Runner

Chapter Three

The night was swallowed by chaos. My escape from the Collective was met by the same blind violence. No sense: the air was thick, sight was short, and white noise drowned my thoughts. I weaved through combatants, edging closer to the end of the alleyway. I ignored the blackened raiders, the tingling that gnawed at my patience, the fear that coiled my defences and readied my body to fight.

The humans didn’t notice me. I was just a girl to them. 

In the shadows of our exit a looming figure slayed its attackers with ease. I felt it in my blood, that he was one of us. Ink dawned his skin, his black jeans were ripped, his dark hair whipped heavy with sweat. Sheer reckless aggression fuelled his elegant slaughter.

“What the f—“

His head twisted towards me, “You kept me waiting,” Elek sauntered.

“You broke protocol,” I sneered, marching towards him, ready to unleash a wrath that put the descending war around us to shame.

“I can’t remember the last time you actually followed protocol,” Elek replied, pulling back his dagger through a raider’s throat; blood oozing, luke warm.

We were now feet apart, as I warned, “We need to get out of here.”

He tucked his arm around me, surveying the area and leading us away. His presence was enough to clear a path for us as we hit the cement of the pavement. We were so close to an escape, and my thoughts were so focused on just that, that the excruciating pain that radiated from my shoulder was even more shocking.

I felt the iron, I smelt the rust, the timber, and different threads of oak in the handle of the blade, as it pierced my shoulder.

“Son of a bitch!” I roared, hollowing as I ripped it out, through muscle and flesh.

I tossed it to the floor, turning with a fury that was like bubbling molten. There was no going back, no walking away. A raider with his hood pulled down, watched me in an open stance, waiting for my reaction. Mere seconds passed as I summed up my competition, in my peripheral I saw Elek have more unknowing idiots throw themselves at him. Like they stood a chance.

My blood heats.

I lept towards the raider, my body airborne, ready to tackle and kill. My body was set, and yet I was stopped.

A flash of honey, a brief glimpse. The colour was so familiar that I was sure, without a doubt, of whose eyes watched me – Jack. He wandered through the desolated street, in no more than a stroll. I had to reassess my strategy, and those seconds cost me. I faltered, and my raider had a gun to my head.

I hissed, my fingers were burning, on fire, embers ready to pop.

But I couldn’t kill him, not like that. Because they were watching, and for the moment, I was still the human refugee capable of no more than a few impressive self-defence moves. So that’s exactly what I gave them.

I flicked up my ankle, straight to the groin, his throaty groan confirming that I hit the target and that he wouldn’t be reproducing in the near future. I used my forehead to head-butt the gun from his grip, before I slammed him against the brick wall. His eyes rolled and I knew he was out.

If I had a penny for every time a man had underestimated my strength, well, I wouldn’t be a homeless runner, that’s for sure.

I steadied myself as I watched his body sink to the floor, Elek still caught up in mindless battle. A few breaths, that’s all I needed to myself. I was ready to set off, ready to leave, before a blunt force hit the side of my head. Wavering in and out of consciousness, I felt myself loosing balance.