Broken but not lost

Chapter 8, BRIAR

We sneak down the halls, taking multiple twists and turns to avoid being seen. Flynn said it would take longer to get out if people were around and he was right. We hadn't even made it to the stairs yet.

I don't know what's happening when Flynn grabs my elbow and shoves me into a storage closet, throwing himself in after me and quietly closing the door behind him. We hear voices and footsteps passing the corridor. A lot of them.

With the fear of being caught I hadn't even realized how close we were and how small the closet was. His hands rested on my waist, I could feel is breath on my head. Our bodies were pressed together and I tried keeping my face from resting on his chest. I didn't dare look up at him because I already knew he was staring at me.

I hadn't realized my hands were pressed against his chest, but I didn't dare move them or give him the satisfaction of seeing me turn red.

I could hear his heartbeat, it was pounding. Probably at the same beat mine was.

"Can I ask something?" He whispers.

I tense at the question. What would he want to ask me in such an enclosed space? He knows I can't storm off or punch him.

"Hm?" I ask, not trusting myself to speak.

"Why don't you wear your necklace?" I feel his every word rumble against my body.

I clench my fist, scratching his chest and bunching a bit of his shirt in my hand. He doesn't flinch, he doesn't budge. He just waits for me to answer.

"I—"

The door opens, revealing a man in what looks like a guards uniform. He looks at us in confusion. "Carter? What are you..." he pauses when he sees me. He knows I'm not from Belholt.

Shit.

The man is about to pull his gun on me when Flynn pushes me behind him as he busts out the doorway and on top of the guard, tackling him to the ground.

Flynn punches the guards' wrist, causing him to drop the gun, and twists around so he's under the guard. He wraps a thick arm around the man's neck and grabs his own hand with his free one, preventing the man from getting any air.

Once the man loses consciousness, Flynn quickly lets go and pushes him off of himself.

He stands up, picking up and tucking the gun in his pants behind him. He motions me out of the closet with his head and I come out quickly. Flynn grabs the mans legs and pulls him backwards into the closet.

He steps over him to get out, and pushes his head in, taking the keys off his belt. He closes the door and locks it using one of the keys.

He turns back to me, looking at me, but I'm already staring.

"Briar." He states, getting me to snap out of it and stop staring.

"Why'd you do that..." I ask warily. "Y- We're not even friends. He's one of your people."

He sighs. "Could you just take the help instead of questioning it?" Annoyance seeps into his voice.

I nod my head, keeping my eyes away from his.

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"Back, back, back." He whispers and motions with his hand. We press our backs to the wall, he rests his arm over my chest, sending chills down my spine.

A group of people walk straight through the hall, luckily not looking our direction.

He jerks his head as the motion to move, we finally make it to the stairs and start our way down as fast as we can.

We make it to the bottom, there's people everywhere. Moving about, eating, training, fighting, talking. Everywhere.

I inhale shakily and take a step backwards up the step but Flynn grabs my hand.

"Th- there's too many people, Flynn." My breathing becomes rapid.

He steps closer, covering my body from view with his own. "Hey, hey. Look." He points to an open garage door. "That's our way out. We just have to make it there and to the side of the building and we're out."

"Flynn if I get caught, I-" He cuts me off.

"And that's why you won't get caught. Remember? You told me that. You told me you wouldn't get caught. Can you keep the same cockiness until we're out of here?" He looks at me expectantly.

I take a deep breath and nod.

"Fine. But if I die, I'm killing you."

He grins and jerks his head for me to follow.

He grabs my wrist, more gently than before, so I stay as close as I can and keep my head down.

"Flynn!" A man shouts.

"Shit. Tie your shoelace, keep your head down." Flynn tells me, releasing his surprisingly tight grip from my hand.

I do as he says and stay down as Flynn talks to the guy.

"You missed training this morning, where were you?" He asks.

"Oh.. I uh, I got sick. Could barely move. Plus I don't think I need much training anymore." Flynn says, nudging me. I flip him off even if he can't see it.

"Hmph. Sick, huh? What about that little lady down there?" The man says in a teasing voice.

God I want to punch him until he's unconscious.

Flynn chuckles nervously. "Ah, fine. She uh, came to my room late last night. I couldn't say no."

Oh, he's so going to regret saying that.

"I gotta go man, I need a run." Flynn speaks quickly, trying to get out of the conversation.

"Yeah, yeah alright. Just bring your little dog to dinner later hm?" The man laughs and quickly jogs off.

I stand, trying to push past Flynn to get to the man who called me a damned dog, but he grabs my arm harshly and starts pulling me to the open door.

"Don't even think about it." He says, practically dragging me outside while grabbing two bags off a hook on the wall, each full of some supplies like clothes and food I expect, and a few boxes of ammo off a table.

We make it around the side of the building and, still gripping me firmly, Flynn pushes open a chainlink fence, that looks like it's been cut. He holds it with one arm, trying to get me outside.

I resist and pull back. He sighs frustratedly. "Do you want to get out of here or not, Briar?"

"He called me a fucking dog." I say furiously.

"You don't think I hate that he did too? Trust me Briar, he'll regret saying that, but for now, move. Before we get caught."

"Yeah, he'll regret it when I'm done with him." I turn to go back inside but he grabs my arm.

"I'm sorry." He says, before something hits my head and everything goes black.

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