The Badass Protector

COLT

IRIS LEANED her back against the wall as if she had lost her strength. She kept on wiping her tears, but they kept flowing.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

As she told the story, it seemed to make sense now. But we were all unfortunate enough to watch the country get sick with our own very eyes.

“We reached the outpost after we walked for the whole day. It was too late-everyone was dead except my brother’s friends, Donovan and Simmons, who locked themselves inside the interrogation room. They had masks on and biohazard suits. I guessed they figured it out, or they’d been informed. The only thing that kept me alive was the scarf-that was how we survived, I guess.” She stole a glance at me.

“You and your brother stayed there the whole time?”

“The computer just shut down when we tried hard to communicate, even through any frequencies, but no one responded. Then the people came and started raiding the place. They stole our guns, supplies, and food. We couldn’t fight back because there were too many compared to the four of us. We left later on. Dead bodies were everywhere. The smell. God, the babies…”

A shiver rippled through me at the thought of it. As quickly as the image of horror appeared in my mind, I pushed it back. Though I understood her breaking down, I had to know her true intention, and I had this feeling that I had not reached the best part just yet.

“Flyers littered, saying there were two safe zones for survivors, then it was bullshit. When we arrived, loads of trucks of men in uniform with guns were taking people in and…”

“And what?”

It clearly took so much effort and strength for her to open herself up to me.

“There were hundreds of us there at the football stadium. They came every night, picking us one by one, but none had returned. They didn’t let us starve, though, and since my brother’s friends were outspoken, they beat them to death when they were questioned about the missing people. My brother went snooping. People started talking about a secret facility working for the cure or vaccine.” She paused.

“Is that how you got your bruises?”

“My brother made an escape plan, which was successful, but we got caught by a group during our scavenging. You probably heard about the Colony from the West. They had strong high walls and built their armies, and the scars you saw on my arms were from needle pricks but not from drugs. They drained my blood like everyone else there.”

“Why?”

Our gazes collided, and she shrugged.

We had not encountered any group since we found this camp. There were no radio traces as well. This site must not have been located by survivors since there was nothing much to make a living here.

“I didn’t mean to cause everyone trouble, but after what I told you, and you still see me as a threat, as much as I want to stay here, I won’t. I’m leaving in the morning,” she choked out.

There was only one thing I could think of. They hurt her. I saw that in her eyes, but she was not wholly broken. She was stronger than she could give herself credit for. She survived out there, and it meant only one thing-she wanted to live.

“Do you know who they are?”

She shook her head. “I wanted to kill them, to pay for what they did to us, to my brother, but I know it was impossible. I only wanted to live to keep my promise to my brother. I can’t let them win and let my brother die for nothing. I need to live for him and myself. If there is something I keep holding on to, there’s still hope. In a few years, we will thrive. The country will rise again.”

Silent ticked around us, so odd after the overwhelming revelation, I couldn’t form a word. My tongue was tied with my own shit.

I lost control.

I thought that the only way to find out the truth was by threatening her, and I may have succeeded, but my suspicions were wrong.

I was an asshole, and I fucking hated myself that I had to look away from guilt.

The part I’d drawn to her was her kind heart despite how she threatened me. When she said not to get used to stealing someone’s property, it was she, who stole my breath away, and I knew for a fact that she had already stolen something from me.

I retreated my gun, and as it sounded right to say sorry, I stepped back and went down, unable to think about how I would be able to face her again.

***

I WAS pacing back in forth in the middle of the night at Colton’s grave-just at the back of my cabin. He was the only one I could tell my shit to, but now he was dead.

I had to rub my face in frustration.

I couldn’t think straight.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, but her horrified blue eyes kept taunting me. I shouldn’t have done that. It was so fucking unfair on her part.

I wish there were a way she could give me a chance to clear things between us- that what I did was just doing my job. Though, to be honest, I went a little bit far.

I sat down, drew my knees closer, and held them tightly. When I couldn’t take my guilt anymore, I went inside my cabin and stayed there for God knew how long until I realized the sun was already up.

Knocks then bangs from my door interrupted me. I raced to the door and found out it was Darick.

“I see, you’re here. I was knocking on Gael’s, but he might still be sleeping.

My brows furrowed. “What is it, Darick?”

“I just wanna ask him about Iris-”

My pulse raced.

“What about her?” My words came out before I even realized I was already talking about her.

“She asked me to confirm from Gael that he knew she was leaving.”

“Fuck, no! She’s not going anywhere!”