With a Pull of a Trigger

Chapter Twenty-Five

Greg shrugged, still smiling. “Are you expecting another answer? I still have the same response—don’t spare the details.”

Reini shook her head, desperate to make Greg see what she was thinking, what she was panicking about. She was aware of her hands shaking, of her eyes blurring until all she could see was that dream in her mind.

Greg grew concerned, his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of Reini’s shaking hands and abnormally nervous exterior. “What’s wrong?”

Reini sighed, anxiously wiping her suddenly sweaty hands on her blue denim pants, and looked up at Greg, her eyes filled with sadness.  “I can’t do this. I can’t get attached to Samuel again. I can’t pretend everything’s alright, that I can still do my job without remembering Eena. My dream is just the beginning, Greg. The thing is that I constantly put people in danger, and I have to stop.”

Greg grew more worried, fearing where the conversation was going. “Stop what, Reini?”

Reini closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. “Everything. The Pentagon has already asked me to step down from fieldwork, Greg. I might as well just vanish and save everyone from the danger that seems to follow me everywhere.”

Greg felt his eyes widen and he absently took a step towards Reini. “You’re not doing what I think you’re doing, are you?”

Reini shook her head, a frown marring her face as silent tears flowed down her cheeks. “I’ll miss you.”

“Saunders, I swear to God, you better not be kidding,” Greg said forcefully as he took more steps towards Reini.

Reini shook her head. “I’m not.”

Greg cursed under his breath. “Reini, don’t do this.”

Reini took a deep breath and stared straight ahead, silent tears still streaming down her cheeks as she walked towards the exit, stopping her stride once she was next to Greg who was still looking at the place where she previously was. “I have to,” said Reini, not even looking at her friend.

“You can’t do this, Reini. Amrie and Miss Aspen will find you eventually and you know that.”

“I have to,” repeated Reini. “I have to, Greg.”

Reini walked towards the exit, stopping when Greg’s voice reached her ears.

“So that’s it? You’re running away and hiding from the problems just because you think you can’t handle them? I never took you to be this kind of person, Saunders,” said Greg, his voice cold and impersonal, not even looking at Reini. “What about Eena? Was she even truly your friend?”

Reini covered her mouth with her hand as she felt sobs overtaking her. Hiccuping, she said, “She was my friend, Greg, and so are you. But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be the reason of your deaths.”

“You’re a coward, Reini,” spat Greg.

“Call me whatever you want, Greg, and I won’t care. I’m doing this for all of you. It takes cowardice to have courage.”

Greg shook his head. “You’re being selfish.”

Reini closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. “To love is to hurt. To love is to be hurt. To love is to destroy.”

And Reini left, the sound of her footsteps echoing in Greg’s ears.

She had met him in the park.

She was sitting on a bench in the park on a clear Saturday morning, the sun shining warmly, holding a battered and well-read copy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Wearing a white sleeveless top, denim shorts, and flipflops, Catherine Aspen tried to enjoy the sun as she thought about her meeting with Gil.