything to take shelter behind. My mouth opens to shout something when I see him receiving two bullets in his abdomen and for the first time since I lost my voice, I try to scream. There's no sound.

Talin falls down to the ground and I try to make my way to Talin by shooting at everything and everyone that moves in my eye sight. The shots end for a second when there are no agents anymore coming through the windows. That's the perfect chance to run towards Talin. I gently shake his shoulder, but there's no reply. Again, bullets fly through the house.

"THE RACKET IS HERE IN 5 SECONDS!!" Peters yells before lying on the ground behind the bullet proof box like a cat, or a foetus, a position every human takes when he's feeling sad or afraid. It's a position of safety. But I'm here, next to Talin, in an open area without hiding places. I just know I'm going to die. And just at that last moment, Talin grabs me and puts his arms around me.