The Walking Dead (One Direction)

Chapter 39

Julia's POV:

For a precious second I'm completely paralyzed as I stare at the crimson blood seeping out between Dean's fingers as he desperately clutches his stomach. I vaguely hear someone shouting my name and the continuous clatter of bullets hitting the brick walls and paved streets around me.

"Go," Dean yells when he sees that I've stopped, but I shake my head as my lower lip begins to tremble. Blood drips from his mouth as he looks at me with pained eyes.

"No, I'm not leaving you," I say and quickly close the distance between us. I look across his shoulder to find Jack and his men dangerously close. "Come on. I got you."

I help him up and drape his arm around my narrow shoulders. He winces as the movements cause him pain, but I try to ignore it as we stagger a few steps forwards. I'm terribly aware of the fact that I'm not strong enough to help him on my own. We're moving too slow.

I look up to find Jason running towards us and my veins fill with relief as he comes to a halt and drapes Dean's other arm around his broad shoulders. With my brother's help we might just make it.

"Fire at them!" Jason shouts as we pull Dean along as fast as we dare to move him. "Use your weapons!"

"Oh, so now it's okay to shoot at them?" Dean says and rolls his eyes. I'm amazed he's even able to make jokes in the state that he's currently in.

I see the guys glancing uneasily across their shoulders as they keep running, but they obey and grab their weapons. Some of them turn halfway as they fire to aim correctly while some of them just point the firearms over their shoulders and pulls the trigger. Katie doesn't fire at all.

We come to another crossroad and dart into the one leading to the right. For a second we're cut off from Jack's bullets.

I'm struggling underneath Dean's weight as we run along, but I don't complain. He's injured and needs my help. There's no time to think about my own discomforts.  

Eric Sanders suddenly stops by my side and I send him a questioning glance. He gestures for me to move over and I allow him to take over the task of supporting Dean. He'll probably do a better job than me anyway.

As Eric and Jason cooperate with Dean, I reach for the Beretta tucked in the waistband of my jeans. I don't like the idea of using a gun at living people, but it is necessary. I probably won't even hit them because I can't aim for shit.

We can slow down a little as we fire back at our pursuers. Jack and his men are forced to fall back as our bullets graze the asphalt near their toes. They don't dear getting too close.

"You okay?" Harry gasps by my side.

I don't think I've ever run this fast or far in my entire life before. It's only the adrenaline and survival instinct that keeps me going. "Yeah, you?"

Harry nods as we continue down the street as fast as we can possibly manage. I can hear his ragged breath by my side, but the loud rush of blood in my ears are pretty much blocking out the rest of the sounds echoing around me.

I glance at Dean and am horrorstruck when I see the alarming amount of blood staining his shirt and jeans. Trickles of blood run down his chin as he coughs a few times. He's pale as a ghost and his face is distorted in pain.

We have to make it to the cars so that I can put pressure on his wounds. I have to stop the bleeding before he bleeds to death. I can't lose him.

Another bullet slams into the wall by my side and I'm suddenly filled with a rage I have never experienced anything similar too. I have never been angrier and I have never felt a stronger need for vengeance.