A Land of Despair

Who is She?

Since there was nothing for us to do, we were given the next day off.

All of us were given passes to leave the dome if we wanted, which most of us did.

Tina and I decided to go to the shopping center first, she wanted to get a souvenir for her brother, the thought was kind.
It was also our cover for the day, we needed to have the time to deliver important messages from the town where the school was.

Once we were done at the shopping center, we looked around and took our leave, making sure to be extra careful that we could not be suspected of anything.
The road we used had us passing through a small deserted town, left in ruins from one of the wars between humans and controllers. Nature had taken back the abandoned and run down buildings, it was eerie and peaceful all at the same time.
Our information told us that the location we were looking for was at the center of the small town, we walked on.

As we were approaching one of the larger buildings that still stood firm, a man came into view. He wore a black combat uniform, and had a hood covering his face.

He must be the one we were looking for. I knew it from the moment I saw him, this prompted me to perform a hand gesture to prompt a reaction from him.

"Global justice for humanity," he stated once we were within reach. He was definitely our contact.
"Do you have the package?" He asked sternly.

Tina nodded, while taking out an envelope from her bag and handing it to the man.

He scanned over it and placed it into one of his large pockets.

"Good job so far, but who is she?"

I was taken aback, he must have noticed because he proceeded to point to a distance not so far off from where we stood.

There, a man, almost as large as the one who was with us, was holding a girl rather tightly on one arm as she clutched a shopping bag with the other. 
It was Hope. I sighed internally.

"We don't know who that is!" Tina's tone was so cold it surprised me. She wasn't the sweetest of girls, but she also wasn't cold hearted, she knew what they would do to Hope if they suspected her of being some sort of spy.

Hope's face showed her surprise, her eyes were glassy at this point. "I told you already, I'm not a spy."

"Then why were you following them. We saw as you all entered the town." The man holding her demanded, shaking her a little.
I could tell she was seconds from crying.

"Let her go!" I barked. I had had enough of this scene.
Tina came close to me, whispering in my ear that I should not bother. But that was the thing, I already was.

I walked up to them strides full of determination. The man holding Hope was big, but I was almost his size, also I had enough fighting experience to know how to handle things.

"I said let her go." My tone was lower and more menacing this time.
Hope winced, dropping her shopping bag, she held the man's hand as if to make him let go. His grip on her must have gotten tighter.

My knuckles were in fists and were getting tighter, I changed my stance then ready to attack this brute.

He laughed.

My fist was too fast for him to register, he was staggering back and didn't react for some seconds but I got what I wanted, Hope was no longer in his hold.

She was squatting down, rubbing her arm soothingly, her eyes turned to me from her place on the ground. They were so wide, it made her look so sad.

"You little bastard!" I'll kill you!" The man roared,he wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his sleeve and charged. I prepared myself for his attack.

"Enough!" Boomed the man we had me originally.
"Gunther! Step away, now."

The brute, whose name was Gunther, spat and walked towards his friend.

My eyes were on Hope again. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she picked up her bag and stood up. She came to stand next to me, closer than we had ever been, I could smell her scent.

It was sweet, like vanilla and fruits. It made me wonder if she bathed herself in the most natural fruit juice.
How silly a thought.

Tina was rooted in the spot I had left her, with the first man we met. Gunther had joined them, they stared at Hope and I, we stared back, neither of us knowing the next move. I just knew I wouldn't let anyone of them hurt her.

"That boy must be a traitor, Mark." Gunther spoke, eager to see us punished for the crime.

"Let's go inside and talk." Said Mark, leaving no room for opposition, turned and walked into the big building that was before us, almost immediately, Gunther followed obediently.

Tina gave me a stare meant to be annoyed, but she looked sour instead. Thereafter proceed to go in after the men.

As I looked at Hope who was still close behind me, she stared back at me, it dawned on me that I was angry with the girl.
Why had she been following us?
Was she really just a spy?

Such an air head.

I turned away from her. With a calming breath, I made it for the building as well. As I continued on walking, I felt a slight tug in the hem of my shirt. Hope was softly clinging on to me.

All the anger left my body at that moment, I was filled with pity. I felt bad that she was scared and shaken.

I wanted to hold her hand and show her comfort.

Why?
I thought to myself.

Now is not the time to be the nice guy.

We needed to settle this matter and rush back to the dorm before curfew.