4522 {The Number Series}

37

Archer held onto me tightly as I directed them through the tunnels. I had remembered maps upon maps of directions to be able to navigate efficiently through the dark tunnels. Gina was the only one carrying a flashlight. 

"Kick the snow off your boots," Gina said as she stopped to smack the white off hard against the tunnel wall. "The snow will melt but maybe not fast enough for them to be able to follow our tracks."

We could hear their echoing voices but it was hard to tell exactly how close, or far, they were from us. Or if they were heading the right direction in the first place. Archer and I followed he example as quickly as we could, being careless about our noise level in the process. We did not have the time to worry about anything outside of the current moment. With Archer and I re-linking hands, we ran. We had formed a plan but the plan was almost nonexistent by the time we halfway through. In these situations, I was learning,  improvising was more important. 

I wanted to think about Harold, I wanted to cry, but I tried to keep distracting thoughts out of my mind so I could get the three of us through the tunnels alive.

Gina did not have to shoot Harold. Harold did not have to die right there and be left in the blizzard like he meant nothing. We could have tried to take him with and the shot she fired had allowed the Officer's to pinpoint our exact location through the storm. Her decisions were causing mine to be even more difficult than what they had already been. I felt the pressure with every turn and noise in the tunnels. 

The thoughts that I failed to suppress did, indeed, distract me. I tripped hard. Papers flew out around me as I hit the ground, my chin making contact with the concrete, and I felt as if my thoughts were mixing with each other to the point that I could not think clearly. 

Archer pulled me up as Gina scrambled around for the papers and collecting them. Archer was saying something to me as he gripped both of my arms in his; I could barely understand what he was being said as my heart slammed in my ears and blood ran down from my chin. When I did not respond to several statements he put his arms around me and assisted me in moving forward as I recovered from the fall. The possibilities of the Officer's catching up to us increased with every second that we faltered. 

Part of me feared that I would slow them down too much and Gina would shoot me. It also occurred to me between my moments of dizziness that she had all of the information in her hands and I no longer trusted her. I forced myself to focus.

"She's bleeding everywhere," Gina snapped at Archer as she forced us to a stop. I could barely see her in the dark with only a flashlight. "They will follow our trail."

Archer tensed. "So we'll stop the bleeding."

"And what do we do if there is one drop of blood anywhere near our exit. What if they find it?" She aimed the flashlight at m face. "Just look at her. Her chin is not going to stop bleeding anytime soon. Her pupils are not even dilating."

Archer loosened his grip. My heart skipped as I thought maybe he would listen to her after all, that is until he slipped off his coat. Underneath was a black under shirt which he removed before putting his coat back on. He pressed it to my face tightly and instructed me to hold it there. "Like I said, we'll stop the bleeding."

I glanced a worried look at the papers as the light still shined on me. It was as if Archer could read my mind. He took them from her hands. 

"I'll keep these safe while you lead the way." He said gruffly. 

"As if I know the way," Gina said. "She's the one who knows."

"I can try," my voice was shaky. I felt disoriented like I had been spinning in circles for too long but Archer and I needed out. 

*

*

We moved along slower than before but at least we were going in the right direction. Sometimes I had to stop and think while Gina fumed at every hold up I created. Archer helped as best he could. Now and then we could hear voices shouting in the distance as the Officer's lost each other in the maze of tunnels. At one point they found my blood but thanks to Archer they only had so much to follow but I could feel the shirt in my hands become heavier as I hoped it would not start to drip. 

We remained as silent as we could. The tunnels echoed with sound anytime the Officer's neared us which made them easy to evade. Unlike them I had the advantage. I was not just running from voices; I had a destination. It was not until we reached a correctly marked ladder did I feel relived. With a shirt to my face I climbed up, then Archer with papers tightly tucked in his arm, and Gina with gun and flashlight. 

Bright white flooded my vision as snow whirled around me. The blizzard had continued as we navigated underground making it difficult to see the Third Party's building. Just by instinct did the three of us know where to go. The snow was disorienting with my already swimming thoughts and the freezing cold was of no help either. Still, I pushed on. Gina was not worried about our tracks at that point, saying the snow would cover them before the Officer's would have time to find them, if they even found the correct location in the first place. 

It was impossible to see the entrance to the building through the white wall until you were close enough you could almost touch it. 

The three of us rushed in to the wide open entrance room. The first time I had arrived we had been greeted by guns. This time was different, even more complicated, it seemed. 

There stood Macallister and next to him was Jericho. And of all people I would never expect. Marie's son, Aaron. 

"What are they doing here?" I demanded at the same time Macallister spoke. 

"Where is my father?"