My Hunter || D. Dixon (On Hold)

Ten - Bargaining

There are a lot of things in your life that you never forget. Gunfire is one of those things, and by now most would think that I would be used to it, the loud shots in the air. The metallic smell of blood that would take over and sometimes it would get to me. There was the occasion that I would jump at the loud noise, gag at the smell of blood. That's what's keeping me human I guess.

Out there it didn't faze me at all most of the time. Then again this is all coming from someone who is terrified of thunder outside of the warzone. Thunder always takes me back there. No matter what I try it's always the same, I'll always be scared of it I guess. "Luna! To your right!" A voice yelled Jason was shooting to my left, it had to be him.

My body involuntarily turned to the right and I pulled the trigger, bullets leaving my gun and entering the enemy, killing them as they tried to get shots of their own in. Their bodies fall to the ground and I let out a breath, turning to look back and thank Jason. When my eyes locked with him panic swept over me as he pressed his hand to the right side of his neck.

Blood leaks through his gloved hand and onto his uniform. The ground below him was starting to stain red. "No." I breathed out, my feet moving before I told them to towards him. He fell to his knees before onto his back, gasping for air and in pain. "No!" I shouted, dropping down to my knees and pressing two fingers to the other side of his neck. His pulse was dropping too quick to get transport, let alone a backup.

He locks eyes with me for a moment before I close my eyes. When I opened my eyes again he was coughing, blood coming from his mouth. "I'm sorry." He coughs weakly, making me shake my head, tears falling from my eyes. His gasps turned into whimpers of pain, unable to get a good breath in.

I set my hand on his vested chest. "No need to apologize soldier. You did your duty, I'll see you again." I ramble, my voice breaking halfway through when he stops moving and trying to breathe. His green eyes were stuck wide open, looking at me but not seeing me.

I shot up, my eyes darting around only to be met with the inside of a brown sack. I pull my arms gently, feeling the rope that has me tied to a chair. I don't make a move yet, contemplating the outcomes that could come from this. My body hurt from the hits that I had taken not to mention the fight that I put up to get her. My wrists no doubt red at this point from the ropes.

Muffled voices could be heard outside of whatever room I was stuck in. The door to the room opened, someone walking in and untying me from the chair before tying my hands behind me. Said person then started to walk me up a set of stairs before another door opened. No doubt we were now on the roof like I hadn't been on enough roofs for one day.

The bag was pulled off of my head and I was met with the bright Atlanta sun, forcing me to squint my eyes. "I've got Irish and Asian. Interested?" Was all I could make out over the pounding of my head at the sensitivity of the light on my eyes. Something else was said and suddenly I was on the edge of the building, what seemed to be a thousand miles from the ground. Glenn's held to my right when I turned away from the drop. We locked eyes as I tried to back away only to be jerked in place. I held my breath, scared out of my mind at the thought of falling.

I guess the discussion ended because Rick and the group left and the group that held me and Glenn here retreated back into the building. We were pulled back inside. We were taken to another room, waiting to hear about our death sentence or release. There were senior citizens all around us, some of them were sick, some of them healthy. All of them are trying to survive together.

This was no killing, no murder, no crackpot rape group like I thought it was. These men were protecting the elderly while the world went to shit around them. One of the oldest men here was having trouble breathing and everyone crowded around him. Glenn and I tried to help him control his breathing, and stay calm. A woman and the guy that was shot in the ass by Daryl came up behind me with his medication and finally, the old man's breathing was stable.

I look at my group as they enter. "What's going on here?" Rick questioned, watching them take care of the older man. I turn back to the old man, watching him gain his breath again.

It was clear to me as my cousin dealt with it a lot. "Asthma attack," I answered, still worried about the older gentleman.

I almost laughed at T's comment. "We thought you two were eaten by dogs!" I turned and pointed to the small pair of dogs behind me. There was nothing harming us here. Just some big guys trying to look though in order to survive in this kind of world. Which was understandable, but damn my head hurts after being smacked with a metal bat.

Rick pulled the leader of the group to the side and talked to him. After gaining some information, Rick gave him some guns to protect the people here. If he would have asked Rick for guns, he would have said yes. He didn't need to kidnap me and beat me with a damn bat to get them.

We left the retirement home, with only a few guns left and Rick's hat. "Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat," I commented, looking to him with a smirk on my face.

Rick laughed at me and continued walking back to the place where we left the white van. "Don't tell anybody." Rick jokes.

In front of us, Daryl scoffed, clearly not happy about the outcome of our little trip. "You've given away half our guns and ammo," Daryl said.

Rick glanced at me then back at the redneck before us. "Not nearly half." Rick corrected him.

Daryl glanced back at the two of us. "For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow?" He asked and I shot him a look as we walked. "Seriously, how long you think they got?"

I huffed, over this conversation already. "How long do any of us got?" I asked as we looked to where the van's parked. Only to find it gone.

This is why we can't trust anyone ever. Even now people are stealing cars from people. "Oh my God." I groaned out, running a hand through my hair. "Where the Hell's our van?" Daryl asked, probably hoping we had an explanation.

Glenn walked forward, turning in a full circle before facing us. "We left it right there. Who would take it?" Glenn asked making us wonder for only a second.

I already knew the answer but I didn't want it to be true. "Merle," Rick spoke my thoughts out loud. "He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp." He said and all I could think about was Caleb back at the camp and the kids.