_ We Have To Kill You

The leader—Captain Authority—cuts in with his gun still unwaveringly in the air. "We don't have time for this. Let. The. Boy. Go."

What the hell is their problem? They are acting like I have eaten a part of Lucas's arms and was waiting for the right time to feast on the rest of his body.

Come to think of it, the sound of that kind of makes me drool. Get a grip, Renata!

I roll my eyes. "Lucas, would you kindly inform your stalker fan club that I'm not a threat?"

I try to reach him, but Lucas dodges my hand.

And then—the little shit walks right over to them.

What.

No.

What.

He moves toward Pretty Boy and the others like he knows them. Like this is some kind of reunion.

It is then that it dawns on me. The rules of the Apocalypse are there for a reason. Rule number one is; never stop for strangers.

I broke the goddamn rule and here is the consequence of it slapping me right in the face. Lucas is a shitty little liar!

I stare daggers at him. "You little snake."

He even has the nerve to look guilty.

Pretty Boy put a protective hand in front of the boy. "Lucas is one of ours. We lost him in that horde back there. Guess it was good of you to save him."

I whip around to Lucas. "You lied to me!"

Lucas shrinks slightly but doesn't deny it.

"You lied to me," I repeat, pointing a finger at him like a disappointed mother.

"Hey," Captain Authority snaps, "watch your words."

I throw my hands up. "Oh, so you can aim a gun at my head, but I'm the one who needs to watch what I say?"

"That's not the point."

"Sure it isn't." I glare at Lucas. "You had me out here thinking you were alone, that you wouldn't survive without me, and now I find out you've got a whole armed entourage?" I scoff. "Wow. I've been betrayed before, but this? By a fucking kid? This is new."

Gosh, Renata… after what Santiago did, you still have the guts to trust anyone again?! Stupid! Stupid! 

Lucas shuffles uncomfortably. "I didn't know if I could trust you."

I bark out a laugh. "I just saved your ass twice! How much more trust do you need?"

Captain Authority narrows his eyes. "That's exactly why we can't let you go."

I pause. Blink. "What?"

Pretty Boy sighs, like this is so obvious and I'm just being difficult. "You didn't save Lucas out of kindness. You're keeping him for later—when you're fully turned and need a meal."

What the fuck? The irony of it all. I mean, I do need to eat, but I was going to keep Lucas alive as evidence that my humanity was still in me, but this?

I laugh. Like, actually laugh. A full-body, borderline hysterical laugh.

"You—oh my God, you're serious?"

Captain Authority doesn't so much as recoil. "Dead serious."

I wipe a nonexistent tear from my eye. "You're mad at me for saving him? That's a new level of ungrateful, even for an apocalypse."

They don't lower their guns.

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Okay, let's clear something up before one of you wastes a perfectly useful bullet on me. I am not turning."

"We can see that you are," Pretty Boy hissed, flicking his fingers at me. "You're not like them, sure, but you're not like us either. You've probably been bitten a couple of hours ago. Soon enough, you'll be tearing into the flesh of the boy you claimed to be saving."

Oh, really? And he knows this, how? By gauging my appearance?!

Gosh, I HATE cute guys! Santiago has shown me enough to convince me to stay away from the lots of them. 

I puffed out air dramatically, rolling my eyes. "Wow. Incredible detective work. You figure that one out all on your own?"

Captain Authority interjected. "We don't let the infected walk around freely."

My patience is so done right now. Could they just fuck off?!

"Alright, let's try this again." I take a slow step forward, eyeing each of them. "I saved Lucas. I don't want trouble. We go our separate ways, and everyone keeps their intestines inside their bodies. Sounds good?"

"Not happening," Pretty Boy says, grinning.

He likes this. He's having fun.

I exhale through my nose. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"A little bit."

"God, you're the worst."

He winks. He actually winks. MOTHERFUCKER!

I grit my teeth. "Fine. Then tell me—what exactly do you plan to do with me?"

Captain Authority doesn't waste time. "We'll make it quick."

They'll make it quick? Make killing me quick?! My stomach turns ice-cold.

Oh.

Oh, these assholes aren't planning to let me walk away.

I tilt my head, unsure where this darkness or confidence I had in my abilities sprouts from, but my hands are already itching for some violence.

And my stomach? It wants food. Them. I tried to be a good girl, but problematic people like this don't take the chance they've been given to maintain peace. 

"Let me get this straight—you think I'm dangerous. A ticking time bomb. So instead of letting me leave, you want to push me into a corner?" I put a hand on my hip. 

Pretty Boy shrugs. "Can't risk you turning on us."

"That's funny," I murmur. "Because I wasn't going to."

Their grips tighten on their guns, indicating that bullets will fly soon enough. I might have survived fighting zombies off with just a metal rod, but humans?

Those can think logically. They have weapons, guns… I have none. What if they fire at my brain and I die?

I glance at Lucas. He won't meet my eyes.

Of course. Of course.

I let out a slow breath. "Alright. That's how it is?"

No one speaks. I lift my hands again, rolling my shoulders

"One last chance. You let me go. I won't come after you. You won't come after me. Clean break."

All I get is silence yet again. Captain Authority tightens his jaw. "Not an option."

Then, I pause, trialing my eyes to all of them. It is four against one. But glancing at Lucas, maybe four and a half against one? I flex my fingers.

I don't want to kill them. But what choice do I have? They'll shoot first. And I still haven't figured out if bullets will work on my skull. It does on the zombies, so maybe on me too.

Well, I was starting to get hungry anyway.

"System?"