Temporary Alliance

Chapter 22 : Fear

"Hey, Red." I stepped closer and waved the black box I retrieved from up in the trees. "Got it."

Alexander put his phone away and stared at me. I pulled my eyebrows downwards when I didn't understand why he wasn't saying anything nor moving.

"Oh." I raised an eyebrow towards him. "You want me to open it now?"

There was slight irritation that flashed across his eyes and I bit back a smile.

"Sure, okay," I grumbled as I turned the box around for a bit before lifting the lid. 

Taking a quick glance up using only my eyes, I saw that Alexander's eyes were solely focused on what I was doing with my hands. I looked back down and saw something that seemed to be a USB flash drive.

"We found it," I muttered in awe. The thing that everyone was looking was for was finally in our hands.

Suddenly, Alexander stiffened. "Do you hear that?" His eyes scanned quickly around the forest to find the source of the sound he must have heard.

I quickly closed the lid and shoved it firmly in my pockets as I too began scanning around the forest. That's when I heard it. The distinct sound of the engine of a car and its wheels rolling across the cement. Since my back was to the road and Alexander was facing it, he must have seen something before I did because before I could blink, he pushed me against the tree so that the tree stood between us and whoever was driving the vehicle on the road. I was about to argue as my back slammed against the thick tree trunk when I heard guns firing and Alexander grunt softly in pain as he took cover behind the tree with me. He pressed himself close enough against me that our chests were touching.

"Red?" My eyes widened as I quickly scanned him over for any bullet wounds and reached for my gun.

Alexander didn't answer me as he quickly got his gun out and flicked off the safety while peeking out from behind the tree to look for whoever just fired against us. Whoever shot at us must have seen Alexander because they fired a few more bullets before pausing.

"You hit, Blades?" I steeled my voice as I got my gun ready in my hands.

"I'm good."

That was an absolute lie.

I looked over him once more and from his unbuttoned coat, I could see a patch of red growing larger near his ribcage. Cursing under my breath, I turned around so that my back was no longer facing the enemy.

"There's one," Alexander whispered as he stopped me from peeking out.

"Sit. Stay. I'll be right back." I told him and before I could do anything, his arm snaked around my waist and gripped me tightly so that I couldn't move.

"Don't. You. Dare." He hissed right next to my ear.

"You're..." I was about to curse but I quickly bit it back, trying to seem a little more calm and civil, "injured. I got it."

"I'm fine." His stance was immovable, voice ice cold.

"Fine," I snapped. Growling at Alexander absolutely pissed, I listened closely to my surroundings, trying to pinpoint where this guy was. There was a crunching of branches on our right and when I looked towards the sound, I saw the tip of a black boot at the root of the thick tree.

"Cover me," I heard Alexander whisper smoothly in my ear. Before I could even protest, he disappeared, giving me no choice but to fire at where the man was hiding to distract him from whatever Alexander was doing.

Whoever the man was, he had his full attention on me, firing rounds after rounds at me.

"Put the gun down." I heard Alexander's voice say and I saw that he was standing at the tree where the shooter was, pointing his gun at the enemy's back.