REVENGE (2nd book of FEAR)

- chapter eighteen -

"Oh, thank God," Locus sighed in complete relief once he rushed into the tent he shared with a little girl. Bella sat up from her bed, her eyes wide with shock, "Loci!" The mercenary collapsed to his knees, and the two collided into one another.

She began to weep, her sobs shaking her whole body. Locus clung to her, kissing the top of her head over and over again. "I thought you were gone," Bella cried. "I'm right here, baby," he whispered, stroking her matted hair.

When Bella noticed Liz standing in the tent's entrance, Locus felt her tense up in his arms. He furrowed his brow and pulled away from her. "What's she doing here?" The girl scowled. Locus glanced over his shoulder, confused.

"That's Liz, sweetheart," he huffed a laugh, his smiling fading once he saw Bella's grimace. "I know who she is," she growled in hatred. Locus crinkled his brow, perplexed by her anger towards the girl standing behind him.

"I'm here to see how you're doing, love," Liz smiled sweetly. "I'm fine," Bella grumbled, "And, I'm not your love either." The soldier was taken aback, her face washed with hurt. "Uh, maybe you should give us a minute," Locus nodded at Liz, giving her a sympathetic look.

She was gone in a hurry, fumbling over her own feet as she left. Locus turned back to the little girl and fully took in her physical appearance. A pang of familiarity washed through him once he saw her hollow cheeks and cracked, bloody lips.

She was almost identical to the little girl he saw in the desert that day, the day when she lost her parents and her way back home. Except now, she was worse.

Bella was mostly just bone. More so than usual, and her skin was tinted that sickening pale yellow like the rest of the camp. Shadows of dark circles formed under her eyes. Locus hurt inside; a nine-year-old should not look like a fifty year old woman who hasn't slept in three days.

Locus pulled her into another hug, feeling the urge of tears crawl up his throat. If he had gotten home quicker, maybe he could have saved her. He could've saved everyone in the camp from the raiders. But, then he remembered what Liz said earlier...

Maybe it wasn't raiders who ransacked the camp after all...

"Hey," Locus caught her attention with a soft call. She cocked her head in response, sniffling as she wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand. "Do you know anything about the people who stole our power generator?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

Bella shook her head timidly, but as she continued to think... She began to nod. Locus widened his eyes in eagerness, waiting for her to explain. When the little girl regained her breath, she spoke in a brittle tone, "There was a blue person talking to Miss Sheryl in her tent late in the middle of the night. I woke up and saw him."

"A blue person? Did he have armor?" Locus crinkled his brow. Bella's eyes lit up in familiarity; she was happy he believed her, "Yes!" Locus nodded, "Okay, sweetheart. That's wonderful."

The soldier began to think, racking his brain with possible people that could match the description. Suddenly, he got an idea, "Bella, wait here. I'll be back."

***

"Alright, sweets," Liz cleared her throat as she typed furiously on her device. Bella sat across from her, crossing her arms like she was in time out. Locus stood behind Liz, scolding her with a stern look. The little girl quickly changed her posture.

"Just tell me if any of them look familiar to you," the soldier held the screen to Bella's eyes. It was the list of wanted criminals the UNSC had posted to every known device in the galaxy. Locus recognized the man on the screen; the teal one that Felix had a certain feud with. The leader of the morons. He couldn't quite remember his name.

"Nuh uh," Bella shook her head, and Liz scrolled to the next one. "Nope," she declined the picture of a maroon soldier, the smart one. "No," she rejected once again to a picture of a red soldier. This happened multiple times, and it was starting to seem hopeless.

Suddenly, Liz scrolled across a picture of that was too familiar. She quickly tore the device away from the little girl, quickly flicking away the wanted criminal. Locus only got a glimpse of the fiery red hair and the burning green eyes before it was too late. He felt a ping of sadness settle in his heart.

"What about this one?" Liz tried to hide the shakiness in her voice and had to use two hands to keep the device steady. "That's him!" Bella exclaimed, smashing her finger into the screen. Locus jumped in eagerness. 

It was a man in cobalt armor with a sniper rifle strapped to his back. "Temple," Liz wheezed, reading the description of the criminal out loud. Bella continued to nod, looking proud of herself yet terrified at the same time. 

"Locus," Liz looked to her partner in horror, her voice quavering, "These people aren't just raiders. They'll killers."

i may have to make three books oh my lord. so, as usual... i got some questions for you to answer. why does bella hate liz? what's going on in the camp? what's going to happen with sheryl? FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER!