Code of Honor

“Run, Hide!”

“They’ll be here any second!”

I felt my throat close up completely and my knees go weak. The only thing that kept me standing was Riley’s arms around me. They’d found us, they’d found me, they were going to hurt me again. I couldn’t handle that. My hands tightened around Riley’s wrists.
He pulled his eyes away from the door and looked straight at me. I could see his fear, his concern written all over his features. Pouring into me. His eyes, not his words, promised my safety.

He tossed one of my arms over his shoulder, ducking down to knock my knees out from under me with his other arm. Once securely in his hold he carried me out into the hallway and down into the main section of the hideout. It was alive with activity and panic. People trying to escape, people wanting to escape but too scared to. No one knew what was awaiting topside.

My eyes left the doorway to scan the room for my father. It seemed almost impossible to find him in the movement of the room. it seemed like the majority were taking their chances of escape while the going was good. Then in a small split in the crowd I seen him and he seen me.

“Grace!”

Riley turned, with my urging towards my father. Dad fought his way through the crowd. His rifle secure in his hands. He stopped before us his eyes only flickering at Riley and staying firmly on me in his arms. For a moment I thought he was going to pull me from his arms, but he hesitated.

“What’s going on?” I asked desperately.

“They’ve found us,” He said. His voice sounded firm, secure, the voice of a leader. But I knew him well enough to hear the fear behind it. He directed his next question to Riley. “Can you get her out of here?”

“What?” I asked. Riley nodded without hesitation.

My father pushed a black pistol into Riley’s free hand. Already fully loaded and ready to go.

“Get her out of here and hidden. Now. They’ll be here at any moment we have to get out while there’s still a chance.”

Riley didn’t argue with him, but I wasn’t leaving him.

“Wait dad,” I cried. “Where are you going?”

His eyes dropped slightly as the emotion he was desperately trying to hide escaped. He stared at me for a moment longer looking desperately lost. Slowly he built back up the façade before he spoke again.

“We’re going to try and pull them in the wrong direction,” He said carefully. “So the rest of you can get out.”

“Dad! no,” I cried. He was going to get himself killed. I couldn’t let that happen.

“I will be fine, I promise. Just get hidden and stay safe. Go home, I’ll meet you there I promise Grace.”

I still didn’t believe him, or trust that he would walk away from this, but I had no choice. As always I could not fight his decision and with my bad leg I could not physically fight him or Riley. Dad kissed my forehead gently one last time. Letting his lips linger on my cold skin for a moment before telling me he loved me and disappearing into the crowd. I tried to call him back before he could go too far. I didn’t know if he just didn’t hear me or whether he just ignored me because he didn’t turn around.

Without hesitating any further Riley pulled me closer into his chest, holstering the gun in the side of his pants, and headed for the staircase. Momentarily, when faced with my own dangerous situation, I forgot about my fathers. I buried my head into my Riley’s chest as he ascended the stairs.

No one was waiting for us at the top of the stairs. I took this as a good sign. But outside the building I could hear yelling, mostly from strange voices, screaming from the familiar, with the occasional gunfire in the distance. I whimpered pulling myself closer, and harder, into Riley. He tightened his hold around me, protecting me in his chest, before he stepped into the outside world. I didn’t see much but I could smell the smoke around us, the hot ash fell on the bare skin of my face. I could hear a car close by, idling loudly. Riley led us away from the noise and the heat.

I gripped onto the front of his shirt hard as he ran away from the chaos breaking out behind us. I wasn’t even entirely sure what was happening yet, I just knew we were in serious danger and Riley was to get me to safety. I hoped he could. The last thing I wanted was to be caught again. I’d rather I died.

We had only made it across a single street before Riley skidded to a halt and made a hard right. Behind us I could hear yelling from loud male voices for us to come back. They didn’t sound familiar or friendly. Riley ran harder than before. Almost falling over in the loose dirt and stones at his feet. Carrying me was slowing him down and he was pushing himself as hard as he could. Behind us the gunfire picked up.

Scraping together some bravery, I pulled my head from Riley’s chest carefully. He was taking me down a deserted road that spilt into a T-intersection at the end. Nothing was ahead of us. Behind us, a few men followed. Dressed in uniform with large guns pointed in our direction. Thanks to Riley’s quick maneuvering, they never seemed to have a clear shot on us. He was avoiding them using the same training he had received against them. They didn’t seem inclined to think for themselves, they followed their training. It was saving our lives.

We reached the end of the street and Riley came to a quick stop while we were out of their line of sight. He was breathing heavily. Every breath seemed to come as a struggle but he still looked determined, his hold around me still tight. I was slowing down his escape but without him I was dead. I would be an easy target.

Glancing to our left, he noticed an army truck before they noticed us. Quickly he ran ten feet ahead side-stepped and into an alleyway. Putting his back against the wall as he struggled to catch his breath. The smoke was non-existent out this far. It was much easier to breath. No longer did I have ash falling on me skin and burning through my clothes. But we both knew we had to move on quickly. They would catch up with us soon. I could still hear them around the corner, yelling out to the men in the truck.

From what I could understand from their yelling, we were nothing but targets. A simple objective to be taken out as quickly as possible. We were not human beings as far as they were concerned, just another order and another pay-day to be won. Too quickly they started to advance on us. Riley glanced down at me then back around the corner at the oncoming group. then towards the end of the alleyway to our right. Only to find we’d trapped ourselves.
A high chain link fence separated the two sides of the alley. There was no gate, and no easy way through. And we had soldiers, intent on killing us for our betrayal, slowly closing in on us. Rifles in hand. Riley swore loudly to himself frustration welling in his eyes. He looked around manically for an attempt at escape to show itself. I too had failed to come up with anything. I gripped his shirt between my fingers.

This was it. After everything I had been through and fought past. I was going to die trapped in an alleyway. Somehow I had always known it would be at their hands, especially after my spell in captivity. It had just been a question of when. Riley had never been a part of it though, I had never expected to die beside him and now, facing death, I realized I didn’t want it any other way. We’d fought to be together. Now we would die together.

Death no longer scared me. Not after everything I had been through at their hands already. They had used to threat of death and pain to control and instil fear in us for so long but it was them, themselves, who had taken the fear from me. Thanks to them, I welcomed the death they had promised for so long.

Sensing my acceptance Riley glanced down at me. I could tell by the wild intensity in his eyes he was not going to accept this, for either of us. He wasn’t ready to lie down like I was.
He stared at me for a moment, it might as well have been an hour, his eyes begging for me to live. Then without warning he lowered his soft lips to mine and held them there for a moment. My hand unconsciously moved up from his shirt, traveling over the defined muscle of his shoulder blades, before reaching up and running my hands through his messy auburn hair.

Knowing it would be my last, I savored the feel of every hair running through my fingers tips. I savored the taste of his tongue around mine and the way they would fight each other in a passionate fight for dominance. His arms tightened around me one last time before slowly letting me go to stand on my own two feet.

His free hands slowly moved downwards, across my hips. Lifting my shirt slightly so he could touch the skin. The fine touch of his fingertips on my skin caused my back to arch and press myself closer to his warm body. He needed no more encouragement. He pulled me closer again so there was no space between us, leaving no room for the crackling energy we created to go. Very slowly, and almost panting for air, he pulled away. Leaving his forehead pressed against mine and his lips so close I could still taste his breath on my tongue.

“I love you,” he whispered.

He had never said those words to me before. My skin tingled, my heart skipped a beat, but for the first time it felt good. I had no idea what love felt like but I was sure this had to be it.

“I love you to Riley,” I replied running my hand gently down his back. He shivered.

Unfortunately our confessions had come a little too late. The soldiers were closing in on us and Riley refused to go down without a fight.

He took my hands tightly in his. Myself, ready to face what was coming around the corner at any moment. Held his hands just as tightly. Trying to remember every little crevice and callous on his hands. I didn’t want to forget any part of him, not matter how little and insignificant. Riley, on the other hand, had other ideas.

He started walking, leading me over to the fence that separated us from freedom. I limped trying not to put any weight on my already sore leg. When we reached the fence line Riley let go of my hands and dropped to his knees in the dirt. Digging up as much of the loose dirt as he could manage, as quickly as he could. I didn’t have to ask, I knew what he was doing. He was going to try and get us under the fence. It was out only chance of survival. Knowing our time was running out I too dropped to my knees, ignoring the pain in my leg, and started to dig.

It didn’t take us long to free the bottom of the fence. I was just thankful it had not been concreted in as so many were these days. Riley jumped to his feet grabbing the loose part of the fence in his hands and started to pull upwards. Bending it on itself to create a hole. Big enough for us to squeeze through.

“Go,” He hissed as the footsteps echoed closer and closer.

I didn’t hesitate, I dropped to my belly and started to crawl. I wasn’t easy with the bruised ribs and sore leg but I managed to squeeze myself underneath the fence. Then using my thin fingers for leverage I pulled myself through and onto the other side.

“Don’t move!”

Both Riley and I stopped for a short second. I turned around in time to see two men step into the alleyway. They had guns but were hesitating to use them. Maybe they wanted us alive. Riley glanced back at me on the other side of the fence. His eyes spoke legions. I gripped the fence I my hands, begging him not to do this to me.

“Go.”

I shook my head. Incapable of words.

“Go, Run,” He hissed. “I’ll find you, I swear.”

“Put your hands up and don’t move!”

“I’m not leaving you,” I cried. A hot tear slipped from my eye. I didn’t fight it.

“Just go,” He pleaded. “Don’t make me have to see this again, run please.”

“I said put your hands up!”

“Go,” He whispered.

Sniffling, I wiped the tears from my eyes and turning my back on the boy I loved, I ran.