Don't give up on me ✓

[09] Good Shot

Yeah you can snooze if you wanna... but not on me baby – Yella Beezy

Chapter 9: Good Shot

Nate's flashy convertible rolled up to a large sign "Where Cars Retire since 1973". From the stacks of old car shells and junk beyond the tall metal fences, it looked like modern cars don't retire here. We had no idea what to expect next and the fear transfixed us.

Nate took his foot off the gas and got out of the car. I watched him go round back and pop open the trunk.

"Naw, I'm not getting out of this car," I stopped Hugo before he suggested it.

He closed his mouth and then tried to speak again, "It's about to get ugly out there. Stay until we come to get you. If anyone you don't know runs out of here, shoot them."

WHAT

And just like that he handed us a gun from the glove department.

"Do you know how to use this?"

I'd forgotten how to even use my mouth. I shook my head, mouth open wide. Didn't he just put his weed in that same glove department? What else was in there, Mary Poppins?

"Yeah," Jesper replied gruffly, grabbing it from him.

I stared. Since when?!

Hugo handed him some cartridges and then got out of the car himself.

We watched him go to meet Nate who was holding more weapons than I thought possible. They were talking to each other as they casually armed themselves. I was about to say something but Jesper put a finger against his lips and I went silent.

The boys checked in on us one final time before pushing open the metal fence and walking into the junkyard. We waited until we could no longer see them behind all the metal garbage. Then I panicked.

"Who are they?!" I hissed, "This is next level stranger danger, we live with them. And great job taking the gun, Jesper. You have your fingerprints all over it now."

Jesper leaned forward between the front seats to check the ignition. "He took the keys. He doesn't trust us."

We heard gunshots. Each one unmistakable. They told us to stay in the car. They said we would be safe in the car.

"I say we run."

"What?" I looked at Jesper like he was crazy.

"We don't need to get tangled up in their problems. They're getting themselves killed or sent to jail. None of those options need to include us."

"They might need us-"

"We don't need them."

I didn't know what to think. Each gunshot had me more and more paralyzed. These shots were loud. Where would we even go? We didn't have a home anymore. They'd come looking for us if we went back.

"What's happened to you, G? Have you been brainwashed? This is our chance."

"I don't know how to be a fugitive on the run! We're underage, we have no connections," I feel like those are legitimate concerns, "we have no money-"

"We have no time. At least we'll be free."

He had a point.

He was also ready to fight. I looked at him. While my eyes were glazing over in panic and confusion, his were burning alive. One more gunshot sound.

I was starting to shake.  

"We're not sitting ducks. It's not going to end like that," he said, pushing open the door on my side first, "Let's go."

I didn't have much conviction. I'd never been in this situation. What can even prepare you for this? I looked to Jesper again. He was loading the gun and stuffed the rest of his ammo into his pocket. 

We had gangs at school and Jesper had gotten into fights before. I never realized he'd learnt how to use a weapon.

"Let's hope I don't have to use this," he said, holding it away from us, "I don't think I'm a good shot."

"Phew. Here I am starting to think you were Al Capone."

Gunshot.

We ducked even though it wasn't near us. Natural reaction I guess.

"That one was louder," Jesper said.

"That means they're coming closer? Towards us?"

He took my elbow and we scooted along the fence. "Let's go round this corner and make a run for it."

I looked down at my new shoes. Not ideal for running but-

We heard yelling and crashing and more violence.

"Too late!" Jesper pulled me into the junkyard and hid behind a mountain of junk just in time. We saw people crash through the mound in front of us, engaged in a bloody battle.

Smoke started rising from the right. Fire.

We saw Mohan lunge towards a man, ripping his arm off like it was a stuffed animal. The man screamed, blood gushing out everywhere. Detached arm flung to the floor.

To his right, Hugo was locked in hand-to-hand combat like he was a martial art expert. He swung against the ground and did a flip in the air, landing a kick straight into the jaw of his opponent. Another gunshot sounded, and I clapped my hands over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

The shot was aimed at Nate who was busy fighting someone else. He could never have seen it. And yet, with unbelievable instinct, Nate turned his body sideways at the very last second and the bullet went straight into the guy he was fighting.

What. The. Actual. F.

"Are they trained assassins?"

Jesper was also staring out, "Are they even human?"

I was afraid to answer that.

A/N: Please consider a vote if you liked the story! I'll post next chapter on Thursday :)