Life in an Apocalypse

Chapter 20

     I looked on helplessly as Marge rushed to tend to Cynthia. I could only watch as Marge tried her best to stop the bleeding and listen to Cynthia's labored breathing as she gasped for air. If I felt that I was livid before, I knew that at this moment I was beyond enraged. Oh how I wanted to turn around and destroy the person who did this to her. 
    "You monster," I cursed under my breath, just loud enough for my captor to hear. She laughed maniacally, tilting the knife deeper into my throat.
    "Oh this isn't much. Not after you and your friends here murdered my men," she sneered in return, "Now you'll get to watch your friends die one my one. By my hands." I closed my eyes in anger as I heard three more shots, each one ending with a scream of pain. When I opened my eyes again, I was horrified by the sight. Jack had taken the brunt of two of the shots, standing protectively over Cynthia and Marge as Damien fell to one knee, clutching at his heart. 
    "Damien! Jack!" Marge cried out. 
    "I'm fine, love," Jack grunted, wobbling towards Damien. The man had blood tricking down from his torso and the right side of his chest. As for Damien... I held my breath as I watched him collapse unceremoniously onto the ground, his blood pooling beneath him. The woman cackled behind me.
    "It would seem that there will now be four of you," the woman jeered happily. I clenched my fists, probably to the point where I drew blood from my palms. Jack tried to hoist Damien to stand, but I took a good look at his eyes. The man was gone, lifeless. I guess her bullet went straight through his heart, and Damien was no more. Jack must have realized it too, as he set the body down and closed Damien's eyes, uttering something under his breath. Marge was no longer calm and collected as she usually was, letting her sobs ring out without a care in the world. Damien is dead, I replayed the statement in my mind, that woman just killed Damien. The rough yet reliable man that I have come to know so well was now laying down on the ground in a puddle of his own blood. Jack remained silent as Marge handed over a knife she kept on her. He took it and flashed her a warm smile, as if he was trying to thank her and reassure her that he was going to be fine. It pained me to watch the scene unfold; the pain I felt from my stab wound was numbed from the emotional trauma my group was facing as Jack impaled Damien's skull with tears streaming from his eyes. 

    The woman leaned over my right shoulder, knowing fully well that I was helpless in my current state. "Let's make a deal, you and I," she cooed in her silky voice. I refused to glance her way. I didn't want to give her anymore satisfaction than she already had. "If you come with me and become my loyal pet, I promise I will spare the rest of them," she negotiated. I hesitated; her offer was extremely tempting to me at the moment. I didn't want anyone else to die, and it was already bad enough that I had to watch Damien die, Jack hurt from both his physical and emotional wounds, as well as Cynthia getting shot and possibly following in Damien's footsteps. I sighed, gaining the attention of Jack, Marge and Cynthia who sat up to face me. 
    "If you are really going to spare them," I began to say. Cynthia's eyes began to tear up, her hand over her mouth in a muted gasp. Marge looked on in worry and Jack gripped the now bloody knife in his hands.
    "Zee, you can't be serious," Jack nearly growled. I shook my head, feeling determined to save them from this hell. "I will go with you if you will really spare them. Let them live," I resigned dejectedly, "At least, before I go, let me talk to my group one last time." The woman hummed her approval and released me from my hold. I stumbled forwards towards them and felt Cynthia catch me in her arms, holding me tightly. I could feel her tears on my head as she openly sobbed.
    "Cynthia," I began to say, but Jack wasn't finished with me yet. He grabbed me by my shirt and hoisted me into the air. 
    "What the hell were you thinking?!" Jack yelled in frustration. I didn't even try to break away.
    "Jack, stop," Marge made him lower me down. I didn't dare to look him in the eye. I knew why he was mad, but I knew I had to do this to make sure no one else would be dead. I forced myself to smile; I had to tell them that everything would be fine.
    "Relax, Marge. I know why he's upset with me," I admitted, trying to maintain myself. I cleared my throat before continuing in a softer voice so that she wouldn't catch, "Listen up. I will be going with her for now. In the meantime, I leave Jack in charge of everything until I get back. I'll try to find a way to escape as well so don't worry about me too much."
    "Zee," Marge spoke up, but Cynthia stopped her.
    "How do we know you will be able to get out of that alive?" Cynthia said to me, her eyes searching my own. Before I could reply, she spoke again.
    "How do we know that you will hold on long enough? When you have that black blood in you?" she finished her questioning.
    "Cynthia!" I whispered loudly. Of all the times to bring that up! Especially when I was trying so hard to hide it.
    "Zee, the coughing may have stopped for now but who knows what's going on with you now?" Cynthia kept going, trying to dissuade me from going through with my plans.