Their Rebellion

My knuckles tightened painfully against the steering wheel as I rolled the SUV to a stop in the woods. It was a small cleaing, one that allowed little shelter to those who wished to camp out. There was a three walled, wooden shack to the side, shielding those from the rain or snow. It stood a few feet from the ground, relieving the campers of snakes and large bugs in the woods. A burnt out fire pit sat in the center, close to a wooden bench for the party.

Erin had suggested the place once we broke the border into Monaghan, which left us at a two day drive to Belfast between stops and scrounging for supplies. The SUV bounced through the rocky path, making it safely into camp, which stood deserted and quiet. The sun was beginning to grow low and we all knew that a stop for the night was much needed, especially because of what we had gone through earlier today.

I could feel my blood begin to freeze over at the thought of another monster among us. One who pushed through cars and mass crowds like a child through daisies. The fact that we no longer had to worry about infected people, but Hulk related creatures was what made a wave of nausea wash over me. The freezing feeling in my blood began to disappear, however, and started to boil against the surface of my skin, knowing Maire knew about this all along.

The group sat for a moment, eyes wandering along every inch of brush and stick that lie around us. I couldn't blame them after seeing what we had in the last city, which lie crumbling two hours behind us. After a few moments debate, Connor threw open his door, welcoming the dying warmth with a fresh breath of air. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, sighing quietly as he opened the trunk.

They each stepped out, shock, fear and exhaustion clinging into everyone's features. I sat stone still in the front seat, eyes lingering far too long in front of me. I could feel my breath grow hot and ragged as my adrenaline rose. Knowing that Maire most likely knew all along what we were facing made me choke back on my breath. She needed to be confronted about everything. The map, going rogue and especially Mider.

It sent a wave of chills down my back, each one splashing wildly against each vertebra in my spine. Goosebumps broke out across my skin, not because I was cold, but because of the loathing I had toward this woman. I tried to swallow what saliva was in my mouth before prying my joint locked fingers from the leather wheel. Abby peeked her head inside, asking, "Adrienne, are you getting out? There's a pond -"

She stopped as I turned, allowing my feet to touch the dirt floor beneath me. It didn't shake or tremble under the weight of a new monster. I reached back into the car, taking a firm hold on the small .22 I had claimed not long ago.

"Adrienne?"Abby stepped away from the car, taking a stand next to Connor and Murphy.

They were elbow deep in the trunk, rearranging things and pulling out what was needed. Maire had set her weapon down for just a moment to stretch her arms and roll her shoulders, which must have been sore from the constant holding and kick of her gun. Erin's distant eyes had met the ground, but upon hearing my urgent steps looked up, eyes widening in shock. Abby gasped, tugging anxiously at Murphy's elbow.

He turned to her, asking, "Wha' is it?"

She pointed a fierce finger in my direction, but by then I had closed the gap between Maire and I. My fingers trembled against the cold metal of my gun as I tangled the fingers of my left hand into her thick shirt. She turned, preparing for the worst as I shoved her slim frame into the body of the Escalade. Her head bounced with a quiet thunk before she clenched a tight fist.

"Adrienne!"Murphy ripped at his brother's shoulder before growing close to Maire and I.

Maire was willing to throw the hefty punch, but as I shoved the barrel of my fully loaded gun under her chin, her joints popped and cracked at the sudden stop of a full on swing. Her eyes had widened in fear for the first time since I had met her. The conceited smile that always plagued her face had vanished in a second, leaving her vulnerable and completely engrossed in the shaky emotion.

My finger twitched and jerked against the trigger of the gun, but I never pulled it. Just seeing the look in her eyes was enough for me to feel a smile crawl along my lips. The short footsteps of Connor and Murphy met my ears, but in between loud demands I heard Paul say, "Leave her be, boys! She has to make a point of who not to fuck with."

"Will she pull the trigger?"Erin's voice clouted my hearing.

"What'er ya doin', lass?"Maire breathed.

"You know what's goin' on here, don't you?"I snarled."You best let us in on the little secret or I swear I will pull this fuckin' trigger and don't you dare think I won't."

"Alrigh', alrigh'. Let's not be irrational."She swallowed hard and I could almost see the lump travel down her throat.

"What's goin' on?"I sneered.

"Adrienne,"Connor's fingers brushed my shoulder and the muscles in my back tensed significantly."don't do it. Ya know what'll happen if ya do."

"It'll be worth it."I growled.

"Adrienne, please,"Murphy begged."let'er be. Ya can interrogate'er all ya want, jus' put the gun down."

"Do what they say, Adrienne."Maire pleaded."This ain't no way of solvin' the problem. I 'ave a lot to explain. I know this."

Maire's right hand inched downward and I angrily kicked her gun away.

"No!"I screamed."The fuck is goin' on you mangy mick?!"

"Lower the gun."She growled.

"You ain't in no situation to play hardass, Maire."I spat.

I felt my chest heave and flatten with every heavy breath I gave and stole. My hand trembled against the gun, making it shake and twitch against her skin. Maire's fearful face began to twist in anger, but she knew better than to try anything stupid. Her eyes shifted, focusing on the anxious group behind me. It took only half a second for a rough hand to take hold of my gun wielding right arm and yank it back, pulling the gun from her chin.

My wrist was twisted painfully, forcing my fingers to react and open, dropping the .22 from my grasp. A set of arms grabbed me around my waist, pulling me away from the enraged Marine. Erin bent down and retrieved my gun, tucking it away for safe keeping in between his pants and lower back. As my feet skidded across the ground and my elbow jammed back into a chest, I realized Murphy was responsible for the separation.

Maire jerked forward, throwing an angry fist in my direction as Murphy came to a stand still. I dropped, dodging the blow by centimeters before leaping forward, wrapping my arms around her thin waist and taking her to the floor. Abby yelled out in fear, most likely terrified that I could get hurt. Maire and I fell onto the ground, the quiet wheezing of Maire's deflated lungs meeting my ears.

I sat up, positioning my hips above hers and let my right arm come down on her cheek. She reached out, fingers willing to cut into my face, neck or chest, despite being temporarily unable to breath. I took a tight hold on her wrists, shoving them down, inch by inch until they touched the ground. She was unable to reach me now and lie helpless. She was a Marine; taught to be strong and invincible.

Yet the anger and wanting to finally know the truth in me over powered any will she had left in her. I leveled my face with hers and growled, "You're dead. You just don't know it yet."

"That's enough!"Erin came forward, but Paul was quick to react.

He took the Marine by the shoulder of his shirt, kicking a boot behind his knee. Despite his still swelling ankle, Paul took the moment to push through his pain and stop the man. Erin fell kness first into the ground, stopping instantly when Paul placed the cold barrel of his glock to the back of his head.

"Don't move."He purred.

"But I didn't,"Erin stopped, knowing all he could do was what Paul demanded.

"Adrienne,"Abby came forward, landing on her knees next to Maire and I.

I glanced up, finding her eyes welled in fearful tears. My face fell slightly and I swallowed hard.

"Stop fighting."She whimpered.

Maire wheezed once more beneath me, trying desperately to get the oxygen back that had been forecefully removed from her lungs.

"Adrienne,"Maire choked."no more."

"Come on now,"Connor and Murphy came forward, each one taking hold of my wrists.

They pried my locked fingers from around Maire's wrists, which held a red hue when I let go. Connor pulled at my left arm, Murphy at my right, until I was pulled from Maire's choking body. Their grip was tight, painful and unwilling to let go until they knew for sure that I wouldn't go back to Maire for more. It was obvious I won the fight, but if Abby hadn't stepped in, I didn't know how far I would have gone.

I tried to pull my arms from the twins, but they only tensed their arms, letting me know it was only foolish to try and stop them. They stepped back, pulling me with them, until we were a few feet away from Maire. Connor looked down at me, shock written in his features, but a slight smile tugging obnoxiously at the corner of his lips. Maire slowly sat up, Abby stepping aside.

I felt my breath begin to slow and my body ache as my muscles contracted and loosened now that I had run out of my adrenaline rush. Abby looked up at me, frowning, and I sighed. As I tried to walk toward her, I whispered, "Abby,"

I was jerked back into place, hitting the twins hard in the chest at the sudden pull. I pulled my arms down, spitting, "Let me go, boys. I'm done."

"Sorry, Adrienne,"Connor said."don't wanna risk it."

"Connor,"I tugged my left arm, frowning when he only tensed and kept it in place."Murphy,"

"Jus' wait."His tone said it all; he was angry.

"What do we do with this one?"Paul nodded at Maire, who was just getting to her feet.

"Abby,"Connor began."give me the lass' gun."

She reached down, carefully plucking the heavy weapon from the floor and set it at Connor's feet. His features grew cold as he spat, "Sit at the edge of the fuckin' trunk an' don't move. Erin too."

Paul nudged the Marine with the barrel of his gun, forcing Erin's face to flush with fear. Maire and Erin followed their new orders, sitting at the edge of the open trunk with defeated looks. Connor released me into Murphy's hands, who kept a tight arm around my waist. We walked toward the two, eyeing the Marines suspiciously. We knew Maire had dirty secrets and we weren't willing to chance Erin as well.

Connor crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "The fuck is Mider and what's it doin' in Ireland?"

"I don't know."Erin frowned.

"He doesn't know shite, boys."Maire shook her head with a frown."He's jus' a rookie in the system. Don't know much 'bout our lil secrets."

"You best start speakin' now, Maire."I growled.

Murphy's arm tightened around my waist, as if warning me to keep my calm. I clenched my jaw shut, angry but willing to let the boys do the talking. Maire ran a hand through her blonde hair and chuckled quietly.

"Russia, Germany, China and Ireland."She whispered softly."T'was a competition."

The Z - Gene, it was declared. The virus that crawled into the stem of the brain, turnin' off all functions 'cept those workin' to feed the body. The infection spread throughoutthe United States of America, turnin' the population into a few hundred within months, forcin' those to hide within dilapidatin' buildin's, scroungin' fer food and fightin' fer survival. It was World War three, but the other countries din' realiza it yet.

They were keepin' tabs, Russia, Germany, China and Ireland. The Untied States of America had declared defeat, sendin' their Marines to the coasts of other countries, attemptin' to keep the spread at bay within the US, Mexico and soon Canada. Troops were sent back to the soiled lands of the once US to take a handful of infected back to the four countries, who were searchin' desperately fer a cure.

Somethin' to stop the spread and kill off those with the Z - Gene. It became a competition within the countries. Be the first to find the cure or somethin' reliable 'nough to start passin' 'round fer large sums of cash. The world had become greedy and sneaky, soon injectin' their own kind with the new proclaimed antidotes. None succeeded, but they continued to push and push 'til their was nothin' left.

There was one chemical declared the M - 317 that had slowed the process, creatin' a new kind of monster that the world had yet to ever come in contact with. They named it Mider, God of The Underworld, and watched as it continued to grow in size and temperment. The Marine, once known as Ash, had become a beast, stoppin' at nothin' to destroy all that which he came in contact with.

The restraints, bullets and explosives grew faulty, as Mider broke through and destroyed the city in which he was held captive. No antidote was 'nough to keep the monster at bay, in which he eventually continued growin' 'til he could no longer be sustained. Mider, followin' his new animalistic instinct to seek and destroy, did jus' what he knew. The city had fallen into his bare hands, crumblin' within days.

"And the infected?"Paul whispered.

"Cities went down, barriers fell and the infected had gotten in."Maire said softly.

"The city we came from,"Murphy began.

"T'was where Mider was held."Maire peeked up, her left eye hiding away behind a curtain of blonde hair.

"Why would you send us there?"I whimpered angrily."You knew it was there all along."

"I assumed he left."Maire retorted with a snap.

"You didn't assume shit!"I yelled.

"Adrienne,"Maire went to stand, but Paul's stone still hand shoved the gun in her direction, making her double think her actions."s'not me fault what happened. Mider goes where he pleases. Din' assume he was stickin' 'round."

Connor ran a hand down his face, whispering, "God of the Underworld."

"Have ya not seen what it does?"Maire spat."Ya saw how the infected stayed put, aye? He controls them. Like animals knowin' when to back down. When Mider's 'round, the infected know not to get in its way."

"Does it turn you?"Paul asked.

"'Member our conversation? They found a cure that stopped the spread, but kept ya dead?"Maire sighed, running a hand down her face."He can't turn ya, but ya'd be dead 'fore anythin' could happen anyway."

Erin shook his head, an angry, animalistic growl escaping his lips. I gave him a sympathetic look as he spat, "I've bled for this country. I've faught for years, trying to keep the peace and the government just fucks it up within days?"

"I understand."Maire sighed.

"No, you don't."He shook his head."You're just another puppet on power bound strings."

"'Scuse me?"Maire growled.

"You heard me."He stood from his seat, stepping away from Maire.

"You led us into this unwillingly."I argued."You said it was safe."

"I said no such thing., lass."Maire glared."I said there was a camp. Din' say if it were safe or not."

"How do we kill it?"The group turned to Connor, who had respectfully kept his mouth shut the whole time.

"Can't."Maire replied, watching as Paul tucked his gun back into its holster.

"Well, it has to have a weakness, aye?"Connor stated.

"Aye,"Maire sighed softly and shifted her position in the trunk."but it's a two day drive from here."

My face dropped in thought before one word entered my mind; "Belfast?"

"Belfast."That conceited smile flashed across her lips once more, but the sneakiness behind it was almost glowing.