Eden | Raven Reyes (s.u)

Chapter Three

"We got one!"

Blaire Stone's head snapped up at the sound of McCreary, Blaine and the other prisoners that had gone with them came into the clearing, McCreary's hands wrapped around a head of blonde hair throwing the figure roughly on the ground. The blonde cowered on the ground, her head firmly looking downward, refusing to meet anyone else's eyes.

"Let me see her face," Diyoza demanded stepping forward, as McCreary pulled the blonde up from the ground by her hair, revealing a face that surprisingly didn't display an ounce of fear instead determination was written across. 

"You only caught one," Shaw asked, stepping forward to fall in line with Diyoza.

"We only saw one," McCreary responded gruffly, pushing the girl back down. 

"I highly doubt she was alone." Shaw continued, looking over his shoulder, catching the gaze of Blaire before looking back at Diyoza. 

"She wouldn't have survived by herself," Blaire added, stepping forward to get a closer look at the blonde. 

"How many others in the woods?" Diyoza pressed, sending the girl scuttling backwards, however, Diyoza received no response. Diyoza looked towards McCreary as he struck their prisoner across the face sending her reeling backwards.

Blaire was conflicted as she watched Shaw turn around, unable to stomach what was happening before them. She knew very well what that girl had done, she had killed four of their men but at the same time she admired the girl's strength, and Blaire knew very well McCreary didn't punch lightly. 

McCreary crouched down, meeting the blonde's gaze. "Answer the question."

The clearing went silent as the blonde whimpered slightly cowering away from McCreary as he grabbed her neck, his fist held high. 

"Not yet," Diyoza replied, gesturing behind her with her head. "First, we pray."

McCreary forced the girl up, walking with her over to the Chapel. Blaire could only watch as the girl was walked by her, their eyes meeting for a fraction of a second before she was carried past her. 

"Secure the perimeter!" Diyoza ordered. "Her people will come for her. Be ready."

"Look, she's our only link to what happened here. I'm thinking using McCreary for this is a bad idea." Shaw continued stopping Diyoza in her tracks. 

"She killed four of our people." Diyoza continued, walking towards the Chapel.

"Yes, but after we landed in their valley, and we took their village," Shaw replied. 

"Diyoza, I was just informed by Ness that a proximity alarm was triggered near the primary docking point on the mother ship," Blaire said, falling in line with Diyoza and Shaw. 

"Did they activate Kodiak?" 

"Ness!" Blaire shouted across the village, gaining the woman's attention. "Did you activate Kodiak."

"No, not yet," Ness replied, not quite meeting Blaire or Diyoza's eyes. 

"We have security protocols," Diyoza said.

"Follow them, Ness." Blaire continued, watching as the woman nodded her head slightly. 

"Good cop and medium cop," Diyoza said looking over to Shaw and Blaire. "You're both with me."

Blaire entered into the Chapel only to see McCreary down the other end, tying the blonde girl tightly to a chair sending her one last smug smirk before striking her across the face once again. 

"Hey! Hey! Stop!" Shaw rushed forward, pushing McCreary away from the girl. "We need her."

McCreary fought back before Diyoza finally intervened. "Hey! Enough!" She shouted, pulling them apart. "That's enough!"

"He is not one of us." McCreary sneered back. "We lose four men and he doesn't even care. Even Miss 'We must do better' cares more about the fact we lost them than he does." McCreary continued shooting a glance Blaire's direction who met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. 

"He is one of us." Diyoza continued. "None of us is here without Shaw."

"None of us is here without me, either." McCreary boasted, violently letting his grip on Shaw's jacket go. "You remember that."

Diyoza reached forward to grab the front of McCreary's shirt pulling his closer to her. "We all have a role to play, and we're all upset about the loss of our men. Take a team and sweep the woods for friends." Diyoza replied, letting go of McCreary as he stalked out of the room bumping into Shaw on his way. "Let it go."

Blaire stepped forward, facing the blonde as Diyoza turned her head, noticing the black substance dripping onto the floor. 

"You see this?" Diyoza questioned as Blaire crouched beside the puddle, carefully dipping her fingers in it before giving it a casual sniff. 

"Blood alteration," Blaire confirmed. "Like what they had on Eligius III."

"Two suns, no sunscreen needed." Shaw continued, sending a slight smile in Blaire's direction. 

"Must be how they survived down here," Diyoza replied, bringing the radio to her mouth. "Bring me a medkit, over."

"On my way."

Blaire leaned against the closest wall, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the girl's movements quizzically, Diyoza taking a seat in front of her. 

"Harris, I'm en route." McCreary's voice echoed from the radio laid on the table in front of Blaire. "How's the search of sector six?"

"Finishing up now." Harris' voice returned. 

"We got off on the wrong foot, you and I." Diyoza began. "We had no idea that there was anyone alive down here. How could we have? We were just trying to get back home. Imagine our surprise when we found that there was no home to get back to, and then your people started killing mine. Surely you can understand why I'm upset."

The room stayed silent, not a single syllable uttered from the blonde as the only sound was the constant chatter echoing from the radio. Blaire observed the girl, her eyes facing forward and still, not a single emotion given away upon her face. She was good, but there was always something that would even the most hardened criminal crack.

"Just like you were upset when we took your village." Diyoza continued, leaning forward slightly. "I don't blame you. When a fascist government tried to take my home I wanted blood too, and I got it.

"We're at the lake now, heading due north." 

"Nobody else has to die today." Diyoza pressed. "You tell me what I need to know, and we can come up with an arrangement that works for all of us. Sound like a plan?"

"Maybe she doesn't speak English?" Shaw questioned. 

"She speaks English. She just wants us to think she doesn't so we'll speak freely and reveal something she can use against us. Every time Patrol checks in she looks at this." Diyoza concluded, reaching over to pluck the radio off the table and hold it out in front of her. 

"She's tracking our movements, that's all she cares about. You don't want to talk, that's fine. Don't talk. But we'll see how you feel when we find whoever it is you're protecting." Diyoza replied, picking herself up off the chair and holding the radio back to her mouth. "Change of plans, ladies and gentlemen. No more prisoners, shoot to kill."