Peppermint And Gunpowder

Chapter Nine: Shield Her Eyes

I don't recall what happened next. All the sounds was screams and frantic yells of warning. I held tightly to the back of Kobra's jacket, wanting to stay close and not leave him or Gracie.

"Mercury?" Tears fill in Gracie's eyes. If I'd told anyone, no one would believe that just moments ago she was smiling and laughing, but now, as tears dripped down her cheeks and confusion and fear lives in her eyes, that happiness is nothing but a memory. "Mercury, what's happening?"

"Nothing, baby, nothing." I say, walking beside Kobra, but he suddenly stops.

"Shit!" He curses. He turns to me. "Take Gracie outside, get her outside. I have to make sure Bandit and Helena got out."

"Helena?" I grasp Gracie's hand--Gracie holds tightly with one hand, the other clings to Kitty. As he races down the halls, I realize that Helena is Bandit's mother.

Bandit's dying mother.

I ignore the questions, the thoughts and fears, looping through my mind. I ignore everything, and eventually, I forget everything when I look down at the child grasping my hand.

I do not think. I grab Gracie and run.

I run and don't look back. I run until I am out of the building, I run until I see the sky, I run until I no longer smell smoke.

"Mercury!" Someone yells, breaking the silence and my mad thoughts. I turn and see Jet, and beside him is Ghoul. They both restrain a man--a man with tanned skin and a smile curled with anger.

"Are you alright?" Jet takes Gracie from my arms, and pulls me into a hug. I see him as the brother I never had, and I a sister. He backs away, confusion on his face. "Where's Kobra?"

"Turned back around, said he had to get Bandit and her mother. He wouldn't come with me. He told me to take Gracie and run. I did." As soon as I speak the words, Poison breaks from Ghoul's grasp and makes a mad dash to the building.

"What the hell are you doing, you fool?" Ghoul yells, and I leap to get a grip on Poison.

"Getting Kobra." He says, and Ghoul darts in front of me, grabbing Poison's wrist.

"You can't go in there, you know that." Ghoul gives him a look, but Poison ignores him.

"That is my brother in there. My baby brother. Do you expect me to sit and be idle? Not a damn chance." He rips his hand from Ghoul's grip and runs into the building. I run after him, but arms wrap around me. Now it is I being restrained.

"Jet, let go of me." I fight against his arms.

"No, I can't let you go in there too." He holds me tighter. "Poison's a fool, but a fool that knows what he's doing. I can't let you do the things he does."

"He's going to get himself killed!"

"And so will you if I let you go in there!" The world stops. My eyes and throat burn, my legs go weak--had Jet not held so tightly, I would have fallen to the ground.

There is no sound. No screams, no whispers, no wails, no prayers. Nothing. Pure, unadulterated silence.

A figure emerges from the smoke, strawberry blonde hair tangled and eyes welled with tears. She looks back, hand extended, and another walks out, coughing. A red jacket, a purple shirt--attire of the two figures, covered in soot and dirt.

Kobra and Bandit walk steadily, arm in arm. Red eyes, puffy cheeks--crying or irritation, tears or smoke? One and the same.

Ghoul runs out from behind Jet, but I do not move--should I move, I fear I would fall to the ground.