Chapter Twenty
Faster than we could have move, the military appeared and surrounded us. The others circled around me while the two kids hid behind me. I gritted my teeth in anger and frustration. No matter how hard we tried to make a place better for someone like us, they would find us.
Why the hell to do they want to kill us?
My dad appeared in the middle of the line. But this time, I wasn’t shock to see him. Though, it still hurts to know that the man I always leaned on was now the one who I need to fight. He smiled at me and I regretted that I didn’t killed him the first chance I got.
Suddenly, someone appeared behind him that took our breath away. Most especially, Steven’s; for the one who appeared behind my disgraced dad was his sister. I could see him trying to ask her why with his eyes. But Saori only looked at him without emotions in her eyes. But when they landed on me, they blazed with anger.
Steven turned to me in confusion. But those confusion vanished when understanding replaced it. But it swirled with hurt and shame. Shame for I don’t know who or why. But I didn’t had the time to dwell on it when I hired a gun fired and a piercing pain pierced my left shoulder.
I was taken aback by the happening that I was forced to take a step back and my hand flew to my hurting shoulder. Blood quickly soaked my hand and I could hear everyone shouting my name. But they sounded so far away as I felt myself being pulled to the darkness.
Though, all my senses went back when I heard another shot. I forced myself to whip around to see who was shot. Thankfully, no one was. Griffin, who was better prepared than earlier, had conjured his shield just in time to deflect the shot that was aimed at Drew.
Gritting my teeth in pain, I met Griffin’s eyes and he nodded at me. Since, Griffin couldn’t project his shield around everyone without risking his own life; he would be only protecting Carly, Drew, the sisters, and the kids. Then, the rest would protect them.
Zoi kept me on my feet but I pushed myself away from him and took a deep breath. Everyone tensed behind me and I sped towards the first line of the soldiers. I took a gun from the first soldier and shot them in a straight line. I managed to take down a few numbers in one shot. Since, it was a laser gun, it had easily hit a couple of people. They went down simultaneously.
The rest of the army reacted and most guns pointed at me at once. I gave them my fiercest stare despite my shoulder killing me. I met dad’s eyes and he was mocking me. Daring me to come again at him. But I wouldn’t make that same mistake again. I would not focus on my dad right now. The safety of everyone is my priority.
A soldier dropped to the ground as Zoi appeared besides me. He gave me his smile and I nodded at him. Then, I gave him one of the guns at my feet. We both raised our guns and pointed it at our enemies. I could hear the others making a move behind us. But, thankfully, they didn’t took a more than a couple of dozen’s step away from Griffin’s group.
Then, I saw my dad’s eyes wandered towards Zoi. Something flashed in his eyes. Something I couldn’t understand. I tried to decipher it. I saw a mix of recognition, want, and greed in his eyes. Something in my guts told me that whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
He raised his hand and signaled something to his soldiers. Half of them marched towards us and pointed their laser guns at our chest. Zoi and I tensed at them and raised our guns too. Then, I blew out a breath and fired.
Three dropped dead.
Zoi followed my shot.
Two dropped dead.
“Don’t move another step,” I growled. “Or I swear you all would meet Hades in a second,”
I felt and saw that the soldiers hesitated for a few seconds before they regained their courage. I sighed to myself. Well, a girl could hope that it’ll work. Zoi met my eyes and he nodded at me. I looked at him hard. Something was telling me not to let Zoi out of my sight, but the safety of the group pushed me to fight. And to fight, I had to use my speed.
I nod at him and I swiftly disarmed the soldiers in front of me and shoot them. As I did, I heard Zoi rain shots on his side of the enemy. A quick look, I saw the triplets helping each other in a smaller group of soldiers. While Steven blinded anyone who comes towards anyone of us in our blind side. Suddenly, vines after vines came out of the ground and twisted around the feet of the soldiers ‘til it enveloped them.
Griffin and the others were slowly backing towards our truck. But before they could reach it, it went up in flames. Coleen quickly ran to it and tried to save the vehicle from the flames but she was too late. Then, she held up the fire and threw it towards the group of soldiers running towards them. The fire quickly engulfed the soldiers that screamed in pain and agony.
I fired more shot and more people dropped dead on the ground. I didn’t liked how the war turned me into something I couldn’t even imagine myself to be. I never liked the idea of someone getting hurt. But here I was, mercilessly killing these soldiers. I tried to tell myself that I had to do it since I was protecting myself and my family. That these people I was killing were the bad guys. I knew it in myself that I was right. But it didn’t lessen the pain of knowing these people would no longer to be able to go back to their families.
Because of me.
I turned to see my father gone from his position. Quickly, I did a 360 check on my surroundings and I found him near Zoi. I furrowed my brows in concentration before I realized what he had in plan. He raised his stun gun and shot Zoi, who didn’t saw him coming.
Zoi dropped lifeless to the ground as four soldiers came running towards them to pick him up and they made their way towards the army truck. I poised myself for a run but I was shot in the calf. I landed face-first in the dirt and I felt a piercing pain in my left feet. I tried to stand up but I would only fall back. On my umpteenth attempt, I managed to stand but a little shaky.
I started to run but my foot protested and I fell back down. As I stood up, I saw that one soldier managed to subdue Griffin and they wrestled on the ground. I was about to make my way towards him when I saw Coleen and the sisters already on their way to help him so I returned my attention to Zoi.
He was almost out of my sight as the soldiers shoved him inside the army truck. I managed to run but I didn’t reached them before I fell. Dad gave me a smirked before he vanished in the same truck. Then, it started to leave.
“No!” I screamed after it as I shakily made my way towards it. But in my pace, there was no way I’d reach it.
The screams of the girls took my attention. I quickly whipped around and I watched as Carlos’ white shirt became red with blood. A gasped and a cry escaped my throat as I ran towards him with all my pain forgotten with adrenaline.
I managed to catch him before he could fall to the ground. Carly quickly dropped to her knees to try and heal Carlos. But, even with prayers, his wound never healed. His eyes never opened. But he managed to raise one shaky, bloodied hand to touch my cheek as a tear escaped his eyes.
“No, Carlos,” I begged as my eyes blurred with tears. “Please, don’t sleep. Wake up. Katra’s here,”
“Ka-” he started but he choked on his own blood. “Katra, I”
But whatever he was about to say never came out of his mouth as his hand dropped from my cheek and his heart stopped beating. I shrieked in agony as I grabbed his lifeless hand and put it in my cheek again as I beg him to open his eyes.
But he never did.
I could feel my breath harden as air started to swirl around me. At first, a soft wind but it gathered strength at each turn until it became a tornado with me and Carlos’ in its middle. The strong wind assailed my ears and the dust hurt my eyes but I didn’t care. The army had taken one of us. They had taken my kid. And I would never be able to forgive them.
Something started building up inside of me. Something that grew with the tornado. I felt like I was being torn apart. The pain became more unbearable as the tornado grew. And when it grew enough to consume anyone or anything with several mile radius, the pain doubled to the point that I couldn’t keep it in.
I screamed in pain.
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