Surreptitious [H.S.][N.H.]

10- A9

My mind draws a blank. "Holy crap....I did just kill him...."

Zayn looks to me in caution, "And you're not gonna freak out about it?"

I blink rapidly, trying to put some sense into myself to feel something about it, anything. "No... I mean I guess I knew what I was doing, and he was shooting at me first- self defense right?" My head pivots up so I can meet Landon's eyes, "Right?"

He nods promptly, "Yea. Yes. Totally, it was definitely self defense there's nothing to worry about." He says, but his eager expression is wiped off his face as he comes to a realization. "Self defense???? What did he do to you?"

My eyes widen as I remember the thick blood sauntering out of my sensitive wound. "Just a graze." I don't dare touch it to check up on it though, I'm too afraid that it might cause me to flinch away from myself and look like a coward in front of them.

"A graze?" Landon speaks to no-one in particular, voicing out his concerns to the chilled air.

"So you were actually shot?" Zayn clarifies, bewildered that had been let happen with such recklessness.

I nod in a daze, mentally taking in the situation and not minding it but also not necessarily adoring it at the moment.

"Oh and I wanted to interrogate you about your shot." Landon exclaims in a hushed yell. "That was like straight through his forehead. Smack dab in the middle dude, lucky shot?? Orrrr?"

I blink at the floor once again, confused on how I've done that. "Luck maybe?" And I cringe, I knew that wasn't the answer he was looking for.

With a roll of his eyes he's turned away from me again. His eyes linger on every inch of matter surrounding us, every detail being carefully inspected.

"Let's go." It was Zayn who spoke this time as his face showed no evidence of him consciously being present in the moment.

"Who's gonna keep track of the crates?" I test, he couldn't seriously be considering just leaving.

"There's only a few left."

"Mea-" I begin.

"Meaning those guards over there." He cuts off and points, "Will be instructed to finish the job and when they're done we should already be on the boat to help out."

I nod silently and take a breath to hold myself together attempting to stand. When I'm up I release the breath through my teeth so they aren't alarmed by my pain. They don't notice though.

Landon came up with the plan to just walk out the front to get out but Zayn had quickly shut it down. Saying that even if we could beat the guards to a pulp it wouldn't help us much in the end since we needed them to export the crates first.

I don't think I would've gone along with Landon's and plan either way.

Ten minutes later we're on the back of the boat, getting ready for the guards to show up with the remaining crates. Landon's complaining about how 'jumping out of the window' was the stupidest idea Zayn could've came up with for us to escape the building.

Along with his nagging, the dewy air ripped against my body and clothes which created only more of an aggravated state to arise within me.

I wouldn't tell him to shut up or anything, he was right after all, it was probably the stupidest idea ever brought about. But god was he annoying.

And Zayn wasn't much of a help either, if I thought I was aggravated then Zayn must've been raging. Although he didn't show it much, I could tell. His harsh quietness told all that needed to be said.

"Where are they." Zayn angrily muttered under his breath.

He got up once again, this time not leaving much opportunity for us to follow along. Where he was headed was unknown but he was determined.

"Do you think I pissed him off?" Landon asks when Zayn is out of hearing range. He sounded almost guilty.

Keeping my eyes focused ahead I answer, "I mean yea.... but I don't think that's why he left." I explain, "I think he's just stressed out."

Landon nods solemnly. "Ok."