Chapter 5

The first shot opened the floodgates to a merciless cascade of bullets blasting through the windows, shattering them into a flurry of rubble. Fragments of glass and wood splinters hurled themselves at random amidst the chaos, slicing everything that was unfortunate enough to be in their path. The bullets bounced off walls and ripped through furniture like hot knives through butter. The couch was torn to shreds in an instant and spewed cheap stuffing into the air, and with it, thick swathes of dust rose in tandem, choking out the air and making it near impossible to breathe.

Sakuma had instinctively collapsed into a turtle-like pose trying to make himself as small as possible when the first bullet was shot. He could hear the terrifying sound of shrapnel zipping past overhead, and he was certain that one of the bullets would soon ricochet off the walls and bury its metallic shell deep into his flesh.

Then, just as sudden as it had started, the onslaught came to a halt.

The room quietened into a deathly silence.

Kidou was the first to recover from the shock, gingerly uncurling himself from his foetal position on the floor. He shot a shaky glance at Sakuma, who was still trembling uncontrollably, and then to Fudou, who was slumped against the wall like a drunkard. His hands were cupped around his left ear in a vice grip, and Kidou noticed thick threads of red, like the veins of fungi, slithering down his wrist through the gaps of his fingers.

A distant shout startled Kidou to his feet. The guards were probably grouping up with reinforcements and preparing to launch another barrage of bullets. If they wanted to make an escape, it had to be now. He stumbled over to Fudou, gripping his shoulders and trying to shake him awake. A groan escaped the other boy's lips, and a flash of pain thundered across his expression. Fudou couldn't hear a thing. An incessant ringing pounded in his eardrums, shooting sharp needles of pain down his neck. He could see Kidou's lips moving, shouting something. He knew he had to move.

"I got it," he rasped out, forcing himself to his feet and shoving Kidou away. "I got it, so move!"

Kidou didn't need to be told twice. In a swift move, he scooped up his knapsack and flung it over his shoulder before rushing over to Sakuma.

"Oh my god," Sakuma whimpered through clenched teeth. "Oh my fucking god!" He had been in a multitude of fights before, but being at the mercy of a firing squad was leagues above throwing heavy punches or dragging a knife across someone's neck.

"Get up, Sakuma! We have to go now!" Kidou manoeuvred around the rubble that had transformed the living room into an obstacle course, racing into Fudou's room where he knew the window was a short jump away from the external stairway of the opposite building.

His heart sank to his knees when he caught sight of a wall of thick wooden boards obstructing their only path to safety. He knew that there was no time to think. Without missing a beat, he wedged his fingers into the grooves between the wooden boards, strenuously wrenching them off from the window. The iron nails clattered to the floor as sharp splinters dug their way into his flesh, making him curse under his breath as pain shot through his hands, snaking its way into his forearms and shoulders.

In the other room, Fudou half-limped over to Sakuma and yanked him up by his shoulder. "Snap out of it, moron!" He snarled. The both of them could hear muffled shouts resounding from the stairwell, followed by the stampede of army boots advancing towards them.

"The cupboard," Sakuma said. "push that cupboard over!"

If only that one-eyed idiot hadn't kicked the door down, the accusatory thought sourly wriggled its way into Fudou's mind as he struggled to pull his mother's bulky cupboard over to block the now-exposed doorway. It was the least they could do to buy a couple extra minutes to escape, but he wasn't sure how long of a respite it could even provide them with. With a strenuous grunt, he gripped the top of it and yanked it forward, causing an ear-splitting crash as it toppled over and blocked the entrance to the apartment.

Kidou forced himself to clench down on yet another thick and heavily-nailed board.

Ignore the pain! He commanded himself. Do everything to escape. Use those hard-earned muscles, for God's sake! Thankfully, adrenaline combined with the sheer fright for his life cleared the heavy fog spinning in his head. The world roared back in his ears, his pulse jumping out of his skin. After what seemed like an eternity, sunlight finally burst past the thick barrier of wood, slicing through the stagnant air like a spray of silver swords. He peeled off the last obstructing board, raising his bloodstained fingers to touch the grimy glass window and almost crying out in joy at the sight of the opposite building.

Fudou and Sakuma came barrelling into the room, with the former jumping in next to Kidou. He slammed his palm at the window's base, striking it with all the strength he could muster.

"The fucking thing's jammed shut!"

"Break it then, for fuck's sake!"

In a burst of panic, Fudou doubled back before rushing forward, heavily crashing his shoulder into the glass. There was a shrill screech as the rusted hinges gave way, and Kidou urgently slammed his fist onto the glass repeatedly to push it further out.

He squeezed his body through the narrow gap, holding onto the windowsill to balance himself before leaping onto the stairway. The force of the landing sent hot streaks of searing pain up his injured arm, and he couldn't help yelping in agony. His vision blurred for the umpteenth time, but he steeled himself and forced his body off the floor.

"You next," Fudou said, yanking Sakuma's arm and roughly shoving him out the window. Sakuma bit his tongue bitterly, deciding that this wasn't the best time to protest being manhandled. Behind them, they could hear soldiers clamouring over the obstruction, and both boys knew that in a minute the armed men would've penetrated through the rubble and would be pointing their guns at the back of their heads.

Fudou scrambled out after Sakuma just as the troop of soldiers stormed into the apartment. He felt his heart climb to the back of his throat as he leapt out of harm's way.

The trio rushed down the stairwell, jumping nearly entire lengths at a time before disappearing down a thin alleyway and away from the assemblage of guards behind them.