The Killer In Me / Troy Otto

Chapter One: Part Ten

"For a little person you're so persuasive" Brady commented after the meeting was finally over and the girls finally had a minute to speak. The taller blonde sat on the railing of the old ranch style home that Emmy and her father now called their own. A long argument with the rest of the group to let the ash blonde out of holding and try again wasn't easy but somehow Emmy had done it despite the irritated looks from other members of the group.

"It's cause I'm cute" Emmy joked a smile seeming to crawl on the corner of her lips.

"Maybe you can use those persuasive powers and get your dad to let you go on the run with us" Brady turned her gaze to the brunette. The bright afternoon sun highlighting the golden flecks in the blondes emerald eyes.

"Maybe..." she began to speak before the familiar glares were on her not surprising that Alan was practically shooting daggers at her.

"Good job, Em" he spoke once he approached the girls the sarcasm dripping from his comment.

"If you were so worried Alan then maybe you should have said something. Standing around with your snarky ass comments and shitty attitude isn't getting you anywhere" Emmy just shook her head at the older man who still seemed so smug.

"I never said I was worried, Em but you didn't stay to let me finish what I was telling you that day in the infirmary" he leaned closer the dark growing beard was almost brushing Emmy's cheek just with the anticipation of its graze made her skin itch.

"Then tell me now" her dark eyes narrowed at the man she wasn't sure what game he was playing at but she was ready for it to stop.

"Is there a point? I've got my plans to deal with it myself" he stepped back straightening his deep blue shirt.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Emmy questioned.

"Don't be a prick all your life, Alan. If it affects the group then say something now" Brady shot the older man a scowl.

"I don't have to say shit!" he quickly snapped at the tall blonde which easily was brought to the attention of Scott.

"Problem?" Scott shouted towards the three as he began walking over to them.

"It's nothing, Scott" Emmy quickly replied but her eyes still narrowed on Alan. The dark irises fierce as ever underneath the thick layers of lashes.

"You sure?" the young man asked as he watched the two girls.

"Of course, man" Alan shot him a smug grin before the older man turned on the heel of his boot and walk away.

"You sure you're okay?" Scott asked. Sweat was glistening against his tan freckled skin as he reached out for Brady's hand. Their relationship was one of the most poorly kept secrets in the entire camp.

"I'll be right back" was all Emmy replied. The pair knew exactly what she was doing but knew there was no point to trying to stop her.

:::

Emmy ran across the dirt. The rocks crunching under the heals of her ankle boots that were now dusty and stained with specks of blood that were now just dark almost black. "Hey" she shouted after the older man who was walking across the path. His slender shoulders slumped as though he carried the weight of the world. "Alan, would you just wait" she called after the man and to that he came to a sudden stop.

"What?" he asked his back still to the young brunette as she approached him.

"Why won't you tell me? Or any of us what is going on?" She questioned gaining the man's attention.

"How long have you known me, Em?" his voice suddenly lowered it was serious now with his arms muscular arms folded over his chest.

"Not long after we started work on this place" the brunette answered as she brushed the damp almost black hair from her face as beads of sweat ran down her defined features.

"So if I tell you something and you don't take my word by now. There isn't really a point" he seemed to give a careless shrug.

"You could still tell me something, you can't throw around name calling, Alan then not give a reason... No one even knows about your past" Emmy replied curiously if he will ever give her an answer.

"You want to talk about not talking about pasts. What about you?" he suddenly turned it around on the brunette.

"What about me?" She asked out of genuine curiosity.

"What happened to your mother?" He suddenly says. In an instant, it felt as though Emmy's heart dropped. The sinking feeling in her chest caused a serious ache just at the mere mention of her mother.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She suddenly scowled trying to hide the hurt of thinking about her mother. How the sweet, loving woman has ripped away and there was no getting her back.

"We all have things that we don't talk about in our past, Em. Plain and simple" he answered to the young girl before decided to walk away. He hesitated for a moment with his back to her. That hurt from the mention of her mother was now written all over her face no matter how deeply she frowned and attempted to hide it. "My family died..." he spoke glancing over his shoulder. "When everything happened we were trying to make it home from visiting my wife's family in Mexico. A lot of things happened in between but we were taken by a Militia and that was the last time I saw my family after I was thrown into a pit with the dead and left to die myself... I don't know how I escaped, I don't know how I survived but I did.." he let out a heavy breath before turning back to face what was ahead of him "there you go, Em. Some of my past" was all he said before walking away and leaving a stunned Emmy standing in the dirt watching the middle-aged man's figure disappear from her sights.