We See the Same Sunset

6

As Nikola pulls herself out from under his body, the scavenger moves again, despite the head injury, blood spilling down his face. His hands lock around her bleeding leg, as a scream tears through her throat, as his fingers dig into her skin, cutting her flesh open.

The door closes distantly in her mind, but what catches her attention is the way the scavenger is practically frothing at the mouth, the dark bags under his eyes, or how frenzied his eyes dart around. Nikola's mind makes a connection that there's something wrong when his fist lands a solid uppercut on her jaw.

Black and white dots fill her vision, as she tastes blood, head snapping back from the force. Her hands are yanked together—what is he doing?—as his hand closes around her wrists. Still stunned from the punch, she is faintly aware that her hands are getting tied, though the knot is sloppy and loose.

Gunfire explodes some distance away from them and Nikola sees a bright flame at the corner of her eyes. Her heart jumps in her throat—just as her assailant whips his head toward the noise—and Nikola springs, locking her tied hands over his throat. He shouts, trying to throw her off, but her legs pin his arms to his side in an iron locked grip.

Her coordination is off. She's falling onto her side, as the scavenger thrashes. Her hand is screaming in pain, so is her wounded calf, but all she knows is that she must subdue him. No matter how foggy her vision is, it is the last thing she would do.

The fabric tied around her hands is loosening, as she jerks it against his windpipe, more froth spilling from his lips. Whoever he is, his physique is still stronger than hers, even with the broken leg.

Footsteps approach her and with a sharp spike of fear, Soren steps into view with that handgun in his trembling hands.

"H-hey, you," Soren aims the point at them, but from the way he's shaking so hard, Nikola bristles with alarm, the fogginess slipping away.

The boy doesn't know how to shoot. If push came to shove, she might be the one paying for his actions.

"You, the ugly one—" Soren's scowl lacks any malice. "—if you don't stop and do as we say, you're—you're going to die."

Soren flinches with a shaky yelp, shoulders rising as the scavenger spits at him.

"Look at you..." The scavenger's voice cuts off with a choke, as Nikola tightens her grip. "Tr-trying to act like the top dog...little baby doesn't know how to play with guns."

All the hairs on Nikola's neck stand on end, as she hears that voice. A memory resurfaces from her mind, clicking the pieces together. She knows this man.

But the more she thinks about it, the more she rejects the possibility, fear clenching her heart. Loosening the chokehold, she voices her thought.

"Generalleutnant Leitzke?"

Leitzke freezes, but he growls, "Never heard of that name. The old man is gone and dead!"

It is him. What happened to the stoic and collected Major General that she used to obey orders from long ago? And as someone with military rank, how did he end up with the scavengers?

Her hands shake. Is she really attacking one of her bosses?

"Nikola! What are we going to do with him?" His eyes are wide with unfallen tears, as Soren tries to keep his gun pointed at them.

Then, she remembers the situation. They are going to die, if they don't stop him right now. All the rules of the past are gone.

"Soren, give me the gun and look away."

"Little baby doesn't need to watch me get executed like a—" Leitzke's body jerks, as he kicks at Soren's feet, sending the boy flying onto his knees. "—filthy criminal!"

Snapping his head back and slamming her jaw again, Leitzke throws her off and grabs the gun and Soren. With a toothy smile, he jabs the barrel of the handgun to Soren's hair. "So you're her weakness..."

Her hands shoot out, raised in defense, with careful steps toward him. "Generalleutnant Leitzke, we can talk this—"

"Didn't I say that the old man is gone?" Leitzke growls, spit flying. "He doesn't exist. The scavengers killed him, strung him up like a wee doll and left him for the vultures."

He's gone mad.

"Please put the boy down. He has nothing to do with this!"

Leitzke's nasally laugh echoes in the chamber. "So that's what everyone says, but hell be damned, that doesn't matter, does it? The world just takes and takes..."

"What do you want?"

He fixes his bloodshot eyes on Nikola, his dry colorless complexion waning in the light. As an unusual shift in character, he contemplates it, despite Soren's attempts to break free of him. "I want..."

A whirring sound starts up, as lights flash. A train has been turned on. The madman, the train system is up and working, despite everything!

"What I want," Leitzke's curt voice snaps her attention back to him, baring his teeth in a snarl, "doesn't matter now. They took everything from me, so I might as well be their little puppet to jerk around—they want the child!" Dry, heaving laughter spills from his lips, as his finger twitches on the trigger. "The child is a new generation for us! For them!"

He spits out a few more phrases in the same language that the scavengers used. But it doesn't matter that she can't recognize it, despite travelling all over Europe. Soren wasn't going to be killed. Nikola relaxed her shoulders for a moment, before Leitzke turned the handgun on her and fired.

Blistering pain opened at her waist, as she fell, slamming her head against the concrete.

"But they don't need you."

A/N: Obligatory disclaimer that finals are right around the corner, so the next update might or might not be on the time. Sorry in advance!