The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

We were on alert with every step we took. We couldn't go as fast as we would have liked, because I was the one who had to support Jackal since Liam was carrying so much weight with the guns and ammo. I put one of my glocks back in the back of my jeans, but I still held the other one out in my hand, ready in case I had to take a shot.

As we turned a corner, we heard the third shot. It just grazed the side of my jacket, and I noticed that it scraped off part of my leather. I looked up to see if I could see the shooter, but I had no luck. Liam turned too, but he was even later than I was. We all tried to move faster after that, but it just was not happening. Jackal started insisting that we leave him behind and get out, but there was no way either Liam or me would ever agree. Jackal was like Liam's father, and he also helped me realize what I really was.

After the third shot, there was silence again. We knew that there was only one turn left until we got to the hall that led straight into the lobby, where we could get into the car. But when we turned the corner, we all came to a sudden halt.

Snapper's filled the lobby completely, their fingers prying through the caged door. It was closed now, and the only way they would get through is if someone buzzed them in. All three of us exchanged glances, wondering what in the hell we were going to do now.

"Out in back," Jackal huffed, gripping my shoulder as he gasped for air. "There's a back way. We'll take a cop car."

"What about keys?" Liam asked him. The snappers were shoving their faces into the metal of the cage, sticking their tongues and fingers through, reaching out to us. Despite the pressure that was building against the cage, it withstood it, not budging an inch.

"There's a wall of keys in the room ya got the keys for the arsenal," Jackal said, catching his breath. "Pick any of 'em."

Liam headed over to the room with the dead woman and I almost reached out to him, wanting to keep him close and away from the snappers that reached for us. But he needed to go and get the keys, so instead of watching him be so close to danger, I looked up at the ceiling, trying to see if I could spot the shooter. There was no such luck, but I did notice that the sun was setting quickly, and we'd only have twenty minutes at most before we were shrouded in darkness.

I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander to who the shooter might be, and why they were here. I remembered how I thought I saw a man when we were on the plane, and how I had been grabbed and dragged away by another person just a few days ago. I wanted to say that there was some sort of connection, but that just aroused even more questions. I mean, why would these people try to kill us? Who were they? Were they actually connected like I thought? What was blackbird?

"Found them," Liam said, his back to the cage as he faced us, holding up several car keys with labels on them that read the number squad car it fit into. Liam started walking back, but just as he was a few feet away, another noise sounded out.

A buzz.

The caged door opened, and several snappers fell onto the ground, mostly one on top of another. Liam darted toward us, shoving the keys in his pocket. He slung the bag of guns over his shoulder in one swoop, then he wrapped another arm under Jackal's shoulder and we both led him in the directions that he shouted out us.

There were more twists and turns then we had thought, and the snappers were right on our heels, waiting for error. We were careful though, and even though the pain of trying to withstand all the pressure and weight seared my muscles, I pushed through, because there was no way I was giving up, especially when we were this close.

When the exit to the back was in sight, we pushed to move faster. Once we were half way there, though, the shooter returned, shooting at us. The only thing was that they were in perfect range to kill all of us, but they missed. It was almost as if they were missing purposely.