“What the fuck are you doing?” Dillon hissed.
“The question is, do you know if what you’re doing will work?” Steve cringed, ready to make a run for it.
“I have no clue.” Jill pushed her hands forward, and then pulled them back hard. The guns were pulled out of the hunters’ hands. Jill threw her arms toward the trainees. The guns flew through the air landing near them.
The hunters and the trainees all stared in shock for a split second until all hell broke loose. Adam stood, taking the first shot, hitting one hunter on the side of the head. Dillon hit another one. Jill’s gun jammed as she aimed at the third. Steve took a shot, but missed. The remaining hunter snatched a gun from one of the trainees aiming it at Jill. Knowing her dreams were about to end, Jill frantically worked her jammed gun. The hunter took a shot, and for a split second, Jill prayed she could dodge it, but she never got a chance.
Steve jumped in front of Jill, taking the hit, knocking her over. Dillon and Adam blasted the hunter with continuous shots until they got the kill shot.
“Son of a bitch, that hurts.” Steve rolled off Jill.
“Dammit, Steve, what are you doing?” Jill scrambled up, grabbing him, praying he wasn’t hit by a kill shot.
Steve looked down at his chest. Jill’s eyes saw the unmistakable red splattered over his heart. Their eyes met.
“No!” Jill looked back down, hoping it was just a trick of her eyes, but it wasn’t. “Why? Why did you do that, Steve? Dammit.” She even tried to rub it off.
“Because you deserve it more than me.” Steve fake punched her in the chin with a smile. “Plus, I had to pee, so it’s all good. I can repeat next time. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I do not deserve it more than you!” Jill sat back, looking at him in shock.
“Fuck.” Adam stared at Steve’s chest.
“Go on and get your asses to the safety zone.” Steve rose, raising his hands. “I really do need to pee.”
Jill hugged him hard. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” Steve grinned. “I’ve got some things in mind. Paying me back for my hero sacrifice, will be worth it.”
“Come on, Jill.” Adam grabbed her arm, pulling her away.
“Go kick some ass.” Steve spun around, strolling toward the hunters who were walking off the field. “Okay, which one of you shot me? Hell of a shot, but it hurt like hell.”
Jill glanced back hearing Steve. She grinned when one of the hunters patted Steve on the shoulder, walking off the field with him. Steve could find a friend anywhere.
Travelling about a mile and a half since leaving Steve, Jill heard what sounded like gunshots, not the pop of a paintball. Stopping, they searched around them, then at each other. “That wasn’t paintball guns.” Jill stared in the direction of the sound. Suddenly, the horn blew long and loud.
Hunters sprang into action, running out of hiding places taking their vests off. Jill, Adam and Dillon took off following them, knowing that something bad was going on. Five hunters ran up beside them.
“Follow us and keep aware,” one instructed as the hunters surrounded them, real guns drawn.
“What the hell is going on?” Adam asked, but as they made their way into another clearing, there was no need for an answer.
Warriors and trainees lay scattered through the field. Warriors surrounded them with guns drawn toward the woods. It looked like a war zone. Cars and motorcycles were flying into the parking area a few yards away. Other Warriors and trainees were making their way toward the wooded area in full-combat mode.
Jill’s eyes searched for Slade. Dropping her paintball gun, she rushed through the field. Warriors lay dead, silver slowly killing them, but not one cried out. In their final moments, they lay dying, with another Warrior at their side, giving what comfort they could.
Frantic as the field became more crowded, relief swept through her when she spotted him. He was close to the parking area working on someone. Jill pushed her way through the mass of Warriors, losing sight of him for a second. She knew Adam and Dillon were behind her. Her eyes glanced at the small stone building Slade was next to, using it as a pinpoint to relocate him if she needed to. It took a second for the sign above the door to register.
“No!” Jill pushed her way through, knocking Warriors out of her way as she headed toward the restroom. Slade was bent over Steve, blood was everywhere. “No!” she screamed, trying to get to him, but Duncan grabbed her.
Jill fought with everything she had. Slade glanced toward her quickly; the look on his face told her everything she needed to know.
******
Slade had already made his way to the safety zone. Searching through the trainees already arrived, he looked for Jill. Sloan stood with arms crossed, leaning against a tree.
“No sign of them?” Slade asked, heading toward him.