Waveland

Chapter 27

Xavier pressed his body against the dark corner of the military tent. The room was dark covered with various maps, and weapons lining across the table. A large map was pinned on the wall in the center of the room, red pins attached to the major sightings of aliens. This was the room that David's soldiers typically occupied before leaving for their missions. The room was empty beside Patrick, a friend of his brother's who stood completely silent on the other side of the room. Patrick wouldn't relieve a single detail to Xavier about their mission. Xavier anxiously tapped his fingers over and over on his right thigh. Waiting. 

David said he needed to talk to him. But he also told the people that there was nothing to worry about and that the mission went according to plan. Xavier could feel the lie in his gut. Rose and Tyler weren't among the returning soldiers. What the hell happened? 

"Xavier." David walked into the room, a sense of darkness surrounding him. His dark presence made Xavier want to shirk and run away, but he vowed to himself he wouldn't leave until he got answers. He hoped he was just overreacting. He shoved down his thoughts and stood tall risking to stare into the eyes of the man that always protected him but also terrified him.

David nodded to Patrick who still remained in the corner, standing tall like the good little solider he was, staying silent and waiting for David's orders. Why was he here? Why wasn't Christian here? He should be the one in the room, overhearing his captain's conversation.

"Where is Rose?"

His leader exhaled, leaned against the desk. His cold eyes bearing at Xavier. "She is the reason everything almost exploded in our face."

Xavier could see Patrick stiffened, his blank stare tightening.

"I told you to beware of that girl. The only thing she brings is trouble."

"I don't understand."
David stood up, a cold expression in his eyes. He gripped Xavier's shoulder tightly, alerting a tiny spark of pain. Xavier winced from the contact. A bad feeling burning in his gut. There was no warmth in his eyes, only that brutal coldness.

"If your brother fails to return, you know who is responsible for his death."

"Tell me what happened!" Xavier gritted through his teeth, he was done with these mind games. The thought never occurred to Xavier that his brother could be in trouble. Two years he has been apart of David's army, and not a single team he has come back injured. Christian is too smart, he calculates everything, it is the reason he become David's right hand men when there are other more experienced and older candidates. Christian was special, he was a born solider. Strong, level headed and always takes the right amount of risk.

David stepped out of the way, instructing Patrick to tell Xavier about their mission. Patrick cleared his voice, Xavier noticed the same bit of fear that glistened in his brother's friends eyes before he returned to his blank stare. "The mission was to scope out the nearest alien base and determine the level of danger to our town. Grouped in pairs. Rose and Tyler were grouped together, they were supposed to circle the building without raising alarm. The place was surrounded, we needed to start indicating our escape route and there was an explosion at the alien's base." Patrick stepped behind David clearing down stating the mission report. 

Xavier mind was racing. Going through all the details Patrick told him. A million scenarios in his head. Christian dying, Rose dying. His new closest friend and his brother in the woods somewhere bleeding out. Various of attacks they might have faced in such dangerous perimeters. 

The feeling of a rough skin caressing his shoulder, brought his eyes up to his leader. The man he vowed he would always follow with blind loyalty because he was the reason why their town survived.

"She is careless. She is at fault if any of my soldiers die. I told you not to trust her. I warned you." There was a softness in David's tone that wasn't there before. The once cold darkness lining his features, disappearing. 

Xavier remained silent, his thoughts attacking him at once. It felt like his head spinning with all of this new information. The two most important people in his life. Missing. Possibly Dying. 

"Son, you have a choice." Xavier brought his eyes to David's. The hand still gripping his shoulder in a fatherly manner. "You put this town, your family first or you can allow this girl ruin everything good in your life. She will be the reason everyone dies around her. I warned you before, I will warn you again. Rose is not the person you think she is. She is dangerous. I am only looking out for you Son." 

"No!" Xavier shoved him back. Both didn't say a word, he could tell both men were shocked by his sudden outburst. He worked so hard to be in control of his temper, but now that everything around him was in question he couldn't hold back the overwhelming feeling bubbling up in his chest. "My brother is alive! Rose isn't responsible for any of this! She is not dangerous to me!" Xavier could feel the red hot anger rising in his cheeks. 

Patrick grabbed his shoulders hauling outside before he could make a dumb decision.

"Think over what we talked about." David called out to him as Patrick threw open the front of the plastic covering of the tent's entrance, dragging Xavier with him. 

"Let me go!" Xavier shrugged off Patrick's grip. 

Patrick raised his hands in surrender, calming the intense rage fueling in Xavier's chest. "Easy. I just wanted to save you before you did something stupid." Patrick's red hair glistened in the bright sun. It was too bright of day for his swelling anxiety. Everything around him was spinning.

"I don't need your saving." Xavier glared at Christian's friend.  

Xavier could see the hesitant look in Patrick's eyes. He wanted to say something, probably connected to what he was trying to say in the medical bay. He didn't wait to see what he would do next, Xavier marched off toward the community center. He needed a friendly face, he needed someone to help clear the thoughts raging in his mind. Three people were missing, something happened in the mission David didn't want him to know. Blaming it on Rose.  His feet stomped hard on the grass, time would only tell the truth. Maybe Rose and Christian would walk together through the iron gate, proving they were fine and he was worrying for nothing. Their leader was overacting. Rose was strong, one of the strongest people he has ever met, but she isn't a monster. 

"Hi Olive." Xavier sat down touching her shoulder as he took the empty space next to her. Blonde curls bouncing as she turned toward him, giving him a friendly hug. As they talked about random things, everything seemed to quiet in his hand. Talking to Olive distracted him. All he had to do now was wait for the next thing to come crashing down.