Blurred images of pedestrians, buildings and cars surrounded me. I winded through the streets at high speed, luckily there was little traffic around here. The car still behind me, not far. Thoughts raced around my head, thoughts of a possible outcome. None were good. I focused best I could on where I was going, what I was doing, but everywhere was unfamiliar. I just kept going, hoping we'd somehow lose 'em.
“Kat-” Nathan whispered, as though speaking at a normal level could be somehow catastrophic. “Kat h-he's gone...” I slowed instantly at the words, but still kept a speed above the cars around us. “Y-you sure?” I took a chance to look at him briefly, he nodded. I let out a nervous chuckle, still holding far too tightly to the steering wheel. Nathan slumped down into his seat and I looked at him, seeing what kind of emotion he showed.
He eyes widened and he shot forward. “KATRINA” He yelled. I turned back to the road, the breath catching in my throat. My brain quickly reacted, sending my foot down on the brake, the car turning to the right slightly as we abruptly came to stop, narrowly missing a collision with the black SUV that blocked the way. I hadn't even realised we'd turned down a deserted back street, inbetween, what looked like two apartment buildings, their red brick walls towered above us and left little room in this alley. No escape.
My instinct took over, grabbing my pistol from the bag which lay in the backseat in a rush. I pushed everything else from my mind and at this moment and all I thought was – survive. Having my mind shrouded with worry, anger or fear, wouldn't help in this situation. Heck, it's what got me here in the first place. Nothing came from the van. No movement evident, no one stepped forward. I opened my door and stepped onto the path. “Kat, stop.... don't” Nathan hissed behind me. “STAY” I shot back, not even looking at him and shutting the car door.
I held the gun up, pointing it forward as I warily walked towards the van. No one was sat in the drivers seat so I walked towards the back seat. I reached out for the handle... “Put it down ...” A husky voice said. I tensed at the sound and it took everything in me to look at where the sound came from. I looked to my left and kept the firearm in front as I turned. I was faced with a tall, muscle built man pointing a shotgun towards me and a smirk evident on his lips. He had the upper hand, he knew it too. “Who are you” A confidence shrouded the fear that should have laced my voice. I hid my emotions well. “Put it down, you have no where to go, little girl, you're dead...” His deep voice and the words he muttered sent an anger pulsing through me. Little girl? I'll show him little...
As I was so close to pulling my trigger, a gunshot echoed through the air. I stiffened. It came from neither of our guns and I didn't even think before I looked to my car, it's darkened windows stopped me from seeing inside it and to the other side. A sharp pain came fast on the side of my head, sending me to the ground. A strong arm took me by the neck, pulling me to my feet and pushing me against the SUV. He laughed, “Should've listened, you bitch, you and your boyfriend had no where to hide...” All that flashed in front of me was images of Nathan. Adrenaline pumped through me and I battled the light headedness that was coming to me from the man choking me. I jumped, kicking both of my legs into his stomach, forcing him back and he lost his grip on me. He snarled and he cocked his gun, firing it and barely missing me as I fell to the floor, kicking forward and tripping him. My fast movements had taken him by surprise. Now who's the little girl?
His gun flew from his reach and a low growl passed from his mouth. He jumped to his feet and went to grab me. He punched me in the stomach, the pain surging through me, but I wasn't gone. I swung my fist to his face, then again. He reached for my hands, trying to cease the blows but failed and with that distraction I kicked him in the crotch, sending him to his knees. He was strong though and tried again to get up, but I beat him to it with a kick to the jaw. He fell back on the ground, eyes drooping but still just barely conscious. I leaned onto him to look at his face, blood streamed from his nose and from a slit on his lip. “Yeah, I'm so dead aren't I...” I whispered harshly. He had it coming, for him ... I had no mercy and the anger hadn't subsided which probably fuelled the last blow I threw to his face.
He lay, now unconscious before me. I lifted to my feet, feeling a twinge of pain from my stomach and head. A dizziness threatened to knock me over but the need to check on Nathan pushed me forward. I braced myself, expecting the worst but hoping for the best. A walked cautiously around the vehicle and the first thing I saw was red. A stream blood ran slowly down towards me at the slight slope in the path. Tears stung in my eyes as I kept walking, trying to see the source of the blood. A man lay, face down on the ground, his features hidden from me by the angle of his head. I almost screamed at the fact that the person wasn't Nathan, but held my shaking hand to my mouth.
“Nathan-” I croaked “Nathan” I found him sitting next to the wheel of the car, his eyes fixated on the body and his face showing a blank expression. At the call of his name he got to his feet and walked towards me, enveloping me in his arms as we reached each other. I could feel myself shaking as the tears rolled effortlessly down both cheeks. I held myself close to his warmth, gripping his hoody in my hands and pressing my forehead to his shoulder. He made me lift my head to look at him by pulling back a little. His eyes were glazed over, but no tear had yet fallen. A gash below his eye already had some dried blood around it. I lifted my hand to it and he winced slightly. “Sorry-” I apologised and let my hand fall. He shook his head. “I'm fine-” He gave me a forced smile. “W-what happened?” I questioned, looking again to the man who lay dead on the ground. I looked back to Nathan again when he didn't answer. He looked so sad. I hated it.
He sighed and pulled away from me. He sat sideways on the passenger's seat and leaned out the door with his elbows on his legs. “Jay gave me a gun...” He spoke quietly and his leg started to bounce up and down, like it had in the airport. A sign he was nervous, I noticed. “What? Why? When?” My voice came out sounding annoyed, I was annoyed. Why'd he pull a stunt like that? You don't give a gun to someone who doesn't know how to use one. Did he want him hurt? “Kat-” Nathan looked at me, eyebrows furrowed slightly at my annoyance. “He gave it to me for protection .... said it was dangerous, what we're doing, clearly he was right-” he gestured to the man. “Gave it to me that day we left, when you went to talk to Greg.... Did he do something wrong .. or what?” “Well... yeah he did, the idiot-” I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. “You could've hurt yourself, you didn't know how to us a gun. You didn't need one Nath, I'm here aren't I ... He shouldn't have done that without telling me or asking me” I was near yelling right now. I honestly don't know what was angering me so much, yeah Jay shouldn't have done that, Nath shouldn't have taken it, but why the heck was I yelling? I could be stood here with Nathan, being happy we were both alive... but no, I've ruined that moment, once again...
Nath was now standing and his face showed anger. “Well clearly you weren't there when it mattered, so actually it was thanks to Jay I'm even alive-” He was yelling and I just hoped no one from the apartments or the street would come and see the source of the commotion. “-I told you, not to leave the car, I called to you, you turned away... so stop being a bitch about this, It was Jay giving me that gun that safed me .... unlike you he doesn't see me as a child or an idiot.” He went to go back to the car but I roughly grabbed him. “You're not an idiot, not a child, I know that ... I just ... I wouldn't want you hurt .... I'm sorry.” I let my hand fall from his arm I was gripping. My voice had faltered and I took my gaze from him, instead looking to my feet. Another screaming match. We hadn't had one for a while. This one hurt me more than the others though, the other times I was genuinely just pissed off at him, now I was just putting up an argument for God knows what reason!
I felt him taking me into his arms again and my head was on his chest as his chin rested on my head. “We're so emotionally fucked up...” he mumbled, which caused up to both let out a small laugh. Odd if someone was to see us, like, look at the two weirdos laughing while next to one dead guy and another laying near death a couple feet away. The two of us really were fucked up...
“Sorry.” I said as I stepped back from him, wiping the tears from my cheeks and eyes. “Me too..” He said back. “You don't know how happy I am you're safe...” “Course I am, Sykes, I'm a bad ass, remember?” He smiled. “What do we do Kat?” his smile faded into seriousness. “What if someone's seen us or if there are others after us. D'you think will get caught? Arrested? What happens now?” He was getting flustered and started pacing as he asked. “I'll call the agency, tell them what happened... Then they'll get some people from the American agency here, they'll sort out these guys and the scene. We need to get going again Nath, we're sticking to the plan, no matter what... okay?” I stayed calm as I told him and he visably relaxed but kept pacing. “Alright..... w-..you should get on the phone... I don't feel safe here...”
Exactly, I didn't feel safe either. And with this attack on our second day here, I have a feeling things might be a lot more difficult than we first thought. Once we got back on the road and away from here, I just hoped a stress would be lifted. But truthfully I don't think I can ever feel perfectly safe, maybe that'll be a good thing, I might not be so trusting of people, I might be more aware. Nathan handed me my phone from the car and he sat looking at his hands probably thinking, just as much as I was. I dialled the agency's number, lifting the phone to my ear and counting the rings as I braced myself for having to recount the morning to Greg and Jay.