Phase 43

Chapter 15 - Elliot

"Dad, they're gone," I wheezed as I finally found them. My father's bright blue eyes darted around the vacant city. I could feel my heart attempting to leap out of my chest.

"What do you mean they're gone?" my mother cried, running up. Her short hair had been blown back by the light breeze that drifted through the city.

"I mean, Finn went with some man. He had the boys – I don't know where they went but I had to come get you!" I cried. I knew it sounded bad – I left Finn with a complete stranger. My father cast me a look before gritting his teeth.

"Where did you last see her?" he asked quickly. I turned and led them back to the large parking lot where the bright light had hit Finn and I. We ran into Darren and Ashley on the way. Sam was with them.

"Where's my sister?" he spat. I wanted to recoil, but I didn't. Sam had fire in his eyes.

"She was right there. Went that direction," I huffed. Darren cast his brother a look before leading the small party towards the backside of the building. I followed, a sinking feeling in my gut. Sam was right behind Darren, the AK 47 locked and loaded in his hands.

We were nearing a large warehouse of some sort when the first bullet hit. Immediately gunfire broke out, and I was running for cover behind an old Honda Civic. Glass shattered as bullets pattered the area around me.

"SAM! FINN'S IN THE WAREHOUSE!" I heard Ashley scream. Sam, who had rolled behind a car a few spaces down from me, burst up. I cried out, attempting to warn him he was running straight into the line of fire, but he was already gone. A moment later, he was coming out of the back off the warehouse with three other people. My heartbeat lessened ever so slightly when I saw that Finn had an unharmed Charlie and Lucas with her.

I was about to join them, but the gunfire was getting heavy. Gritting my teeth, I rolled towards the back of the car and raised my small gun, closing one eye to aim at the snipers in the windows of the large building. They were hard to hit, but I managed to clip him in the arm. He disappeared behind the protection of the wall.

When I finally looked up again, Finn and her brother's were gone. Ashley was too.

"Move out! Move out!" my uncle roared, grabbing my arm as we ran back towards the protection of the city. I stumbled for a moment trying to find my footing, but then my lungs were burning and my legs were pumping as we sprinted out of there. My parents were right behind us. I spared a fraction of a breath to look around for Finn's parents, but they were nowhere to be seen.

When we finally slowed, it was oddly quiet. Gunfire had ceased around us, but I was still on edge. I whipped my head around for the Bridgemans and my aunt.

"Scott!" a strong voice called. Coming down the adjacent street was Ashley with two little boys – Charlie and Lucas. They ran up, panting hard. My uncle quickly kissed his wife on the forehead, and then rubbed Charlie's long hair. My father was doing 360's, gun raised.

"Where are the others? If I'm not mistaken, we have two out of the six right now," my father said quietly. I glanced around, waiting to hear Sam and Finn run up, hopefully with their parents.

But they didn't.

We waited for a solid five minutes, but heard nothing. The city was quiet. My toes curled in their boots. Something wasn't right.

"Maybe they went back to the house?" Darren guessed quietly. I had a feeling that they were not at the house. The rock turned in my stomach more.