Note: Sorry about all that, Milligan!
Chapter 10: Fear
Constance had always thought of Kate as a role model. She had always thought that nothing could bring her down. She was indestructible in the little girl's eyes. Seeing her looking so...helpless cracked something inside of Constance. The whole scene scared her, but what scared her the most was the look on Kate's face, as she stared at her father, who was muttering curses under his breath, and grasping his leg, while Crawlings restrained him.
It was fear.
When Kate saw her friends standing in the hole in the wall, her spirit's lifted. She pushed Crawlings' foot off her neck, and heaved herself up. She ran to her father, and supported him as he rose unsteadily off the ground. Her friends were soon joined at the door, by none other than Rhonda Kazembe and Mr. Benedict.
"Hold it right there," said Crawlings, and he produced the gun from his suit jacket, and pointed straight at Constance, who whimpered slightly. That was all Kate could take. She threw herself at Crawlings, effectively knocking into his arm. Unfortunately, Crawlings held onto the gun. The shot hit the dirt, and Crawlings stumbled a few feet to his right. Rhonda sprung forward, and began to wrestle the gun from Crawlings grasp.
"Kate!" Milligan called out to his daughter, who spun, seeing McCracken advance on her. But Kate was ready for him. She swiftly dodged his punch, and swept her leg towards his shins. He crashed face down into the dirt, sending up clouds of dirt. She kicked him in the ribs, just for good measure.
Rhonda managed to break Crawlings nose while trying to grab his gun. He howled and clutched his face, but refused to let go of his firearm. Rhonda looked over Crawlings' shoulder. Kate had apprehended McCracken, and was rushing towards Rhonda, to help her with Crawlings. She distracted Crawlings for a moment, and BAM. Kate crashed into him, sending all three of them sprawling.
Sticky saw Kate slam into Crawlings, and ran over to help her off the ground. Rhonda rushed over to the two of them. Kate was lying on the floor, gasping for breath. Sticky was desperately calling her name, and shaking her shoulder. Seeing her reaction to this, he quickly stopped, but kept saying her name, quieter this time.
Kate was trying hard not to cry. She couldn't get herself off the ground, and she felt like she was going to throw up. She could vaguely hear someone calling her name from far, far, away. A sharp searing pain went up her arm, and she jerked her head away from her shoulder. The pain stopped. She had closed her eyes, and now hesitantly opened one. The light hurt her already pounding head. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out the bald head of Sticky, and the worried face of Rhonda, before everything went black.