Bloodhearts

Chapter thirteen: In the End.

I narrow my eyes. Marc has always been a manipulative man and it's probably why he's so good at worming his way in with people and making them like him. I can't believe I let this jerk come between Jay and I. He's just another Spencer.

"It would be easier to kill him, like we did with the woman," one of his friends point out and, eyeing me like I'm fresh meat. I'm not afraid of idiots like him anymore. I bet I can move faster than he can, considering he's the one that's been dead and not me. If I had my gun, I would shoot him.

"Why don't you just try and see what happens?" I retort and the guy is ready to go after me, but Marc stops him.

"No, not now!" Marc barks. "We have to keep our heads straight. We're so close now..."

The guy takes a moment to return my glare and obeys Marc's command. Of course, Marc has to be one of the leaders, too. I expect he's the reason I'm still alive, but I'll be damned if he expects me to thank him for that. He's destroying everything we've worked so hard to build.

Marc takes a deep breath and I can see the excitement shining in his eyes.

It's funny how you think you know someone until you realize you don't.

He comes to stand in front of me, caressing my cheeks, forcing me to look at him.

"I know it's hard for you to understand why I have to do this and it's okay," he tells me and every muscle in my body is taught with effort to get free of him and my two jailers. "I hope you can learn to forgive me, Cory. You'll see why this is necessary and the better world it will create. A world where we can all be equal. It's the only way."

His runs a finger down my chest and almost looks regretful as he does so. But then he changes his mind and his eyes harden.

"But of course... if you choose to fight the new way, then I'll be very sorry to lose you."

He makes to kiss me again, but perhaps my expression makes him change his mind and he releases me and makes ready for what he calls 'the final stage'.

"We are going to headquarters now," he tells his friend. "I can't wait to finally kill that bastard calling himself one of us. He's a traitor to his own kind."

My blood freezes as his friend agrees.

They're going to kill Jay!

I can't allow that.

I begin to thrash and struggle and Marc smiles sadly at me while I yell that's he's a murderer.

"If only you would fight for me that way," he says and takes a weapon from one of his friends before he leaves, blowing me a farewell kiss as he leaves.

One of Marc's friends watches me with narrowed eyes. She is a very skinny woman but no less bossy than my best friend used to be. Except this woman has something malicious to her features, something I can't quite put my finger on. She isn't holding me, but she is looking rather gleeful to see me restrained.

"What the hell are you looking at?" I demand, making her raise an eyebrow, limping closer to me.

I'm sure she was pretty but it looks like she doesn't give a damn about looks anymore. Probably because she's been caring more about other things. Like the rebellion. I have an eerie feeling of having seen her before, but I can't place her anywhere in my memories.

She smiles but her muscles are fighting her. Her issues seem worse than Jay's.

"Those are big words from someone like you," she says, eyeing me up and down. "I can't believe how easy it was to catch you. You walked right into our arms!"

I just look at her while she laughs along with her minions. I get the feeling she has as much power as Marc does or close to, at least.

"But like Marc said, it's a shame you've chosen to fight for the losing side. We could use someone like you to rebuild this place."

"Rebuild?" I repeat skeptically. Like it isn't what we've been doing ever since camp was started.

"Yes," she confirms. "Why do you think Marc was tasked to get close to you?"

This time, I narrow my eyes.

"Unfortunately, you couldn't be swayed. Which is a shame since Marc still holds a torch for you. But you still love the traitor, don't you?"

"He's no traitor," I respond coldly. "He's a fighter. He always has been."

The woman in front of me looks at me like I'm stupid. Her companions glare at me.

"He's a useless sack of bones," she maintains and her companions nod. They look a little like those three hyena from the Lion King; one is more stupid than the other. They've bought into the idea that more violence, more killing will get them what they want. Look what that idea did to society as we once knew it. "And he'll be worth even less without you around."

"Yeah! He's not doing anything for the rest of us. We have to fight every damned day to survive! Giving us notebooks to write in and medication isn't enough!"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "And you don't think Jay's had to fight from the moment he returned? I'll tell you what, he's actually been fighting longer than that, and he has been fighting ever since this shit started! Since you seem to have so much control over this place, why are you choosing not to see that? You must know he's been struggling. You must know that he has done whatever he could for everybody in this camp, returned or not. It's why he and I have been apart so much recently. He's been trying to help everyone... everyone but himself."

My audience isn't impressed.

"You won't get us to change our minds with that sob story," the woman says.

I shrug. "At least I know I'm fighting for the right side. And that I will never let anyone shame me for who I love. I can die knowing he loves me as much as I love him."

I can see that's not what my jailers expected to hear. But hell do I care. I need to find a way out of here before these self-proclaimed saviors kill me - or worse, before they kill Jay.