Where the Ghosts Lie

Chapter Twelve

"Sounds good. Be careful."

Nolan headed down the length of the alleyway. He could almost feel the tense energy emanating from the congested street.

He tucked his handgun into his coat pocket before entering the fray.

Groups of people were parading around, shouting, and raising torches. Police had also made their way out, lifting metal batons and firing off warning shots into the air.

Bonfires lined the walkways and Nolan was almost constantly jostled by everyone mulling about.

It was probably pitch black inside their houses, so the only way to make light was by fire.

He paused and watched carefully as a tall man with black hair stood up on an overturned trash can.

"We have to keep calm!" He yelled. "We cannot panic—we have to work together!" He kept repeating his plea until he'd earned a good sized crowd of fifty people or so.

"You can either stay here or evacuate, but if you stay here there's no telling who or when someone will come help us."

"And what if no one does?!" Someone shouted. Nolan located the speaker; an angry-faced man who was holding tightly to the hand of a little girl.

The man on top of the trashcan licked his lips nervously. "I don't know what's going on...none of us do." He held up his cell phone. "All I know is that everything with a battery is dead and if we don't stick together—"

"You don't know anything!" A woman cried. "We're gonna die here! We don't have water or any way to keep food from rotting!"

"Please," the man started, his eyes growing panicky. "If you'll just listen to me—"

Without warning, a gunshot split the air and blood sprayed out from the man's forehead. He toppled down from the trashcan.

The man who'd fired the shot immediately bolted through the throng of people.

Nolan started forward, but the crowd went wild. People began crushing him on either side, wailing and screaming.

He allowed the sea of people to carry him away before dodging towards the sidewalk where it was less crowded.

There wasn't anything he could do.

As he walked, he passed by several people surrounding little fires, bundled up in the warmest clothes they owned.

One group was a family with two children, who were both crying. The parents tried desperately to soothe them, but were simultaneously whispering to one another.

"We can't just leave." The wife said.

"We don't have a choice, Daphne. Just look at this place; it's not safe."

Nolan even saw some people who'd taken the chaotic situation as an opportunity to deal illegal items. He couldn't say he was surprised.

As he was observing a group of four people pulling a body out of a crashed car, he caught a glimpse of a man in Iranian street clothes. He held a pistol in his left hand and he was looking around intently.

Nolan quickened his pace, twisting and turning to avoid the people in his way. He stole a glance behind him, which was a deadly mistake.

The man locked eyes with him and began shoving through the crowd.

Nolan started at a jog, crossing the street to the other side, and decided to head straight into the most crowded areas.

Who knew so many people lived in this part of Kavala?

He didn't dare look behind him again as his heart hammered in his chest.

A strong hand jostled his elbow and Nolan turned, swinging his elbow into the face of...a woman.

She toppled to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Oh my gosh...I am so sorry..." Nolan breathed. He bent down to help her, murmuring hundreds of apologies, but stopped when he saw the other man stalking towards him.

"I...I gotta go...I'm really, really sorry..." he said, almost to himself, and took off at a sprint.

I just punched out a woman. He thought, still horrified at himself. He reached a spot near the edge of town where the crowd began to thin out.

He turned around just as the man had stopped in his tracks and raised his pistol.

Nolan dropped to his knees and grabbed his own weapon. He narrowly managed to shoot the man in the chest. He watched as he fell to the ground, but didn't waste any time to see if the shot was fatal.

He continued on at a run until even the buildings became scarce. He slowed down once he was on a desolate highway.

He took a deep breath and looked up. He had to admit that without all of the lights emanating from the town, the sky was radiantly beautiful.

The stars looked more like galaxies, reaching up into infinity and branching out for eternity. Cool wind caressed his warm face and sent a calming chill through his muscles. He walked until he saw orange reflectors faintly gleaming ahead of him.

Toby was waiting there, slumped against a plastic road barrier, sound asleep.

"You made it." Nolan called.

Toby jumped at his voice and stood up, rubbing his eyes warily. "So did you."

"All in one piece." Nolan sat next to one of the barriers, breathing out slowly. "How long have you been here?"

"Only about ten minutes or so."

Nolan opened his mouth to say something, but stopped short.

A glimmer caught his eye. Against the clear sky, he could make out the dim silhouette of an F-16 aircraft.

Toby saw it too and sat up. "What the..."

Nolan tensed as it hovered for a split second.

A few heartbeats later an explosion shook the ground and a fiery mushroom cloud blossomed over Kavala.

Nolan couldn't move.

Grace...

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Hi  everyone! I hope you enjoyed ^_^ (Just FYI, this chapter is completely unedited, so if you spot anything off in the storyline, feel free to let me know!)

~What are your thoughts on the chapter?

~Do you think bombing Kavala was a smart move?

~What do you think will happen to Grace?

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