Our Soul Divided

14| Determined

Athena

"He's been gone too long," I plead with Ryder, "We have to go find him." I am losing my patience and my sanity. If anything happens to him, I have no idea what I will do. I have nothing and no one.

Ryder shakes his head at me, "Rain isn't back yet either. I am sure they're just making sure everyone is okay."

Suddenly, I lose whatever resolve I had, "If you don't take me to find him, I'll go alone."

Ryder's eyes bluge in surprise and he stutters, "Y-you can't leave. Stetson will kill us both if the Red Suits don't first!"

"I can't stay here and wait!" I scream at him. Everyone is looking at us as we stand in the middle of the bunker with those who came back as soon as the raid broke up the party.

Everyone is looking, but no one dares to interrupt, to come to Ryder's rescue.

"Look," Ryder sighs, "Stetson is basically the only family I have. He's been like a big brother to me, a dad even on some days. I want to go find him as much as you do, but I have to follow orders for your safety and his..."

"His safety? He's out there alone." My voice has lowered so much that it's nearly a growl.

"And he's better alone than with you to protect," Ryder snaps.

I wince at his sudden outburst.

"Ever since I've known him, all he's ever been worried about is you. Everything he does is for you. If he sends you back with me, it is for you and your safety. So you're staying here!" He stands over me now, barely taller than me, but suddenly much larger.

I bolt for the door to his left, but my efforts are useless, as Ryder's longer strides put him right in front of me before I reach for the door. "Over my dead body," he says and snickers at his dark humor.

Suddenly, we both hear the garage door outside the bunker creak open. My wild eyes meet Ryder's and I start trying to shove him out of the way. "Move, he's here now!"

"We don't know that it's him!" Ryder whisper screams, "Now shut. up. And wait for the signal," Ryder growls at me.

Signal? What signal? There is silence in the bunker, except for the sounds coming from the garage. Suddenly there is a loud beep and a voice over a loudspeaker speaks up, "All clear."

Ryder's body sags as he moves from in front of the door. I lunge for the handle and swing it open. Stetson stands on the other side with his hand reaching for where the knob would have been.

I waste no time as I spring into his surprised stance and wrap my arms around his ribs. I am in the middle of burying my face in his chest when he recoils, "Ah! God dammit, Athena," for a moment he sounds angry with me and I slowly look up to his face while he settles his arms around me.

"That hurt, I'm sorry," he mumbles.

"It hurt?" I back away quickly, nearly tripping over my own feet as I examine him. "What happened?"

He bats my hands away, "We'll worry about that later. Ryder!" he calls over my head as he walks around me.

What the fuck just happened?

I stand there, in my own empty embrace, and stare at my hands like I had burned him. He just shrugged me off.

I turn slowly with my hands still suspended in midair, palms facing the ceiling. Stetson's back is to me, and I take one step toward him until I hear him tell Ryder, "They took Rain."

Ryder's gaze drops to the floor.

"It's all my fucking fault," Stetson's outburst makes everyone in the near vicinity startle, and those who are further away are looking in his direction now.