Boondocks ~ Teens

40) Saved

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Angela's Pov.

BOOM!!!

"What the hell was that?!" I yell after my ears start ringing. Only a few more minutes to the base.

Austin smirks and speeds up the truck. "Sounds like Cassandra! Let's move!"

Kiara's Pov.

I threw one ball bomb at the wall next to the entrance. The resulting shocking wave of the explosion scoops us off our feet and throws us back. Huey stood behind me, so at the same time I fly, I also push him back and we fall back into a tree.

"Ugh!" We both groan at the same time. I open my eyes. Blurry vision takes place and soon everything clears up. Other guards who were also near the explosion, either are sprawled out on the ground, dead, or were thrown back like us and groan in pain. A fire takes place on the grass and an opening appears where the wall was.

Huey stands up grudgingly with me in his arms. "You Ok?

Too weak to speak, I nod and try to stand on my own. "Come on."

Cassandra's Pov.

Riley coughs, smelling the acid. "Cass?"

"Don't worry,"I tell him scooting closer to him. "I'm good with knots. I've been tied up many times." I wink at him.

He smiles hearing my attempt to flirt, but it disappears again. He scoots to me at the same time and in a few seconds our backs are together. I feel for his hands and the rope around his wrists. I find the knot and get to work with trembling fingers.

The puddle on the floor bubbles and spits as the two chemicals mix. A white cloud forms on the ceiling and starts creeping down, swallowing the upper reaches of the room. The acrid burn fills my nostrils and tears build up in my eyes, causing my vision to blur.

"It gettin' worse, Cass!" Riley yells. "Hurry!"

I open my mouth to tell him I am hurrying, but I hack a cough instead. I feel the chemical concoction affecting my brain, slowing my thoughts and making it difficult to concentrate. I hold my breath and focus on loosening Riley's knot. My lungs howl for air. Without oxygen, my fingers slow down. I feel my chin begin to droop. I fight to keep it up, knowing that if it hits my chest I'll sleep and never wake up again.

The knot finally lets go.

With his knots free, Riley hurries to untie my knots. It takes half as long. I feel the rope on my wrist disappear and hurry to untie the rope around my ankles.

I get my legs free in seconds. I wipe the tears from my eyes with the back of my gloved hands, but its no good. The chloramine cloud has already filled the room and all I see is a fog of grey. Soon it turns black...

'We took too long...' is my last thought before I drown in the darkness.

Riley's Pov.

Shit.

I try to shout, 'Cassandra!' But I cough instead. I crawl to where she's lying. Her boots appear in the mist and then her legs. She's face down on the floor and she ain't movin.

I hook my elbow under her arm and haul her towards the door; the only exit. Coughing and staggering, I impact the door before I even see it, I struggle with mah free hand to open the door. I manage to push down the lever and stumble though fresh air.

Clean oxygen floods my burning lungs. I inhale deeply and cough, beat my chest with my fist and then collapse on the floor next to an unconscious Cassandra.

Huey's Pov.

"Riley!!" I yell as Kiara and I try to run around the fire. "Cassandra!!"

As we run, Kiara manages to pull her gun out from her ankle holster and starts shooting. I look around and catch a glimpse of Matt fighting one of the guards on top of a truck. Kiara separates from me and fights using hand to hand combat with the nearest guards, trying to shoot us. I keep running to the front entrance of the building. When I enter I yell their names again. My voice echoes in the halls.

I guess everyones outside.

I run to the left and up the stairs. "Cassandra! Riley!"

"You wasting yo time, Huey," I hear a voice from behind me.

I turn around and pull my guns out at the same time. A man with short hair and light brown skin stands before me holding a gun. He must've came out of a room.

"They're dead," he says.

"And who the hell are you?" I say not lowering my pistols.

He grins. "Yo punkass forget me, Huey? Even that black eye you gave me?"

My grip on the handles of the pistols tighten, suddenly agitated. "Cairo."

Instead of responding he begins to pull the trigger, but not before I kick the gun of of his hands and it flies over the rail. "Ow!" He shakes his hand.

Huh. All that high kicking I watched the girls' do rubbed off on me.

He grits his teeth. I throw both my pistols over the rail too and hear the satisfying sound of them landing. Cairo looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Let's do this," I say holding up my fists. "Like real men."

He chuckles and goes into the same position. "Don't mind if I do."

Riley's Pov.

I open my eyes and find that I'm still in the same spot I fell in. I look to my side. Cass still lies there, I begin to panic until I see her move up and down, proving that she's still breathing. I give a sigh of relief.

Cass hitches a breath, rolls to the side and starts a coughing fit. I give her a few solid pats on the back. It takes a minute but she finally stops. Her eyes flutter open, focusing on me she says, "You could've died..."

I smile, not focusing on my burning eyes and tears. "I guess we even."

She chuckles. "They don't say 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine' for no reason."

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