The Defender - Chronicles of the runner

A chance encounter

Running, that's what I had been doing the past few years, running non stop. Well that and I guess fighting WCKD, I'm something of a legend nowadays, nobody really knows who I am but they know what I do. I help people escape crank filled cities, I try to give medical assistance where I can, but most importantly, I steal from WCKD and try to sabotage them as much as one person can.

I move from place to place helping as many as I can, I do not tend to stay in one particular place for too long, if WCKD were to catch wind of where I was then they would undo all the work I had done to help people, by coming in guns ablaze trying to kill the person causing them so much trouble for all these years.

However, I have been breaking my own rules recently and for the past few months, staying in the largest place yet, the last city. I guess I was pulled towards it because I know whilst I'm there I won't go hungry, will always have somewhere to stay and I have a network of contacts right in this very city, but lastly, I had to stay because of the dept I had to repay to Lawrence. Lawrence may not look like much, but he's the boss around here, he owned almost everything in the city before WCKD took control, I've never asked him but I think that's a part of the reason he hates them so much, imagine if someone stole all your things and then kicked you out to the gutter? But this time the gutter is extra dangerous because of a zombie virus, it's not the best situation to put it lightly. Despite that however, It's oddly comforting almost, staying in a city after having no stability in such a long time, having people that would check up on me, I had a place that I knew was safe, I felt almost organised because there was someone telling me what to do. Although I didn't like being forced to stay here, but I had a debt to pay, and I couldn't leave without getting that out of the way.

Unfortunately, I can't call the inner city my home, I live on the outskirts, the outskirts and inner city are separated by giant concrete walls that WCKD installed to make sure the cranks couldn't get in, and nobody could get out. Behind the walls are reserved for the wealthiest people who can afford the wall's protection, nothing comes in and out of those walls, nobody inside wants to leave, but everything in the outside isn't allowed in. There is one exception to this golden rule, the strange shipments WCKD bring in every so often, there was one only a week or so ago, nobody is supposed to know what's in them, but everyone does, they are shipments of immunes, a few years ago human trafficking was seen as wrong, but I guess times have changed. WCKD likes to think they control the outskirts as well as the inner city because an uprising would be a bit impractical for them, but because they don't like to get their hands dirty by coming out here often, so, they are blissfully unaware of the tensions rising out here. Either way, the people that live on the outskirts are the people who really need my help so I stay here despite the danger.

Now, I strode down the street, the sun was already scorching down on my back, it felt even hotter today, if that was even possible. I gazed out over the sea of people stretched out informer of me, trying to get a gauge of how busy the market would be. Unluckily, it seemed to already be crowded with people, I sighed, pulling my hood down lower across my face, I traipsed on in the direction of the market, eyes peeled for trouble. Somehow, despite actively avoiding bad situations, I always seemed to end up in the middle of them, usually helping Gally break up fights or something of that nature.

I was 2 metres down the streets when a boy bumped into to my shoulder, making me almost loose my balance, he was about my height or just a bit taller, had dark brown almost black hair, dark eyes and was with a small group of others, I couldn't see them all but there looked to be about 5 but I couldn't see the two in the back.

It was odd, they did not look like they were from here, their eyes were all open wide, gaping at the subtle beauty of the outskirts, well I thought they were beautiful, Gally normally just said they were 'a load of trash'. There were dusty crumbling buildings that lined the streets, towering many storeys high with varying degrees of dirty clinging to their concrete walls. Power cords hung in dangerous bunches from the sides of buildings, but down on the street there were stalls selling random trinkets and supplies. I focused back on the group in front of me, they also were travelling in with more people than normal, most who come out of the scorch to the last city don't travel in larger group groups. This group had three boys taking the lead and two figures behind that I couldn't fully see. Oh well, who was I to judge if they risked travelling in a big group, just a bloody good thing they made it here safely. I snapped back to reality, remembering how the boy had rudely shoved me,

"Oi, look where your going mate"

He turned back to me, an annoyed expression plastered on his face, he went to say something back to me, but I looked past him and I noticed the reason he pushed me, a truck was rolling through the streets with some armed men on the top of it rifles held securely in their hands and masks covering their faces. One held a megaphone, yelling about how we need to act out and destroy WCKD, well, that was something I was on board with.

"Shit I'm late" I whispered to myself, turning and briskly walking off to the market before the boy could say anything more, I had blended back into the crowed and I was once again, invisible, but not before reaching into the boy's pocket and pulling out what I hoped was a small stash of money, I was running short and did not want to borrow anymore of Gally's, plus, it was not like I was taking from disadvantaged people, that group had some of the nicest clothes I had seen in a while, not to mention they also looked cleaner. I ran off through the crowd not checking to see what I had stolen from the boy or if he had seen me take it, what was I talking about of course he didn't, too bloody wrapped up in his own business to notice.

I approached the large square, housing all the many different stalls and walked in the familiar direction of the one belonging to a butcher called Steve, I was fond of him, he didn't try to rip me off, assuming I was going to feed my family or something like that. He was a sweet man, only a bit taller than me, with a round face, the bottom half of which was covered in a prickly stubble, the top half of his head holding no hair at all. I caught his eye as I came up to his stall, and he smiled at me whilst finishing up with another customer.

"If it isn't my favourite customer, what are you here to buy today Tilly?"

"Could I get one of those cuts of pork and two chickens please" I replied gesturing at the things I wanted. These weren't for me, they were for some of the other back at base, which is why I needed to hurry up, Joel and Gally were expecting me back very soon, and I still had other things to buy!

Steve picked up the two scrawny chickens and a decent sized cut pork, we couldn't be picky with meat around here, animals could get the flare, so if the chickens were a little smaller today, I wouldn't mind. "And your total is-" He was cut off by what sounded like explosions and people screaming and sprinting back through the market. I whipped my head around searching for the source of the noise, but another explosion sounded, then another and another. The ground shook with every explosions and dust started to fill the sky, the explosions were nearby. I heard Steve from behind me, "Go Ill save them for you" he said "go back home and stay there"

He didn't have to tell me twice I ran back through the market, and down streets and alleyways, almost being crushed by the stampeding hoards of people in the more open areas. I ran up to a small gate where a guard stood, eyes alert at the waves of people sprinting for safety, I nodded at him and he let me through. I pulled open the gate and ran through the compound and crossed over to the main room, making it just in time to see everyone gearing up.

"What happened?" I asked Joel frantically

"They started bombing the gates to the city, boys that were out on patrol should be back have been back but Gally radioed said he needed to get some of the people out, said he knew them or something"

What? Why would Gally do something so reckless, if WCKD were releasing bombs at the city gates, who knows where they could strike next. Normal we just waited for it to calm down a bit before going and checking on people.

"I'm gonna wait for it to calm down a bit them do some rounds, make sure people are okay" I told Joel turning to walk towards the stairs leading out of the base and to the building that was currently my home in this city.

"Sounds good, see you later Tilly"

With that final farewell, I headed off to my up to plan out how I would go about my rounds, and maybe take a nap just until it was dark enough to not be seen by those who I didn't want to see me.

I was late to my maths lesson bc of this chapter 🤭😭😜🤩😝😘💪