Flight

Chapter Three: the refugees

Turns out, the ragged group of people join up with another ragged group. Put together, they have six guns, limited ammo, and small amounts of food and water.

They're not doing so great, but then, who is?

Good thing is that one woman here takes instantly to Colton, offering him a canteen of water and a strip of meat within moments of entering camp.

The man has bound my hands with thick rope, as if that's necessary, and does the same to Israfel, who still has that look of cold indifference, which tells me he could get out of these ropes without much, if any, effort.

Of course he can. He's an angel.

I jut my jaw and glare fiercly at the man who is apparently in charge. I run from demons and angels. I do not run from scruffy, rude men.

"Well?" he props his feet up on a plastic crate and eyes us with disdain. "Introduce yourselves."

I lift my chin and sneer at him. "Storme."

"And you, boy?" he asks, pointing his rifle at Israfel, who raises an eyebrow at him.

Oh, lord. Did Israfel know not to tell these people his name? I close my eyes momentarily. Don't tell them your real name, don't tell them your real name...

"Isaac," he says.

I let out a whisper of a relieved sigh.

Apparently he does.

"You siblings?" the man asks.

"No," Israfel says.

The man smirks. "You a couple?"

"No," I say. "He's my cousin."

The man nods thoughtfully.

"Burke!" 

His chin jerks up, and he sighs when he spots a woman jogging towards him, dark hair flying loose behind her. "Yes, Cara?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asks angrily, clenching her hands into fists.

He sighs. "I'm bringing in helpers."

I snort.

Loudly.

Israfel looks at me with a small smile.

"They just don't know it yet." He amends.

"Why did you tie their hands?" Cara demands. "Are you mentally ill?"

"No," he says.

She sighs, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know if you've realized this or not but that's not a good way to get people to help."

"They need food."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause they haven't gone any." He enunciates.

Cara glances at us, then does a double take when she sees Israfel. I'm not surprised. Even I'm forced to admit he's outrageously beautiful.

She opens her mouth, lets out a breath, shuts her mouth, then turns to Burke in about 1% of the anger she used to have. "Fine. They can stay."

Can?

Hell if I'm staying. Hell if I want to.

I scowl and lift my hands. "You gonna do the honors?" I ask Burke, jutting out my hip and arching an eyebrow.

He shakes his head, then undoes the ropes unbelievably quickly for someone who seems so... uh... slow. "Have fun."

I smile sweetly, complete with scrunched nose and squinted eyes, and stay in the line until he's untied both Colton and Israfel. I wait until he's walked away, then face Israfel.