Isolated

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

"Luke!" I cried over the rain.

He was on his side, surrounded by tall blood-spattered grass. The bullet ripped through his khaki shorts and penetrated the side of his leg, near his thigh. Blood gushed. It absorbed into the tan material along his right leg. The pelting rain helped it flow down to his bare leg. Teeth bared, he gripped the wound.

No, no, no, no! How? Who? Where?! Where was this scum who shot him?! This couldn't be happening! I dropped to my knees beside him. Grabbing his free and shaky hand, I held tight. Seeing my man shot... it punched my gut, cut my heart. But I couldn't help him until we find safety! There was no way I was going to let my emotions stop me.

"Fuck," I hissed over the rain and his edgy breathing. Staying low, I peered over the tall grass and weeds. Scanning in paranoia, I didn't see anyone. "It came from across the stream." Shot in his right leg, logically the shooter was across the stream. We needed to move back into the trees. Our cover was just yards away.

Luke's hand in mine yanked me to the ground. His pained eyes searched mine with power. "You stay down. Stay down, crawl to the trees, then run," he hissed, voice shaking and face caressing with lines of pain.

I didn't bother listening. Staying low, I reached over the man. Backpack still secure on his back, I wrapped my fists around the two damp straps hugging his shoulders. I roughly jerked, turning Luke onto his back. "I'm going to drag you on your back. Be ready."

"You're going to get shot!" he hissed, shoving my hands away.

Smacking his resisting hands, I grabbed the damp straps under his shoulders again. Slowly getting to my feet, staying crouched, I peeked over the grass. Hopefully the rainy shield would conceal us. "Use your left leg; wedge into the ground to help me," I said. Standing up, my hands remained near the ground with my grip on the pack.

Pulling him and backing up towards the trees was difficult. Difficult and terrifying. The image of a bullet striking me at any second was very real. Very real. The pouring water didn't help; my grip slipped off the straps a few times. However, I managed, throwing my strength and weight into dragging the heavy man. Thankfully, Luke kept wedging his boot into the muddy ground and pushing.

Bang! Another gunshot! Fuck, fuck, fuck me, oh god! It tore into the air, but was far to the left. Please, please, we needed to reach cover. My bones wanted to collapse, but I was fine. If I'm physically able, there would be no stopping. Almost there and then I can help Luke. Help him then get us out of here!

Grunting and wincing with every pull, we entered the cover of trees. The grassy field was gone. Replaced by mud and rock made it easier and faster to pull Luke deeper into the woods. He kept the wound covered by his hand while continuously digging his foot in the ground and pushing.

Once fully surrounded by trees, my arms gave out. I took a hard breath. We were safer. Safe enough? No idea. It would take a couple minutes to patch up Luke. We were probably being hunted. We could be shot if we stay in plain sight. Looking around frantically, I was thankful I stopped pulling him along when I did. A few more feet back, the ground dropped a good four feet. It was one of the many small rock cliffs we've been climbing up all day.

"We need to get down there," I said, gripping the straps again. "Then, I can patch it."

I could climb down then pull him down with me. However, Luke was done getting dragged. Careful of the wound, Luke turned onto his stomach. His bearded chin rested in the mud, which splashed up into his face from the rain. "Go, hurry," he said, maneuvering himself around so his legs dangled over the small cliff.