Relentless

1- Saige

relentless (adj.) - persistent; showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace

You know that feeling when you stand on the edge of a cliff and can't find the urge to jump? That's what I felt like now, except instead of a cliff, I stood on the threshold of the prison I once escaped. Beads of sweat trickled down my head, my legs ached from crouching in the bushes for so long; I swallowed the dryness in my throat. It took six months, but we were able to retrace my steps and find this wretched place.

            "Is this it?" Commander asked me anxiously.

I nodded not trusting my voice to speak. I traveled with them this far, I had even planned to go inside with them; but now that I'm here, I don't know if I can. What if he's in there? What will I do? What will he do? I excessively wiped my shaking and sweaty palms over my jeans.

            "Saige?" Jackson asked beside me. I closed my eyes fighting back the tears. "Are you okay?" 

            Pull yourself together! You can do this!

            But I couldn't, I fell apart.

            I shook my head and whispered, "I don't want to. I don't want to go. I don't want to." To my dismay, the flow spilled over.

            "Hey," he rested his hand on my arm. "You don't have to."

I looked up to meet his enigmatic, dark gaze, "I don't?"

"Of course not," he gently brushed my tears away with his thumb. He turned to Commander, "I'll stay with her."

Commander nodded and put a finger to his ear, "Blue Leader, are you in position?" I think Blue Leader was code for Ky, they explained to me once how they don't say real names over the radio. He listened to a response I couldn't hear and glanced at us, "Keep her safe."

"Yes, Sir."

Hard determination filled his chocolate brown eyes as he gazed at the towering pit of despair before us, "Let's go get my wife."

I watched as Commander and his team moved in guns ready, and disappeared into the building. Adrenaline pumped hot through my veins anticipating an all out war. Tears burned my eyes and raced down my cheeks; I threw my arms around Jackson's torso and buried my face in his chest. He encircled his arms around me protectively, and we waited. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned into lifetimes. The silence was unnerving, overwhelming. I couldn't stand it.

Jackson tensed, which only made me tighten my hold. "What is it?" His voice rumbled against my ear, "What happened?"

I peeked out to find Justin coming towards us; his face was grim, "Nothing." His brown hair was freshly cut and styled in a crew cut, and growing in a beard. His sea green eyes flickered between our wide gazes.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and tentatively asked, "Nothing?"

"Elaborate, Justin," Jackson sighed in annoyance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, nothing," he responded curtly. "There's no one here."

∙∙∙

            "What are you saying, Saige?" Ky scrutinized me with his hazel eyes, I took a step back and squirmed beneath his gaze; I didn't like his sharp tone either.

            "I-I know h-her."

            He narrowed his eyes, "You can't just say stuff like that."