Chapter 14

Alaric pouted the whole drive into town. I don't feel bad for him though, I am helping him after all. His sister, on the other hand, is a lot nicer when I got the chance to get to know her. She spilled her life story to me.

When the world ended, fifteen years ago, she said her family bearly managed to escape the grasps of the Humanoids. They started out with a nice group of people who promised each other that they will survive this. They were never really good at fitting in with people so they kept mostly to themselves.

One day they met another group who promised them safety and resources if they merged their groups together. Their leader at the time saw no harm in it so he agreed. Little did they know that the new group planned on taking their resources.

One night, Natalie's people were slaughtered and were robbed. But if it wasn't for their parent's seclusiveness, Natalie or her brother would've been killed that night as well.

After that fateful day, Her family learned to never trust people in the new world. Apparently, a few years later, both their parent's died of a humanoid attacking and Alaric saved Natalie from death.

Then Natalie met her boyfriend by accidentally running into each other while robbing a convenience store. Alaric didn't agree to the pairing at first, all because he didn't know Jonathon. According to Natalie, Jonathon is the love of her life and she has to save him. Or at least die trying.

I smile at her love for Jonathon and that she would die trying to save him. Though I think it's pointless because I know that if he's in that city, he's either dead or one of them. But points to her for believing that he may be alive.

My thoughts flickered to Braydon. At one point in my life, I believe that I would go through hell just to see him one more time. It would be me that would travel across the continent just to see whether he was alive or not.

I shoved away from the thoughts that lingered.

Natalie pointed out that in a couple of minutes we should be in town. From the stories she's been telling me, I kinda don't want to enter another town for a while. I know I have to if I wanna complete whatever it is that I'm searching for, but seriously, towns give me the heebie-jeebies.

But this town is where I need to be. I fear it may or may not satisfy me but whatever the outcome, I'm sure enough I'll be ok.

We drove into the run-down town and turned into a market. There was a car in good enough shape and a place for them to grab food. The perfect place for a pit stop. That means we don't have to stay here for too long.

I kept watching for them as they broke into the vehicle. Some part of me expected an alarm to go off or something to jump out at him when he opened the door. Sad that nothing happened. When they were done, I kept my distance as Alaric changed the wires around to start up the engine.

I stared into the distance. I'm going to be sad when I watch them leave. They were my first contact in the real world and now, they'll just be a memory. Too bad I can't convince them to come home with me.

Natalie came up to me and gave me practically a bear hug. I was shocked at her affection towards me. We met barely an hour ago and she just hugs me. I awkwardly squeeze her back, hoping if I did that maybe she would release sooner. Nope, she's just clinging.

"Sorry, it's just," Here come the waterworks. "we haven't met a nice person in such a long time. I started to think that there wasn't anyone left like you."

I started to shake my head, "I'm sure there are more people who are kind," She interrupts me.

"No. Not since the savages killed most of them. But I really do appreciate meeting you. I hope one day we could meet again."

I smile at her, "I hope so too."

She comes in for another hug and I let myself hug her too. She really isn't all that bad. Natalie is a sweet girl with a lot of passion. If she believes getting through this hellhole is to find Jonathan and live what ever's left, then good for her. Natalie is just the sweetest...

But then I could feel my knife slipping out of the holster. My left-hand moves over and around her right arm, I move back and I pull down in one move. I catch her right wrist and kick the knife from her left hand.

"What the hell?" I ask her.

"Let her go," Alaric barks out at me, probably holding a gun in his hands. They tricked me. "Drop the rifle and put your hands on your head."

The nerve of these people. Is there seriously no one I could trust for more than five minutes? Is this world really just deceit and lies? I really thought that these people were different but I guess it's my fault for trusting them so quickly.

As soon as I drop my rifle to the ground, Alaric will flicker his eyes to it. Since I'm still holding Natalie's wrist I can twirl her into position. I drop the rifle and swept my right hand up my side to grab my handgun out of the holster while twirling Natalie under our linked arms to position her to become a human shield. I pointed my gun to her face.

"I suggest you telling me what's going on, Alaric." I give him my most menacing stare.

He clenches his jaw. "Me? You have my sister in a headlock and pointing a gun at her."

"She tried to steal my knife and probably stab me with it," I shout back at him.

From his expression, I could tell he didn't know what I was talking about. If he didn't plan on betraying me then why would Natalie try to take my knife?

Then, it hit us both. We were both being played by Natalie. She elbows my stomach and I fall back. She kicks the gun out of my hands and runs to her brother's side.

"Brother, shoot her! She tried to kill me!" Her voice screeches at Alaric.

He points the gun at me. But I can see the conflict in his eyes. He doesn't want to shoot me. I did save his life and got us here. If I know him enough, he has more integrity than I give him credit for. I just hope my instinct about him is right. Though I did think Natalie was nice, so maybe not.

"Let's just tie her up." He lowers his gun. "And leave her here to die."

I let out a breath I didn't realize that I was holding. Natalie did not like her brother disagreeing with her. She grabs the gun from his hand and points it at me. My heart stops. Alaric tackles her and the bullet that was meant for me shoots up in the air.

I sigh in relief. I go grab my knife, slip it into my holster and then reach out to grab my handgun. When I turn around, I hear another gunshot. My heart sinks for whoever got shot.

Holding aim at the two of them, not sure if I should shoot first and ask questions later or hold my breath praying Alaric wasn't just shot. A sigh of relief flows through me when Natalie had blood dripping down her mouth. She got shot in the abdominal area.

Some sort of guilt places itself in the pit of my stomach. She was sweet up until the end. I'm just wondering why she did what she did.

Alaric holds her in his arms and kept repeating no. I know exactly what it feels like to have the one person you counted on die. Back flashes of my father appear in my mind. I look away.

I put my gun away and grab my things before checking up on Alaric. He closes her eyelids and whispers something in her hair.

I feel like I should apologize to him but I wasn't the one that shot her. "Alaric," I try to say something but he cuts me off.

"Don't feel sorry. It's for the best that she died here and not out there."

Confusion floods through me, "What do you mean?"

"Her mental health was going off the walls. Some days she was fine and others, she wasn't. I didn't have the heart to put her out of her misery. It's bad to be like that out here, it slows me down always having to check up on her. And she was so fixed on finding her boyfriend that some nights she would just repeat his name over and over." He looks at me with the saddest eyes. "Is it wrong to feel relieved that she's gone?"

I stare at him holding the tears inside. I didn't know what to say. If that was me, we would keep her at the base. But considering his lifestyle, he was always on the run. I shake my head. "Your only human. What's wrong with wanting to stay alive? She made her choice to want to kill me and you didn't want that. It was an accident to lose her. It's a relief that she doesn't have to run all the time anymore. She'll be free of this." I gesture around me.

I have no idea what I'm saying. An idea brightens the bulb in my head. "You have to move on and make her death worth something." I extend my hand. "Come with me. My group can help you save her boyfriend."

He shakes his head, "No, I want to kill those Humanoids for making her like that."

I smile, "Let me help you."

My hand still outstretched to him, he takes a moment before grabbing it. "Let's take those bastards down."

~~~~~

"Look I can't return to the base with you just yet. I have some unfinished business to attend to but here," I hand him my mother's necklace. "take this to them. Ask for Baydon and tell them that I, Zeria, sent you there and was told that you could help them and that I'm fine. Codeword, Starria. You should be fine after that."

He nods his head and takes the good enough car back to the base. I just hope they have the decency to hear him out. I worry since James is in charge now that he may have some issues getting in. I wave him off and watch him fade into the distance.

My time in the outside world isn't done yet. I still have to find my father's death spot. I won't go back until I'm satisfied. I deserve to know what happened and see it. He wouldn't like but I need a little closure.

I start up my engine and drive further into town. The place they were raiding is supposed to be in the center of town, at the old city hall and that humanoids are constantly on patrol.

This small town seems quiet and there's nothing around here. There are no Humanoids anywhere. I have a feeling that they lied to me. All just to keep me safe. I sigh and keep on searching.

Before I knew it, it was getting dark. Alaric said I shouldn't travel during the night because that's when the savages like to play. I drove to an abandoned apartment building and decided that I will camp there for the night.

I hid my bike in the bushes and made sure that it didn't look too different than before. The savages can tell when something had been moved around. Thanks to Alaric, I should be fine here hiding out from the savages.

I walked into the apartment building with my sniper on point. Running into anybody this late in the day could be deadly. The savages patrol the streets at night and one gunshot could have me trapped.

Alaric said that the savages don't like apartment buildings because they find it too small for them. They usually take the larger houses in town and leave the humanoids the important buildings like the bank.

I decided to just stay in one apartment out of the whole building because checking the whole thing will take too long. Plus I could just watch the only entrance in this apartment and have more time to sleep. I checked every single room, closet space, and anything with a door within the apartment.

After I gave myself the all-clear, I made myself a little bed on the floor with an old blanket I found in the closet. For an apartment, it wasn't all that bad. The place looked pretty clean for a post-apocalyptic time era and kind of cozy.

I placed my gun to face the door and my hand on the trigger. With my training, I should make it out alive. I hope. With the place dark and no noise, my eyes drifted asleep.