Break My Bones

Chapter 11: Cornered

"Any ideas?" Minho asked as the group slowly backed away from the door that was probably going to break down at any second.

Newt's hand found Rachel's and she held onto him tightly, but neither had anything for Minho. But an ominous silence from Thomas had them slowly turning to face the boy who was staring out the glass window that made up the entire back wall. Specifically, he was staring down at the reflection pool that was below the window.

"Maybe." Thomas muttered and Newt's lips parted in shock.

"You're joking."

"You got anything better?" Thomas asked and Newt closed his mouth. Thomas gestured toward one of the tanks.

"Minho, help me."

Minho exchanged incredulous looks with Newt but followed Thomas. Rachel and Newt backed up out of the way as Thomas and Minho heaved up a tank between them and then, with a little bit of a run to help, they launched the tank at the window. It smashed through the glass easily and they gathered to watch the heavy tank fall out into the wind, sailing in a small arc before it splashed into the pool below. The pool twenty floors below.

"Okay," Thomas nodded although he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself as he smashed down the unbroken sides of the window with his gloved hands to create a large enough opening for them. "It's doable. Just need a little running start."

Thomas backed up toward the door while Minho, Newt and Rachel exchanged looks. Minho was clearly still very incredulous, Newt was more resigned and Rachel was determined as she looked up to see Newt even paler than before and the dark circles extremely prominent under his eyes. Her worry spurred her to join Thomas by the door first; Newt followed swiftly behind her.

Minho joined last, still looking unsure and as he came up beside Thomas, he checked, "You sure about this?"

"Not really." Thomas admitted honestly.

Minho shot his friend a look of pure disbelief before he grumbled, "Good pep talk."

"Yeah, we're all bloody inspired." Newt agreed sarcastically.

A particularly sharp snap sounded behind them, and the four friends looked back to see that the door was almost completely unhinged.

"Okay, on three." Thomas suggested. "One. Two-!"

There was a loud crash behind them and the group looked back to see the door was open, only stopped from opening fully by the bookcase they'd barricaded it with.

"Sh*t!" Thomas gasped while Rachel yelled, "Jump!"

She ran first with Thomas right with her, both leaping right out the broken window and launching themselves as far away from the building as possible. Newt and Minho were right behind them, but even so, Newt swore his heart stopped for a half-beat when he saw Rachel's dark hair fly out into literally empty space. And then he was falling as well and together the four flailed in the air as they descended toward the pool.

"Thomas!" Minho yelled at the top of his lungs as they dropped while Thomas swore as he approached the water.

They all plunged into the pool, falling like sacks of potatoes. For a moment, Rachel was winded from smacking into the pool although she thankfully landed feet-first rather than flat on her stomach. And at first, she was a little disoriented on where she was as she hit the bottom of the pool before she gathered her wits.

Pushing off the pool floor, Rachel inhaled sharply as soon as her head cleared the water. She ended up choking in water as she fought for air but she didn't care; coughing meant she was alive. Minho and Newt were already above water when she surfaced and Thomas came up not a second after she did, all of them wheezing and coughing as they regained their bearings.