Page 101 of Uprising

This whole thing is turning into a complete shit show, just as I feared it would.

I get up again, trying to get to her and clearly my movements give me away. Someone starts shooting again. How they miss me this time I don’t know.

From our truck Ben and the others shoot back but I’m immobilised. Unable to do a damn thing.

I stare at my sister, at where she’s shaking so hard with fear. I have to get to her, I have to save her before the militia arrive and this whole thing is done for.

I try to move and a bullet almost takes my hand off.

And then I see Otto going for her again.

She screams as he grabs her but almost in the same instant a body is colliding with them both.

It’s Ty.

Fuck me. It’s fucking Ty.

I want to curse him. I want to lose my shit over the fact he disobeyed me but right now he’s punching the living shit out of Otto.

Ben and the others take the opportunity to start shooting again and I take the chance to cross the distance to get to Sofia.

I scoop her up, even as she slams her fists into my chest.

“I’m so sorry.” I say but I keep moving, keep heading towards the waiting truck.

A bullet whistles past my head from behind. I turn without thinking and he’s there stood, with a gun pointed right at us.

“Give me my wife back.” Otto snarls.

“The fuck I will.” I say.

He takes a step, narrowing his eyes, pointing the gun not at me but at my broken sister in my arms. “Give me Sofia or I’ll blast her fucking head off and you’ll be left with just her corpse.”

I hear the yell, I see the movement of Ty jumping onto him, bringing him back down.

“Go.” Ty yells at me.

I step back, my eyes focused on the two of them now caught in this damned fight.

And then the gun goes off again.

“Roman.” Ben yells at me.

I realise I’m stood here, out in the open. Exposed. With my sister still in my arms.

“Fucking go already.” Ty yells before landing another punch.

“Roman.” Ben yells again.

And this time I respond. This time I run, back across the street, back to the truck. Koen takes Sofia off me before I can do anything. I clamber in, sliding the door shut and all but scream for us to go already.

And just as the sirens turn to screaming point, we speed off in the other direction.

I sink into the seat palming my face, taking a moment just to breathe. I don’t know what happened to Ty. I don’t know if he managed to kill Otto but I hope he did. I hope he made him fucking suffer too.

But if he didn’t, if Otto is still alive, then he’ll tell Darius exactly what he saw. That I’m alive and most certainly kicking and that they didn’t kill me after all.

I know that will put Rose in way more danger. Jesus, this whole house of cards is crumbling right around us.