Defiance | Book 1 [EXTENDED]

CHAPTER 35

We had been searching for survivors for hours and I was exhausted. So far we had found no one. Calvin and I scavenged the last building, an old abandoned bakery. As we pushed the door open, a small welcoming bell sounded above us. I remembered the time I went with my father to but my brother's birthday cake, a chocolate marble cake. It was his eighteenth birthday and this was the same year, the war was starting to erupt. Finding an bakery that was open that night, was a challenge but when dad and I walked into the store and the bell sounded, I sighed in relief.

The store was pitch black. The lights were obviously dead. Cal switched his flashlight on and pointed it straight ahead. There were racks of...bread. I ran towards it, the flashlight's light shone upon it. As I looked closer, I saw the fungus that had engulfed it. "Ugh, it's useless to us," I say to Cal, who was waiting for the evaluation. As soon as we turned to leave, we heard something fall behind us. We whipped around, directing the light carefully, "Wilson!" I say running towards the scrawny cat, picking it up. It meowed weakly. I felt his ribs through his filthy fur. I pet his neck and felt a wet patch. I beckoned Cal over and he shone the light on him. He had blood seeping through his skin. The bullet wound was large and was definitely not a regular gun. I watched him slowly become limp, my eyes tearing. "Wilson! I'm going to KILL THEM!" I say angrily wiping my tears away. It was too late. He was gone. I put him down and wept loudly. Cal put his hand on my shoulder, "We have to go"

We walked back into the 'headquarters' and I put my gun back in the room and without a word, went up to my room. I lay on the bed and ended up wailing. He had been my only friend for two years and now he was gone. And then through the closed doors, I heard the call for backup from Rodriguez. Had they actually caught one? I swung the door open and ran down the stairs.

His eyes immediately caught mine, "ALEX!"

"Well Rookie, I see you're already familiar with Max. May I ask how?"

"How do you know him?" I asked her, my eyes still fixated on him,

"Max was part of our group. Then we found out his secret, he leaves. We didn't care, I mean, at first it came as a shock but then, we thought we could use him as an advantage but apparently he had to look for someone or something. And then just yesterday he comes to us for help. After months, Max returns. He asks us to protect some, person, and we denied and as usual, the strange lone-wolf departs to take care of his own secret business" She said, as if she had said this story many times, and had gotten sick of it.

"So that's where you went?" I asked Max, who was struggling to get out of Rodriguez's and Michael's grip. They let go and he fell onto the floor. He was tired and didn't bother to get up, instead he just knelt before us. "Alex, you don't understand, I was trying to protect you"

"If you were trying to protect me then why did you let me leave?"

"Because I knew they would find you!"

"Did you also know I got captured by those freaks?!"

"Yes. I was watching you the whole time, making sure they would find you,"

Demi immediately glared over at him, "She's the one you were trying to persuade us to babysit?" She said pointing a finger at me, with a questioning chuckle,

He looked up at her, still kneeling, "Not 'babysit'...protect"

She stepped forward and gently caressed his jaw with her finger. I wanted to pull that finger off. He moved away at her touch and finally stood up.

"Oh Max, don't be like that. You used to like when I did that" she said, making sure I heard. Bitch.

He looked at me and I glared back, before turning to walk away,

"Oh. I see. You slept with her" Demi said tracing her bottom lip,

"Demi, It's not like tha-" he began before I cut him off,

"No don't worry Demi, he's all yours. There's nothing between us"