Becoming Defiant •• OneRepublic {3}

A Desolate Moment

Zach's P.O.V.

Between the gunfire, the yelling, and the rain now pouring down on them, Zach could hardly concentrate on where he was or where he was going. Though the request was that everyone but Carter and General Bridges run to the buildings and hide. In the meantime, Rebels and all those who could truly fight would take on the officers and the cars blocking the road.

"Why are we running again?" Zach heard Eddie say from the car over.

"The chances of anyone getting hurt are less," Daryl replied, "Now go!"

Zach could understand the point to some extent, and was in fact grateful to be running somewhere rather than staying in one of the penetrable cars. The only downside to the situation was that Zach couldn't find Lynn, or any of the girls, and they were also told to run.

Eddie, Drew, and Brent came out from behind the car with Daryl and ran the opposite direction. No one else Zach knew was in sight though, and it was almost as if the sounds around him were so deafening that he couldn't properly see.

"Filkins!" Someone yelled. Zach couldn't tell who was yelling at him for the life of him. Then a hand grabbed his right shoulder and turned him around. Standing before him was Cherry with Mark standing close behind her.

"You shouldn't be standing aroun---!"

The glass of the car shattered and they all turned. Zach felt something warm hit him lightly on the face, all too noticeable because the rain was freezing, and wiped it off just to see it was red. Then he turned to see Cherry gripping her face on her left cheek and nose.

"The bullet hit me!"

"Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine - just get the fuck out of here, you two!"

Zach was bewildered at the sight, though when Cherry removed her hand to take both to her gun, the injury really wasn't all that terrible. Though it would definitely leave a scar.

"Come on!" Mark snapped, dragging him away by the arm. Then he looked around again in hopes of finding Lynn, but to no avail. He asked Mark about it in turn and Mark didn't know a thing either.

"We might find her inside."

Zach's stomach was still turning terribly.

Then a flash of orange hair stopped him and his feet didn't want to move further.

"Zach!"

He looked around again and saw Lynn hiding behind another car, which was being punctured by the bullets of three guns. He heard someone else yell her name but didn't know where it came from - it sounded a lot like Addie.

"Lynn!" He tried to yell. But there was no way she heard him since he was down the block several feet.

Then, without warning, she'd been shot. It came from high up, for there was no other way she would've been. But he knew she was since she screamed and grabbed her middle roughly, doubling over as the blood soaked her shirt. Zach was already running as fast as his legs would take him. The other guns be damned!

Zach was beside her after a moment, gripping her arms tightly and pulling her away. Lynn was sobbing loudly. Blood seemed to have gone everywhere in no time so he couldn't tell where, exactly, she was hurt. His heart and head were pounding so hard he could hardly hear anything else.

There wasn't a single bone in Zach's body that felt helpless and heartbroken when he laid her down on the ground in an alley. He realized she'd been shot directly in her side. It was the kind of injury that might've been lethal. Or it probably was, though he refused to admit that.