The Fox and the Pigeon hole Chapter 21

21. Fugitives

“Come on, Run!” Jackson yells through gritted teeth, pulling Katie by the arm. After being imprisoned for several days they have finally seized their chance to escape. Sirens blast above them, but the large metal gate is in sight and open just as they expected. “There, to the north!” Shouts someone behind them, but they continue, sprinting across a wide dusty courtyard. The sound of running feet spurs them on but Katie is weak and falls behind, “Come on” Cries Jackson.

“Seal the gate” Booms a voice from the loudspeaker, and its almost too late. A light flashes, perhaps another siren is sounding but its lost in the cacophony of noise. There almost upon it, Jackson pulls Katie on pleading with her, but the gate is already sliding shut. “Jackson! We won’t make it” screams Katie, but Jackson lets go of her hand and sprints to the gate. For a split second he considers saving himself, he could make it but he would have to leave Katie behind. He runs through the gate and looks back, Katie has stopped running, she is standing there, the officers almost upon her, shaking her head and crying.

“No! Katie!” Jackson shouts, he looks around frantically for something, anything. If he doesn’t leave now then he will be caught as well, then, just as he is about to leave he sees a red button next to the gate. Without thinking he pushes it.

The gate grinds to a halt, “Katie, this way!” Jackson yells but she’s still standing defenceless in the middle of the courtyard. “Katie!” He cries again, waving his arms. Tears streaking down her face she turns and runs towards him. “Jackson!” She screams again and again, the officers are keeping up. One of them lashes out but misses her by inches. Suddenly panicking Jackson knows he must run now, but Katie might not make it. Wildly he picks up a piece of metal pipe, ready to defend himself. But he is just one man against at least a dozen officers. He could not possibly win.

Jackson swings the pole and slams it into the button, it sparks and he thinks it might explode. But suddenly, with a spluttering sound the gate groans back into motion. “Hurry Katie!” She’s only a metre away so he picks up the pole and swings it again just as she flies past him. He catches the first officer in the face and he collapses. Tripping up at least four others behind him. The gate slams shut and the officers catch a glimpse of Jackson and Katie sprinting down the road.

“Where now?!” pants Katie as they rest in an alleyway. Jackson is panting to; stars flashing in front of his eyes make him lose balance and slump against the wall. “I don’t know” he breathes.

Katie sits down next to him, still breathing heavily. She notices Jacksons ripped jeans, “We need to get you some new..” she trails off, pulling back a piece of ripped fabric, “Oh Jackson” She whispers. There on his bruised leg, a long gash has ripped open the flesh of his right leg. Katie looks down into the deep cut, trying to keep her face as reassuring as possible, but in her heart she knows that without a doctor he won’t survive long. There at the bottom of the wound she sees a fleck of white, his bone.

Katie turns away, because she can’t take it. Jackson has regained enough sense to realize her shaking shoulders are hiding sobs. “Hey” He groans, “We’ll be fine”

“Yes” She says, looking back at him. “Absolutely fine” but she can’t hold back the tears. “oh Jackson” She sobs, slowly pulling back his torn trouser leg. Jackson looks down to see his wound, stretching from his lower left calf almost across to his knee. He knows he can’t do anything. Maybe they could have escaped. Lived in the woods, kept running until they couldn’t be found by anyone. But now there’s no hope. He’s condemned them both to imprisonment, maybe even death.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on Kat. I don’t know who did this, or why or anything. But we’re going to be Ok” He forces himself to his feet, feeling the pain of his leg fully for the first time. It must have been numb for him to run all this way without passing out from the pain. “OK” He looks around, pulling Katie up beside him.“Where to?”

Katie wipes the tears from her face, and looks around “Hmm” she sighs, pulling a face of mock concentration. She airily points her finger towards the sloping hills that rise up just above the sharp tops of the buildings, “That way”. For a moment they smile, but as they make their way down the alleyway any smiling stops. Jacksons injury is as painful as it looks and more. He can’t go more than a few steps without crying out with pain. Resolving to wait until the cover of darkness they shuffle their way into a small park, the streets are empty but Katie pulls her jumper over their heads. The cameras are surely looking for them.