Bluewater Haven Safe House
As told, Emery helped the women clean up the new safe house. There wasn't much activity around the area, which helped move things along at a faster speed.
Felix had been sent out a number of times to collect wooden boards at a Home Depot they had seen passing through the derelict town. Most likely, there should be some supplies still laying around. When in a battle for survival, most wouldn't think to get home improvement goods, instead, their thoughts would be on the grocery stores or restaurants or gas stations.
Her brother's room was right beside hers, and when she heard his door creaking open, she jumped up from her bed and flew out the room.
Felix started when she jumped in front of him, and he blinked, sleep still glazing his eyes.
"Heading out?" Em inclined her head, clasping her hands behind her back. She hadn't gotten much sleep; her mind wouldn't quiet to allow her any.
Felix scratched at his head. His hair stuck up in every direction. He wore a windbreaker over his T-shirt and scuffed-up jeans. Em glanced down, and of course, he wore his Nike Air's. Ever since he found them at some sports store they'd rummaged through two years ago—hidden in the "back," that used to be employee-access only, and remarkably his size, if not a tad roomy—he never left anywhere without them. The seams were starting to split though, and she wondered how much longer he had with them. Most likely he'd just duct tape them just so he could keep wearing them.
"Yeah, going out with Markus and Smith to get supplies for the walkways."
Markus and Smith were two out of three of the "leaders." They had just been hunters at Great Lakes, but after it had been overrun by demons, and only thirty of them had escaped, they'd risen and announced their position in the group.
Emery's brow creased. "Only you three? You think that's enough?"
Felix shrugged. "Yeah. I mean we don't have the weapons from Great Lakes, so it's better to go as a small group than draw any more attention."
"Well... why don't I just go along with? An extra pair of hands could help with carrying everything back."
Felix shuffled his feet, glancing down before looking up again and nodding. "Sure."
Em pursed her lips as if tasting something sour. She knew Felix didn't care if she went out with them, but he recognized that none of their leaders would allow her to.
They'll give in at some point. They have to.
She walked beside Felix down the hall. Their rooms were on the first floor, so they only to walk down the hall to get to the door. They scanned the area outside the window before cautiously opening the door.
The wind gently lapped at them as they slowly stepped out, nothing like the fierceness of the past couple night. Maybe the storms will stop today.
The sky was a purple-blue. Across the lake, the first rays of orange and yellow light doused the waters, throwing darker-pink shades higher up. But the rest of the sky was still fairly dark, the sun's fingers too small to push the dark-blue away.
Em and Felix jogged over to the opposite door and quickly slunk through. In order to quickly open the doors, they weren't able to drape the wire netting across the doorframes to keep the spirits at bay. It was a point of weakness, one they hoped to solve quickly by building the walkways.
By the time they reached the front reception area, the group was already waiting for Felix.
Markus was there, tall and dark, even his clothes all black. And so was Smith, his dirty-blond hair up in a bun. And... Thomas stood with them.
Shit. There goes my chance. Smith was the one she was hoping to persuade; he was more laid back, was quieter than the other two. Markus was the one that liked to call the shots and bark the orders. He didn't like taking any of the women outside, even if he was nicer about it. But Thomas, well, he was just nasty. He sneered at her as the two of them approached.
Markus crossed his arms. "I don't remember inviting you along, Emery."
Emery mirrored his movements, widening her stance and crossing her arms too. She tilted her head up, as he towered over her. "You didn't. I invited myself."
Markus sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling. Smith just looked amused, his eyebrows arched into his forehead, his lips twitching.
But Thomas just couldn't stop from putting his own input out there. He stepped beside Markus, stretching himself to his full height, which was just a couple inches beneath Markus's. "Can't you take the hint? You'd only hold us back." He swept his arms out, his mouth stretching wide as he stared her down. "We're not in the ordinary world anymore. There are demons outside. You're not up for that." He held his hand up, ticking off on his fingers as he listed, "You're not as fast, definitely can't carry as much; you'd only bring us down. Simple as that."
By the end of his little speech, she was bristling. If she had fur, it'd be standing on end. Her jaw clicked from gnashing her teeth so hard.
Markus put a hand on Thomas's shoulder, pulling him back. "Hey, that's enough."
But Thomas wasn't done. Of course he wasn't. "You should have stayed back at great Lakes, where all the crazies lived. That was where you belonged."
Her arms shook, the flames pulsing and licking in savage fury at her insides. She couldn't contain it—her spirit desired for blood, and so did she.
She broke.
Em screamed and charged at Thomas. Her point of focus had tunnel-visioned, and in the next instant, she was on Thomas, jumping on him, using her body weight to knock him to the ground.
Shock widened his eyes and mouth, and he only had the reaction to raise his hands up as his back hit the ground and she started wailing on him.
Someone shouted, another person was trying to hold back her arms. And then someone's hand slipped around her waist and was hauling her up, off of Thomas.
She screamed and thrashed, trying to hit anyone, wanting to hurt them all.
"Emery! Fuck, calm down!" someone shouted. They put her down, and then Markus was blocking her view of that rat Thomas, his hands up, eyes narrowed as he told her to stop.
"Em, what the hell is wrong with you?" Felix cried from behind her.
She whirled around to face her brother, her brown strands whipping around her face, her hands balled at her side. "What's wrong with me?" She was right in front of Felix in three short steps, jabbing her finger at her chest. "What the hell is wrong with you! You're supposed to be my brother! But you're just—you're just like him!"
Felix blanched, taking a step back, away from her. He knew what she meant; she could see it written all over his face. Their other brother, the one that betrayed them.
"Don't say that..." Felix whispered.
Her vision blurred, and she tried forcefully blinking back the tears. She wouldn't show them how weak she was. Her voice was scary calm when she opened her mouth next. "I'd stand up for you. But you won't for me. No one in here gives a damn about me, not even you."
"That's not true." He shook his head. Then he glanced over her shoulder, at the guys behind them, and his gaze hardened, focusing back on her. "I mean they're right. You carry around that book. It's kinda messed up, Em."
"Who cares!" she yelled, throwing her hands out.
"Because their beliefs are wrong. And you should know that; you're smarter than that."
Em breathed hard, her chest expanding and compressing rapidly. She felt like a cornered animal. "Fuck you, Felix," she hissed and shoved past him into the hall. She wasn't welcome there. Her own brother—the second one now—had betrayed her, turned his back on her.
This time, she'd walk away for good.