Chapter 7

Selene:

Somehow, I knew dad was out there. I knew he was listening to my message. I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to hear his voice telling me that I was his hero, that I was okay. I just wanted to get out, but mostly, I wanted these bastards out.

I was aware that I made a mistake when I delivered the message of the number of men I had calculated in the place. I wasn't even sure why I did what I did. I shouldn't have, but somewhere, I was dancing with joy that I had enough courage to do so.

When I dialled dad's office phone, to deliver the message, they said that they will transfer it. I didn't know why I didn't call dad straight up. Then, I thought about what if he was going to get in some trouble. So, I, straight up informed his office.

I was still hidden on the same spot and it was like a scene straight out of a movie, because where I was hidden, wasn't a very good place to take cover at. It was a blessing to have been at the same spot for the past twenty minutes and not be found by the men. I thought they were scouring the place, but whatever happened to that.

I pulled out my phone and read Jace's texts again. They brought me soothe and power. I read those messages over five times in the passing minutes. Somehow, whenever I wanted to give up, those texts would bring me back to life.

It was all stored in the name of our love. It was there standing and waiting like traces of stealth for me. I wanted to text or call him, but I was too scared now. I wanted to be a hero again, but a hero doesn't get killed or get others to face the same dreadful fate. I had to take it slow.

I am strong. I kept repeating the same mantra in my brain, remembering that my dad was out there. Putting that thought in my mind, brought me more courage. Enough to push me to look back into the empty, chemistry hall. It was dark, cold and hollow.

I bit my lip as tears threatened to spill and break my heart.

I missed him. I missed Jace.

"I love you, Jace." I whispered. I was being so dramatic, but God, if one was so close to dying, they had to.

I never understood a person's philosophy as to choosing their last words in lethal situations to be those of love and care to the people they felt it for. I always found it to be too dramatic and illogical.

I mean, I would just go really classy, like John McClane.

I laughed at myself as instead of 'Yippie-kay yay!', the three most cheesy words I could muster up, pulled themselves out of my mouth.

"So, this is the reason." I smiled to myself as I whispered the words to me. I was realizing the reason people would come up with the bullshit of love, while they felt they were nearing their end. They would say those words, because they would realize that that moment, when they have no escape, was their last chance to love. Saying those words brought them peace, those words brought them harmony and strength. Confessing the love brought them the idea that in their end, they had everything. That they weren't unfinished.

I wasn't unfinished no more. I had everything in that moment when I realized how much I was in love with that boy named, Jace Anderson.

My wonderful Jace.

I snickered, but my smile died as I heard huffing and running.

And then...

Another shot rang in the air.

Jace:

Brian came back to me, as I stood frozen to the solid ground beneath me. I was still taking his words in.

Nobody cares for that girl, more than I.

His words were like that alarm that kept on ringing, but there was no fire in me, so how was I supposed to silence it? I didn't notice when Brian reached an arm's length to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Kid?" He called trying to catch my eyes to his level.

"Huh?" I snapped out of it.

"I'll get her." He assured and I shut my mouth, holding in the question trying to throw itself out. I nodded.

Suddenly, a razor sharp but muffled sound pierced our ears. I felt a hand tighten on my shoulder, before I was tackled to the ground.

"Damn it!" Brian hissed as he sat on his toes, next to my figure, who sat on his knees.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

"Stay down!" Brian shouted as he staggered over to his car frantically talking in his radio.

"What the-?" He growled.

"Someone shot the back window!" The man responded and my heart constricted.

No, no, no!

"Brian!" A familiar cry rang in the air and before I knew it, Brian was enveloped in the arms of a woman, dressed in black dress pants and a thick and pink lose sweater. Her hair were the one which caught my attention. They were so brown... so familiar.

"Mrs. Arly?" I called all of a sudden and the woman shuffled around. She moved away from Brian and looked at me in disbelief.

"Oh, thank God!" Her brown eyes gleamed with tears as she enveloped me in a tight hug. I hugged the woman back gently but felt a tear slide down my cheek as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"She'll come out to me, right?" Mrs. Arly backed away and looked at me hopefully. I felt my lips quiver and my body shake.

How could I tell her how I was feeling? I was scared out of my mind!

"U-uh, Mrs. Arly, I-" I tried to say something but my tears were choking me.

"She will, Lil." Brian pulled her away from me and into his grasp. He kissed the top of her head and I felt my eyes widen.

"Y-you're Se-"

"Selene's my daughter." He interrupted and I felt my breath quicken at his words.

Selene:

The man was standing just a couple inches away, behind me, in the corridor. The bullet he fired, snapped through one of the opened French doors, whistling through the glass. The glass shattered at the bullet passing through it and I covered my ears.

"Oh." I whispered, keeping my body, craddled and curved on the floor. The ringing in my head put me on a semi-deaf mode.

Listening carefully, I heard the footstep tapping descend in volume. I raised my head a little and held my breath. By the sound of it, he still wasn't far enough for me to be safe.

Just when I thought that the distance calculation was good, the footsteps stopped. I waited for a second and then the footsteps picked up speed.

The part that scared the shit out of me was the fact that the tapping sound sound wasn't decreasing in volume anymore. I knew what was going to happen next and it definitely wasn't what I was opting for. I, quietly but quickly, stood up and plastered myself against the wall, holding my breath. I released it and then took in a huge chunk of air before my feet picked up the fastest speed and made me run through the opened French door.

"Son of a bitch!" I heard a growl from behind but I didn't dare stop. I ran down the staircase with all my strength and by the middle of the run somewhere I started seeing blur. Oh, I was too sick for this!

Just when I hit the last step, my elbow was caught in a strong hold which pulled me back and now I was facing a scary and huge man. His dark eyes sparkled fear and his thick bushy brows spread shivers in my nerves. His moustache and beard were neatly combed while his hair were covered with a black combat hat. I looked down at his muscles and found huge bulks, flexed as he held my arm in a death grip. I didn't dare look at his other arm because I just felt like I knew what was at the end of it.

"P-please, don't h-h-u-rt me. Please, please." I cried, holding up my fingers interlocked as if I was praying around the tank in my arms.

No! Why am I praying? I was about to die! My mind yelled and then I kept still.

"Good girl." The man had a hint of English accent which I couldn't really point my finger at and then a creepy smirk played on his lips.

"Move and I shoot." I heard the most rough and stealthy male voice from behind me and the man frowned. He abruptly let go of my arm and pushed me back. I landed gently in a strong arm.

When I looked up, I was faced with officer Reynold's cheek.

Officer Reynolds was a school officer who kept everything under control. He would keep the children under piles of discipline and was there for our security as well.

God, was I relieved that he was there.

"Get out, kid." He ordered suddenly, making me flinch. Not once, did he remove his eye contact with the man and I felt my breathing labored.

"B-but what about yo-u?" I asked while trying to calm myself.

"Kid, I really don't think I could use you as my back up. So get!" He scolded and I nodded. He was right.

I bowed my head and then looked at the scary man once more. He gave me a sick look, then licked his lips. I felt disgusted to my bones feeling the urge to smack my tank on his face. Therefore, I walked over to the French doors that held the exit.

When I placed my hand on the handle that I was to press, I looked back at officer Reynolds and his blonde hair shown in the sun.

I had to tell outside to help him. An idea struck me and I took off my sneaker. I fixed the shoe in the space between the door and the door frame so when I was going out, the door would remain as a safe passage for the cops outside.

The cold air of December greeted me as I gently placed my feet in the snow. The sock foot was burning with the cold of the ice and I automatically lifted my foot, standing on one. I noticed how behind the fence and the bushes there was a car and some men were looking in my direction.

Frantically, I raised my arms in the air. I had to invite them in.

Two men, kept extremely quiet as they almost deafeningly quietly headed over to me. Their guns were in a death grip in their holds and I recognized one of the officers.

"Mr. Denwick." I sighed. I met him at dad's station, many times and he would always bring me a bill of five or ten when he would visit.

"Selene?" He furrowed his brows.

Then I remembered.

I slapped my hand on the wall and walked over to them, hopping on a single foot. They lowered their eyes on my feet and the other officer, the brunette one chuckled lightly.

I raised my hand when I was assured that I was out of the sight of the doors. Mr. Denwick, held my arm as he pulled me into him.

"O-officer R-Reynolds. In there with a man!" I whispered to them and they nodded together.

"I'll get her out and send back up." Mr. Denwick groaned as he tucked his gun in the black belt between his black shirt and pants of his police uniform. He placed his hand on my back and before I knew it, I was being carried away in the arms of Mr. Denwick.

"Back up at third, go!" He bellowed as we reached the road. Any men, properly dressed in the black uniforms with black bullet vests on top, nodded and hurried off to where we came from.

I, instinctively, dropped my head on Mr. Denwick's shoulder and started crying. My tears were held for a long time and I didn't know what the world was anymore.

"Hey, hey, kiddo." Mr. Denwick cooed, "It's okay. You made it." I kept on whimpering and sobbing. God, what was I thinking?

"You are a brave kid." He smiled.

"How?"

"You did right by not making any bold moves, it would have endangered your life and many others." He explained and I nodded on his shoulder.

"Did you guys get my message?" I asked, biting back my tears. He nodded.

"I gotta say, that was bold." He snickered.

"You mean stupid?" I cried and he started cooing soothing words to me.

I looked up at him and suddenly the world wasn't bright anymore. My surroundings were numb and so was my body. His face was so distant and his heat was so cold. My hearing senses were mumbling and my tongue felt bigger in my mouth.

Oh no... I thought.

As God would have it, it was all black in a second.

Mr. Brandon Denwick:

Selene was a brave girl. Many rare people would have had the courage to run out safely. I noticed how she had left a shoe in the slit of the blue French door, because it was impossible to open it from the outside. I smiled at her level of smartness, even in times of crisis.

When I picked up her light body, my heart constricted at the kid's stage. The nasal tube wasn't helping her breathe, because I could see her pale. She was sobbing continuously in my hold and I understood why that was.

Heck, this was so damn traumatizing for the girl. She whimpered with every step I took. I didn't dare increase my hold on her. I didn't want to scare her further.

I remembered how her face would light up whenever I would hand her a bill. She had been gifted bills from me since she was four, and she was the most jolly of all.

My heart shattered when Brian told me about Selene's condition. I really didn't understand the universe. Punishing the good ones only.

I was lost in my thoughts when my arms started shaking and then I looked at the lifeless yet shivering body in my arms. Selene's jerking body, shut eyes, and paleness told me what was happening.

She was having a seizure.

I ran over to one of the closest ambulances and kicked the van. The door opened with an angry woman but then she looked at Selene and her mouth fell open.

"Quick, in here!" She ordered, pushing the stretcher a bit outwards. Another man came from inside the ambulance, dressed in a blue shirt and black pants with a blue jacket on top. Him and the woman helped me push Selene up on the stretcher.

"Anyone with her?" The man asked taking the tank out from Selene's hold as the woman tried to calm her body. I remembered, Brian.

"Her father's here. Don't move!" I ordered and then ran further down the road. I found Brian, standing with Lillian in his arms, against his car. I had forgotten to inform him on Selene's escape but I wanted to show her him, myself.

I ran over to them and found Lillian holding the tall and muscular boy's arm. He was weeping in tears and I found pain marring his face.

"Brian!" I called as I reached them and caught my breath. He turned to me with Lillian still by his side.

"Hurry, come with me!" I didn't know how to explain the whole deal.

"What?" He furrowed his brows, looking at me as if I was crazy.

"Its Selene, damn it!" I growled running away. I heard footsteps behind me and light sobs. The footsteps were multiple so I realized that Lillian was following too.

I reached the ambulance and breathed a sigh of relief as I found the doors to be still opened.

The woman came back out.

"She's stable." She announced and I released another loud breath.

"What?" Brian exclaimed and I remembered his presence.

"Er... Selene got out." When I heard a gasp, I found the boy behind them too, a light of hope shown on his face and I held my confusion.

"She got out but, she had a seizure. She-" Before I could finish, Lillian cried loudly and jumped into the ambulance.

"My baby!" She cried and I saw how she kissed her forehead and sat next to her on the ambulance bench.

"We should take her to the hospital." The woman announced and I nodded.

I looked over at Brian and found anger raging on his face.

Tears swam his eyes and fists were clenched on his sides. I looked at the boy and it was a shocker how he held the same expression. Same clenched fists, same anger on his face and pools of tears at the brim of those eyes. His hair were tousled and clothes were disheveled.

"Ride with them." He turned his head slightly towards the boy. The boy's mouth opened but he shut it back up and nodded.

I looked at Brian and then the boy. I stood near the doors of the ambulance and when the boy paused beside me, I gave Brian a questioning look.

"Jace, am I sure of you?" Brian asked with a stern look. He only gave those looks when he wanted to scare the balls out of someone.

"What?" I was assuming the tall kid was Jace, who answered.

"Am I sure of you that you will take care of her? Am I sure that you are the one I should be sending in this ambulance? Can I-" and then the boy interrupted him with something that widened my eyes.

"I love her, sir."