REVENGE (2nd book of FEAR)

- chapter four -

Something kept him awake at night.

It wasn't the stiff straw bed he laid on. It wasn't the pounding headache. It wasn't the fatigue he felt in his bones. It wasn't the fact that he was alone in a refugee camp, or the fact that he was surrounded by strangers... People who might have a grudge against him, considering his past with Chorus.

It wasn't the little girl who had lost her parents the day before he found her. It wasn't the bitter cold at night, or the sweltering heat in the daytime.

It was Liz.

It was her smirk. Her laugh. Her sarcasm. Her tears. Her hair. Her skills. Her walk. Her hips. Her stubbornness. Her sass. Her betrayal.

Locus saw her in his dreams. He saw her in the clouds, the stars, the dirt. He saw her in the red sandstorms. He saw her in his mind. His daydreams. He saw her in his knife, in his pistol. He saw her in everything.

Liz was haunting him.

He saw her on every database he searched. Her face was posted everywhere, right next to the notorious Reds and Blues. She was wanted. Dead, but not alive. The soldier saw the bounty on her head and almost laughed. Hargrove was after her, and it was only a matter of time.

If someone asked Locus what the best and the worse thing in his life was, Liz would be the answer to both of those questions. She took over his life in the blink of an eye. She was like an infection, and it made him sick.

The other day, a woman with a dark hoodie was giving Bella her bread ration. Locus could see the red curls poking out of her sweatshirt, and his mind clouded with rage.

The soldier stormed up to the woman and yanked her towards him. The stranger screamed, and when Locus blinked... Her hair was blonde. Not red. Her eyes were blue. Not green.

Before the mercenary could utter an apology, the woman stormed away with a terrified look on her face. This situation happened multiple times before he learned to shut it out.

Locus became immune to the color red. He became immune to the sound of her laughter in his head. He became immune to the fact that she was gone. That she broke his heart.

He became immune to Liz.

***

It had been a few weeks since he first entered the camp. During the day, he would patrol the surrounding area of the camp and kill any harmful animals or raiders. It was a pretty basic routine for him. Nothing challenging.

The people in the camp knew him by name now, and he couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He shared a tent with the little girl, Bella. After he had learned that her parents had been shot dead by raiders, he volunteered to watch over her.

Some people recognized him as the mercenary who worked along side the Federal Army of Chorus. Very few knew of his betrayal. There weren't many who had technology available to them, so news did not travel fast in the camp.

Every Saturday, the refugee camp had a get-together. Bread rations were replaced with canned goods. It was a delicacy in this place. People would dance, eat, sing, talk, and mostly laugh. It was a heart warming experience every week.

Locus would always sit a few tables away from everyone, eating his cold peas in silence. Every now and then, he would glance up and see Bella playing hopscotch with a few of the other camp's children.

"Ya know," Sheryl sat down next to him, "you don't have to exclude yourself." Locus continued to stare down at his plate in silence. He had gotten this lecture multiple times before. "You're more than welcome to join us, with all the help you've given us," she gave him one of her signature warm smiles.

Locus shook his head, "It's not my place to intrude." The woman rolled her eyes, "Oh, for God's sake. Were you always such a stubborn ass?" He knew she was joking, and he chuckled under his breath as he shoved another spoonful of peas into his mouth.

"Locus," she spoke softly now, "This is your place now. You don't have to earn your right to socialize with us." The mercenary was silent for a moment. Before he could respond, Bella came rushing over to his table.

"Hey, kid," Locus smiled at her, tugging on one of her braids gently. She took her hand in his, "Loci, can you please come dance with me?" He flinched at the sound of her nickname, but showed her a strained grin, "Why don't you ask one of your friends?"

"Because," the little girl suddenly began to pout and lowered her voice, "they're dancing with their mommies and daddies." Locus peered at the dance platform. Little kids were tucked snugly in their parents' arms, giggling and being twirled around.

He heard Bella sniffle, and he noticed her wipe her runny nose with the back of her hand. "Hey, hey, hey," Locus stood, picking her up as well, "There's no need to cry." Bella looked at him for a moment, then nodded. The soldier could feel Sheryl's all-knowing smirk behind him.

"Come on," he smiled as he raised Bella to sit on his shoulders, "Let's go dance."