The Prescient

|Chapter 8|

"We have to go. Now." My heart went into a panic. Whoever is coming is not good.

"Calm down, Zoey," Michael said. My face scrunched up.

"What are you talking about? Come on." I said. I turned around and started running. My breaths were coming out fast and short, and I could feel my ankles begin to burn.

"Slow down, Zoey!" He yelled. I kept running. I was almost on the street. I can't let them get me. I have to get to Matt. I have to-

"Zoey!"

Several cars swerved in front of me, and the doors flew open. I stopped running, my body lurching forward.

"Soldier. I thought you were dead." Gregory stepped out a car and walked towards me.

Soldiers got out of the cars and lined up the sidewalk. They all had masks on their faces, which concealed their identities from us.

Michael grabbed my arm and pulled me against him.

"When I pull twice, do what you have to do," Michael whispered to me before looking ahead.

"I was just merely unconscious, sir." He said. Gregory looked me up and down, a smirk forming on his face.

"We meet again, Miss Archer." He said. I gave him a bored look.

"So it seems, Gregory," I said. He glared, standing in front of me. Michael still had his hand around my arm, and his grip was getting tighter.

My eyes traveled down to Gregory's foot, and there I saw bandages wrapped around the base of it. Ha. I bet it was painful to get that bullet out.

Gregory's hand flew around my neck, and I could feel Michael pull my arm. I looked him in the eyes, gritting my teeth.

One pull.

"You are going to die, Archer. Slowly, but surely. I will rip you from limb to limb just to make sure you are dead." He said, his breath hitting my face.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to knee him in his nuts.

"And I will be looking forward to that, Gregory." I spat. He hummed, shaking his head.

"You think this is a game, don't you? I've killed people like you before." Michael pulled my arm again, causing Gregory to look down at his hand.

Two pulls.

"Mr. Banner. Is there a problem?" Gregory asked, his eyes trailing behind me.

"No, sir." He responded.

It's showtime!

I pulled my arm out of Michael's hand and punched Gregory in the face. He fell backward, tripping over his foot, and his men started aiming their guns.

"Come on." Michael grabbed my arm and pulled me after him. We ducked into an alleyway just as they started shooting.

"What about Ash?" I asked. Bullets flew past us, hitting the ground and the side of the two buildings we were running through.

"What about her? We can't do anything now." He said. We turned a corner, trying our best to get away.

"What if they kill her?"

"Then--"

A bullet hit me in my thigh, causing me to fall.

"Zoey!" I looked up and saw Michael standing behind cover. I hissed and looked down at my thigh. Crap. The man kept shooting, trying to hit Michael.

After a while, he stopped, and I could hear the gravel crunching under his boots.

"Target has been hit. Permission to collect." I looked back and saw a man walking towards me. I looked at Michael then back at the man.

I reached for my gun, but my book bag was in the way. My thigh was bleeding, and I was losing a lot of blood.

"Permission granted." A static-like voice said. I reached for it again, ignoring the pain in my thigh.

The man kicked me in my leg, causing me to cry out in pain. He pulled me up, holding me to him.

"I have the target. I repeat: I have th-" He gasped, staring into my eyes. I twisted the knife, my own eyes going wide.

I could feel his blood oozing onto my hand and slipping through my fingers. I pushed him back, his body falling back to the ground. My eyes zeroed in on his wound, and I could hear him taking his last breaths.

"Zoey."

I looked at his face, his eyes burning into my memory. Two people dead. I stepped back, my thoughts running. What have I done?

My hand was still covered in his blood. I rubbed my hands on my clothes, some of it coming off.

"Let's go, Zoey." I snapped out of it and turned around. Michael stared at me, his eyes hard. I nodded, sticking the blade back into the side of my bookbag.

I stepped forward, my thigh burning. I walked again, nearly falling. Crap.

"I can't walk," I mumbled. I stepped again, biting my lip.

"We have to— Zoey." I looked up and saw Michael walk back towards me.

"Just go. Get Matt for me. My mom lives-- Ow!" Michael reached his arms under my legs, picking me up.

"Sorry." He said. He squeezed my body to him, and his gloved hands skimmed my thigh.

"Owww." I drawled out. He chuckled and broke out into a jog.

"Sorry."

I looked back and saw the man still on the ground. My eyes trailed up, and I saw Gregory staring at us. My eyes narrowed at him, and I believe he did the same.