The Peacekeeper

Chapter ~19~

~19~

            Thump, thump. Adrenaline was pounding through my veins, filling my body with energy. Thump, thump. Each breath felt like a struggle, I was gasping for air, yet I couldn’t stop, I kept on running. The sound of my heart rang in my head, like Indian drummers pounding on drums. It was so strong it impaired my hearing; I could only make out faint screaming, noises and mouthing of words. I turned my head to the left to see Shelby hot on my tail, her blonde curls bobbing in the wind as I watch her face turning red from the lack of oxygen. I returned my view to the path in front of me. Why was I running? I almost forgot. Two men in trench coats were ahead of us, with a brown bag over their shoulders, so far ahead they appeared as a black spec. They turned a sharp left, disappearing from the undergrowth. I kept on running though, towards there last position.

            When I reached it I stuck out my foot, using it as a type of breaking gear, slowing me to a halt. I stood winching over, gasping for air. I tried regaining control, I tried to stand, but my body wouldn’t let me. I felt as if I had no air left in my lungs, each breath felt just as useless as the last. Shelby landed beside me, painting just as I did. Easton came up from behind, his head hung low as I watched as he too was gasping for air.

            I finally could feel air being pumped into my lungs, and my heart rate began to fall into a steady, healthy, pulse. I let out a coughing sound, as I could now stand up.

“Which way” I huffed, breathing short gasps. “Did they go?”

“Through that bush” Shelby answered, starting to stand up.

I created a crack in the thick undergrowth peering through into, what appears to be a large abandoned warehouse facility. A large paved road just reached beyond the undergrowth, connecting five separate buildings together by parking lot. Large semi-trucks splattered the pavement in a red and blue colour pattern, only a few had full sized trailers, others lay still, backs bare. I drew my attention to the medium sized building slightly to my right. It was a bleached grey cobble stone building, with dark brown shingled roofing. Some of the many windows had been broken through, leaving holes in the glass in which was boarded up with thin plywood.

            I watched as two men in black scurried along the pavement, running towards the grey cobbled building. Along one of the men’s back was a large brown bag, which was moving severely against Cassandra’s body; probably in attempts to escape. I heard this distant sound of screaming from one of the men, and yet again, another two black figures came into view. This time, it was a female and a male; they came out of the building, guns in hand, in an attempt to cover the two other men.

            I had been watching for so long I hadn’t noticed my grip on the vines. They began to sag in my hands, as I had been chocking them of their nutrients. I released my grip, and backed into the forest. That must be the hide-out. The building in which they plan to murder Cassandra. It doesn’t make sense though, government agents hiding in an abandoned warehouse facility? I shook the question from my head. At this moment, it doesn’t matter; all that matters is that we find a way inside. Shelby stood quietly, waiting for me to begin.

            “It’s a large warehouse facility.” I stated, almost too eagerly. I bit my lip waiting for a reply. When nothing came I continued.

“She’s being held hostage in the medium sized washed grey building. I watched her being escorted inside by a female and male both wearing black.”

Easton wagged his tail from side to side keeping eye contact to a minimum. Shelby stood silently, letting her eyes wander, and she pointed her finger up and down, as if she was counting.