Here we goes folks. The start of a new story. As before I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. Enjoy.
Emily ran. She ran like there was no tomorrow. She ran not only to save her own life but also the life of the little girl who clung to her back like a barnacle to a ship's hull. Her lungs burned with every breath, her legs ached with each pounding step but she did not stop. She could not stop. Emily had no intention of dying today or any time in the near future especially on the side of some god-forsaken mountain.
She cast a quick glance over her shoulder without breaking stride. No sign of her pursuer, but she could hear him crashing through the woods behind her. He was getting closer, she realized. Emily dug into her reserves and put on a burst of speed, ignoring the pressure as the little girl tightened her death hold around Emily's neck and waist.
A loud crack filled the air and a chunk of bark blew away from the tree next to her. She veered sharply to the right and hurtled a fallen tree trunk. Fuck, she silently swore. She had forgotten about the revolver he had boasted about. Oh well, she thought ruefully, one shot down, five shots to dodge.
"One," she hissed through clenched teeth.
CRACK! CRACK! The ground at her feet erupted in a shower of dirt and leaves.
"Two. Three." Her blood was pounding in her ears.
Emily plunged down an embankment at full speed, arms wind milling to maintain her precarious balance. CRACK! The bullet tore into the tree to her right.
"Four!" she wheezed, her lungs feeling like they were ready to burst.
Emily didn't know how much longer she could keep up this grueling pace. She stumbled as he fired, the bullet sailing harmlessly over her head.
"F…five!" her breath came out in short gasps.
She dodged around a large rock as the last shot rang out. The loud crack was then followed by a sharp ping. Emily's leg exploded in pain. It buckled and her forward momentum sent her crashing to ground. Knees first, then her outstretched hands, small pebbles digging into her palms. Elbows followed painfully and ended with her chin scraping the ground. Stars danced before her eyes and what little breath she had, left in a sudden whoosh.
The child, jarred loose by the impact, tumbled over Emily's head. Instinctively, Emily's hands shot out, snagged the little girl by the legs and pulled her back, tucking her underneath her body, forming a human shield over the small child.
Clutching the child as tight to her chest as she could, she peeked over her shoulder as she struggled to catch her breath. He came barreling up, eyes wild, mouth curled into a sneer and blood oozing down his face from when she had slammed him into the wall.
He skidded to halt and pointed the gun at her head. "You BITCH!" he snarled. "You took my daughter!"
"I did," she said coolly, though her heart was beating a thousand beats a minute. "You wanted me to take care of her and I am."
"Let go of her!" he screamed at her.
Emily could feel the little girl trembling in her arms. "No."
"Then you die," he growled and squeezed the trigger. Click. Stunned, he tried again. Click. Click.
"I think you are out of ammo," Emily said with a wicked grin.
With a roar of frustration, the man pitched the empty gun to one side, pulled the hunting knife from its sheath on his belt and lunged. Emily hunched over the little girl, closed her eyes and waited for the biting pain of the knife sinking into her back. Guess she was wrong. Today was her day to die.
Yes, it was short but sweet. A little teaser of what is to come. Let me know what you think. Until next Weds.