More Than a Battle, Less Than a War || tøp AU

15

"Anyways, it's getting dark." Josh pointed out. "We can spend the night here."

"Are you serious? We're only a few blocks away from the captive camp. There's still gotta be some IQ members searching this area." I say.

He knelt and placed a hand on the ground. "Just as I thought. The IQ members are heading north, back to Fort Wayne. Probably to report the captive camp demolition."

If word gets to Fort Wayne that their captive camp was blown up and all the captives have gone loose, of course the word will get to Zephyr. And of course Zephyr will know it was us who did it.

Day six and a half:

I sense a big warmth up ahead. I'm guessing it's the protection boundaries. The one week mark is approaching. That's when we really need to start hustling. Zephyr would probably send IQ members out to search for us otherwise.

-Scarlet

Josh, Scarlet and I flash our flashlights on the grimy grounds of the medical department. Blood stains, surgical tools and scattered documents cover every inch of the floor.

"Remember, we're looking for first aid supplies. Salvage anything useful." Josh called.

I roger his command and walk over to an abandoned cubicle. There, a cracked computer screen lays in ruins along with piles of soiled papers across the desk. Just as I was about to turn away, something caught my eye.

A picture frame?

At that angle, the gold encrusted picture frame reflected the light subtly enough to draw my attention. My fingers shake as I pry away the junk barricading the lost treasure.

The picture frame's gold was rusting and the glass was cracked, but the picture preserved inside still remained intact. A mother with two children. A beautiful mother, in fact, with two beautiful children.

I don't have the slightest clue who these people are, but they look happy. Kind of makes me wish I could meet my mom, or to know who she is, at the least.

"Tyler," Scarlet interrupted my train of thought. I throw the picture aside and quickly turn to face her.

"Tyler, you're supposed to be looking for..." Her eyes shot me a look of confusion. "Are you crying?"

I shot her a look of confusion back before bringing my hands to my face, wiping away warm tears that I didn't know were there.

"Me? Crying? No way! Must've gotten something in my eye." I shrugged.

Why have I been so emotionally unsteady lately? I've cried more times today than Scarlet or Josh has this whole week.

"Well, Josh and I already found a good amount of supplies. We better find a place to sleep for the night."

***

We settle in the upper floor of the medical department. Josh and Scarlet set up a place for me to rest while I have no choice but to uselessly stand by.

I've been trying to fill my head with rambling thoughts to distract me from the voice gnawing at the back of my mind.

The statehouse. Xenon. Revolutionize.

What kind of person is he? What does he look like? Does he have a lure? And if he does have a lure, would killing him have to target his lack?

"And that's that." Josh stated, dusting off his hands and admiring his work.

Scarlet prepared a meal consisting of sweet corn and black beans in-the-can. We all sit in a circle, burying our faces in our well earned meal.