The Wanderers

Chapter 11- Taking the Bullet

I felt a soft hand on my cheek. Then a gentle brush of lips on my forehead. A blanket was thrown over me. I opened my eyes, already knowing who is was. Tears stung my eyes. I saw Travis sitting next to me. He didn’t notice I was awake. I quickly closed my eyes again. I probably cried myself to sleep. I know, that was the lamest thing to do. Why hadn’t I screamed at him and told the others? Probably out of sheer disappointment. I opened my eyes once again and sat up.

“Morning Sleeping Beauty.” He said, smirking. I had no idea how I was gonna yell at this guy. Then he studied my red, puffy eyes and added, “ Are you alright?”

I scowled and muttered. “That shouldn’t matter to you.”

“Listen, Timber I need to tell you – wait did you just say that it shouldn’t matter to me?”

“Yes I did. Why would you care if I was alright?”

“I don’t understand.” Then he glanced down at the phone beside the pillow and back at me. “Oh. Timber I messed up- I…” he buried his face in his hands.

“Messed up?! I yelled, my voice rising. I could feel the anger boiling inside me. “YOU CALL THAT MESSING UP!? YOU FREAKING SOLD ME OUT! To Belatrice!”

“Just let me explain.” He whispered helplessly. “ Just a few minutes.”

“I don’t want your excuses or explanations.” I replied bitterly. “You betrayed all of us. You just thought of yourself and the money involved in this plan. You didn’t even think of the others did you? What about Timmy and Josh? They’re young children still. 14. What about Katy? She just met a new family and now you’re taking that away from her. Isac? Whose risking his life for a man he cares about?”

As if on cue the four of them walked in. “Um guys… what happened?” Timmy asked

“Yeah man… we were trying to sleep.” Isac said.

Katy’s eyes moved frantically from me to Travis, as if doing that would give her the answer. “ We heard shouting and…” she trailed off looking at Tarvis’s pained expression.

“You guys weren’t fighting right? Guys?” Josh asked

Awkwardness just hung in the air for a while. But just for a while because we heard a loud thud. The door was broken down and Belatrice’s hunters entered the house. All six of us faced the door with expressions of plain fear, except Katy, who could still look intimidating in pink princess pajamas.

“This is what I had to tell you Timber… they came for us.” Travis whispered. He slipped his hand into mine. I wanted to yank it away but his face was full of guilt and sadness and I just couldn’t manage to do that.

Just then three big burly men entered the guest room. The one in the middle laughed. “Well well well… look who we have here.”

He smiled and in the dim light I could see his crooked yellow teeth. I know I was probably about to die but I couldn’t help thinking that this guy needed a better toothbrush.

“ We can do this the easy way… just surrender.” The hunter said gesturing that we come to him, like we were scared cats stuck up in a tree.

“Ha ha. Fat chance. With me around , nothing goes the easy way.” Katy said, scowling.

Damn, that girl was stupid. WHAT DID SHE THINK SHE WAS DOING!? I tried to tell her to shut up but no voice came out of my throat. Before anyone realized what she was doing, she kicked the hunter to the right on the groin. Ouch. Poor guy. The hunter screamed and collapsed onto the ground. Josh barely stopped himself from laughing. HOW WAS THIS FUNNY!?

“Ah. So the hard way it is.” The hunter said, smirking, glancing down at his fallen companion “ I like the hard way.”

WELL NEWS FLASH! I DON’T!

Then the other two hunters lunged. They were clearly outnumbered, two to six,  except for the fact that each of them were like seven feet tall and had gigantic guns.

I felt a hand grab my wrist and I kicked blindly at the hunter, which was pretty harmless. But just then Josh and Timothy joined me and we put up a pretty good fight. Timothy bit the man’s hands and wow, he yowled like a wolf. Travis wasn’t doing too well with the other hunter. I couldn’t understand why they were attacking Travis. Wasn’t he on their side? Isac ran to help him. Katy was busy keeping the “fallen companion” fallen. I felt a fist collide with my stomach and I gasped as the pain spread up my body. My knees buckled and I fell.

“TIMBER!” Travis’s voice sounded distant and far away. He lost concentration and was punched hard in the head. He yelped and flew across the room. Timmy and Josh were struggling with the other hunter and Isac couldn’t fight the burly man alone. Even the “fallen companion” wasn’t so fallen anymore. He was rising and Katy couldn’t keep him down forever. We had lost this battle and I was responsible. I felt useless.

 Then before I knew it all three of the hunters were back on their feet. They were stronger and better trained. One of them held Isac, a knife pointed at his throat. The leader, the one in the middle had a gun at Timothy and Josh’s head. I glanced at Katy. The “fallen companion” had his hand wrapped around her throat, and was smirking as she attempted to kick him. I couldn’t believe this. I tried to get up and help but the pain was too much to handle. Travis was nowhere to be seen. He’d just disappeared.  Then the hunter pointed his gun at my head. He was many feet away but obviously his accuracy was perfect. Then he pulled the trigger and I waited, waited for the bullet to come, for the pain to engulf me. But I never did feel it. Because just then Travis ran out of the shadows and took the bullet for me.