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' WIRES. ' CHAPTER 001. ESCAPIST.
"WILL YOU JUST listen to me?" Neve shouted at the circle of men around her. They were trying to discuss where to move next as they were running out of supplies quickly and needed to claim new ground. They were planning on going to the last city, which Neve knew would be crank central. It was much better to scour less populated areas where they wouldn't be noticed and there wouldn't be as many cranks to fight off. Besides, nobody had any concrete proof that the city was still standing.
"You shut your mouth, missy. I took you in, now you do as I say. I am the leader of this gang!" Clive, the self appointed man in charge, roared back at her.
"Alright, well you won't have much of a gang left if you keep walking into unnecessary danger," she scoffed.
"This gang is the only reason that you're still alive!"
"I don't think you realize that I saved this gang from dying of dehydration last month because I discovered the water residing below the old apartments, and I was the one who pointed out that your last idea for a hideout had beams that couldn't support the weight of the ceiling before you let us stay the night. I think it's safe to say that I don't need you," Neve shot back.
"Yes you do. Though you may think yourself intelligent, you're just a girl. You can't fight back even when you try, and you can't see the bigger picture when it's needed. Girls can't make the right calls, you're quick thinking but you can't plan properly, you can't fight for anyone," he claimed.
"A quick mind can beat brute force every time."
"Would you like to test that?"
"I think we already have. You try so hard to establish yourself as a powerful leader by asserting yourself through physical strength, but you have pushed this gang into danger too many times. A quick mind has pulled us out of those situations, and that quick mind happens to belong to a girl."
She could see the anger burning in Clive's eyes. He was not going to listen to her. If he didn't listen, neither did anyone else. They believed in the power of muscle. Neve was outnumbered as the only girl there. She was too weak to fight, that much he was right about. Her arms were thin and lacking much muscle, she was shorter than anyone else she knew and not very fast when it came to running. But her mind was sharp. She was perceptive and strategic. Neve's intelligence was the only thing that kept her alive when the Flare swept the Earth. Either that or plain dumb luck.
She was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt a stinging pain across her left cheek. Neve stumbled from the impact and looked up to see Clive's arm raised. He slapped her. This wasn't the only time it had happened, but it still felt like a wakeup call. Neve stared up at him, trying not to let any tears fall. She didn't say a word, she didn't want to warrant more aggravation. Making Clive angrier would only bring her more problems. Neve turned around and walked away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
