REVENGE (2nd book of FEAR)

- chapter ten -

When she woke, it took her a moment to realize where she was. She was laying down in the sand with her feet propped up on someone's bag of gear. A tent surrounded her, shading her from the intense sun outside. Her head pounded, and her whole body shook. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire.

Locus sat in a chair by her side, his elbows resting on his knees. His hands covered his mouth, and he looked like he was in deep thought. He bounced his legs on the balls of his feet. When he noticed she was awake, he blinked a few times before surging towards her.

"Hey," he spoke softly, scooting his chair so that he was closer to her. Liz showed him a soft smile, "Hey." When she began to sit up, her head spun. "Woah," she wheezed before thumping back to the floor.

"You passed out about an hour ago," he handed her a bottle of water, "You're dehydrated." Liz took the water gratefully. "Small sips," the soldier warned. She nodded. The girl motioned to her newly bandaged shoulder with a look of question.

"Minor infection," he grumbled. Liz nodded again, then glanced down at her body. Confusion ran through her mind for the third time. "Where's my armor?" She cocked an eyebrow his way. She was in her clean clothes that she packed for the trip, a cut-off grey tank top and long army pants.

"Johnny's outside cleaning it for you," the mercenary motioned to the closed entrance of the tent with a small smile. "And, how did I get in these clothes?" She pursed his lips, her tongue running along her teeth in annoyance. Locus noticed the one of her many habits.

The soldier cleared his throat, fiddling with his thumbs as he stared at the ground in embarrassment. Liz's cheeks turned a bright red, and she ran a hand through her hair for a chance to look the other way. An awkward silence settled in the tent.

"Daniels is dead," Locus blurted out, gazing at her grimly, "Do you remember what happened?"

The girl thought for a moment, a lump forming in her dry throat. Liz gulped before responding, "He woke me up and told me that it was our turn to hunt. When we got past the hill..." Her voice trailed off. Locus wasn't sure if her throat was too dry or if she feared the next part of the story. He raised his eyebrow at her to continue.

"When we got past the hill," she spoke slowly, as if she was bracing herself, "He pulled his gun on me. Pushed me into the sand and aimed for my head. We wrestled a bit until I got the gun, and... Well, you know what happened next."

Locus lifted his chin, peering at the ceiling for a moment. His fingers grazed the stubble on his jawline. Liz shifted uncomfortably in the sand. The mercenary exhaled deeply before returning his gaze back to her.

His eyes burned into hers, and she began to laugh. Not a light-hearted chuckle though. It was a gurgle, deep within her throat, that erupted with bitterness. "Oh my God," she shook her head with a wicked grin laced to her lips, "You don't believe me." She continued to laugh. Rolling over on her side, she faced away from Locus and his look of disbelief.

"Get out."

***

"She'll be fine," Locus muttered as he plopped down next to the campfire, "She keeps going in and out, but that's just her brain trying to reboot."

Johnny stopped cleaning the girl's armor to look up at the mercenary, "You called her Liz... Back over the hill." Locus presses his lips into a thin line, rubbing his ever-growing stubble, "It was a slip of the tongue."

When Johnny continued to stare, Locus rolled his eyes, "A mistake on my part. Wrong name." The boy hesitated for a moment, not fully convinced. The boy peered at him with suspicious eyes, then asked, "Do you believe her?"

"No," Locus shook his head, "Not entirely." Johnny had a sickening tone to his voice, almost vicious. It was unlike him, "Good. Daniels wouldn't hurt a fly, you know that." The soldier agreed and nodded.

"Why would she kill him, though? Or, why would he try to kill her?" Locus gazed blankly into the spot where the fire used to glow, before he kicked it out of rage. Johnny shrugged, setting Liz's dark grey armor down in the sand... The blood of Daniels was completely washed off.

***

They didn't have a funeral. Nor did they bury his body. Johnny tried to convince his boss that it would be the respectful thing to do, but Locus wasn't feeling exactly generous that morning.

Liz stumbled out of the tent, her bandage crusty with dried blood. Her black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, slick and shiny in the morning sun. She showed Locus a grimace but flashed a smile towards Johnny. The boy did not return it.

"Are you okay to walk?" Locus cocked an eyebrow, examining her up and down, "It's a long road ahead." Liz held her breath as she approached them, nodding.

"I can walk," she brushed past Locus with wobbly legs, her stubbornness making him roll his eyes. When she tripped over her own foot and ended up falling back into the mercenary's arms, he shook his head, "No. You can't." Hoisting the girl upon his back, the soldier handed Johnny his gear and began to walk.

Her arms hung around his neck lazily, and her breathing was hard on his neck. It sent shivers down his back. "Thank you," she wheezed after a few moments. Locus grunted in reply, sweat already started to dribble down his forehead.

It was definitely going to be a long trip.

so, do you believe her? is liz worthy of your (or locus') trust? or are you leaning towards johnny's idea? how do you think locus believes? why would daniels and liz fight? what will happen next? COMMENT BELOW!