The Elites

Chapter Twenty-Four

I barely had any time to take it all in before Blair was rushing over to Violet's now still body and rummaging along her waist line.

"Blair, what are you doing?" I asked, unable to move a muscle.

"One of the guards said she had a key to the main set of doors," she said, finally pulling out a single key from one of the many pouches in her leather suit. "We need to get an ambulance here and there's no service."

"Is she alive?" I asked rapidly, starting to stand up and attempting to peer over the heads surrounding Lara where she lay.

"She is. Just. Bullet missed vital organs but she's losing a load of blood. We're trying to control the bleeding but we need help."

Blair turned on her heel and sprinted for the main exit, the key in one hand and a phone in the other. I started to push my way through the masses of spectators to get to the centre. I needed to see her alive for myself.

I finally started to see people I recognised, meaning I was nearer the front. There was only a small amount of open space left for people to work in. Saffron and Stasia were on one side of her holding several layers of rags down onto the wound on her chest, including Will and Ashton's jackets. Ashton was knelt beside her stroking her hair as she convulsed slightly, but her eyes were still alert. She spotted me as I broke through and opened her mouth to speak.

"Harry..." she muttered, and I put a finger to my lips to tell her to save her breath. Of course, she ignored me. "Thank you for getting Ashton out."

"It was my honour," I smiled. Ashton had tears starting to trickle down his face. He was blinking furiously to try to stop them but it was in vain; they just kept coming.

The hall was somewhat loud again. Everyone had the courtesy not to go overboard and hysterically scream in Lara's face to stay strong or to shake Ashton by the shoulders and tell him everything was going to be okay. But there was one person who did scream, and he screamed for his parents.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

"Holy crap on a cracker," Lara managed to say even as blood continued to pool around her. Before she could move an inch Will dropped down to pin her to the ground; there was no doubt she was seconds away from jumping up like she didn't have a hole in her chest.

"I'll go get him," Ashton said hurriedly, leaping up and racing through the crowd to find the young boy who had spoken. I followed him as people parted instantly to let him through, craning their necks to see after him as he pelted for his son.

Ezra was being led through the main set of doors by two of Violet's guards. I hadn't even noticed anyone leave the hall, and I guessed that Violet had had every last one of them manning the crowd. Ashton ran faster and faster as Ezra's little legs carried him as far as he could go before Ashton swooped down and swept him up in his arms, clinging onto him as if he was about to be sucked into a vortex. Ezra's shaggy dark hair concealed his face as he swung his arms around his dad's neck and leant over his shoulder. He whipped his head up, blowing a couple of curly strands out from his eyes and saw me standing a short distance away. I wasn't an overly sensitive person, but seeing Ezra pull away from his own dad just to wave and smile at me made me want to burst into tears. Ashton peered over at me and smiled just as wide, picking Ezra up and carrying him over towards me.

"I owe you so much, Harry Eastbourne," Ashton said as he drew closer. He carried Ezra with one arm as he swung the other out to shake my hand. I gripped it tight and shook it firmly, smiling at him and the little boy.

"If it wasn't for what you just did-"

"In a fit of bloodthirsty rage," he interjected.

"But still. You did it."