Running for them

Regain

The more he kept talking the more angry I got. Had he gone mad? Has he lost his sanity? Was his brain shoved up his ass?

"I think you should do it." He ended his rampage with that. I take orders from no one. Seriously, his brain had to be up his ass.

"No. I'm not changing where I'm going just because she wants to. If she wants out she can leave." I know the poor girl was in pain. Lost two people at the same time, but I won't just do whatever she wants. Especially if it endangers the people that still had their brain where it suppose to be.

"She'll die." He says as if I didn't know that. Of course Gretchen would die. The girl worried about a tube of lipstick more than her life for gods sake.

"I won't drop my plan just because your girlfriend wants to go to her house in freaking Missouri. We're on our way to Texas ok? A few days ago I was at peace in Tennessee. Now I'm half way through Arkansas and she wants me to go and drop her off in Missouri? This is not a favor. It's a suicide." I said standing up and walking towards Mia and Dan who were talking beside the car on the opposite side of Gretchen and Lucy.

Was Lucy getting convinced by Gretchen? No no Lucy has her brain in the right place. She would convince her own daughter to better judgement. Right?

"It's not suicide." Caleb had turned me around and held my shoulders shaking me a bit as if to change my mind. What does he think? That my brain will just automatically be like 'oh he's shaking us better do as he asks' ?

"Not suicide? What if we're mobbed huh? What if we get robbed? What if they already destroyed her house? What if I don't get back to Texas in time? What if something happens to my sister? It's suicide. I'm not risking anything. If y'all want to leave then take your things and leave on your own." I shook him off and walked- more like stumped- towards Mia.

When I reached her I told her to get up and follow me so we could talk. I had to tell Mia so if Gretchen tries anything she can be prepared. What if she tries to steal the car like that boy had at the house? As soon as I thought that I walked towards Dan and told him to guard the car while I talked to Mia. He'll earn my trust little by little.

"What's going on?" Mia asked once I stood in front of her once again and explained her every thing that Caleb had told me. That bastard. Do I seem that naive? That sympathetic? 

"We obviously can't do that. It's stupid and careless. It's like we're asking to freaking die." That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Mia was very logical unlike some people.

"I know right? That's what I told him. I'm gonna talk to Gretchen and tell her that if she wants to leave she has to do it now. I don't want her bugging me about it later on." I said and she nodded. I walked towards the car and slowed down while going to the other side to see if I could catch a little of her and Lucy's conversation. Yes I'm nosy alright? I just want to see if she's convincing Lucy to go. She's a nice woman and frankly I don't want her to leave.

"You can't do this to me G. I lost Greg and Helen I can't loose you too. Don't be like this, it's ridiculous, why don't you come with Ace and us we could be safe and-"

"Safe? Are you joking? They're part of this. You think I'm stupid? Haven't you wondered how the know so much about the rescues? They must be really close to the military. I don't trust them. I have to leave."

Yep. She and Caleb had gone mad.

"Ace told us about knowing people there G don't be ridiculous. Of course she knows more than us. The military is trying to get us out of here. Maybe they want to evacuate everyone before they do something major about this."

Lucy was a smart woman. Her side made sense unlike Gretchen's which was very dumb. Very. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty of not telling them the people I was talking about were my parents, but I can't since you know...I don't want to explain where they were.

"So you trust them? After what happened you still trust them? We both know that they had something to do with this virus. It's a sick experiment or something."

Now what in the hell is she talking about?

"It was different back then G. Things got out of hand and he messed up. People move on Gretch. Ace is trying to help us."

He? Who's he? Caleb? Greg?

"I don't ma. If they had a reason behind it last time they have a reason now. They're all the same. The military is all the same."

What in the world is happening right now?

"Gretch he made a mistake. People make mistakes it happens."

Who the hell is this 'he' woman?

"Do people also mistakenly blame others to the point they get murdered? Huh? She was my sister ma. My sister and she died because of that asshole. He's still the Chief you know. I bet he has everything to do with this. Bradshaw is always behind everything."

I froze in my spot once I heard that name. No way. There's no way that's who they're talking about. It's too much of a coincidence. It can't be.

"Raz is a changed man Gretch. Yes he knows what he did and yes he's still chief but his actions are monitored now and you know that. He wouldn't pull something like this."

Yes he would. He would totally pull something like this. My palms are so sweaty. Now that I think about it I'm sweating like crazy. It can't be him. No way.

I walked away not wanting to hear their conversation any longer. I can't say my last name now. If they know who Raz is the had to know my parents. I have to tell Mia before she says something she shouldn't.

I noticed that Caleb was laying on his back in the roof of the car while I walked toward Mia which currently was talking to Dan. Hadn't I told him to watch the car? When I reached them I gave Dan a pointed look and leaned my head towards the car basically saying 'get back where I told you too.'

"Did you talk to h-" I didn't even let her finish which made her a little startled.

"Don't say our last names. They know Bradshaw. Don't ask me how because I don't know. I heard them talking about him. We are no longer Lihants alright? If we have to say our last names for some reason just invent one." I said everything so quickly I ran out of breath. I still can't believe the know Raz. Nobody does.

"What do you mean they know Bradshaw? Are they related?" She whisper-yelled at me sounding very infuriated. Don't blame her.

"Gretchen said something about a dead sister I don't know anything else. Just say we're...um." I was thinking of the most boring last name I've heard but I can't even think of one. Stupid stress.

"Hawkins. We're Hawkins." She said as soon as I wondered what I was gonna say.

"Who do you know that has that name?" I asked since she said it so fast.

"Mom and I had this movie we would watch while you and Dad were training in the yard back in summer. The guy she was always gushing for was named Ollie Hawkins." She explained with her voice full of emotion so I didn't push it any further.

"Hawkins. Mia and Macy Hawkins." I said while looking at her with approval. She nodded and walked towards Dan. They know Raz so they know my parents. It's only logical. They know the mistake they made. I began to think once I averted my eyes to the sun.

Who is Gretchen and why does she know the man that took my parents away from me?