Page 108 of Inception

“Shouldn’t we call someone? The police or something?” I asked, confused. I wasn’t sure what the protocol was here.

“For what? They can’t help us.” He stepped forward and snaked my hand into his, the urgency evident in his eyes. “We’re on our own, Jemma.”

I tossed one more glance in Blondie and Bobby’s direction and gave in, knowing he was right. “Okay. Let’s go.”

I followed dizzily as he led us fast across the parking lot towards his car. Tiny droplets of rain began falling over us, baptizing us with their touch as a mass of angry skies spread out above like a necrotic carpet.

“Drive,” he said, tossing me the keys.

“I can’t! I don’t know how to drive stick. I don’t even have my license!” My voice was several octaves too high.

“Shit.” He bent forward slightly, clutching his side in pain. There was blood all over the place.Hisblood.

“Oh my God, you’re hurt!”

“Give me the keys,” he ordered, holding up a bloodied hand.

I tossed them back and climbed into the passenger seat.

Within seconds, we were tearing down the back roads heading fast towards the woodlands. This wasn’t the way back to town, I knew that, but I didn’t say anything. I trusted him to get us to safety. Wherever that may be.

I looked down at his side and cringed. His crisp white shirt was saturated with crimson blood stains.

“You’re bleeding out,” I rasped through burgeoning tears.

“It’s just a cut,” he said as he put pressure on the wound in-between shifting gears. He turned off the main road and began crisscrossing through trees and brushes as we made our way deeper into the forest.

“I’m so sorry,” I cried, shaking my head as I tried to make sense out of what just happened.

“Why? You didn’t do it.”

“But it happened because of me. You were just trying to help me and now you’re hurt. Because of me!” I was practically hysterical and it really wasn’t helping the situation.

“I’m fine, just calm down,” he said, as though it were even remotely a possibility.

“I don’t even know who they were...orwhatthey were.” I flashed back to my bone crushing blow to his knee and cringed. “Were they even human?”

“Yeah, they were human,” he said. “More or less.”

My eyes narrowed. “What kind of answer is that?”

“They’reRunners, Jemma. Bottom-feeders under the control of Revenants. Half the time they’re so doped up they don’t even know their own names.” His face twisted in agony as he glanced down at his wound.

My bottom lip dropped. “So you’re saying they’re humans sent by somebody...by a Revenant? That they’re under theirinfluence?”

“Exactly.”

“But who? Who would do this?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head and looked at me, worry etched in his eyes. “Have you made any enemies lately?”

I could think of half a dozen people off the top of my head. Nikki and her minions, Dominic, my attacker from All Saints, Engel...my list of enemies was growing bigger by the day.

“It could be anyone,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “God, I’m not safe no matter where I go, am I?”

“We’re Anakim,” he blinked tiredly. “We’re never safe.”

His words thrummed in my ears like a gong. “What do you think they wanted?”

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