Man Eater

7 • Margaret

The night was eerily still, the nightlife in the city wasn't the same. I had a pit in my stomach, I felt a nauseating dread that caused me to stumble and my jaw to shake each time it opened. I found myself placed behind a dumpster like the first time I covered for Rising Sun, and I truly believed now this would be the last- I knew Tiny's visions never failed. The ringing in my ears and the overwhelming anxiousness drowned out the rest of the world, so I swung around and pointed my Colt at whoever placed their hand on my back, my heartbeat quickening.

"Woah woah woah woah! One-eye it's me!" Redback hissed softly, raising his hands in the air, his eyes wide. "Don't shoot, you crazy bitch...!" I took a deep and shaky breath, staring him down for a few heartbeats. I couldn't believe he had followed me, what was he thinking?

"What the Hell are you doing?!" I hissed lowly, lowering my aim. Both hands stayed on the firearm, my finger rested lightly above the trigger. Did he know I was here to save someone from his own father? Did he know what his father was doing?

"I- well..." He breathed, lowering his gaze as he quickly crawled in behind me, hovering slightly above me as I peeked around the corner once more. "I saw Moon talk to you, and Tiny gave you something to drink- I knew you were on a mission." His face slowly crept to a bright smile, my heart squeezed- his eyes shone just like his mother's. "I want to take your place someday, to be like you and Moon and Setting Sun. That's why I'm here."

"Redback I'm-" I looked behind myself at him once more, then forward again. I couldn't look at him, not in the eyes. Tiny's eyes. "I'm covering Rising Sun."

"But isn't my dad wit-"

He shut his mouth quickly when I jabbed my elbow into his ribs, I grabbed his wrist as we sunk back into the greasy shadows behind the old dumpster. The backdoor of the club swung open, the muffled music clear for a few moments before it slammed shut once more. Sharp, clicky footsteps pierced the mumbling quietness, heavier ones followed slowly. "Thank you..." My heart squeezed as I heard Rising Sun's breathy and sweet voice. "I- I'm sorry... I don't know what I did wrong, thank you for covering me..." She murmured, walking forward a few paces.

"He was taken care of, it's fine." Snake-Heart responded gruffly. "You can't help your foolishness." His hands slowly reached behind his back. From Rising Sun's perspective it may have seemed that he was looking to find a relaxed position, Redback and I witnessed as he reached for a holster hidden beneath his coat.

My breath caught in my throat, I did my best to take a deep breath to calm my shaking hands. My ears were ringing, sweat beaded at my forehead, my head pounded. I looked through the sights as I slowly raised my aim. Large and rough hands quickly grabbed mine, I looked back- Redback's eyes were wild with confusion. It felt like kicking a puppy.

Our gazes snapped back to the scene around the corner when Rising Sun turned around. "My foolishness?" She squeaked. "I did all I could! I did what I was supposed to..." The small female held his gaze for a few moments. "Where were you? Until the last second? I should've listened to M-"

"Moon." Snake-Heart finished for her. There was an eery silence, Rising Sun's pale face was a cold white. She took a step back, shrinking back like a beaten dog. The man tilted his head a bit, amused as he watched her. He was playing with her, taunting her. He quickly looked up behind her, as if he saw a shadow, and she turned swiftly on her heel to follow his path of sight; though it had been a nasty trick. In one swift motion, he pulled his Ruger and dealt that fatal shot.

My jaw hung open. He did it. He really, truly did it. It was all so fast, there was nothing I could do. The world seemed to stand still, the coward shot her in the back. He couldn't even face her. His face showed no remorse, Rising Sun was propelled forward and dropped without a grunt. "Dad!" The call snapped me out of my thoughts as Redback shot out from our cover. I tried to grab him, but recoiled before I came into sight. He tried to get between them but it was much too late, he tried to grab the handgun from his father, who knocked him back with a blow to the head with the barrel of the weapon. As the blood trickled down from his forehead, the two men shared the silence between them. Redback's eyes shone with confusion, staring at his father, his hero- as his hero had killed something as innocent as a ladybug for being in his way. He was hurt, shocked, repulsed. It looked like a renaissance painting.

My hand gripped my mouth as I watched the older cock the firearm. I watched as a father aimed at his own son, his own creation, a man made in his likeness. A man who was once someone's baby, Tiny called him a gift from above. Tears stained my cheeks, I felt sick. My dear, sweet, best friend. Here he was, at the feet of his father, begging for answers with a heaving breath. Snake-Heart scoffed and turned away, lowering his aim. "You shouldn't be here. Why are you here?" His gravelly voice grumbled. "Lurking around in the shadows when you could've helped her in there. You're as useless as your mother." My face heated red, my grip tightened. To Redback, the heartless blow was directed at Willow, but only Snake-Heart and I knew who he meant, the truth. Relief swallowed me as he headed for the door. "Clean this up. Cover for me, son."

That bastard. Of course he would manipulate him like this, it was just what he was good at. To call him son, something Redback craved to hear from the man, just after calling him useless. Reality grabbed me by the neck once more when I turned my gaze to the pool of blood slowly creeping toward me. Rising Sun.

I crawled towards the body once the coast was clear, tears dropping from my empty eye. Her dyed blonde hair matted in blood and a matter that I could only imagine was the contents of her head. The bullet had entered the back of her skull and exited at the bridge of her nose. The shot was calculated and precise, it was well meditated and practiced. Her beautiful face was mangled and unrecognizable. Her angelic body laid limp like a ragdoll as I slowly pulled her into my arms. In a state of hysterics, I mindlessly tried to piece her face back together, I silently heaved and sobbed. "Margaret... Margaret..." I whimpered her God-given name, my head tilting back. It wasn't fair. I was sent to cover her, and I failed her. "Oh Maggie..." I cried to the wind, my hand holding the back of her head, bone fragments splintering my fingers as I tried to stop the bleeding. Fiercely loving and beautiful Maggie was gone, and for what? One man's ambition. Only a man could do this.

Redback, lost for words, pulled himself towards us, using his jacket to drape over the body- to hide her face. "I'm sorry, Sunny..." He breathed, then looked at me. Tears welled in his eyes, his kind hands held my arm and my back, he sheltered us from the wind as he placed his bloody forehead on my shoulder. "What now...?"

What now? I asked myself. My eyelids slowly shut, my vision blurry. I was his superior, but right now he was comforting me. I was supposed to protect her, I watched her die. I almost watched Redback die. I was useless, how could he still respect me? Moon had said to save myself... but would she regret that after she saw what remained of Margaret? Guilt weighed at my heart. Did she know I was here to save her? Were her last memories of me trying to separate her and Moon? Did she die resenting me?

The hand that feeds. Snake-Heart's words rang in my head. He acted as if it was his hand that fed us, but he had done nothing for me. The hand that feeds. The hand that feeds. The hand that feeds. My head was pounding, my heart was racing. My grip tightened, my nails gently dug into her soft skin. The hand that feeds.

It deserves to be bitten, when it beats.