The Weight of the World

Chapter 34: Speechless

By the time I returned to the door near the loading bay, only three boys remained. Sprawled on the floor, face pale, was Bilaal. Albert hovered over him, his hands pressed against Bilaal's shirt, oozing blood.

A small trickle from Bilaal's face shifted as his head lolled aside. Glassy eyes met my own, unblinking.

"He's gone, Albert," I said, my voice hollow.

He didn't respond for so long I almost repeated myself, certain he hadn't heard. Finally, he sat up a little straighter. Fixed his glasses with the back of his hand, wiping blood away on his shirt.

"I tried," he sniffed.

"I know," I said. I found myself putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. I'd expected to shudder, but all I felt was a cold pit in my stomach.

"Issy," Connor said.

"Connor."

Nothing more needed to be said than that.

We took a moment. I briefly considered saying something, a few words for Bilaal, but decided against it. What else was there to say?

Esha appeared at the end of the hall, their face running sweat. Her blue shirt was stuck to her flesh with sweat. "Jack's dead,"

"Christ," Albert said.

"How did it happen?" I said.

"Overwhelmed," she shrugged. "He's in the foyer, surrounded by bodies."

Died like a hero. No, not a hero. What did any of this matter? A kid, dead, saving other stupid kids. What a sacrifice. Maybe if Kya had gotten there in time...That didn't bear thinking about. How that had happened, I didn't know. Miscommunication? Ignorance? Arrogance? It was pointless to dwell on it.

"What about Ella?"

"No sign of her."

I briefly considered going to find her. Imagining her, scared and alone...But she wouldn't be scared, would she? Knowing her, she'd have taken up her own weapon and tried to take on the world.

Somehow, that thought was worse.

Sighing, I pointed at Albert. Just beyond the door, inside the loading bay, I could hear the bodies moving. Breathing. Hungry for blood.

"Bar the doors, funnel them into the next room. If they break through, of course," I added.

"What about us?" Connor asked.

"We'll go back to the foyer, hold that. Esha, keep doing what you're doing. In fact, go find Mike, tell him what's what."

"Of course," Connor said. "Lead the way."

"Do you know about any of the others?" Albert asked Esha.

"Nothing," they said. "We just have to hope."

"It's all we can do," I said.

On the way to the foyer, Connor tapped my shoulder. "Issy, what is our end goal?"

The question stopped me in my tracks. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how long do we fight? When do we, I don't know, recognise victory?"

"I don't know," I said. "When they stop coming, I guess? At the least, we need Lacy to have this bloody baby, and then we see what's what, alright? I don't know, Connor. I don't have a bloody clue, honestly. How many thugs are after us? A dozen? Thirty? A hundred? More? We fight until they stop coming."