Page 25 of Not Taken

He lifted his head, his fingers digging into my bruised shoulder.

“We have to fucking move,” he growled.

He released me, twisting his body, securing a hand on my back as I threw my arm over his shoulder. It didn't matter how much we tried to hide it; we were as fucked up as each other.

If we were getting out of this alive, there was no time for words. Only pure, determined focus as we hauled ourselves towards the cars parked around the side of the depot, holding each other like we were the last men left alive.

CHAPTER TEN

CALEB

Eli snatched the keys from me as soon as we reached the parking lot. I’d fished them out of his pocket as we carried each other. It was his car, it made sense, but still.

“Get in, Caleb. You're not driving like that,” he said as he lugged me around the front, clinging to the hood.

“You're in worse shape,” I coughed out.

“There's no time to argue. Get in the car!” He forced me towards the passenger side door, pushing my head down to throw me into the seat. The second I was sitting, he grabbed a cloth jacket from the back seat and threw it at me.

The car rattled as he slammed the door, dragging a leg as he ripped open the driver’s door and threw himself in.

It took him two tries to get the car started, and by then, the pain of the bullet wound was reverberating through my body.

“Fucking hell!” Eli snarled as he finally got it in gear. Thin red lines choked his neck and wrists, and his right arm was so fucked he could barely hold on to the wheel. It took him five seconds to put his foot down, and then we were shooting out of the parking lot.

As we flew towards the main gate of the depot, the only sound was the engine rumbling in the quiet night, and the sound of both of us wheezing.

“Eli?” a guard said as we pulled up to the booth. He bent over to peer through the window. “It’s late. You just finished? You look like shit.”

A grin split my face, trying not to wince at the sheer fucking agony beating through my chest. The lights above the gate highlighted our damage, but the jacket did a good enough job hiding my bullet wound.

“Yeah, we just finished up round the back,” I said. “You know how Dad likes to get messy.” Which was hopefully enough to explain why Eli and I looked like a vampire’s breakfast. “We were thinking of having a little bit of late night fun before we go back to the compound. We haven't been to the new bunny farm out at Boosters. Thought it would be a good time to give it a go.”

The guard chuckled before he edged back, obviously buying it. The loading bays were far enough away from the main gate that we might have gotten away with it. That’s what Dad got for putting fucking silencers on his guns.

“It’s a real doozy,” he replied. “Make sure you check your wallet before drinking because those girls are worth the bills.”

The three of us laughed as he adjusted the rifle crossing his body. He raised his arm, giving the man at the gate the signal to let us pass. We got through the gate with nothing more than a nod from the other guard, then it was smooth sailing. Eli kept us under the speed limit, nothing suspicious.

Until we turned the corner, far enough away that the guards didn't hear our tires screeching as he hit the gas. The car jolted, thrusting me back into the seat.

“What the fuck was that?” I shouted as we were in the clear and out on the highway. “Who the fuck are you?” I coughed, warm liquid filling my mouth.

“Not now,’ Eli said harshly, his hard gaze fixed on the road, even though he could only see out of one eye.

I barked out a laugh, the pain in my side slashing through me so strongly I flinched.

“Yeah? ‘Not now’? That the best you got for me?” I reached out, gripping the door handle to try to push myself up as another wave of pain slashed through me. “Then when the fuck are we gonna talk about it?”

He stayed silent, completely shut off from me, not even giving me a single glance.

“Eli,” I growled. “What I just did…What you made me do…I deserve fucking answers.”

My legs were starting to go. I'd been shot once before in the arm. It was fucking sore, but it wasn't ‘I can't breathe’ sore.

“You need to preserve your energy,” he said numbly.

“Don't fucking tell me what to do! We've got a whole journey to wherever the fuck you're taking me. Seems like a perfect time to tell me what the fuck is going on.”

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