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Coal was looking at Laurie like he was half tempted to attack her. "I need to go," he whispered to me, edging away like he might run at any second.
For the first time, I noticed his outfit, my gaze skimming over him as I realised just how out of place he looked. He wasn’t dressed like a fighter or a Warden and there was something undeniably wild about him which didn’t speak of a life caged within the city. He had a lot of guns and knives, more than anyone else I’d seen during the battle. They were strapped to every available space on his body and it was a miracle I hadn't been impaled when he’d tackled me. He wasn't wearing any camouflage, just a plain black shirt and pants, unlike anything I'd seen in the Lawless Trials before.
“Warden two-five-five-three-seven requesting immediate back up," Laurie repeated, looking anxious. She hit a display panel on the front of the radio and frowned at it. "It says my messages are being received. Why aren't they responding?"
“We're being surrounded," Coal cut in, ignoring Laurie and fixing his gaze on me. "Are you coming?" He looked about ready to bolt and I almost reached out to stop him.
"Can you help him?" I asked desperately, pointing at Taylor. There was no way I was leaving him here and no way I could carry him myself.
Coal turned away to gaze off at the forest. He started to shake his head and then looked back at me. I bit my lip and looked back steadily, just hoping that he’d help us. He was my only hope.
Coal’s jaw tightened and he gripped one of the knives at his belt before releasing it again. "Dammit," he muttered like he was already regretting his decision. "I can get you out of here, but you have to trust me." He looked at Laurie like he distinctly didn't trust her but didn't say anything more.
Gunfire rang out all around us again and my heart leapt with fear. Laurie focused on Coal properly for the first time and took in his strange appearance. Her grip tightened on her gun.
“Who the hell are-" she began but she was cut off by voices from the trench below us.
“Hey Bert, didn't you say there were people up top?" a voice shouted. "Maybe we can kill ourselves a Warden or two."
That was enough for Laurie. “What do you need me to do?" she asked fiercely.
"I'll carry him," Coal said indicating Taylor, though he didn't seem too thrilled about it. "You two just shoot anyone who threatens us."
I glanced doubtfully at Taylor, he was big and it wouldn't be easy to lift him. How quickly would Coal be able to move while holding him?
Coal didn’t seem to share my concerns as he shifted four rifles across his back and swung Taylor up into a fireman's lift over the other shoulder as he prepared to run.
I grabbed my shotgun and pumped a round into position then ran my hand over my pistol holster to check it hadn't been dislodged in the fall.
“Ready?” Coal hissed and we both nodded.
He leapt to his feet and started running without another word, Taylor bouncing on his back like a sack of potatoes.
Shots instantly started up around us and I screamed as
I aimed my shotgun into the trench on our left and fired without bothering to look for a target. Laurie sent bullets flying down into the trench on our right too and the soldiers down there cried out in panic as they scattered, giving us a chance to escape.
I ran after Coal with Laurie at my side as we fought to catch up with him and we left the soldiers behind.
"Where are you taking us?" Laurie demanded in a low voice as we reached him but Coal just grunted.
We moved quickly, picking our way around the last few trenches and powering over the broken ground towards the perimeter. I could feel our pursuers gaining on us, the hairs on the back of my neck rising in warning. I looked around just in time to see a man pulling himself up over the edge of the trench but Laurie aimed a perfect shot at him, knocking him back down just as quickly.
We picked up the pace. Coal's forehead beaded with sweat as he worked to haul Taylor along but he didn’t slow despite how difficult it must have been
We made it to the perimeter where the Wardens had been patrolling but they were all gone. Coal didn’t slow down but kept running as Laurie and I hesitated.
“Is this normal?" I panted, craning my neck in both directions but the other Wardens were nowhere to be seen.
“No, we aren't supposed to leave our posts until they call time on the fight..." She glanced around like she expected to see them somewhere but aside from the sound of the convicts who were still hounding after us through the trenches, we were definitely alone.
“What now?" I begged, turning to look back as more gunfire sounded.
The soldiers were clambering out of the trenches, cutting us off from the way back.
Laurie fired at them to hold them off but we were running out of time and completely exposed out on the barren land.
"Follow me! And before you ask, you won't get contaminated," Coal shouted as he ran for the green wall of trees at the edge of the cleared zone, showing no signs of stopping or turning aside.
