Terra (A Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare FanFiction)

Chapter 28- Colis

I truly didn't expect him to be as tall or broad-shouldered, but he was. He filled his uniform with ease and left the curious mind to wander. He wasn't as rough-looking as his grandfather either and he was definitely younger. 

Rather than a scar through the right eye like Salen Kotch, I found Colis had a very small one across his chin. Covered in scruff as dark as his thick hair, Colis had the style of three-day stubble. Though he looked unkept and like he didn't care, he was rather neat.

His eyes were in the shape of ovals, not almonds. They were beady and dark like the rest of him. They glared downwards to where Caitlyn and I were held by the shoulders in restraints. Everything about his eyes was judgmental yet also calculating. It was like he was trying to figure out each of our lives without us specifically telling him.

"You mother fucker," Caitlyn was the first to say anything in the silent hangar and she wiggled in the hold of the SDF soldier.

The outburst only made Colis Kotch smirk as he drew closer yet his eyes were still glaring daggers. His jaw was tight and sharp, a second glare in itself. As he came closer, I wanted to scoot further away from the heaviness of his presence.

"Caitlyn Walter," Colis acknowledged the fierce young woman. "I almost enjoy seeing you again as much as I did killing your father."

Caitlyn's face went ghost white and then she ripped violently in the hold of the restraints. Her face was twisted in agony at the memory Colis had brought up and I wanted to reassure her in comfort.

"Hm," Colis let out a short grunt of power, enjoying everything he could from Cait's reaction.

I continued to stare at the terrorist...genocide activist. Everyone he'd killed...and for what? He was complex- I could tell just by looking at him- but he had something in him that was a fault. I didn't know how I knew it, but I had a feeling learning to read Reyes helped.

Seeing this dangerous man in person did scare me. He had power that he used in all the wrong ways. I could practically see the faces and screams of those he'd murdered.

"And you must be Terra," his voice was still cold and smooth like an ice ball. "I've heard of you, but haven't seen the young and recent commander."

I deflected the hint at Kash's death; he was a type of person to target weaknesses for sure. "And you must be Colis Kotch."

His eyes narrowed just a fraction, the movement a hint at what he seemed to be holding back between his hands which were clasped behind him. I didn't dare to move my strong gaze away from him; doing so would enable him power he wouldn't ever have over me.

"Nick Reyes, the Ruination, where did they jump to?"

The way he said Nick Reyes made chills run along my tense spine. Those two words alone told me what fate Colis was planning for him. It spoke the words "so I can kill him slowly and painfully" and "make him suffer" and made me want to escape back to Reyes. Colis had something against Reyes and I knew he needed to be protected at all costs. He also couldn't know I was as close to him as I actually was.

Feeling his fingers trace underneath my chin, I narrowed my eyes into a defensive glare. His touch was cold yet it burned like fire that wasn't wanted. I swallowed subtly.

"Terra," his voice grew softer.

So fake! So so fake!

"If you work with me, this will be over for you so much sooner."

He's going to kill us. No matter what you say, Terra, you're going to die on this ship.

"Where did they go?"

"I don't know."

"Lying already?" his vice-like grip tightened on my small chin. "I thought you were smart. That is why you're a commander isn't it?"

I flung my chin out of his grasp and worked it around in a circle to return feeling into the numbness surrounding it. Colis stood with his hand still stretched out to me, eyes back to their guarded state.

"I told you I don't know!"

Colis was silent, eyeing me as if he were a lion sizing up a gazelle as prey. I was definitely sizable and able to be taken down, but it was the strategy that needed calculating to get the hunt over with.

"You're never going to get them," Caitlyn spouted off and I inwardly clenched.

No, Cait, no!

"You're going to fail this mission just like you always have!"

Colis didn't move at first, his eyes still roaming over my face in slight interest. When he finally did, it was quick. He slapped Caitlyn across the mouth. Hard. The slap made me wince in suffering, in hopes that she would shut her mouth after it.

"Does that hurt you?" Colis was looking at me again and I stared straight ahead. "Does it hurt when I do things to her?"

I wanted to refuse to reply. I wanted to reply with a lie that sounded believable. "No."

"Oh?" Colis grasped Caitlyn's ponytail and hauled her chin upwards.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Colis withdrew a knife from his side. He began to dig it into Caitlyn's throat and she let out a mutter of pain. I wiggled in the grasp of my holder and then let out a shout of disapproval.

"Stop!"

Colis paused. "Does it hurt you, Terra?"

"Yes," I shivered, my voice a whisper.

Colis slowly withdrew from Caitlyn and sheathed his knife. I felt him come closer and sweep my chin up once more. I hated the man with a passion already and I didn't think it'd ever get better.

"Just remember that," his voice was low.

With a huff of annoyance and amusement to the entire situation, Colis released me and sent a hand motion to the SDF men nearby. They lifted us up by our arms and pain scorched through mine from the unnatural positioning of them. Caitlyn let out a mutter of discontent and was moved up beside me as we faced Colis.

"Lock them up!"