Detonation

PART 1

TARCI

"Sixty seconds", Tarci called out, looking at Draxi from the corner of his eye as her palms held the gun loose, but steady enough. Her heart thumped inside her chest. She could feel her body trembling as if she'd encountered one of Warcol's life-taking creatures. She had never really encountered one in real life, but rumors spread like wildfire in her port. Her uncle had told her a tale about Gristlespit Hatemoon, a 'witch' who resided in the dead corners and valleys in Port Alpha. She was not a witch, as her uncle had said. She was a spy. From the Delta. 

"I give you seventy seconds." he repeated. "You kill him or I'll do the honors. You hear me?"
She nodded.
 You are never the same person when you kill someone. Bloody hands. Living a life of regret, having the man you've murdered haunt you for the rest of your supposed existence is a thought that constantly crossed Draxi's mind. She thought of handing over the gun to Tarci, who was a man with no inborn sympathy, ruthless, a huge waste of existence. Strongly built, like a man whose only motive is being held guilty for someone's murder. He craved death, not his own, of course. Bloodsucker.

"Sixty. Do it. Shoot him."

In front of him, about 15 feet away, stood another man. Ludo something. His look was no match with Tarci or even Draxi. His arms and legs were slimmed down to a bone and his body shivered miserably in the rain that washed away the remaining blood from his face, arms. He was hurt everywhere. Hurting him more? Obviously, further continuance of hunger would kill him sooner or later. Maybe he'd just get killed for being innocent. She didn't know why she was holding the gun. It was an order, and you 'must follow orders' as her father would say. Would shooting him now save him from further sufferance?

 Draxi wanted to offer him some commiseration but she believed their fates were different. She was healthy enough, forced to kill. Tied to this heartless man who was her 'commander'. He was about to die. If not by her, maybe, no -  definitely, Tarci would cause the bloodshed. Ludo's hair was a total mess, covering half his forehead, she couldn't see his eyes. Crying, probably. She was crying too but who could see the tears in this downpour? Maybe Ludo. Maybe they resonated, even for a few seconds, but they did. He couldn't help her, she couldn't help him. Tarci does not even care, his eyes were fixated to the target. 

WHY WAS SHE ABOUT TO KILL HIM?

Draxi was close to pulling the trigger when her eyes met a silver bracelet surrounding Ludo's blood covered wrist. His hands and legs were tied to a huge block of wood. She admired the accessory for a while. Not an appropriate time for adoration, obviously, so she pulled back her gaze to the frail body.

"Forty five"

She looked back at Tarci with her watery eyes, who was busy switching his gaze from his watch to Ludo. Maybe he would sympathize with this half-dead man. It was useless though, when, in the midst of the drizzling rain, she noticed a spot on his ear glowing red. Red.
She took a deep breath in, pulled the trigger, and shot Tarci. Straight through his head.

He fell.
He wasn't dead.
She closed her eyes tightly, and shot him two more times.

The ear kept blinking. Thirty. 

Draxi wrapped the gun in her skirt and without having a second thought, rushed to free Ludo. Pulling out the switchblade she always kept wrapped around her skirt, and cut the knots. 

"Run. We don't have much time." she said, as she took his arm and ran towards an irregularly shaped concrete wall. It was probably broken down due to some mine or bomb but who cares. She dragged Ludo behind it, far enough from the dead.

"Close your ears." she whispered.
Within seconds, BOOM! Fire spat out from Tarci, and waves of dust and heat followed. Draxi held Ludo close. "We're okay." she said. The wind and sand blew for a few more seconds.

Tarci. A human bomb.

"We're okay."