"WHAT?" Lloyd growled, wriggling against whoever was yanking him from harms reach. A deadly face off with someone he used to call his brother. The garden fork, threateningly held at his attackers' throat. Just one push and it would all be over.
Until the attacker rammed a pair of closed pruning shears right through Lloyd's leg and he buckled. Before he hit the concrete floor, he was seemingly caught under the arms by Zane. A wind chill factor of minus ten passed over his head and his attacker was knocked out cold with a block of ice.
"Do not attempt it, this is not worth it. Not right at this moment." Zane stated, pulling Lloyd to safety.
A few minutes later and both had cleared the burning wreckage. He slapped a field dressing on the more important wound and hauled him back and out of the burning building. The field dressing held. The blood wasn't pouring through and he was glad that the blood loss wasn't too severe. Pulling him back with some superhuman strength, Zane propped him up against the side of the pickup truck and further secured the bandage around Lloyd's thigh to stem the flow and provide firm pressure. "You are bleeding Lloyd. We need to get you out of here and fast." His eyes scanned the burning building, fully expecting company soon enough if they didn't leave.
"But, l-look at them," He pleaded, pointing at the two who lay there. Desperation in his voice, his expression. Zane's arms were wrapped around him tightly. Hoisting him backwards and away from certain harm. "While they're down we can attempt to reason?"
"No," Zane shook his head. It pained him to see his brothers acting like this, he knew this was the better choice. "Live to fight another day, Lloyd. In this state, they cannot be reasoned with. You of all should no this?"
He had stopped fighting. Zane was right, he was always right. Lloyd's face dropped when he looked at the place they had all made home a little over five years ago. "Mom's gonna be so angry."
Yep, it was burning, and it would have made an epically great campfire or bonfire. But, as it was, it was what was left of their home, burning to the timbers. The roof came crumbling down, a dull rumbling noise with more embers and burning debris blew out the lower windows. "Damnit."
"Least of our concerns right now. Most important thing is; we are still here, alive. Secondly; we need to get to somewhere safe. Do you know anywhere?"
Lloyd nodded, taking more of his own weight. Hobbling on his leg, the other ankle sprained in trying to get away from Cole trying to tear him apart.
Kicking his brother in the face hadn't been the highlight of the evening. It had the desired effect in slowing Cole down but it resulted in his ankle colliding painfully when the sole of his foot connected and Cole grabbed it, twisted it unnaturally.
Zane had started the pickup truck. He leaned over, opening the passenger side door for Lloyd to clamber up. Headlights on full blare. All sides covered in case of unwanted company.
He closed the door behind him. Feeling slightly more reassurance when Zane auto locked the doors. "I know a place we'll be safe. And once we're there, I'll call mom." Lloyd took one sorry look at the monastery and closed his eyes. This thing had all been such a monumental waste of time. He should have never listened to Wu, they have never gone to Santa Carla.
Stumbling out of the burning building come pyre were three very familiar faces. All sooted, clothes singed. Their blood soaked eyes glared furiously at the pickup truck. The full beam lights did nothing to lessen the shock of seeing all three standing upright. Looking at the occupants of the pickup with nothing but death on their agenda.
"Floor it, Zane. Get us out of here."
"On it. For once tonight. I wholeheartedly agree with you." He shifted it into gear, reversing it fast, performing the obligatory handbrake turn before slamming it into drive and flooring it as Lloyd had so eloquently put it.
"Where to?" He uttered. An hour into their drive time. "I mean, where would you like to go?"
Lloyd edged up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his thigh. "I want to go far enough away that it would take a good few hours of flight time for them to find us."
Zane understood the cryptic message and carried on driving. "Somewhere sunny then?"
Lloyd quirked a brow. "Seriously?"
Zane nodded. "I know of a place to stay. At least temporarily. You can get the wound looked at and redressed, plus, we will have a roof over our heads and plenty of distance between us and them." He motioned, keeping a watchful eye on the wing mirrors and rearview.
"You mean Pixie, don't you? I thought you two broke it off?"
"Pixie, hmm." Zane smiled when he remembered her. Nothing but fond memories of their times together. He nodded his head, eyes focused on the road. "We did not break it off. I gave her the space she so craved but we kept in contact." He laughed softly, passing a bottle of water and a box of pain meds to Lloyd, whom he could see was struggling to hide his discomfort of being skewered on some hideous ploughing machinery. "She was studying, deep in her doctorate. She really needed to concentrate and all I was doing was making her lose focus."
"Your words not hers though?"
"Yes, I accede. I did not want to call it off but I thought it best to give her a little time."
"Well-meant words, I bet?" Lloyd smirked. "That you kept things open with her?"
"Oh yes. Certainly well meant." Zane pressed his foot down, going a little more over the speed limit if only to clear the city limits once and for all. "We can call in on the way down?"
"Should you maybe phone her first? You don't exactly want to turn up on her doorstep with an injured guy she has only seen the once?"
Zane nodded. he wasn't about to pull off the road yet. He kept his eyes peeled for a busy retail area to pull into, though, the further out of the city they travelled the more sparse shopping malls became. "I will phone her when we refuel. Then we can look for a place to sleep for the night."
"Sounds like a plan to me. Let's do this."