A/N Sorry for the late update, I've been a bit busy with my latest story 'Criminal Chaos'. If you haven't read it, please do. It's a Joker story from the new movie Suicide Squad. It's been getting good reviews so far, so I'd love to get more people reading it and giving some more feedback. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter for this story and as always - let me know what you think.
Running as fast as my legs could carry me, I couldn't concentrate with the millions of thoughts rushing through my head. Is Helen alright? Where did it that noise come from? Did they find us? I have to get to her. Ignoring the soldier's clear orders to stop, I kept running toward the direction of the bunker. Feeling my lungs burn and my breath hitch, I felt as if my heart had stopped upon discovering the sight of a collapsed body on the ground – Helen.
Not bothering to look around to see if the person responsible was still near, I fell to my knees at her side "Helen. Look at me" I ordered with panic in my voice as she whimpered from severe pain; wide eyes staring up at me in a plea to help. Blood I thought to myself, so much blood. Wandering my eyes over her face and down her body, I tried to pinpoint the source of the wound. Where is it?
Looking around frantically, I eventually found the bullet hole located at the bottom of her ribs. Applying pressure to try and stop the bleeding, all I could hear were the gargling sounds as blood pooled from the sides of her mouth. Her bloodied fingers also moving to wrap around my wrist tightly "It's going to be okay" I tried to reassure her as I looked into her hazel eyes "It'll be okay" I said again, more to myself than her. Looking around, I searched the trees but the soldier was nowhere in sight. Where did he go? Why wasn't he helping me? She's dying.
Turning my head to look back down, no matter what I did, more and more blood kept pouring out of the wound. Why won't it stop? "Helen" I called out while looking at her face "Helen don't close your eyes. You have to keep them open" I said frantically "look at me. Focus on me" tapping her cheek lightly, her eyes were starting to close and a sudden pang of fear had clenched my heart tighter than ever before. Watching a tear slide down from the corner of her eye as she squirmed in pain underneath me – Helen suddenly went still.
Looking at her face as it became pale as snow, her eyes were slightly open and hollow; the light of life completely gone "…Helen?" I spoke, my voice just above a whisper. Not responding, I hiccupped lightly as I felt tears of my own start to pool. Slumping back on my knees, my bloodied hands now sat in my lap, useless – she's dead.
Sobbing as I cried, I didn't hear the person approach me from behind until a firm hand wrapped around my mouth, silencing me. Going to scream as I was still kneeling on the ground, another arm wrapped around my torso to pull me back into their chest "Don't scream" came the quiet order of the soldier's voice.
Relaxing in his grip, I could feel him survey the area from behind me before I felt a tug to pull me upwards "No" I said sternly but still quiet "I'm not leaving her" looking down at Helen's corpse, I felt another well of tears begin to form.
"She's dead. There's nothing you can and we need to leave" he replied back with a hiss. Tugging me again, I still didn't move. I said I wasn't going. Loosening my muscles so that I was heavier in his arms, the soldier grunted with annoyance from behind "if you don't move, you're going to end up just like her…is that what you want?" he questioned with another hiss.
Frowning at his words I knew what he was saying was most likely true, but I didn't want to go. I don't want to leave her like this. I can't. Not moving, another second had gone by when the soldier pulled me up with a strength I had never felt. Feeling my eyes widen in shock and slight confusion, he couldn't swing me over his shoulder because of my swollen stomach, so instead he fisted a chunk of my hair and forcefully pushed me forward "No. Stop it!" I said louder than I should.
Feeling his hand clamp down on my mouth to keep me quiet, he continued to push and pull my body "Shut up!" he hissed "I don't know how many more there are" what did that mean? Did he kill them? Is that why he didn't run after me?
Guiding us through the woods, my frantic eyes scanned the surrounding area for enemies – I've never felt more afraid in my life. Stumbling over an uneven patch of ground, I had taken a few more steps to correct myself when a sudden scream escaped my mouth; muffled behind the soldiers hand. Letting go of me, I had collapsed to the ground in pain as I clutched my right thigh – someone had shot me.
Focused on my searing wound, the following gun shots had been dulled in my ears. Looking up just in time to see a man in uniform drop dead in the distance, the soldier was soon kneeled at my side "we have to keep moving" he said. Reaching over to the hem of my shirt, he tore a strip of fabric. Winding it around my calf, he pulled the two ends tight making tears leak from my eyes as I screamed again.
Wrapping his arm around my back and under my legs, he picked me up off the ground. Whimpering as I felt warm blood seep through the fabric of my pants, I closed my eyes as he carried me the rest of the way. Eventually placing me back down, I watched as the soldier quickly pulled away the camouflage blanket that concealed the truck underneath. Opening the passenger door, he helped me in before slamming it closed and getting in on the other side.
Driving out of the somewhat thick woods, the soldier had taken us back onto one of the backroads. Sniffing in the passenger seat, I curled toward the door of the car as my hands lay in my lap; covered in dry blood "H-how did they find us?" I asked quietly with a stutter in my voice.
"I don't know" he replied whilst keeping his eyes on the road ahead "they must've been looking at all the Hydra outpost…they found us by chance"
Turning to face him, the soldier looked calm and unaffected by what had happened. A few months ago that would have seemed unusual and concerning to me, but now I suppose he was just used to being in situations like this; where people die.
I, however, was not. I wasn't at all ready to face a person's cold murder, let alone someone that I had grown to know and care for. Someone who was innocent and caring towards other – even to a man like the one sitting next to me. It had all shaken me to my very core "Where will we be going, now that they've found us? Will we be safe?"
"I can never guarantee your safety Amelia. I thought you would have understood that by now…" stated the soldier with a snap, sighing he continued "it'll be better if we leave – go to Poland. There's too many eyes here, if we have any chance of going the next few months undiscovered, it'll be there"
Sitting back in my chair with a nod, my head lolled to the side in order to rest as I stared out into the distance. Overcome with silence, the journey through the rest of the day had become long and almost overbearing. Everything had yet to settle in, I had often looked into the rear view mirror to see if Helen was in the back, but then when I found nothing; my heart had continued to shatter a little more.
Watching the light turn into darkness as the sun had long since set in the sky, the stars were all that had been left. Pulling up at a large one story warehouse, only a few industrial lights near the door had been left on. Waking myself up, my eyes stung with fatigue as I forced them open "Where are we?" I asked while glancing over at the soldier as he turned the engine off.
"A warehouse. There's no one inside. We can stay here for the night" watching him get out and head toward the end of the truck, I too climbed out with a hop as I kept the weight off of my right leg. Waiting for the soldier as he collected a bag, I assumed he had placed that in there months ago; in case of this very situation. He was always prepared "come on" he said with a gesture of his head to the metal door of the warehouse.
Following close behind, the soldier had picketed the door with little to no trouble at all. Opening it for me, he let me go first before closing it shut behind him. Watching him attach a small circular device to the door, I didn't ask but instead continued to walk behind him.
A vast and wide space, the inside of the warehouse was full of wooden crates, either stacked or placed on shelves; although none of them were labelled, so I had no idea what was inside. Finding a space not far from the door, the crates gave us a sort of 'boxed room' area.
Setting down the bag from his shoulder, I looked around before sitting on the floor with my back pressed against the cold wall for support. Sighing, I had almost closed my tired eyes when they shot open at the sudden sting and tug of my right thigh. The soldier was untying my bandage. Reaching out to stop him from pain and fear, the soldier caught my wrist "I need to clean it, otherwise it'll become infected" he said simply while nodding to my bloodied leg "…either you do it, or I do"
Feeling panicked by my 'options', I really didn't want him or me to touch it. Keeping his grip on my wrist, I tugged to signal for him to let go. I don't have a choice I thought to myself, I can't let it get infected like he said. Taking a shaky breath, I placed my hands on either side of me on the cold ground "Alright…" I said just above a whisper "you can do it"
Waiting a second, the soldier looked at me before making a move toward the bandage. Wincing as he untied the ends and peeled it away from crusty and still oozing blood, I grimaced at the sight. It looks fowl. Whimpering, I hissed as he inspected the wound with his right hand. Looking up, the soldier didn't apologise but instead got up from his crouched position.
Watching him walk away, he soon came back with a medical kit and small container of water. Kneeling beside me, he dampened a few cloth wipes before wiping away a patch of blood around the wound "The bullet hasn't gone through. I need to get it out"
Screeching as he pulled out a pair of tweezers from the kit, he began to move closer toward me. Shuffling to get away, the soldier grabbed me with his other hand to keep me still "No" I said with a shake of my head as I kept my eyes on the instrument in his hands.
"It can't stay in there" he said with a huff. Leaning back, he unbuckled his belt before pulling it through the loops. Folding it over on itself, he ordered "bite" before shoving it into my mouth. Clamping my teeth, I tasted leather as he spoke again "now lay down on your left" hesitating at first, I did as he instructed. Placing one of his knee's on my left leg and his metal hands on my hip, he held me still "the more you move the more it's going to hurt"
Nodding my head lightly, I felt him shift as he dug the tweezer into the hole of my thigh. Biting, I squeezed my eyes and fist tightly as I let out a muffled groan of a scream. It hurt so much. Squirming on the ground, it didn't seem to faze the soldier as he adjusted his grip on me. Feel him dig further into the wound, I was starting to see stars from how hard I was squeezing my eyes. Sighing as I felt the bullet leave my leg, the burning and stinging sensation had started to ebb away, but only slightly.
Getting off of me, I let the belt drop my mouth as I continued to lay on the ground; a clink sounding out as the bullet was dropped into a container. Sniffling as my cheeks had gone taught and small streaks of tears leaked from my eyes to drop to the floor, I suddenly felt a cold sensation of wet cloth as the soldier cleaned all the blood away from my leg.
Re-wrapping the wound with a fresh and proper bandage from the medical kit, I didn't at all have the energy to move. Feeling a thin blanket drape over me, I used my arms as a pillow before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep. The last thing I remember being the soldier's rough fingers gently pushing my slightly sweaty hair out of my face.