Enforced (Book 1)

Chapter 53

Before the blade pierced my heart, I heard a gunshot. My eyes flew open and I saw the son drop, blood permeating from his chest.

I looked to my left and saw Cory holding our pistol. Alex and Benjamin were sprinting towards me, Alex ahead of Benjamin by a few paces.

The father stared at his son in disbelief. "No!" He screamed. He took the pistol and aimed it at my chest and pulled the trigger.

At that moment Alex threw himself in front of me and the bullet that was meant to pierce my chest and end my life, hit Alex in the torso. He let out a cry and his body crumpled to the ground.

"No!" I wailed, sliding down the tree to my knees. Before the father could get another shot off, Cory dropped him with a bullet of his own.

"Untie me!" I screamed to Benjamin. "Hold on, Alex! Please." I yanked against the ropes keeping me tethered to the tree, the skin of my wrists being rubbed raw. Benjamin grabbed the knife from the dead son's hand and cut me loose.

I dropped to my knees at Alex's side and with trembling hands, I put pressure over the gaping hole above his stomach. Blood was rolling down Alex's cheeks, he coughed and his blood splattered across my face.

I was doing my best to control the bleeding, but it was no use. "Hold on, Alex." I begged him.

He shook his head slowly and grabbed my hands with his. "It's no. Use." He rasped. "Too late."

"No." I wept.

He looked into my eyes, "I told. You. I promised. You. I'd get you. To the. Outskirts. You will get. There. But this. Is as far. As I. Go."

"I'm so sorry." I sobbed, "It should be me."

He shook his head. "Promise. Promise me. You'll take. Care of Sophie."

"Of course. I promise."

"Promise me. You'll fight."

I wrapped my pinkie in his. "I promise."

Benjamin and Cory stood over us. He look up at them and then back at me. "My family." He smiled. Then coughed again, "I love you. Tell Sophie too."

I tightened my grip on his pinkie. "I'll tell her." I said, tears rushing down my face, leaving streaks through the blood coating my face.

"Win this." He said, closing his eyes, his breaths becoming more ragged and shallow.
The boys kneeled down next to Alex. He opened his eyes one last time and looked at all of us in turn, and smiled. Then he closed his eyes once more.

"I. See. Her." He said, each word spoken seconds apart. "Alexis." His smile grew wider as he took his last breath.

"Bethany!" Sophie shouted excitedly running through the trees toward us. "They saved you!"

"Don't let her see him!" I ordered.

Cory got up and sprinted to Sophie, shielding her from Alex's body. "We told you to stay put Sophie." Cory said, his voice muffled by tears.

"I know." Sophie responded, "but I heard the gun go off so I knew you got the bad guys and saved Bethany." Cory let out a sob. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?" She asked, fear overtaking the excitement her voice had just held. She struggled to move around Cory to see what was going on.

She was able to poke her head around Cory. When she saw Benjamin and I kneeling over Alex she yelled, "Get up, Alex." She still did not understand that Alex was gone. She tried to move closer to us but Cory wrapped his arms around her, stopping her.

"He's not there, Sophie."

"What do you mean he's not there? I can see him!"

"Sophie," I heard Cory say, his voice somber. "Alex went to be with Alexis."