5

After a day of doing nothing, but watching Toby and Ranger avoid each other, Elias was fed up.

Standing up, Elias picked up a plate and headed toward Ranger's room. He climbed up the stairs and walked down the corridor. He noticed that Ranger's door was closed, but he could hear the sound of something being hit from inside the room.

Elias knocked. "Who is it?"

"Elias."

Ranger growled. "Go away, kid."

"I have your lunch."

The door opened and Ranger appeared wearing a white t-shirt and shorts. His hands were red and bruised on the knuckles.

Elias swallowed. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Elias stepped in the room and almost tripped on a weight. He managed to make it over to the bed without falling flat on his face. Ranger joined him and took his plate.

Elias surveyed the room. There was stuff everywhere, clothes were on the bed, on the floor, and in the hamper. Workout objects were in the corner underneath the still-swinging punching bag.

"God, how do you manage to live in here?" Elias asked. "I just about tripped."

Ranger shrugged. "I know where everything is."

"Hm." Elias studied a red stain on the floor, trying to block out Ranger's eating sounds.

"So, you didn't come here to criticize my room, did you?"

Elias licked his lips. "No, but..."

"I'm not going to."

"To what?" Elias grumbled. "What was I going to say?"

Ranger groaned, "You want me to forgive him, don't you? It's not happening."

"Ranger, you're not the only person to lose your family." Elias stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I lost family, but not like that."

"Exactly, so you wouldn't understand."

Elias shook his head. "Instead of focusing on the loss, I cherish the memories I had with them."

"The loss is all I can think about. They didn't deserve that."

"But we know what's coming, and we can stop that from happening to anyone else." Elias glanced at a picture on the wall.

It was a picture of a woman in her early thirties. She had freckled, pale skin; her face was framed with long curly hair. Her eyes were a startling green.

"Your wife is very pretty."

Ranger gave a small smile. "She never thought so. She was so full of life and was very rebellious." he chuckled. "That's what I liked the most about her."

The other picture was of a teenage girl. She had tan skin and a bright smile. Her hair was brown and she had the prettiest blue eyes Elias had ever seen.

"Your daughter is gorgeous. Was she rebellious?"

"Very." Ranger's smile dropped. "I want to honor their memories...but I don't know how."

Elias held a hand toward him. "By joining me to save our faction. I don't know your family, but I don't think they would've wanted to see their faction crumble without a fight."

"You're right."

"Are you in?"

Ranger shook his hand.

"But there's something I want you to do first."

  ...

"What do you mean Elsa's dead?" Amanda demands.

Commander Four said, "We found her body a couple of miles out of town at an abandoned train station."

"What of our son, Elias?" Paul asked. "Katherine said you had some information."

Four typed something on his laptop, then turned the screen toward them. They saw Elsa pull up in a black car and get out. She started talking to someone.

"...keep your end of the deal."

A man responded. "He's probably the last of his kind. I'd guard him with my life."

Elsa goes to the car and tosses a baggie and a black device to the guy off-screen.

"...he deserves to know."

"I understand."

The screen cut off and when it came back on, Elsa was in a puddle of blood on the ground. The car was gone. 

Amanda and Paul exchange a look.

"So you believe the man the responsible for taking my son?" Paul asked. "Who is he?"

"Can't you track the car?"

Four shook his head. "No, it's not our car. Let me ask you this. Why would Elsa need to go to a stranger and ask them to protect your son?"

Amanda stuttered. "I...I don't know. We're not even sure how she found us."

"Last of his kind?" Four pondered. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What are you saying? Do you think we're hiding something?" Paul snapped

"You've been hiding something for years."

Amanda scoffed. "What's that?"

Four leaned forward in his seat. "A dreamwalker."