Boo! | Simon 'Ghost' Riley

5) On the Run

Breathing was the only thing I could do as I was holding this hole on my shoulder. The pain was horrible and I was leaking. My left hand had lost the grip of my brass knuckle slash knife. So far, I kept it between my teeth.

I had been moving from alley to alley and it was not doing great.

By now, I was cornered in someone's garage. I propped myself against a wall and slid down. I tried switching radio channels and eventually heard Simon and John.

"... sight of Caelith?" it was Simon.

"No," John replied. "Yer worried about her?"

"I've seen enough of her not to," Simon replied.

"Thought yer goin' soft there," John teased. "Can't blame you if you were. You know what the men back home are like when they returned from joining a BSAA mission with her getting involved."

"Don't talk about her like that, Johnny," Simon said.

"I'm only saying," John said.

"Then, don't," Simon said.

A pause.

"Are you seein' this? Black blood," Simon questioned.

He was close.

"Are you sure it's blood?" John asked.

"Smells like it," Simon answered. "Could be her."

"Sounds like you've had your share identifying blood, letnan," I managed to say once I returned my brass knuckle to my left hand.

"Caelith, thank God," John said.

"Cae, where are you?" Simon asked.

"I don't know where I am, some garage," I admitted. "But, if you're tracking me, you should be finding me soon, I'm not moving too far or fast."

"How bad are you?" Simon asked.

"Really bad, you should punish me," I replied without thinking.

There was a pause.

"I'm traumatised," John said.

"I'm sorry, I'm in a lot of pain, I'm not thinking," I said.

"I'll get there. It's a lot of blood you lost. Just hang on," Simon replied.

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

I looked at my arm, seeing that the veins bloomed all over my arm and hand. I put my hand to my neck and my face, feeling the veins there.

Fuck.

Would I turn? What if I turned and infected these people.

Soon, I heard rustling. I gripped the brass knuckle as tight as I could.

"You see me, lass?" Simon asked.

I said nothing and waited.

"Princess, you in there?" Simon continued.

I saw a familiar silhouette approaching. So, I waited more.

"Cae?" Simon called quietly.

Simon had appeared in front of me, not noticing me just yet. Then, he slowly turned to face me.

"Boo," I quietly said.

Simon was taken aback, startled. That made me smile a little.

"Fuckin' hell. I could've killed you, you pretty little idiot," Simon cursed. "Found her, Johnny."

"Thank God," John said.

Simon knelt in front of me. He gently put a finger on my jaw, tilting my face to see the left side of my face.