Chapter 15 — The Reason
1244 Words
Aliyah’s POV
The cabin door forcefully creaks open.
I freeze with a gun raised in my hand. My heartbeat is a roar inside my skull.
A tall silhouette steps inside. He's slow and cautious. His gun was drawn. His boots leave tracks in the dust, while his eyes sweep the room.
I stay pressed against the wall, hidden behind the half-collapsed shelving.
He takes another step.
Then, another voice hisses from outside.
“Don’t waste time. The boss wants them alive, especially the girl.”
A fresh bolt of terror shoots through me, but fear sharpens, not breaks.
Adrian lies behind me on the floorboards, injured, half-conscious, and barely breathing.
If they reach him... If they take me... It’s over.
But, not today. Not ever.
The first man was inches farther inside, his weapon was angled toward the corner where Adrian lies. He doesn’t see me yet.
He raises his gun. And unknowingly, I move.
In a single breath, I lunge from my hiding spot, slamming into him with all my weight. His arm jerks up. His shot fires wild, splintering wood inches above Adrian’s head.
“What the...?!”
I grab his wrist with both hands and twist it, using desperation as strength, even I couldn't believe what I'm doing. He curses, trying to elbow me off.
But I don’t let go.
His palm opens.
The gun clatters to the floor.
“Aliyah!” Adrian’s voice cracks behind me. It was strained, terrified, and weak.
I don’t dare to look back.
The man shoves me hard, and I stumble, but I recover fast, kicking his dropped gun away.
He lunges and I duck under his arm, slam my fist into his ribs. Pain shoots up my knuckles, but he doubles over, air knocked out.
Before he can straighten, I grab the rusty hammer lying near the tools and swing...
CRACK! I hit him.
Not his head, but his forearm.
He howls, dropping to one knee.
“Stupid girl—!”
He reaches for a knife.
I kick his hand hard.
The blade skitters across the floor.
Another set of footsteps charges the door.
There’s no time.
I shove the first man backward, straight into the second intruder just stepping inside.
They crash together in the doorway.
I seize Adrian’s hand.
“Adrian, can you stand?”
He tries so hard his muscles tense, but pain tears through him and he drops back down with a gasp.
“Aliyah...” He can barely breathe. “Run... please... run...”
“No,” I whisper fiercely, cupping his face with one trembling hand. “I am not leaving you.”
The second attacker shoves the first aside and storms toward us, gun raised.
I aim Adrian’s weapon at him with my hands shaking uncontrollably.
“Don’t,” he snarls, leveling his own gun straight at my chest. “Don’t make this harder, young lady.”
My pulse jolts. My finger trembles on the trigger.
But then...
Adrian forces himself up on one elbow.
“Touch her…” His voice is low, ragged, and deadly. “And I’ll end you.”
The man pauses for a heartbeat and it’s enough for me to attack.
I fire.
The bullet hits the floor by his feet, showering him with splinters. He jerks back instinctively.
I hurl myself at him before he can regain aim. The gun in his grip jerks upward, firing...
BANG!
The bullet rips through the ceiling.
He struggles against me with fury twisting his face. “You’re dead, girl!”
He slams me against the wall. My breath leaves me in a violent choke. Pain flares across my back. His hand clamps around my throat, squeezing.
Adrian snarls a sound I’ve never heard from him and drags himself upright, despite the blood soaking through his bandage.
“Let. Her. Go.”
But the man just ignored him.
He squeezes harder.
Darkness creeps at the edges of my vision.
I claw at his wrist, trying to breathe... Then Adrian staggered toward us, using the wall for support, his other hand curled around something...
A piece of broken metal from the floor.
I manage to rasp, “Adrian... no!”
But he doesn’t listen.
He swings the metal rod and cracks it against the attacker’s skull.
The man collapses instantly, unconscious.
Adrian crumples with him.
I barely catch him before he hits the ground.
“Adrian... Adrian, open your eyes!”
He winces, breath shaky. “I’m…fine…”
“You’re not fine,” I whisper. “You’re not...”
Something outside hits the wall.
Another attacker?
I look around wildly.
No doors.
No back exit.
Only one broken window, big enough to crawl through.
“Adrian,” I say urgently, “we’re leaving.”
He’s too weak to argue, but he still tries. “Aliyah… it’s too dangerous...”
“So stay alive,” I whisper softly, “for me.”
He closes his eyes. His pain and emotion twisting together, and nods.
I haul him up, looping his arm over my shoulder. Every step sends a low groan through his chest, but he doesn’t fight me.
We reach the window just as footsteps thunder toward the main door again.
I push Adrian through first, supporting his weight as he collapses into the moss outside. Then I follow, tumbling out just as the cabin door crashes open behind us.
“GO!” I gasp, grabbing Adrian’s hand.
We limp-run into the trees, branches whipping our arms, breath ragged. Adrian stumbles constantly, and I hold him up with every ounce of strength I have.
Behind us..
We heard shouts.
Men spreading out.
Guns c*****g.
They’re closing in.
But we keep going.
We keep going until the forest thickens, swallowing us in shadows.
Finally, when Adrian’s legs give out completely, I lower him behind a fallen log.
He’s shaking.
His lip's pale.
Sweat and pain blur his eyes.
I brush his hair back from his forehead, chest heaving. “It’s okay. We’re okay. Just breathe.”
He doesn’t answer at first.
But then his fingers touch my cheek. It was a feather-light touch.
“You risked your life,” he whispers hoarsely. “For me.”
I shake my head. “I'm just trying to repay you.”
He lets out a broken breath. Half a laugh, half a sob.
“You should’ve run.”
“I told you,” I say softly, pressing my forehead to his, “I’m not leaving you.”
He closes his eyes.
And for a moment...
For one fragile heartbeat,
The world is quiet.
Then his voice breaks in the faintest whisper.
“Aliyah… if something happens to me, you need to know something. The reason they want you…”
I stiffen. I felt stomach dropping.
“What reason?” I whisper. “Adrian, what really are they up to?”
His eyes open, pained, and fearful.
“You,” he says, voice cracking. “They’re after you because...”
A snapping branch interrupts him.
We freeze.
Our decision is made.
We can’t hide here.
We can’t run forever.
My heart slams with terror and resolve.
“Adrian,” I whisper, gripping his hand, “we’re going to survive this. And you’re going to tell me everything.”
His gaze softens, broken, but fierce.
“I will,” he vows. “I swear.”
But could they really overcome it? Since the shadows are moving, and dawn is no longer a comfort.
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