Ignoring the chill in my stomach, I walked closer to it. Seth told me not to go to the noises I heard, but I didn't listen. I was never one to listen.
Opening the scrap metal to get inside, I bit my tongue to hold in a scream. Chantel was tied to a chair, a gag in her mouth. She was fighting the restraints. Tears streamed down her dark skin. She looked petrified.
The diseased woman was standing in front of her, a huge knife in her hand. "You will be so tasty," she giggled to Chantel.
Chantel shook her head vigorously back and forth.
"She actually tastes a little burnt." I don't know what overcame me, but those were the only words I could think of. My voice came out hoarse and scared.
The crazy woman whipped her head and looked at me. Blood was trickling from her eyes.
"More food," she said, looking at me with raw hunger.
"I taste better than her." I nodded my head towards Chantel. "Her skin is a dark brown, she is burnt. I'm pale. A little undercooked, but I taste better."
I didn't have time to run and grab someone. For all I knew, the crazy woman would stab Chantel by the time we got back.
Chantel looked at me like I was as crazy as the woman with a butcher knife.
The diseased glanced between Chantel and me. She was comparing our skin color. I folded my hands when I couldn't stop the shaking. I didn't want her to see how afraid I was.
Chantel caught my gaze, then looked at her leg. She had a gun strapped to it. She wanted me to shoot her.
"I don't like burnt meat." The woman took a few steps towards me, knife pointed directly at my chest.
"Neither do I, but first untie her. That way you can tie me up." I offered, giving her a gentle smile.
The woman opened her mouth and something fell out. Bile rose in my throat. It was a rat tail.
"Good. The idea is good. Your brain is smart." She went over to Chantel.
"Wait!" I screamed when she pressed her knife against Chantel's throat.
The woman looked at me.
"I thought you were untying her." I reminded her.
"I've always wanted curly hair." She ran her hands through Chantel's bouncy curls.
Chantel caught my eye again and glanced at the handgun strapped to her thigh.
"Okay." I cautiously took a step forward. "How about I hold her head still while you cut?" I offered.
The diseased woman muttered incoherent words, then took a step to the side. I moved closer. I could barely hear the noise going on outside over my heart beat. My knees wobbled as if they would give out on me. The memory of being scratched by the diseased was still fresh in my mind.
Dirt fell out of the woman's hair as she moved to the side even more. Her blade was pressed in Chantel's throat. Blood trickled down from the knife. Once I reached them, I acted on pure impulse. I knocked into the bony woman with my shoulder, and slid the handgun out from the holster.
When the woman screeched, a petrifying screech, I lifted the gun. Two shots blasted out hitting the woman in the forehead. Her body dropped like a fly. Putting the gun in the back of my pants, I snatched the knife from the floor and began cutting the ropes at Chantel's legs.
"What have you done?" Someone slammed into my back, making me fall into the cement floor. "I hate you!" The girl screamed. Something hard got smashed into my cheek. Blood filled my mouth.
The small girl got thrown off of me. Seth shot me a heated look, then looked towards the girl. She was laying over her mother's body sobbing. "Attack one of us again and you'll join your mom." He threatened. His voice was cold. Goosebumps broke out across my skin.
Seth's dark eyes landed on Chantel, half way tied up in the chair. He assessed the situation before reaching a hand out to me. Our fingers clasped together and he tugged me up. The world began to spin around me. I spat the blood out of my mouth and wiped my lips with the back of my hand.
It only took Seth a few seconds to untie Chantel and get us out of there. When we stepped out into the bright sunlight, a group of enforcers were standing outside of the scrap house, guns aimed and ready to fire. They lowered their weapons when they saw us come out.
Chantel was quiet. She didn't say a word as we followed Seth back to the truck. David and Ares were still there. They looked over at us. Ares eyes were expressionless. David's eyes only seemed curious as to what happened.
When David saw my face, his entire body went rigid and his hands tightened into fists at his side. "What happened?" He demanded.
"Attacked by a diseased." Chantel muttered, then hopped into the back seat of the truck.
Seth didn't say anything. He jumped into the truck bed. I lowered my eyes and followed Seth. He was looking out towards the trees. He didn't glance at me when I sat beside him. He was angry with me. I could feel it. The truck started up when Adam hopped inside.
Adam gave me a look when he saw Seth's posture and my face. When we started driving, Adam had to yell over the wind to be heard.
"What happened to you?" He shouted.
I gave a half shrug, not wanting to answer.
Adam wasn't deterred. "I heard a gunshot and assumed it was one of the enforcers. Was that you?"
Another half shrug.
"Are you okay?" His eyes were concerned.
A nod.
"Want to know what happened? “Seth’s voice broke across the wind.
Adam looked at him.
"She doesn't listen. That's what happened. She never listens, then always finds herself in some kind of trouble. Then she wonders why all this is happening to her." Seth gave me a sharp look. "I told you not to go somewhere when you hear a noise. I specifically said to come get me."
My defense went up and I scooted away from him. The wind was causing my hair to slap me in the face. "I'm not a dog." I snapped.
"You could have been killed." He growled. His gaze was intense to the point that I had to look away.
"I wasn't."
"You almost were. Don't be selfish. How do you think your father would feel? He just got you back. He'd be devastated."
I went to say something sarcastic but snapped my mouth shut. Did he say my father? I forced myself not to look back in the truck. Did he mean Stephan? Was I Evelyn again to him? By the way, his skin whitened, I understood that he had made a mistake. He did not mean to say that.
It felt like my heart beat slowed down. My breathing got shallower.
"No, Brianna." He whispered.
I was right. When I first saw him and thought maybe, just maybe he was like me. What were the chances? How was that even possible?
I had almost been executed by my own flesh and blood. My father was the leader of a rebellion. He died when I was seven, yet he was sitting three feet behind me in a vehicle.
"What is going on? What are you guys talking about?"
Adam's voice sounded far away. Unreal. Nothing felt real. I felt like I was floating. In a dream. A loud ring was in my ears and the drastic pain in my face was now a dull.
Seth said he just got me back. David knew. He knew who I was, yet he didn't say anything. Nothing.
We drove for miles and nobody talked. I didn't move. I was still in The Unit’s baggy uniform. I was dirty and hungry, but none of that mattered. Nothing mattered.
I felt like time had frozen. I was drifting. How did you cope with having a dead father for over a decade, then suddenly you got to see him again.
I was going crazy. I was crazy. Nothing was real. None of this could be real. Scientifically speaking, this was impossible.
I had lost my mind and it took me this long to realize it. How could I wake up in another place, another time frame, and expect this to be real?
It was ludicrous.
Something touched my arm. I looked. It was Seth's hand. I brought my eyes up to his. He appeared concerned. I wanted to explain to him that it was okay. None of this was real, but I couldn't get myself to speak.
I didn't realize it when the truck came to a stop. My ears were buzzing. I was still lost in
my own world.
"What happened?" Adams' voice sounded loud. Too loud. I wanted to cover my ears.
Movement came from my side. "Nothing. She is just in shock."
There was a massive sign in front of us. It said welcome to Paradise. This wasn't paradise. I was trapped in hell.
"Keep your secrets then." Adam's voice was sharp. I felt him stare at me for a moment before he hopped out of the truck.
"I need you to stay calm. We are about to enter a riot zone." Seth told me.
He stood up and pulled my up by my arm. My legs were stiff and wanted to give out on me. Seth jumped out of the truck and easily helped me down.
When Arés and David got out of the truck they could sense something had happened. They shot Seth a questioning look.
I couldn't look at David the same anymore. The hazel eyes were the same. The soft brown hair was the same. The smile wrinkles around his eyes were the same. He was the same. He was everything I had remembered and forgotten.
I felt a tight construction on my chest. It was hard to breathe.
"We need to get moving." Ares turned and walked down the road. A small path led to really tall grass. I could see tall buildings in the distance.
David peered at me for a second then followed. Chantel stayed the furthest behind the group. She didn't say one word.
Adam walked in front of Seth and me. His posture was rigid. Seth stayed right by my side.
I was so lost in my own world that I constantly tripped over fallen branches and rocks. The dry grass crunched under my feet. The sun was beating onto our backs. Sweat trickled down my face, yet there was an icy breeze blowing through.
It was beginning to be summer. Puffy white clouds covered the sky. In the distance, I could see smoke. There was a fire.
Maybe the world would burn to the ground and this would all be over.
Ares raised his weapon and kept it aimed and ready. He walked in front of the group. David flocked him with his own weapon raised. It seemed everyone fell into combat mode because Chantel picked her pace up and had her handgun ready to fire. Seth pushed me behind him a little bit and raised his automatic gun. Adam backed me. I knew that he had a gun raised too.
I felt odd. Everyone was ready to fire. I couldn't bring myself to reach for the gun in my pants. I was tired of taking lives.
David glanced back at me. He was checking in on me. Did he still love me? The way he did when I was a little girl?
Ares came to a halt.
My mind didn't have time to process that people stood from the grass and jumped out of the trees. Guns were pointed at us and there was a lot of shouting. Seth completely stepped in front of me and Adam blocked the back of me.
I noticed the uniforms. We were surrounded by The Unit.
"Get down now!" One shouted, stepping in front of the other soldiers.
He was the one in charge.
"How about we all stay calm." David lowered his weapon and kept his voice smooth.
The soldier turned his face into a twisted smile. I could tell he was one sick man just by looking at him.
Unconsciously, I scooted closer to Seth.
The soldier shot at the ground. "How about you all drop to your knees and put your hands behind your head before I blow your brains out. You are surrounded."
David was the first to drop his weapon and get on his knees. As our leader, I didn't expect him to go down so easily. Ares and the rest of us followed his lead.
The soldier’s feet crunched on the ground as he walked directly to me.
"Evelyn, my dear. Fancy seeing you here."
I kept my gaze lowered. His voice made me feel like snakes were slithering up my body. I forced myself to stare at the dirt caked under my nails.
"How could someone so beautiful turn so hideous?" He grabbed my chin and tilted my head back roughly. "Look at that ruined face."
The soldier smiled showing off pure yellow teeth. He had a receding hairline and his hair looked like he rubbed grease through it. Acne scars covered his face.
"Should we take them to Stephan?" A man spoke from a few feet away.
"I saw we execute them all now. That way we don't have to deal with the bullshit of getting them there." Another voice said.
"It's going to be okay." Adam whispered from behind me.
The soldier kicked him right in the face. "You don't have permission to speak, maggot."
Seth stiffened in front of me. Without thinking twice, I got out of the position they wanted us in and scooted to Adam.
He was sitting up. He looked at me with worried eyes. We were in trouble and he knew it.
Chapter Nineteen
A hand fisted in my hair and yanked me up. Tears filled my eyes at the pulling sensation.
"I'm going to have fun with you," his foul breath filled my nose. My stomach turned with disgust. I scrunched my nose and choked back a gag.
"Put her down!" Adam jumped to his feet, ready to protect me. I knew his emerald green eyes would be blazing. The image easily filled my mind.
I heard a shuffle, a grunt, and a sound of pain. I didn't have to turn around to know soldiers swarmed on Adam. Guilt ate at my stomach. I wanted to tell him to sit down and not to fight, but I knew my words would be trivial.
I stared at Seth's tan hands on the back of his head. They shook a little. That was the only way I knew that he was feeling anything.
I wished I could have the numb feeling from earlier. The floating. It would have been better than this fear.
"Tie them up and put them in the back of the semi." The solider let go of my hair and I collapsed to my knees.
I pulled in a deep breath. I had not even realized I was holding my breath.
"Stay calm," Seth whispered as I was yanked to my feet again.
My arms got twisted behind my back and rope slid through my wrists. The soldier tightened it to the point of pain. The rope was cutting off the circulation to my hands. He took the gun out of the back of my pants and shoved me forward. I had a soldier on the left and the right of me.
We all did. Nobody spoke again. I looked behind me to see that Adam had a busted lip and a bloody nose.
All because he wanted to defend me. David was walking with ease. He didn't seem to have a care in the world. We approached a half sized semi-truck and one of the soldiers opened it.
"Hurry and get them in there." The foul breathed man ordered.
I was roughly shoved inside. Falling onto my knees, I scooted away from the opening as fast as I could. After they got us all in there, the door closed with a bang. It was pitch black in there. I listened to everyone breathe.
"Now what?" It was Chantel's voice. She sounded highly irritated.
"Now we wait." David responded with ease.
I felt the panic rise in me. It was too small in here. I couldn't breathe. There wasn't enough oxygen. We were running out of air. All four walls were slowly, but surely pressing in on me. I tried to pull in a big breath, but no air filtered into my lungs. A cold sweat broke out across my skin. My hands trembled behind me.
"Breathe." Adam whispered. After a second, I could feel his presence right next to me.
The semi started. The movement made me lurch forward. I still couldn't pull in any air.
"It's going to be okay." A warm leg touched mine. "Breathe in. Breathe out."
Listening to Adam's calm voice tamed my panic. After a few minutes, I was back to breathing normally.
I had another panic attack.
"What are we waiting for?" Seth inquired after my little episode was over.
I now felt embarrassed. Everyone was so calm and at ease and I was over here panicking. I dropped my head in shame. As if he knew, Adam nudged me with his shoulder.
The semi bounced a few times and I slid further into Adam. I went to scoot away, but he grabbed onto my bound wrist with his hand. I accepted his comfort in a friendly way and only hoped he was giving comfort out of friendship.
"I have a hand grenade in my lower leg poc
ket. They didn't check that." David said.
"A hand grenade against a ton of guns? That won't get us very far." Adam pointed out.
"I have a knife in my boot." Chantel added.
"I have my hands." Ares said.
"I have panic attacks." I wanted to join in and have something useful, but I didn't. I turned my fear into a joke and attempted to lighten the mood.
Revolutionary Love (The Revolution Series Book 1) Page 18