THE BROKEN BRIDGE

“Orders came to pass the dead body,” Rafe said, forcing his voice to sound calm.

“Orders?” he repeated, his voice laced in confusion.

Before Rafe could explain further, he suddenly drove his blade into Derek's stomach, causing Derek's body to jerk, but no sound came out. He swallowed the scream, teeth grinding as blood soaked his shirt.

“He’s dead!” Rafe said coldly.

“Boss said their body must be burned. How then evidence?” he asked Rafe as the one with the walkie-talkie stepped forward.

“Active men one, who gave you such an order?” he asked sharply.

“I was…”

“Turn this truck back to your post,” the first man cut in, tension rising. “Where’re the remaining men?”

“They were killed by this man before he was killed”. Rafe replied. “I didn't burn him here because his bodyguard might still be nearby.” 

The one with the walkie-talkie leaned in and whispered into the first man’s ear. After a pause, the man walked to their truck.

“Move this out of the way,” he commanded as the truck engine roared to life and was moved, giving way for Rafe as he drove.

The man with his walkie-talkie lifted it up. “Boss, they’ve passed. They’re on their way out of the forest and men are covered there,” he said into the walkie-talkie, then switched the channel.

“The targets are on their way to the forest exit! Remain alert! I repeat, targets are on their way to the forest exit! Remain alert!” he informed as Rafe drove the truck farther until they sighted the city, but a deadly ocean stood before them with an old, worn-out wide bridge.

“You need to try. If we cross to the other part, we can get you home,” Rafe said to Derek, who held his bleeding stomach.

Rafe helped him out of the truck, walking to the bridge as bullets ripped through the air. Rafe yanked him back as they shielded themselves behind the truck.

“Ahh!” Derek cried.

“Hold still,” Rafe urged, drawing out his gun. He fired blindly into the darkness but the shooters were hidden.

“Stay down!” he yelled as he glanced at the bridge, then at the truck.

“Let’s get into the truck, we're driving across” he added as he lifted Derek in, slammed the door, and quickly slid in.

The engine roared as Rafe sped toward the bridge.

“Are you crazy? We’re going to die!” Derek gasped, still holding his wound.

Rafe didn’t answer as the truck rolled onto the bridge, but the wood groaned beneath the weight.

Crack!! Crack!!

Rafe still drove as they reached the middle when a bullet struck one tire, then another. The truck lurched to a stop.

“Fu**ck,” Rafe exclaimed.

He helped Derek down and they began crawling to pass the bridge with the truck covering them from the shooters. As they crawled, the bridge creaked louder, shaking beneath them.

Rafe quickly crawled out, arriving safely, as Derek crawled, battling the pain he felt.

When he was close to the end, suddenly the middle snapped apart. The truck plunged into the ocean as Derek screamed and grabbed a broken beam, his body hanging over the ocean.

“Rafe!”. He cried.

Shiver ran down Rafe's spine as he spun around in search of Derek then found him. 

“Mister!” Rafe called, as Derek trembled, blood dripping from his wound and his fingers slipping.

Surprisingly, no bullet came, but Rafe knew they were planning something else.

“Help!” Derek’s trembling voice finally came out.

Rafe took the last rope in his suit and tied one end hard to the hardwood at the end of the bridge. It was still strong then threw the other toward Derek.

“Hang on to it,” he said.

Derek stretched his hand toward the rope and finally grabbed it. Rafe braced himself as Derek's weight yanked him forward, he growled with his muscles burning as he pulled, little by little, until Derek was up as he collapsed to the ground.

Rafe helped him and they ran. Getting to the city, Rafe sighted a woman parking her car as she stepped out. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly slid Derek into the car and ran to the driver's seat without shutting Derek’s side door as he saw her already arriving angrily. He zoomed off before she could scream.

“Where are we headed?” Rafe asked.

“Please,” Derek said quietly, “take me anywhere… anywhere except my home. It’s unsafe.” He paused, looking at Rafe. “But with you here… It’s safer.”

Rafe nodded. “Fine. We will go to Safehouse Cobalt.” He changed direction and turned sharply.

“Thank you,” Derek whispered, his lips clenched as he swallowed pain.

“You’re welcome.”

Rafe focused on the road, then noticed a car trailing behind them.

“They found us,” he announced, speeding up.

Derek turned and saw the same truck from earlier closing in fast.

“Why are they after me so badly? Why?” he whispered in fear.

“There must be something. Have you hurt someone before?” Rafe asked, though he doubted it.

Derek was brilliant and committed, but he didn’t have the heart to kill.

“I swear I haven’t hurt anyone! Please, I haven’t!” Derek pleaded.

“I know,” Rafe said, as he saw the truck gaining on them.

Rafe spotted a narrow service tunnel. He burst through and entered a busy road where he twisted the wheel hard but the truck couldn’t follow as cars blocked its path. The truck stopped, but two cars still followed him. Rafe darted into another street, saw a little space, he quickly hid the car in a dark corner and cut the engine.

The two cars drove past, thinking he had taken those routes.

“Are you alright?” Rafe asked. Derek nodded.

He leaned closer, tightening the rope around his wound as Derek yelled in pain.

One of the chasing cars stopped.

“Boss, we lost them,” he said into the walkie-talkie, then faced the driver. “Take us back.”

The car turned, heading back, when they heard Derek yell.

His eyes sharpened.

“Stop the car.”