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Grabbing one of the new tops Fin had just bought, I pressed it onto the spot and grabbed a thong that had fallen out; using the elastic, I tied it around the shirt, holding it in place. Taking Leo’s pulse, I found it beating, if not a little slow. Slapping his face, I tried to stir him. I needed to know what the protocol in this type of situation was.
“Leo,” I hissed, slapping him again. It seemed to work, and he opened his eyes, looking at me. “Is there an emergency protocol? Cell phones are down.”
He blinked, coming to. “Wa-tch.”
Understanding, I placed his gun in his hand and peeked over the table, still not spotting anyone. Moving back over, I slumped against the back of the table as I caught my breath. Fin squeezed my arm, her eyes boring into mine.
“He said there’s something on the watch that should alert the others,” I whispered. Or at least I hoped that was what he meant, and it wasn’t an instant kill switch. Fin nodded, looking down at hers as she typed into it.
“Time’s up, Oblivion. Another one bites the dust. I’ll keep killing people until you show yourself.”
The gunshot was closer this time, as was the scream. Fin tensed, her hands trembling as she began to shake her head. I knew what she was thinking, but there was no way I’d let her sacrifice herself.
“No. You can’t give yourself up, Fin. It won’t solve anything.”
Her lip trembled as she stared at me, and I swiped away a tear, leaving a trail of blood behind. “What do you need?” I asked, deciding the best course was to focus on what we could do.
“If I had access to a computer, I could tap into the cameras and find him. But unless it’s wired into the system, I doubt I’ll have any luck since he’s blocking the signal.”
“Okay, so that makes it difficult, but not impossible,” I said, thinking through possibilities.
“The security booth would have surveillance!” she said, some life coming back to her. “First, I need to tap into the code on these watches to send an alert.” She fiddled with her watch as I looked around, spotting a few more people who seemed to be in need. Looking around at all the food places, I spotted a first aid kit on a shelf.
“I’ll be right back,” I whispered, crawling away before she could stop me. I stopped every few feet to hide and reached the last table before I’d be out in the open. Looking back, I peered around again, not spotting anyone. I wasn’t sure where he was shooting from, but it didn’t seem like he was close.
Taking a deep breath, I prayed I’d live long enough to see Finley naked again. It seemed dumb, but it was the one thing I thought about as I took off at a run, jumping over the counter as I rolled to the floor. I smiled, shocked that it had worked. A few workers were huddled together, looking at me in fear, and I couldn’t understand why.
When I lifted my hand, I realized it was because of the gun. Placing it back into a holster, I raised my empty hands. “I’m not the bad guy. I’m a doctor. Is anyone hurt?”
They regarded me for a while before one of them nodded, moving to show me a man on the floor they’d been shielding. Reaching up for the first aid kit, I opened it and began to look through it.
“Shit, I’m going to need more. Can one of you go to the other food places and grab theirs?”
A young boy nodded as his mom began to cry, but she didn’t stop him as he hurried off. I felt like an ass, but we’d need the supplies, and he might be the best option to get them. He was small and quick. I got to work, helping the man on the floor who looked to have hit his head.
“I think he has a concussion but should be okay for now.” I cleaned his wound and sealed it for the moment. The woman patted my hand, thanking me.
Moving to the side, I was about to make a break for it when the boy returned, three more kits in his arms. Smiling, I took them from him. Taking a chance, I shoved them across the floor, not wanting to hinder my escape with them in my hands.
Once they were all against the table, I took a deep breath and ran for it. A shot rang out, and I cursed, feeling it graze me as I ducked down behind the table. Checking it over, I sighed with relief when I saw it was only a tiny cut. Taking more time than I had, I ducked and weaved my way from person to person, checking them over for injuries. Most of the crowd seemed to be okay, making me relieved that there weren’t many dying people without medical attention here.
When I got to another section, I realized that wasn’t the case here. Blood covered the floor, and I slid through it as I moved toward the woman holding a man. I knew before I got there that it wasn’t good. There were bullet wounds in his chest and leg, both bleeding profusely. His eyes were closed, and when I checked his pulse, there wasn’t one.
“I’m sorry,” I said, tears brimming my eyes.
The woman sniffed, nodding. “He saved me. I don’t even know his name, but I didn’t want him to be alone.” I squeezed her hand, feeling like she needed some comfort.
“Psst,” a voice said behind me, and I turned to find Fin crouching. She swallowed when she saw the woman and man, her face dropping slightly. She nodded, and I looked back to the woman, but she had her eyes closed as she rocked the man back and forth, her lips moving over a silent prayer.
“I managed to send a message and found the security booth. But…” she trailed off, biting her lip again.
“What?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“It’s all the way over there,” she nodded in a direction that was all open space. As I opened my mouth to tell her no, the PA system crackled on again.
“Times up, Oblivion. Another victim to add to your tally. It’s beginning to get steep.”
Fin squeezed her eyes, her body shaking as a gunshot rang out further away this time. “I have to go. I can’t let him keep killing people.”
