Dead Girls Dance: Shane's Point of View (A Morganville Vampires Fanfic)

Chapter Seven

**After Confinement**

“We all have war inside of us. Sometimes it keeps us alive. Sometimes it threatens to destroy us.”                                  ~Veronica Roth

Chapter Seven 

I was running. My ankle hurt like hell. You just twisted it, I lied to myself. There was chaos outside this building, the building that would surly topple over soon. I heard screams and slowed as I recognized Eve’s voice.“Shane! Shane Collins!” I flinched as I heard Oliver yell my name, but picked up my pace once more. “I have something for you! I want you to watch this very carefully!” Don’t stop, he’s trying to fool you. “I’m going to kill this girl.” I slowed once more. Eve? No, I still heard Eve’s shouts. So...no. I stopped running for the first time.

“Don’t stop Shane!” my dad yelled and ran around me. But I couldn’t move. 

“I’m going to kill this girl unless she swears herself to me and my service, in front of all of these witnesses. Shane, you can save her by making the same deal. You have two minutes to consider your decision.” I turned around to find somewhere to see her. I finally found a crack in a bordered up window. There she was. Claire. He had his hand around her neck and she was standing on her tip toes. NO. “One minute!” Oliver shouted again. I ran, ignoring my ankle. Someone caught my shoulder and threw me down. Dad stood over me and kicked me in the stomach. 

“She’s a fucking girl. Leave her.” I grunted and kicked him with my good foot, giving me enough time to stand. I started running and pushed him away every time he tried to grab me. 

“Thirty seconds!” I heard Oliver in the distance and pushed my myself further, faster. 

“Shane!” Dad grabbed me once more as I made my way out the door. He punched me repeatedly. Damn. I was starting to get woozy, but I focused myself enough to push him off. 

“Fuck off!” I yelled. My dad sighed then threw some bottle on the floor at me. Holy water. I glanced up at him. He shook his head and ran the other direction, without looking back. I got up as quickly as possible, still dizzy, and felt blood trickle down the side of my head. Hell. Hiding the water in my hand, I yelled, “Wait!” I staggered slowly out the door, assessing the situation. Oliver was still holding Claire and he was arguing with Richard, who was standing in front of his cruiser. I didn’t see Eve. Between my limp, dirty clothes, and bloody face I prayed I looked like a badass as I spoke, “You want a servant? How about me?”

Oliver turned towards me, “Ah. The hero appears. I thought you might say that. What if I take you both, then? I’m a generous, fair boss. Ask Eve.” Hero? If I was a hero, I think I’d have more boom and pow. 

“Don’t believe anything he says. He’s working with your dad.” Claire said, her voice choked and weak. He’s been working with him the whole time. He arranged for Brandon to be killed. Shane-” 

“I know all that,” I cut her off before she got to the waterworks. She couldn’t cry yet. “Politics, right? Oliver? Mind games, you and Amelie. We’re just pawns to you. Well, she’s not a pawn. Let her go.”