Hope - A Louisentine Story

Chapter 9

Description: Javi may have a way to rescue Clementine, but solutions are not always easy.

Wordcount: 2423

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"Well hello there, Clementine."

The man kneeled beside her, tilting his head. He was a tall man with a thick brown beard. His eyes were a deep blue, which contrasted with his graying hair. She looked up into them, glaring daggers at him. How did he know her name? His voice was gravelly, which sent shivers up her spine as memories of Carver flooded her mind.

"Who are you?" she spat, wincing as pain shot through her abdomen. The man slowly chewed on a toothpick as if weighing her words. He looked back at what were undoubtedly his subordinates and commanded they leave Clementine and him alone.

He stood up, eyeing her from above with a disdainful look. "How rude of me," he apologized, grabbing one of the chairs and taking a seat. "My name is John Myers, but you can call me Myers," he said, extending a hand to her.

Clementine looked at it with raised eyebrows, choosing to stay on the floor. Anger boiling inside her, she spat on his face, making him flinch. He pursed his lips, closing his hand, and cleared his throat.

"So much for a friendly introduction," he croaked, using a dirty handkerchief to wipe his face. "You should be thanking me. I'm the reason you're alive."

"Funny, I thought you were the reason I'm locked up in this chicken coop," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"While that may be true, some of my... associates weren't as keen to keep you alive," he disclosed, playing with the toothpick in his mouth. "I convinced them otherwise."

"Gee, thank you," she mocked, "you must be a saint or something."

"I wanted to ask you some questions if you please?" he attempted the diplomatic route, ignoring her jab at him.

She stared at him for a moment, weighing her choices. There was definitely no way out of this by force. The man was well-built, his arms thick as tree trunks. He wore a military uniform with a name tag on the left breast that read 'Myers'. Sighing, she nodded her agreement.

"Let's start with an easy one, shall we?" he began with a smile. "What group are you from?"

"You think I'm stupid enough to tell you that?" she spat, rolling her eyes again.

Myers pinched the bridge of his nose, "That's not what I want to hear, Clementine."

"How do you know my name?" she asked. With a herculean effort, she lifted herself off the ground, propping herself up with her elbow. The pain in her stomach hadn't subsided, but she fought the urge to scream.

"I know you, Clementine," he said, raising an eyebrow. "We have something in common, at least. We were both part of the New Frontier," he explained. He pulled his shirt down and exposed his chest, revealing a round black scar over his left breast. The same one that had adorned Clementine's arm for years.

Clementine's hand instinctively went to her left arm, where her own scar had been etched on her skin almost a decade ago. She thought of her time in that glorified prison, enduring the pain of staying with those monsters for AJ's sake. How times have changed.

"So what if we were?" She opted for a civil tone, seeing no benefit in putting up a fight. "They kicked me out nine years ago."

"That's true," he mused, nodding pensively. "You see, my friends and I have a little system set up. All I need to know from you is what community you're from? You'll be back home safely in no time," the man quipped.