“She won’t.” Alek bluntly stated without any doubt in his voice. “She’s a child who had just walked out of a plane crash… I’d have been more surprised if she were perfectly normal!”
“And you thought the best way to protect her was to tell no one that you’d been shot and just let yourself die?” Emile was baffled by his lover’s choice of action.
“Yes, well, I’ll admit it, I hadn’t considered the death part,” Alek confessed, “All I knew was that I had to protect Tia. I knew people would start asking questions about the bullet if it got out, and was I wrong? I mean, here you two are.”
“She can’t be trusted.” Emile was stern about where he stood.
“So what would you have us do?” Marianne butted in. “Banish her and send her out into The Bandits’ grip?”
“No,” Emile shook his head, for he indeed had an idea, “We lock her up.”
Marianne laughed, “What a stupid idea! She’s literally a child!”
“A child who nearly killed my fiancé!” Emile bellowed at her.
“That’s enough!” Alek regained control of the debate. “I’m the one who got shot, so it’s my decision: And I’m telling you, Tia has done nothing! That’s exactly what you’re gonna believe the minute you walk out of this room.”
Emile was disheartened to hear his fiancé talking to him as though he were just another resident of the safe zone and not the man he was going to soon marry.
Wanting to feel useful, Elliot had this time volunteered to take watch duty at the main gate. Ever since he had lost his sight, he become far more introverted. As such, Cora had paired him up with her equally introverted friend, Rylie, in the hopes that they would bond and bring out the best in each other.
“Nice—Cane.” Rylie complimented Elliot on the stick he used to navigate his way around.
“Oh, thank you.” Elliot nodded politely, though was thinking to himself that this was rather an odd thing to say.
Feeling awkward, Rylie tried to erase their remark from existence immediately after saying it, “I like your hair! It’s all long and blowy and, well, it’s just really cool.”
Although Rylie had only said this to break the ice, Elliot was wondering to himself if they were trying to flirt with him, “Well, I’d say I like yours too, but you know—” He pointed to his dull and grey eyes.
Rylie laughed, “Well, I suppose you can feel it if you’d like.” Again, they didn’t mean this in a flirtatious manner, but rather just didn’t know how to socialise with this new friend.
“Oh,” Elliot was feeling equally as awkward, “Well, I don’t mind if I do.” He reached out, as Rylie guided his hand through their short hair. “It’s um—It’s very clean!” Elliot noted.
“The showers here are excellent.” Rylie affirmed.
“Yeah, I remember… I think.” In truth, Elliot was unsure if he had even used the showers the first time he was here.
At her mother’s request, Cora had gone to check in on Alek. Although Marianne had departed from the operating theatre by this point, Emile was still very much by his partner’s side, though had an extremely disgruntled look on his face.
“How’s everything in here?” Cora asked with an effulgent smile.
“All good,” Alek assured her, “I’ve taken my first round of antibiotics and now, using your mother’s advice, I’m just taking it easy.”
“I’m delighted to hear that… Tia sends her regards.” Cora naively informed him.
Alek and Emile looked daringly at each other; the recent revelation of course meaning Cora’s words had multiple connotations.
“I’m sorry?” Alek was the one to prompt an answer.
“Oh, Marianne told her that you’re in hospital, but she didn’t tell her why.” Cora revealed. “I popped in to visit her, and she asked me to tell you that she hopes you’ll be alright.”
“Oh, of course.” Alek nodded, looking suspiciously to Emile; for little did Cora know the real reason why Tia was so distressed.
“Gosh, you love that girl so much, don’t you?” Cora tried small talk. “I bet you can’t wait to be an uncle for a second time, can you?”
As Cora blurted this out, Emile’s eyes widened in fear as he stared straight down at the floor.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Alek was at a loss.
Foolishly, Cora explained, “I mean Adela’s pregnancy – It’s alright, I’m in the know. Well, I am now at least.”
Alek turned to Emile, “Did you know about this?” He mumbled to him.
Instantly, as Cora realised she had said too much, her face went bright red in embarrassment, “Oh God! She hasn’t told anybody, has she?”
Alek laughed, “It’s alright, Cora. I’m not going to say anything of it. Besides, she’s our best friend. She’ll tell us soon enough and then you won’t have to worry.”
Emile’s heart broke a little more as he watched Alek reassuringly smile at Cora; he really was clueless about just how much his fiancé had betrayed him.
Rajan had convinced Michelle to sit with him at one of the restaurant tables with Gwen and Annabelle.
As Michelle sat there silently, Rajan gestured with his eyes for her to apologise to Gwen and Annabelle.
Finally conceding, she sighed, “Alright fine, I’m sorry for earlier.” And that was the full extent of Michelle’s blunt apology.
“Apology accepted.” Gwen said reluctantly, only not wanting to cause any further conflict within the safe zone.
“So, just out of interest, what are you going to do?” Rajan asked, genuinely out of curiosity, and not judgement or intervention, for this conflict was nothing to do with him in his eyes.
As Gwen drew breath to answer, Annabelle stole her thunder, “We’re gonna kill them, no doubt about it.”
Although she did not like hearing her daughter talk so vindictively, Gwen had not changed her mind either, “What she said, basically.”
Rajan nodded idly, “Fair enough… So, when you’re all dead, is it alright if we stay here?” Just as it seemed like he was stepping down from his stubborn nature, Rajan just had to try and point out the ethical flaws in their plan.
Gwen shook her head and dismissed him, “They deserve it. They killed my husband.”
“Well, going by what your son said earlier,” Rajan remarked, “You’ve killed more of them than they of you, no?”
Annabelle butted in and laughed, “The score doesn’t matter. Revenge is what matters.”
Rajan sighed, “At risk of being offensive about your brother, an eye for an eye makes the whole world… You know, blind.” He flippantly remarked.
Gwen was disgusted by Rajan’s joke, “Another quip like that and you will be too.”
“That’s assuming you can get through me.” Michelle defended Rajan, folding her arms and leaning over the table with a daring look and glistening red lipstick as she did so.
Gwen laughed at her, “Oh honey, please. My friends and I wiped the Valerino family off the face of the Earth – You’re hardly even a starter.”
Before this rivalry could advance any further, Tina arrived at the table, having just come from completing Erica’s hearing exam.
“Everything alright, Tina?” Annabelle asked her with regards to the flushed expression on her face.
“I ran over here to tell you as fast as I could,” this was not the reason why Tina was flushed, “Alek’s awake.”
Gwen cheered lowly as this news was delivered.
“That man really does have nine lives.” Annabelle commented, in reference to how Alek had survived near death twice now.
“Is it true that he got shot?” Gwen asked, having heard certain whispers running amok around the safe zone.
Normally, Tina would have told Gwen and Annabelle the truth, though seeing as they had unfamiliar company with them, she opted to lie, partially believing that one of the outsiders may have had something to do with Alek’s injury, “Nope, absolutely not. That’s just a load of shit that Elliot came up with
probably.”
“Fair enough.” Gwen believed the lie. “I’m glad he’s alright, tell him I’ll be swinging by later.”
“Will do.” Tina accepted her old friend’s request, as she looked up and down her new ones uneasily.
Mac and Dawn, having taken over from Elliot and Rylie, were now on duty at the main gate once again. They had become rather fond of each other’s company over the few days that they had known each other.
At present, they were playing one of Mac’s favourite games from when he was a student at college.
“Alright, never have I ever…” Mac thought hard to himself, “Been to Zimbabwe?”
Dawn gasped in disbelief, “You’ve been to Zimbabwe? Seriously?”
Mac nodded serenely, “Damn right I have! First year at university, studying for a degree in African Culture.”
She rolled her eyes and took a swig from the bottle anyway. Due to the rationing of alcohol, they had instead opted to use sparking water as their forfeit, for it was a taste that they both despised.
“We haven’t got your supplies Mac!” Kieran unexpectedly called out with a bloody face as he and the rest of the supply run group advanced up the tunnel.
“Holy shit!” Mac exclaimed, surprised to see both: the supply runners having returned so earlier, but also that Valorie was holding a hostage in her arms. “Get it open!” Mac instructed Dawn.
Without any questions spoken, though with plenty in her mind, Dawn ran over to the large rusty lever and pulled it down with all her strength; the gate slowly opening further the more she pushed it down.
“What the hell Kieran?!” Mac asked in fear and astonishment with regards to the unfamiliar woman in Valorie’s grip.
“She’s one of The Bandits.” Kieran bluntly answered.
“What? How the hell did you—Oh, never mind.” Mac cut himself off as he quickly realised the more answers he got, the more questions he would in turn have. “So, did you get any supplies whatsoever?”
Kieran shrugged and grimaced at him, “On the next one, buddy, on the next one.” He patted him on the shoulder patronisingly.
There were lots of murmurs and gasps on the streets of the safe zone as the astounded residents all watched Valorie escort this new and rather menacing woman along.
“Do you want me to get Gwen and Annabelle?” Marianne directed her question towards Nikola and Rubin, who were hanging behind Kieran and Valorie, as she felt more comfortable talking to people that she had already lived with before.
“No!” Kieran was the one who answered regardless, shouting this refusal at her. “They’ll just get in the way. Not to mention, they’ll probably kill her too.” He nodded to the apprehended Donna.
“Uh, and rightfully so, no?” Marianne contested, not seeing what the problem with killing one of the enemies was.
“Just—Just don’t tell them yet, okay?” Kieran firmly reasoned with her.
“Mari’,” Nikola mumbled lowly to her, “It’s okay.” She supported Kieran’s stance, “We’ll handle this, don’t worry.”
Feeling a little more reassurance from her old allies, Marianne nodded and remained where she stood, even if it did go against her better judgement…
Chapter 17: Sitting Ducks
Kieran, Valorie, Nikola, Rubin, Mac, and Dawn had taken Donna to one of the semi-detached houses at the farther away end of the safe zone, so as to minimise the chance of any interruptions.
The bandit was currently tied up to a chair in the basement underneath the house, her six captors all anxiously glaring down at her in a huddle, as though they were a tactical support unit.
“How many of you are there?” Kieran asked, his arms sternly folded as he did so.
Donna smirked and avoided the question, “Nolan’s next in line to lead us,” she revealed, “He’ll be coming for this place soon enough.” Then, she glared over at Valorie, “Thanks for letting him escape.”
“As long as it means I’m better than you,” Valorie retorted, not shaken by her foe’s taunting in the slightest, “Then you’re welcome.”
“How many of you are there?” Kieran repeated his question, ignoring the exchange between Donna and Valorie.
“Why would I tell you when you’ll find out for yourselves in the near future?” Donna groaned at him, suggesting the possibility of an upcoming attack.
Nikola and Rubin looked over at each other uneasily, and then over at Valorie; they were having doubts about the security of her ethical judgement.
“How about where are you all hiding?” Dawn called out from the back of the pack.
Donna rolled her eyes to pass Dawn’s question off.
“Okay, can we please just kill her now?” Mac burst out aggressively.
“No, Mac.” Kieran turned to face him and then mumbled, “She’s just trying to get inside your head, okay? Don’t let her win.”
Taking a deep breath, Mac nodded and understood.
“You’re all just sitting ducks!” Donna proclaimed jovially and laughed, not backing down from her gloating nature.
“And you’ll be a dead bitch if you keep this attitude up.” Valorie forewarned her, hovering her hand over her pistol to verify her threat as legitimate.
Although on the outside he appeared to be stern and in control, on the inside, Kieran was starting to become unnerved by how easily his allies could be swayed and riled up by Donna’s words.
Kieran, Valorie, Nikola, Mac, and Dawn had headed to the upstairs floor of the house in order to discuss their next move, leaving Rubin down in the basement to watch over their hostage. In order to avoid Donna from eavesdropping in on them, they had agreed to leave a story’s worth of space between her and them.
“We have to call it in,” Nikola proposed, “If she’s telling the truth, then we need to arm ourselves up for the incoming attack.”
“If the attack was real,” Kieran countered, “Then why would she tell us about it? She’s just trying to incite fear and divide us, don’t let her get to you!” He was absolutely certain that Donna was playing a mind game.
“Maybe she’s just a gloating idiot,” Valorie proposed, “Either way, it would be a safe bet to arm ourselves.”
“But the armoury is locked at all times and Cora is the one who has the key!” Kieran reminded her.
“Then we tell Cora about our hostage, simple.” Valorie followed up.
“Okay, and then she tells Erica, who tells Tina, who tells somebody else, and then eventually, we’ve got a whole city full of panicked people!” Kieran was thinking ahead of time, “Disarray is a more powerful weapon than anything that The Bandits possess!” With time, he would actually realise this was not entirely true.
“At the very least,” Dawn gave her opinion, “We should tell Gwen and Annabelle. It’s no secret that this is personal for them. It should be their choice.”
Mac nodded in agreement, “Dawn’s right, this is not our fight and therefore it’s not our call. We should pass this over to someone else.”
“No, no! Gwen and Annabelle are the worst people to tell for that exact reason!” Kieran tried to yell reason into his allies. “The moment they find out one of their enemies is captive and within reach, do you really think they won’t just come and kill her? That is her plan! She wants us to kill her in order to get a war started between us and the crazies outside!”
Although Kieran’s theory was reasonable, the expressions on his comrades’ faces suggested they were still thinking otherwise.
“Alright, let’s take a vote,” Kieran suggested, “All who are in favour of calling it in, raise your hand.”
Unanimously, Valorie, Nikola, Mac, and Dawn had all put their hands up.
Kieran sighed and shook his head, “You’re playing with fire here, guys,” he grumbled at them, “When it burns you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Sulking, he stormed off back downstairs.
Completely unmoved by Kieran’s forewarning, Nikola picked up her radio and put a call through to Gwen on a private channel.
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Alek had been discharged from the hospital. By his own request, he was currently snuggled up with Emile on the sofa in their cottage.
The seemingly happy couple were binging some of their favourite old films; they secretly had the only DVD player in the entire safe zone, and despite not quite being a VHS player, they knew that if Mac knew of its’ existence, he’d steal it from them without a second thought.
‘Knock-knock-knock!’
There was a polite and rather unhurried calling at the door.
As Alek went to get up, Emile put his arm over him, “Don’t worry, I’ll get it. You just take it easy.” He nodded to Alek’s patched up wound with an endearing smile, to which Alek smiled back at him in kind.
Upon opening the door, Emile was greeted by Marianne.
“You wanted to see me?” She asked him with great curiosity.
Emile stepped out onto the cottage porch and shut the front door behind him without saying a word.
“What is it? Is it Alek?” Marianne further asked as she attempted to glare through the frosted windowpane on the front door in order to see if Alek was inside.
“Alek’s fine.” Emile quickly reassured her as he stepped in front of the door.
“Then why did you ask me to come all the way out here?” Marianne referred to how the cottage was on the complete opposite side of the safe zone to where she lived.
Emile sighed, “Adela’s pregnant.” He revealed.
Marianne’s eyes widened, “Oh...? Right?” She didn’t quite understand why this information was being given to her.
“The baby’s mine.” Emile revealed as he swallowed the guilty lump in his throat.
“I—What?” Marianne was suddenly at a complete loss for words. “I mean, how? How is that—How?”
“The normal way.” Emile sarcastically responded.
“No but… You two?” Marianne was still too shocked to form a coherent sentence.
“Alek doesn’t know,” Emile continued, “We’d had an argument, I got drunk, Adela was also drunk, so we slept together.”
Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV Page 16