Blend the Light

Dead Meat

What a big, fat lie. That's the biggest lie I've ever heard.

"Lying won't save you," I growl. He steps backwards until his back is pressed against the wall. I stand over him with my sword against his throat.

"P-please."

"Nor will cowering."

"I swear I'm not lying. Guthrie Harper is dead. Please, Hawk."

"You killed Rex."

"I'm really sorry."

"Is sorry going to bring Rex back? What about all the others who have died at the hand of Guthrie Harper and you? Is it gonna bring them back to life?" I press my sword a little harder against his skin.

"Guthrie Harper is dead. Let me try to make things right."

"You're a lying snake. You just wanna get away."

"I swear I don't. Please." He's trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Hawk, I think he's saying the truth. Guthrie Harper might really be dead," Callie says.

"I promise I'm not lying. I swear it on my life."

"Like that's worth anything." I snort. Twig flinches ever so slightly but doesn't react any more than that.

"Look at my eye. The left one. The light isn't blinking any more. I felt it when Guthrie Harper died. I felt his control go away. I swear on my life that Guthrie Harper is dead." Sure enough, the blinking, red light is gone.

"If it's true that Guthrie Harper is dead, then take me to his body."

"I don't know where Guthrie Harper is."

"Then where did you go when you had to report back to him?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I would tell one of the head Wasteland guards, and they would go tell Guthrie Harper. I swear I have no idea where Guthrie Harper is! You have to believe me! Please, Hawk." Twig's eyes are wide with fright.

I take my sword off his throat and hold it at my side. He'll live, but not for long. Twig draws in several deep breaths. There's a faint red line on his throat where my sword was. "So if he's dead, what are you going to do? No one will trust you after everything you've done."

"I wouldn't expect anyone to. I just want to get a house somewhere and live the rest of my life peacefully. Having Guthrie Harper in my mind all the time..." Twig shudders.

"Let's go find the others. We need to let them know."

"I bet they already know. All of the Wasteland guards felt it when Guthrie Harper died. We all could be controlled by Guthrie Harper."

"Why didn't all of you have the blinking, red light?" I ask.

"Guthrie Harper. Guthrie Harper got... Got lazy, I guess. I'm not entirely sure." Twig scratches the back of his neck.

"Wait. So Guthrie Harper is dead, right?" Mia juts in.

"Yeah. Guthrie Harper is dead." Twig nods.

"How did he die? We didn't kill him."

"I don't know. I doubt anyone killed Guthrie Harper, though. It could've just been something uncontrollable, like a heart attack or something like that." Twig shrugs.

"Let's go find Vladimir and the others. They need to know that Guthrie Harper is dead," Jay says as he waves us into motion.

"Supposedly dead," I mutter.