Carlton ✔

48| The Avid Breakout

Again, I had become distracted and failed to see a man darting in our direction. "It's Carlton! Don't let him escape!"

Dylan gasped.

Someone shot that man down; he fell face first a few feet away from us, revealing the person who had shot him from behind. A smile formed on my face, a tear finally sliding down my cheek.

"Damien, my man!" Dylan cheered.

Damien did not look happy. "You idiot! You almost got Carlton killed! I told you to-"

Explosive gunfire erupted from across the room but we were shielded by men in black coats and black hats. They worked for my father, didn't they? One of them yelled over their shoulder, "Get him outta here!"

"I'll cover both of you." Damien tightened the grip on his gun, ushering us towards another door that probably let us out of this building.

Dylan held me closer, endeavouring to help me stand up, but it felt as if all the bones in my body had crumbled away, as if millions of nails were exploding on my injuries. I had pushed myself beyond my capabilities.

"C'mon, Carlton." Dylan encouraged me, his whispers lingering in my ear. "Just a little more!"

I had almost hoisted myself up, whilst pain was banging against my thigh and my ripped shoulder. Someone approached behind me, wrapping my other arm around his shoulder, helping me stand up completely.

I looked up to see him and got my hundredth shock of the day.

"Eye for an eye," Raymond huffed as he and Dylan helped me stagger through the smoke and grim, Damien leading us out. The outside air hit me like a hopeful dream, making me feel alive and...optimistic.

And then we paused.

Someone was standing in the center of the expansive factory compound, just done shooting a man.

Caden Hargrave turned around to see me all torn apart, while he looked like he just escaped from a zombie apocalypse. It was funny how he was out here on the field, actually trying to save me, instead of sitting in his office and just giving orders.

We all stared at one another and the fallen bodies around the ground. Well...what now?

"Where are they?!" Damien asked Caden, to which Caden shrugged, turning his head in all directions.

"Watch out!" We heard a girl shrieking and looked in the direction of the factory. Breanna and Jovan were running towards us, dodging the raining bullets of the men following them.

All of us panicked and got into our stances. Since I was basically immobile, Dylan held me as we knelt on the ground; Caden, Raymond and Damien, followed by Breanna and Jovan, standing in a circle around me, safeguarding me.

That was a moment.

It took me a while to take it all in. Even though our enemies were surrounding us in all directions, my heart beat with relieving glee that I hadn't felt in months. It was so heart-warming to see my friends protecting me and putting their lives on the line, just like I had done for them.

"What're we gonna do?!" Breanna screamed at Caden, as she shot at the enemies.

The number of enemies were gradually increasing. Some of them were being sniped down from somewhere, but our circle was getting smaller as timed ticked by. Dylan was trying his utmost to guard me as much as he could. We almost got shot at if it weren't for Raymond.

Dylan and I exchanged an exasperated glance. We needed to help somehow. "Where's your gun?" I asked him over the sound of bullets showering in the distance