Never Meet Demand
"What would that be?" one raider asked, mockingly.
John didn't answer the question. It was Jeff! He was clapping, mockingly, from the very top floor. "Bravo, bravo! You made it down the road! I had a feeling I would see you again, hooded bitch!" he spread an arm out shouting, "Kill them"
He saw this coming from a mile away! John used the raider in his grasp as a meat shield. The poor guy took multiple shots in his effort to reach Cat. Pushing her over, behind cover. He used the weight of the lifeless body to knock her over. Leaping over the exposed portion of the wall to meet her on the same side.
This didn't leave him completely unscathed. He took a terrible shot to the arm. It was bleeding profusely through his robe. "Oh, God, John! You're hit! Ar-are you okay? Did you have to throw his body at me?!"
He helped her up, ignoring the last comment. He noticed Court didn't get away alive either. "I am fine, Cat. It seems our hostages didn't make it. But we did! They know we are here now. It's time to make a stand!"
"How can you still want to fight after getting shot?" she looked down at the leaking blood on the ground now. "We need to get you a doctor or something!"
He cocked the assault rifle and checked the magazine. Full. "Nonsense! They will kill your husband for sure now. No debate!"
She grabbed some extra bullets from Court and scooted her body out of the way. "I wish it didn't go like this…"
John leaned against the wall. He was on a timer now. It seems the bullet punctured an artery. He can fix it; he just needs to be clear to do so. Lucky shot! Everyone gets one!
He held the gun up and breathed. He counted in intervals of 5. Quickly peeking past the corner; he let a spray of automatic fire into the ground floor. He struck two of the raiders in the motion. He went right back behind the cover before he was even done shooting. Blind fired during his last few shots.
He heard the raiders speaking, but not exactly about what. He was so distracted by the blood that flowed from his arm. This was getting difficult. Cat was peering over the edge of the wall too. Taking potshots, changing positions. Not being predictable.
John commented, "You look like you have done this before. What did you even need me for?"
She chambered another 6 rounds into her gun and gave him a small smile. "I can be tactical when I need to be! Besides, this-" she pushed herself past the corner, leaning into the shot, and scored someone right in the head! "Is for my husband!"
John gave a huff of satisfaction, hearing the body hit the ground from beyond the wall. "Whew, nice shot!"
"Goddamn it, you all are useless! All this for one measly man, really!? I'll just shoot him myself at this rate!" Jeff yelled from his elevated position, chambering a round into his sniper.
"Oh, that is such obvious bait," Cat said.
"Yes, and I'm taking it!" John said enthusiastically. Quickly making his way beyond the wall, onto the ground floor of the school. His speed was inhuman. He ran and gunned his way past the other raider, not even giving them the chance to say or do anything. He blasted their torso in a bloody explosion with the rest of his assault rifle bullets.
He tossed the thing upward in Jeff's direction. "If you want to kill him, you need to go through me, Jeff!" he shouted to the upper floor.
Cat followed behind, keeping her gun aimed above them both. "I'm walking out with my husband, fucker! You can let that happen or die!"
There was just… silence. "Go to Mike, Cat. Keep your gun ready. Do. Not. Hesitate. Do you understand? Jeff will kill you and sleep like a baby tonight."
"I got it, John. I'm not some weak girl. I can hold my own. He's a dead man!" she stopped and look back at him, on the steps going down to the basement. "Thank you," she said quietly.
The gratitude stumped John right in his tracks. He surveyed the destruction and bullet holes. Where would you be, Jeff? John decided he would watch over Cat. He perched himself on the steps, picking up a new rifle from one of the fallen raiders, and he waited, listening. He was gone, or lurking. He was definitely lurking.
John aimed around the top and bottom. Behind him. Hoping to spook him, it didn't work. He kept a close eye on Cat. She was tending to Mike. He was all kinds of cut up, bag over his head, tied at the wrist. They looked like they were torturing him. He's alive, at least. His blue shirt was more blood than blue. He wasn't even sure it was all his…
John quickly stood up and turned himself around! He heard a step behind him. But there was… nothing. Stealth Boy! That makes more sense. John focused his eyes and found him! "I got you, son of a bitch!" he tossed the rifle away from his direction.
He didn't even give Jeff a second thought. Grabbing his shimmering, nigh invisible form. He pushed him against the brick wall, again, and again, bashing his entire body against the wall till it left an uneven dent in the structure! It didn't kill him, but it knocked him out. Unfortunately, John had a wound to tend to.
Jeff was fairly easy to drag down the steps. Everything seemed clear. John can finally relax. "How's your husband, Cat? I found Jeff." he comedically said, pulling the bloodied mess of a man.
She couldn't help but chuckle, looking down at Mike longingly. "He needs to be cleaned and unbound. For the moment. He is stable enough." She rested his head on her lap, keeping her gun close. "What about him?" she asked, pointing the barrel of her revolver in his direction.
John noticed the cage, saying, "I have a pretty good idea!"
End Chapter 5: