Estranged [Completed]

Freedom

Kalei, Shenaia, Mar, and Erit sat in the back of a windowless van, rocking back and forth with the motion of the moving vehicle. The bleak interior with its two benches reminded Kalei of the first time she had sat on the back bumper of one of these vans, getting tested while she wondered how much longer she would be keeping her job. So much time had gone by since then, so much had happened... the incident felt more like a dream than a memory.

They were on their way to their first Call. Kalei sat next to Shenaia, and as she watched Mar grunt at the straps of her helmet, nearly elbowing Erit when one of the straps came loose, Kalei couldn't help but wonder if this was a good idea. They were still Estranged, all of them. Could a little bit of training really change anything? Who knew what Mar had done in her past? It wouldn't surprise Kalei to learn that the old woman had killed someone, Estranged or not. It made sense, back at the hotel when Mar had said she was going to make things right. Maybe she was trying to redeem herself for past crimes? Why else would the old woman be so set on learning to suppress the darkness?

But suppression was not erasure. Once they were out in the city, it would be too easy for Mar to hurt innocent people. Take away her weapon, tie one hand behind her back; it wouldn't matter. Mar was Estranged. Let her have her pinky and she could wipe out an entire city block in the span of ten minutes.

Kalei wasn't sure she was ready for a Call. There was too much at stake.

"What the hell is a 'Call' anyway?" Shenaia blurted, breaking the silence.

Erit hadn't explained much when they left headquarters. He showed up at the Lounge and told them to suit up, Terin had orders for the team to take their first Call. So they did.

Irritated, Kalei saved Erit the bother of explaining. "It's when the police call SWORDE to alert them—" Kalei glanced at Erit. "—to alert us to an incident involving Estranged. The police will secure the area and wait for Wardens to arrive."

"Precisely," added Erit. He leaned forward to address his students. "We will go in as a four-man team, with me as the leader, of course—"

"Shouldn't you be teaching?" Mar butted in.

Erit closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, then he opened them and propped his right hand on his knee as he told Mar, "There are plenty of people who can teach as well as I. Terin has assigned me to lead your team, and so I shall. Now, from what I understand, an Estranged has attacked the West Hill apartment complex on Lake Street. The building has been evacuated, although the occupants are in quarantine until we can confirm that they are not Estranged."

"Is that really an issue?" Kalei asked. "Some of them are victims, for Pete's sake. Why make the police coral them into pens like cattle if—"

"Not every Estranged is a blubbering zombie, as you well know. It is possible that the attacker may be hiding among our victims, posing as an Untouched."

Kalei leaned back and diverted her gaze to the rear doors. "Makes sense."

Erit continued, "Our task today is to locate the Estranged who attacked the complex, disable him or her, and relocate them back to the Downtown District along with any corpses. We must submit what bodies we find to the Containment and Observatory Department to ensure that they do not decide to wake up in the near future and become Estranged themselves. Now, any further questions?"

Leader perhaps, but always a teacher, Kalei thought to herself.

Kalei returned her attention to Erit and asked, "Do we know for certain that just one Estranged is in the complex?"

"We do not."

Shenaia scooted forward on her seat, a big grin on her face as she said, "What if the guy is hot? Damn, I love bad boys." The van grew silent as the three other occupants openly glared at her. Shenaia's grin fell from her face as she rolled her eyes. "Okay, alright, go back to your little policy-chat or whatever you're doing. Forget I said anything."