d9 . audrey hale

She was sure the bullet had been meant for her, but somehow, in the flurry of movement and moment of panic, it had missed.

The bullet had buried itself in Amelia’s side.

For the first time in her entire life, Audrey hadn’t known what to do or say. She’d stared numbly at her twin, eyes flickering down to the growing patch of crimson that seeped into her shirt. Amelia loved that shirt, was the first thought that finally crossed her mind. She didn’t know how she was going to get that stain out of it.

“Ames-”

The word cut through the silence that hung after the click of the trigger. This couldn’t be happening, they’d never- not once had a job gone so terribly wrong. They’d been doing this, side-by-side for over three years. At the age of fifteen, they’d worked together to take out their first target. No- they were the best. The two of them were an unstoppable force of power and skill that complimented one another perfectly. There were no holes, not when the two of them worked together.

“Ames- can-” She slipped onto the ground, crawling on all fours until her hands buried themselves into Amelia’s shirt. Her fingers trembled as they pulled at the fabric, tugging her closer towards Audrey’s body.

“Ames,” the word was louder, more demanding. Panic coiled beneath her words, echoing in a shakiness that was uncharacteristic of her. Audrey was the loud one, the one that had a tongue made of iron. She’d inflict damage with words like a whip, lashing out at others with little care of what they thought about her. Here she was, at a loss for words, unable to string more than two together.

There was a quiver to her words that was felt in her eyes as a tear slipped out. She pulled harder, recoiling as Amelia’s blood covered her hands. Her stomach twisted painfully, she wanted to throw up. It was wrong, so wrong. There was so much blood, spreading further with every passing moment. She frantically wiped the blood onto her shirt, trying to get rid of it as Amelia continued to remain unresponsive.

Reaching forwards Audrey grabbed hold of Amelia’s face, cold fingers pulling against her warm cheek. Her eyes were closed and Audrey leaned forwards, her ear hovering over Amelia’s mouth as she looked down her chest. There was a split second, the roaring head of panic threatening to overwhelm her, where there was nothing. The relief that bubbled within her chest spilled through her veins as the gentlest touch of airbrushed against her ear.

Audrey half sighed half sobbed, biting on her lip as she watched the slight rise of Audrey’s chest.

Please don’t die.

She was too scared to say the words, fearful that they might bring bad luck. Instead, she moved, forcing her limbs into action. They couldn’t stay here, Audrey had already wasted too much time with her panic. The longer they remained her the more likely they would be found and killed. She had to get them both away safely, and she wasn’t sure how much longer Amelia had left-

No, Amelia would be fine. She pressed the words firmly into her heart, a promise she would force herself to keep even if it meant her own demise. Amelia was the most important person in the world, there was no one- no other single person who could even compare to the love Audrey felt for her twin. Her gaze flickered to her watch as she grabbed Amelia’s arms, moving to pick her up in a fireman’s carry.

Fuck, she cursed, gritting her teeth as her body strained, struggling to get Amelia onto her shoulders. They had both promised their parents they’d be home for dinner. They’d both naively believed that this job would be as simple as in and out. Had they become too comfortable? Audrey was share they hadn’t been careless, they’d spent two weeks scanning the target, religiously tracking and writing down every one of his movements until they had a pattern.

So, what had gone wrong?

She didn’t know. That- it wasn’t something Audrey knew. That was Amelia’s area. She was the smart one, the one that was careful and calculating and came up with the rock-solid plans. She was smart, she was the brave one that always knew what to do-

“Fuck! Audrey snapped as she stumbled into the nearest wall, smashing herself and Amelia into the brick. Where was she supposed to go? She splayed her fingers against the brick, fingers digging in as she panted, fighting the tidal wave of fear that was building within her.

“What do I do?” Where was she supposed to go? She took another step forward, wide eyes scanning to streets in front of her.

Amelia had said something about escape plans. Why hadn’t she been paying attention? She knew why, she thought, bitterness biting at her tongue as she struggled onwards. She relied on Amelia, that was the stuff that Amelia knew about. She was so used to her just leading the way that she had stopped caring and trying to memorise all the details.

The sound of footsteps filled the evening, shouts echoing against the bricks. Audrey’s steps quickened as she forced herself to move faster. The fear that she had fought so carefully to keep at bay overcame her and she gasped, taking the nearest alley as quickly as she could. She was puffing, each step burning her legs painfully as she moved. Her body wasn’t designed for this, she’d honed herself to be light, agile, and flexible. She had muscle, but not enough to drag her sister around for hundreds of meters.

The adrenaline was fading quickly as she reached the closest door. She held her breath as a blood-covered hand pushed down on the handle. Audrey whimpered, the relief weakening her limbs as the handle gave way under her touch. The door opened, revealing a dark and gloomy bar that hadn’t yet been opened for the evening. Pushing them both inside, she placed Amelia onto the ground as gently as she could manage, stumbling back to the door and tugging it closed.

A chair sat to her right and she grabbed it, shoving it under the door handle to prevent their pursuers from getting inside. Audrey hoped that no one would be coming in soon, she quickly made her way to the bar, looking under the benches with an efficiency that was more like her. Her calculating gaze shifted over every nook and cranny as she grabbed a bag of rags, a bottle of alcohol, and eventually found the first aid kit tucked behind a bottle of tequila.

Audrey frowned, fingers pulling back her dark brown hair into a tight ponytail as she knelt down beside Amelia. With the immediate threat of their pursuers out of the way, her racing heart had calmed and she was able to think a little more clearly.

She was sure Amelia would scold her as soon as she woke up, there was no way her twin wouldn’t be upset with her. After all, she had lost her cool, lost her focus, and had allowed herself to fall into hysteria. They were supposed to be above such emotions, but as Audrey pulled back Amelia’s shirt she was once more reminded of her terror. There really was no way she was going to be able to hold herself together, not when it was Amelia’s life on the line. Audrey would trade places with her twin in a heartbeat, not a single moment of hesitation.

There was nothing anyone could say or do that could change her mind. Audrey meant the world to her, their parents had always said they were inseparable. Their mum had always smiled, laughing as she told the story of their childhood. If they were ever separated they would cry and scream until they were reunited. There was no denying the attachment, the heart-driven need to be in the presence of each other. Audrey liked to believe that their souls were entwined, and that distance pulled so hard at that tether that it made their very being ache.

Blood still pulsed from the wound and Audrey cringed, heart in her throat as she tentatively wiped at the wound. She pushed against Amelia’s body hand feeling her back for an exit wound, to her horror she felt none.

“Shit, Amelia, this is gonna really fucking hurt,” she grabbed the bottle of vodka, pouring it on her hands and scrubbing them as clean as she could. Her fingers balanced at the edge of the wound as she gathered her courage.

I’m going to be sick.

She pushed her fingers into the wound, gagging at the feeling of exposed flesh and the warmth of blood against her own hand. Digging into the wound she searched for the bullet, frowning as she fought back a nauseous wave. The seconds went by, worry deepening her frown-

“Got it!” She yelled, pulling the bullet out and tossing it onto the ground. From there, she worked quickly, pulling the wound together with a needle and thread. Throwing some more vodka on the wound she wiped the rest of the blood away, wrapping it with some gauze and tape.

Audrey reached forwards, brushing strands of matted hair off Amelia’s face. She leaned forwards, pressing her own forehead against her twins, feeling the warmth of the touch spread across her own face. Amelia’s breathing was shallow and Audrey closed her eyes, squeezing them shut tightly.

“Don’t you dare die on me,” she whispered.

There was no existence in her life beyond Amelia. There was no thought, no dream, or image of what life could be without her in it. It didn’t exist within her reality. Audrey knew that her own life would cease to have meaning and desire. Audrey knew, just as she was sure Amelia did, that their lives were tied together. If one died, so did the other.

An unspoken promise.

She pulled back, entwining her fingers with Amelia’s as she sighed, pressing her head against the bar.

“Mum’s gonna be pissed that we missed dinner.”