Raising Hell

Broken Promise

ALEX'S POV

"There are five teams coming on this mission, each with their own jobs. Our job is to distract the outside guards. You could say we have one of the most risky. Without us the kill team won't make it two feet without getting shot down." I explain and faces are painted with fear. I ignore them and continue on with my speech. "Our team will spread out through the boundaries and throw these." I hold up the small cylinder in my hand. "If I dropped this we would instantly become paralyzed for 24 hours." Their eyes bulge at the weapon. I pretend to drop it but grab it from the air quickly. Everyone does a sharp intake of breath as I chuckle. I smile the cylinder for it has given me a small sliver of happiness and then look back at the team. "We will be wearing face masks so it won't have an affect on us." I explain. "Unfortunately the quickness of the poisons invention, there are drawbacks. They poison doesn't move in clouds. Someone may be far away enough to be safe from the affect, so we will have the kill them." I say and lift up a gun from the floor. I smile at its weight and familiarity. "I am sure you have all shot a firearm before but in case you haven't." I shoot the dummies to the left of me without looking. The bullet lands directly in the heart of a dummy and the men gasp in surprise at the accuracy of my shot. "That's how you do it." I explain. Someone in the back chuckles and I don't need to look to know it's Jake. "I will explain more about our jobs when we get closer but for now that's all you need to know." I say and then grab my backpack and swing it over my shoulder. I start walking to the door and I can feel eyes following my back. I turn around to see everyone staring at me, stuck in their positions. 

"Is everyone ready or are you still painting your goddamned nails?" I yell at them. Their trance is broken and they start to follow me out the door and towards the runway where we will take off in an aircraft. 

*******

The walk is as tedious before but I demanded new shoes so there is less blood involved. I stayed in the back of the group but kept a close eye on all of them. There were ten, some of them I have never met, others I knew from training. Jake and Ben are both on the team but as far away as possible from each other. Jake walked in the front of the group, making conversation with a few of the older men. Ben walked quietly in the back, occasionally moaning in pain or disgust. I chuckled to myself at him. I didn't blame Jake at all for punching Ben but it was the worst possible moment to do so. Ben was taunting him and Jake has been known to have a short fuse. 

What was annoying me is Jake's words to me after the incident. I didn't know how Jake felt about us for the longest time but I wasn't ready to hear that it mean absolutely nothing to him. It hurt my heart and I punished myself for feeling anything, I knew I was going to get hurt but I felt anyway. But that's far in the past now and I won't make the mistake again. Hopefully.

JAKE'S POV

I forgave her right away. I didn't care that Ben knew about us. In fact I was considering telling everyone before I found out. The minute I saw her face full of hurt and sadness I knew I couldn't be with her. So I lied, told her that there was never an us. But the truth, the secret that is eating me inside out, I want so bad to be her protector. The one who helps her through everything. I want to be the one holding her hand, I want to be the one by her hospital bed when she gets hurt and I want to be the one to call her mine. My longing for her is so strong that I have to physically be away from her, trying to distract myself with meaningless conversation.  That goddamned Ben, had to ruin everything. I resist the urge to punch him again as I walk with the other men.

The hot sun beats down on us as we search the tree line for a good camp. One of the men point to one, suggesting the location and we look to Alex for approval. She nods tiredly and I wonder if her shoes are still bothering her.