To Mend a Broken Memory - [Troy Otto]

Chapter 58 -- Part 2

We are there, inside, surrounded by the sound of gunfire, deafening and insistent beyond measure. Alicia, Nick, Lee and Joffrey are with me. While Omar is at the stables, working. We are silent, with our ears pricked to listen to every slightest alteration of sound.

"This is an execution. Nick where are you going?" I ask him, since he's standing up with heavy steps.

"I'm gonna help" he simply replies, heading towards the walls and looking for a place where he can get a weapon. Great.

"Why"

"Because I did see what raiders can do, and I'm with Troy on this one" he's with Troy on many things, actually.

"What's that supposed to mean?" as we argue, the sound of an alarm echoes in the square. The signal that things are getting more serious than expected. And we have to stay here. I feel like a caged animal, I am going crazy, I would like to understand what is happening, I would like to see if our wall holds up, I would like to see everything. As if she had guessed my thoughts, Alicia puts her hand on my forearm, to keep me there with them, to make me understand that we are all inside this vortex, and that, at least, we are there for each other.

I try to focus on breathing. I look around, I see all that we can lose, all that is at stake. I try to calm down, because the background sound remains the same. Other people are in the same condition as us. Sitting in a circle, gathered, close, those who pray, those who despair, those who remain silent waiting to discover the future. But a wave of uneasiness invades me, and reminds me that patience has never been my strong suit.

"I can't stay here. It's been too long already. And I hear way more shooting than I should" I state, nervously shaking my legs.

"There's nothing we can do Leyla" Alicia tries to stop me again.

"I know but it's nerve-wracking" then I make up my mind. I'm worried sick, and I am nervous and so much more. I need to do something.

"Fuck it, I'm going to see what's up" This time it's Lee grabbing me by the arm.

"Leyla, no"

"Troy and Nick are out there, keep everyone safe, Lee" I trust him with my life. I know for sure they are all safe around Lee. But I need to act, I need to check ok Troy and Nick. So I start walking. After several minutes roaming in smoke and powder smell, I spot Nick on the wall, so I climb the ladder.

"What the fuck is going on?" I ask in a high tone, because the sound of bullets covers my voice. Nick turns to me, he doesn't look very surprised to see me there, but he looks angry.

"Leyla get down for fuck's sake"

"Nick, what is going on" I insist, as he shoots from the wall.

"They're more than we thought" obviously. There is never a plan that goes as it should go, there is always the downside, the unexpected. And as if it wasn't enough, I can't see Troy standing on the walls with the gun in his hand.

"Where's Troy?" Nick pauses for a second and gives me an enigmatic look. So I tug his trousers on the calf, because I am still hanging on the ladder.

"Nick, where is he"

"Out there" he simply says.

"Why?!"

"They're resurrecting more quickly than we expected"

"Are you telling me he's in the line of fire fighting raiders and zombies?" his non-answer is an answer itself. a shiver runs through me from head to toe. That lunatic went out, when it's already dangerous enough inside. I feel an infinite wave of despair, a sense of helplessness, but I recover immediately.