06-02-2014, 01:00 PM
A final look, and the two men parted ways. For his part, Jensen ran the short distance with Pao keeping stride. True to her word, what kids were there were bundled in extra layers, the smallest of them wrapped with scarves.
"It's time to go,"
his own voice surprised him. It was steady, and despite the muffle of his helmet, firm. It was his preaching voice, and from the pulpit Jensen's orations had once moved thousands.
He flinched at the first pop of gunfire, and suddenly a half-dozen little people were pressed up behind him. Fear crept along the curves of his ribs until he thought his chest would collapse beneath the strain. Have faith, he told himself, yet wished his faith was not the only thing shielding the innocents behind him.
Connor, the brave man, barricaded himself at the end of the corridor while Jensen ushered kids out. "Pao! Take them! When you get down there, hide, and wait for one of us!"
She nodded, made the kids hold hands, and they filed past the empty guard chair and out of sight. They moved too fast to count.
Everyone departed. All but Jatinder! "You have to go too!"
The little boy ran to him and threw his arms around Jensen's knee, clutching at his hand, crying.
A heavy frown and Jensen picked the little boy up and peeked into the vacated room. Empty.
He spun about, "Connor!"
he yelled as signal they were ready. Jatinder was planted against his chest. "I won't let you go."
He said to him, hand behind the boy's head.
He made sure Connor heard him then he ran for the stairwell, Jatinder clutched in his arms.
His feet pounded down the stairs, but he thought his heart was pounding the louder. One level. Two.
He threw his shoulder against the door and stumbled into the night air.
And met gunfire.
Something slammed against his chest. A scream, but not his own. Jatinder! Falling. No! Somehow, he managed to land beneath the child, a human cushion, but the weight in his arms was limp. The crack of his helmet against the ground rang bells in his ears, and it was all Jensen could do to scramble away from the chaos.
Edited by Jensen James, Jun 2 2014, 01:00 PM.
"It's time to go,"
his own voice surprised him. It was steady, and despite the muffle of his helmet, firm. It was his preaching voice, and from the pulpit Jensen's orations had once moved thousands.
He flinched at the first pop of gunfire, and suddenly a half-dozen little people were pressed up behind him. Fear crept along the curves of his ribs until he thought his chest would collapse beneath the strain. Have faith, he told himself, yet wished his faith was not the only thing shielding the innocents behind him.
Connor, the brave man, barricaded himself at the end of the corridor while Jensen ushered kids out. "Pao! Take them! When you get down there, hide, and wait for one of us!"
She nodded, made the kids hold hands, and they filed past the empty guard chair and out of sight. They moved too fast to count.
Everyone departed. All but Jatinder! "You have to go too!"
The little boy ran to him and threw his arms around Jensen's knee, clutching at his hand, crying.
A heavy frown and Jensen picked the little boy up and peeked into the vacated room. Empty.
He spun about, "Connor!"
he yelled as signal they were ready. Jatinder was planted against his chest. "I won't let you go."
He said to him, hand behind the boy's head.
He made sure Connor heard him then he ran for the stairwell, Jatinder clutched in his arms.
His feet pounded down the stairs, but he thought his heart was pounding the louder. One level. Two.
He threw his shoulder against the door and stumbled into the night air.
And met gunfire.
Something slammed against his chest. A scream, but not his own. Jatinder! Falling. No! Somehow, he managed to land beneath the child, a human cushion, but the weight in his arms was limp. The crack of his helmet against the ground rang bells in his ears, and it was all Jensen could do to scramble away from the chaos.
Edited by Jensen James, Jun 2 2014, 01:00 PM.