They Walk

Chapter Seventy One

A few minutes later when I’m in slightly less pain, my mother helps me get to my feet. I’m shaky and wobbly at best, but I don’t fall over convulsing. The day is looking up. When my mother goes about freeing my hands, I watch Gabe and my dad approach the weapons table at the back of the room. I know now that we still have a lot to do today, and getting out of this school and back to the car in one piece is only that start of it. I can feel the plastic give on the bracket, when my mom finally cuts it free with a pair of plyers she found.

My wrists ache as I rub them, and I hope they don’t affect the accuracy of my swing.

Speaking of that, I need my ax back.

Leaving me to my own defenses, my mother goes over to the table with the others and begins digging through all the weapons. Feeling left out, I make my way over there, and I actually don’t yell out when my back tighten up on me.

Yep, that’s me, girl with nerves of steel.

At the table, I see what I need to feel better. Picking up the ax and having its weight back in my hands, I feel oddly safer. Gabe is to my right and my dad on my left, with my mom right beside him and we all continue to grab what we can, and not being picky with getting stuff that wasn’t ours in the first place.

Gabe glances at me briefly, when he straps on a shoulder holster that is already loaded with two new looking glocks. I don’t think he had those yesterday, oh well, finders keepers and all that.

“We are going to have to fight through all the people out in the hallway you know.” Gabe says quietly.

The three of us still our movements, and we stare at him dumbly. Or I do anyway.

“There are over thirty people out there. How can we go through them all?” My father admits.

I know what we have to do, and so does Gabe, which is why he keeps his head lowered as he avoids looking at my dad. I don’t avoid such things though, and I give him my best severe glare.

“What else can we do dad? It’s them or us, and I for one choose us. We don’t really have the time to sit down for tea, and have a chat about letting us leave.”

He does his best to not glare back at me, and I have to give him props when he doesn’t yell at me either. It’s a red letter day when a girl yells at her dad and he lets her do it. My mom however, doesn’t have such qualms and gives me the look of death. It would be a lot scarier if I didn’t know what was waiting for us outside the school.

“Your both right, it just doesn’t make it any easier.” My dad says, cutting off my mother’s Darth Raider glare.

Glancing away from them, I find that Gabe is rubbing the back of his neck with his hands and too hard too as his knuckles are bone white. He’s thinking about something though, so I don’t interrupt his own attacks on himself. Dropping his hands, he gives us a very guilty and sad look at the same time. Before he even picks up his stolen satchel that he got from Noah’s car, I know what he is intending to do. I have to admit, it’s smart. He pulls out a grenade and holds it out to us.

My mother and father both gasp at about the same time, and give Gabe a disgusted look.

“We can’t do that Gabriel, that’s murder.” My father says adamantly.

Gabe’s face goes red and I can see his anger form behind his eyes. When he opens his mouth, in what I know to be a verbal attack on my dad, I cut him off.

“Dad, you have to know that it’s the only way. We tried to tell these men what is coming and they refused to listen. They’re followers aren’t going to listen either, and we don’t have the luxury of time on our side.”

I can see my words sinking into my dad, but he still doesn’t like the idea and neither does my mom for that matter.

“Mark, it’s a crummy situation I know, but Maggie is right about running out of time. We need to get out of here as fast as we can and get to Daniel. It has to be no stops until go, or we’re screwed.” Gabe offers up quickly.

With a sigh, my dad nods and my mother follows suit, though I do notice she won’t meet my eyes.

We all then gather what we can to stock up, me with my trusty ax and a pretty new little gun, that I’m sure has a name but I don’t know it. I also get a new ankle holster for two wicked looking knives, and I must admit, I feel pretty badass myself. I only hope I can stay standing to use any of this stuff. Gabe has the two guns in the holster as well as his own ankle holsters for some knives, and he now has a shotgun thrown over his shoulder next to the satchel he is already carrying. My dad has his own holsters with guns, and knives and so does my mother.

Fully armed, we all make our way to the double doors of the gym and I am so glad no one has come in to check on the guys. Speaking of the guys, I think I notice Vin struggling to wake up. I pick up my step, and urge the others to do the same. Seeing Vin nearly conscious makes them move quickly, and before I can say Paul Walker, we’re at the doors. Not waiting another second, Gabe gets a grenade in his hands from the satchel and we all hold our breath as Gabe yanks open one of the doors.

There are a dozen men still out there, I guess guarding the doors?

Nice job dudes.

They yell in alarm when they see us and not they’re bosses. Gabe pulls out the clip hastily with ease and tosses the armed grenade out the door and into the mass of people. Ignore they’re cries of terror Gabe steps back quickly into the gym and yanks the door shut with him. As soon as I hear the loud resounding boom, we all fall to the ground, almost expecting the explosion to tear through the doors. It doesn’t though. Instead the whole foundation of the school shutters and groans from the explosion, and the door still stays in one piece.

Nice craftsmanship that.