The Crow that Wears the Crown

Chapter 23

Rook

She hung up the phone and shoved it in her pocket, the sound of her internal scream spooked Carmen who had been very quiet until now.

"What's wrong?" The former Cobra asked quickening her pace to hele Rook push her bike.

The terrain and her own condition had proved too difficult for her to ride with a passenger and so she'd opted to push the vehicle until they were at least back on the main road.

"Jessie's coming to take you back," Rook replied knowing she wouldn't be happy with the answer.

"But Cal's still out there, you and Jessie both need to get out of Lawrence." Carmen stopped pushing bringing Rook to a holt.

They were still in the woody hill's where the storm was mostly a flurry of snow, compared to the tornado that was currently blowing through town. The weather may have made it easier to see but the freshly fallen snow was causing other problems.

"Cal's the least of my problems," Rook laughed, "Did you not noticed the people arming for a war back there." Rook grunted and manged to continue pushing, ignoring Carmen's protests as she looked at their surroundings. She had thought they'd been following the same path she'd taken up to the Beaumonts camp. "Besides, I doubt he's even still standing."

"What do you mean?" Carmen was quick to respond.

Of course, Carmen hadn't been at the Gambit, she was completely unaware of what had happened. She stopped facing the lost girl.

"Because I wacked him in the head with a crowbar," Rook was blunt as a hammer as she recalled the nights events to Carmen.

"So, he's dead?" The fear in Carmen's voice tried Rook's patience.

"Why do you care?" Rook snapped.

"He's still a human being, he doesn't deserve to die!"

"And Elsie did?!"

For a moment it seemed as if the snow had stopped falling as Rook's voice echoed through the forest. Carmen's mouth hung open, her eyes void like she was still processing what Rook said.

Rook looked away.

"Elsie's dead?" She could barely hear Carmen, her voice quiet and sad.

"Cal and the Cobras attacked the Gambit." Rook clarified, she turned around not finding the courage to face Carmen, "It was chaos. Everyone was firing blindly, and it was a miracle no one else-" Rook felt a lump in her throat as she spoke. They didn't have time to grieve, there were too many lives still to save tonight. "Come on, we need to get back to town."

Carmen silently followed in her footsteps as Rook finally got her bearings. After walking in what she assumed was the direction of town they came across a road. It was a road many citizens of Lawrence were familiar with. The road to the mines was old and worn from its many years of use. Rook never understood why the town didn't do a better job at maintaining the only route to the mines, as it had been left for the earth to reclaim.

Rook looked up and down the road, searching for any sign of which way was back to town. She had agreed to meet Jessie at the towns border to drop Carmen off and then planned to head straight to the Crow's Nest to warn the gang but they had already wasted too much time getting lost, that she needed a contingency.

"Which way do we go?" Carmen came up behind her.

Rook dropped her bike in frustration. "I don't know!" She saw Carmen flinch away and Rook instantly regretted her action, "I'm sorry," she sighed brushing the hair from her face. She looked up at the night sky that was still covered by clouds. The moon and roadside streetlights were providing the only source of light. If only she could see the stars, then maybe then they could figure out which way to go.