The Aftermath

“Why the hell would he shot her?”

I’d been placed in a sick room along with all the other injured people.

Damien shrugged, obviously at a loss for words. It was only hours after the battle that had descended upon our lives when Jamie Carter and his group came. I’d woken up from blackout to my own screams choking the air as they pulled the bullet out my shoulder. It was one of the first times that I’d sobbed over ache coursing through my entire body. I’d even shoved away Alex, pulling myself into a ball as Cece tried to stop the bleeding.

“I have no idea.” Damien started. “Does he have anything against you guys?”

“Well,...”

A door opened and closed, causing a few kids to cry as the morning hours were reaching their peak outside. There were a group of people walking in. One of them walked over, using their weight to sit on my bed. It was Ryant’s soft voice.

“Are you okay? I know the stitches must have hurt.”

Another one of my tears leaked onto the pillow, warm and stinging.

“They did.” My voice felt nearly to the point of croaking. My throat was that dry.

“I know it must be hard, but we’ll figure things out.”

I glowered, staring into the back of woman lying on the bed next to mine. If there was one thing I hated more in this moment than anything, it was Riley. She was a coward and a pointless ruler. She hadn’t even had the courage to tell her own people that they were in danger. She’d put us all in danger. She’d gotten my father, uncle, and Kyle taken. I’d kill her when I got the true chance.

More and more footsteps came walking towards my bed, people just standing around and watching.

“Jasmine,” Alex came to my bedside, grabbing my hand. “We have to talk about things.”
I looked up to those steel solid blue eyes and tried to find all the comfort I needed in the world. Then I managed to sit myself up, his hands guiding the way as I leaned against the cot’s wall. I did a mental count of everyone here. There was Riley, Damien, Alex, Cece, Ryant, Rodney, and Ashley.

“How many people died?” I asked.

“Seven.”

“How many people were taken?”

“Sixty four.” Riley answered.

“Including three of our people.” I cut in.

“Yes, including three of yours.”

“How the hell could you let this happen? What type of leader are you?” Cece confronted. “We came here thinking you were trying to help us and instead there are some crazy nut jobs outside the town limits?”

“Well what was I supposed to do? Sit back and tell you that there are people trying to kidnap for a cure to the virus? You wouldn’t have believed me.”

Cece and Ashley both crossed their arms.

“After all the crap we’ve been through, you think we’d discredit anything? There’s the undead walking around. People are dying. They could be-“

“They’re not dead.” Ryant excused, eyes slipping to me.

“How would you know?” Alex asked. “I bet they don’t take people and spend time listening to the radio.”

“They don’t waste time and they don’t rush off trying to take blood.” Damien snapped. “You guys are looking at this the wrong way.”

“The way I see it, we need to get to D.C. before our time is up and this just put a lot shit in our way.”

“Why are you guys always talking about time? What’s the rush with you guys trying to get there?” Damien replied to Rodney. “Is there something you guys aren’t telling us?”

Ryant rolled his eyes and Alex stepped in. “Look we’re not the ones on display here. If anything you guys are to blame for this, so we need you guys to help us out.”

“Wait, are you talking about dragging us along to D.C. because of some guilt trip you guys are trying to give?” Riley exclaimed.

Alex shook his head. “Nope. We’re talking about you guys helping us break our friends out. If we’re leaving we’re leaving with them.”

“But-“ Rodney interjected then, stopped once Ryant glared to him.

I nearly giggled. I guess Ryant had him under control.

“We’re not doing it. We don’t have enough fighters and we can’t leave our people behind to be vulnerable again.”

“You already made them vulnerable when you lied to them.” I filled in. “And who’s to say they even trust you now?”

Riley’s eyes flickered to me and a bitter scowl twisted onto her face. Damien stood next to her, looking to her pointedly.

“You know we’ve got to do this, Riley. They’ve got people we know. They’ve took some our best snipers, some of our best fighters. You can’t tell me you think it’s good to just stay here and do nothing.” He peered to her more. “This is our chance to fight back. Christie would have-“

“I’ll do it.” she said simply. “Just don’t talk about her anymore.”

Alex’s hand tugged onto my hand tighter and I felt the familiar swell of danger in my heart. This time we wouldn’t be evading it. We’d be walking right in with our guns ready. We weren’t going down without a fight.

* * * * *

“So what exactly happened with you and Ryant in that building?”

It was a few hours after the meeting in the hospital wing near my bed. I’d gotten my shoulder temporarily wrapped in a cloth that went around the opposite shoulder. Our feet crunched against the dry dirt overtaking on the town’s main rood. The rubble of the destroyed building leaked into the streets, forcing us to avoid it.

Rodney’s hand went to the back of his neck and he exhaled. “Well I was in there just trying to wake people up. Then the building shook and everything sort of collapsed.”

The images raced through my mind.

“The floors sort of started to cave and people were falling through.” I had
heard that Riley had sent out teams of people to recover those from the rubble. “Ryant
held onto me before I managed to get pulled down.”

“So he saved you.” The warm smile bit my lips and I was glad my actions had helped.

“Yeah.” He said tightly before crossing his arms. “But he still doesn’t notice me, he still doesn’t…”

“Still doesn’t like you?” I said and we stopped on the road. “Listen Rodney-“

He finally looked up to me, his moss green eyes tired. “I don’t even know if I have a chance, if he even likes guys.”

I frowned, not knowing whether or not to keep Ryant’s confidence in me hidden or to ease Rodney’s pain.

“It’s part of the reason my dad hated me so much. He couldn’t handle having a gay son.”'

“But I thought you dated that girl? The one that he-“

Rodney shook his head. “I pretended to. I came out to him and he didn’t take it well, so she decided to help me. She was my best friend and we were good actors.”

“And your dad killed her?”

“Paid some people to make it look like it was an accident, but he told me he did it to keep me in check. to keep the family name safe.”

It seemed entirely ironic since the truth would have gotten out eventually and Lexicon would have been exposed. We simply helped their family name’s downfall.

“Well I’m sorry that had to happen.” I touched his shoulder. “And I’m here for you, even if you don’t have your guards and scientists and other people I’m here for you.”

He smiled meekly and we started to walk ahead, going towards the smell of the morning’s breakfast. Now they served things indoors and we ate inside as well. It was in the same tattered barbershop as before. A portion of the wall had been broken down to move into the place next door, letting chairs and tables become the eating area.

“I was so worried when I found that you were one of the people fighting.” A voice from ahead exclaimed. Rodney stood next to me in line. I poked my head over to see Alex and that girl from before, Alexis.

“I don’t know what I would have done if you’d been hurt. I mean you’re just perfect.” Her hands trailed to his shoulders and held on solid grips there. “You’re just so hot and-“

“Excuse me.” I stepped out of the line and came next to them. My eyes turned to Alex. “What the hell are you doing?”

The girl beside him smiled and snaked her arm around his waist. “Yeah Alex. Tell her what you’re doing.”

His jaw clenched. His hand holding the plate turned white at the knuckles. All I could think about was her touching him, her whispering things in his ears. It made my stomach rot.

“We can’t talk here.” He grabbed my arm and led me outside, dropping his plate of food to the floor. Outside the air was stale and choking. We stood at the bottom of the stairs outside the barbershop.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Then what am I thinking, Alex? Tell me because she’s obviously more interested in you than I thought for her to be following you around like some dog.”

“I can’t help that she’s interested in me.” His hands went into his pockets. “What do you expect me to do?”

I threw my hands up. “I don’t know. Tell her to fuck herself. You figure it out because I don’t see you doing anything.”

He stared to me for the longest time.

“I’m sorry. I just…” His hands went for the sides of my face.

“Don’t touch me.”

I took a step back, hands folding before me.

“I just almost died yesterday. You almost died.” he pleaded. “We shouldn’t be fighting over stupid stuff. That girl doesn’t matter.”

“All I’m saying is that you should make sure she understands that. I know you can’t stop people from liking you, but when I see it, it makes my stomach crawl. I’m trying not to be jealous, but you’re not making it any easier. Okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay so let’s go inside and eat.” I turned and started to walk inside. His hand anxiously gripped for mines and I hung onto his fingers loosely, but inside something was falling to pieces. I didn’t trust the situation him and I were in and the more I thought about it the more worried I became.