Die for You

Chapter 62

She nodded, "I want you to count to sixty, ok? If you get to sixty and I'm not there, you fucking run, you keep running and you don't look back, ok? You find a shop or an office and you get help; do you understand?"

"But..." she stated to protest.

"No buts Becky, there's no time for fucking buts. You count to fucking sixty and if I'm not there, you run and you keep fucking running until you're safe, yes?"

She nodded, looking at me in fear and confusion. I winked at her trying to exude an air of calm.

"Good, let's keep you alive then, Miss Armstrong. Get ready, move when I tell you."

I crawled out of the car, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face as I escaped the shattered wreck. I was trying to go as fast as I could, but at the same time take no risks, checking around me at all time to ensure that I didn't expose myself to fire. Once I was free, I knelt against the rear of the car and extended the butt of the MP7, trying to give myself a useful shooting platform. I chanced a glance around the side of the car, ducking to my right to make myself a smaller target.

"Two on the roof and one on the ground," I muttered to myself as I shifted the rifle to my right hand, forced to use my weaker eye because of the tactical situation. 

"You ready?" I asked Becky.

"Not really," she murmured, "but I suppose so. I'm scared, Freenky."

"Me, too," I said unsympathetically, "suck it up soldier; get your ass in gear."

I waited in frustration as Becky took three long breaths, her eyes screwed shut. Seconds were passing as she communed with the fucking universe and my nerves were screaming at being out here with no fucking help. I heard a round ping off the car, followed by a long release of breath and finally, Becky replied.

"I'm ready," she said simply. I took another quick glance around the side of the vehicle, fixing the enemy's positions in my mind before speaking.

"Right, crawl out to where I am and then wait," I ordered, waving my left hand behind me to hurry her up. Seconds later, she was beside me and we were good to go. "On three, run for that alley, Becky and don't look back, ok? Don't forget, count to sixty."

"What about you?"

"Fuck me!" I replied losing my temper, "look, I don't matter right now. You get your fucking ass into that alley when I tell you to and count to sixty. If I'm not there, then you have run because I'm not fucking coming, you understand? Now please stop fucking arguing with me and let me do my fucking job."

It was harsh, but it needed to be. I heard her take a deep breath as I risked one more glance around the vehicle, assessing the threats for the third and hopefully final time. 'Two on the roof, three on the ground now,' I said to myself, my mental conversation keeping me calm and sane in the face of what I was about to do. 'Guys on the roof are the first target, take away the high ground, get Bec into cover and then see about the others and get away myself."

Mind made up, I took a deep breath, calming the adrenaline and seeking that void where I could just be.

"Get ready," I said not looking back at her, my finger flexing around the trigger; my thumb clicking off the safety, "1... 2.... 3!"

On the 'T' of the three, I leaned around the vehicle and let off a long smooth burst at the bad guys that were shooting from the rooftop, raking the fire across and back in between heartbeats. I had them both cold, basically they were being far too casual, totally sky-lined as they fired down on the cars. Obviously thinking that there was going to be no resistance from those inside. The firing abruptly stopped as the ambushers dived for cover, well the ones that were left alive that was. I was pretty sure I'd hit both of the guys on the rooftop, but I knew I'd hit one; his tumbling swan dive to the floor ending with a satisfying thud.