We went our separate ways, we got the pickup truck thanks to Ender persistence. I sat on the back of the truck with Kallen. Although Adrian already offered me a seat next to the driver seat, I declined him. There's no way I would trust the man who leaked our information, I have yet to receive his reasoning in why he leaked us.
Kallen gazed at the dagger in his grasp as if it's the most important thing in the world. I sat closer to the little boy to take a closer look at the dagger that entranced his gaze. The dagger had a similar trademark to mine, it's the typical military knife with the color green and black mixture. The only difference is that
"Is that dagger special to you?" I asked.
Kallen is still lost in his thoughts as I asked that question. Maybe it's a question I shouldn't ask? I distanced myself from him, in case he's uncomfortable with my presence.
"It's from Sir Vladimir," he told me in a calm voice. "He's the one who takes us in".
He's probably implying him and the little one Candice, they're both close like siblings. I would like to ask about their relationship more. However, there's a time I could abstain from knowing more of him.
Kallen looks like a withdrawn teenager, he's good at what he's doing but didn't talk that much about himself. He commands other people well and he's an experienced fighter, a great asset for Vladimir indeed.
He's different from Joel who is indecisive and kind of a coward, Kallen is a brave teenager who could adapt to any situation. Perhaps his upbringing and Joel's upbringing are the cause of their difference in taking actions and thinking. This is merely just speculation, but Kallen looks more mature and ready for the apocalypse instead of that glasses nerd.
"How about you?" Kallen suddenly shot me a serious look.
"What about me?" I asked him back.
"Do you have someone who saved you just like Sir Vladimir did to us?" He asked me a serious question.
As the truck keeps driving further away from the settlement, my mind swirls in agony. I barely could remember anyone who saved me. Ender saved me plenty of times when we're in a pinch, but that glasses nerd is somewhat disappointing. Although, I have to say he did save me when I had a fever and because of his sole existence.
I still remember Ender's theory about that wishlist system in Wishmaker. I haven't asked anyone about Wishmaker, not even Joel. My mind wanders off to other topics.
"Is it a secret? I'm sorry if I asked something bad" Kallen snapped me out of my thoughts.
I shook my head, I tried to smile all the way.
"No, it's not like that" I smiled awkwardly. "I just had a hard time remembering who saved me".
Even though they saved me from dying, no one is ever truly saved from themselves. Inner negative thoughts, depravity, hollowness, it's what human beings are made of. Insanity is already a part of humanity, they just hide beneath their hollow mask.
"Maybe I was being negative?" I thought to myself.
Kallen looks somewhat concerned with me, his voice quivered mixed with a little bit of awkward stutter.
"Is that so? I'm sure there is someone who will be there for you" Kallen spoke awkwardly. "You just don't see it yet".
Kallen surprisingly gave me a positive comment and encouragement. I nodded to his encouragement, he's such a brave boy. People come and go from different backgrounds and past, thus affecting their personalities.
We arrived at the gas station Jean mentioned, each of us started to find any sign of gas for the truck. My mind wanders to Joel who's still unconscious on his bed. A pang of guilt engulfed my chest as my mind remembers the time when Joel shielded me from the offenders. The bloody sight of his injured head, as his bloodstreams to my face.
Droplets of fresh blood fell on my face. The warmness of his blood seeped on my skin, as I saw the exhausted expression that plastered on Joel's face. My body trembles in guilt, I shook my head to avoid such guilt.
"Big sis?" Kallen snapped me out of my mind.
"Ah, right" I responded.
I walked behind Kallen who is now focusing on getting the gas. He seems to have a hard time lifting the gas can.
"Want me to help?" I asked the young boy.
"No, I can do it on my own," Kallen replied shyly while trying to keep his hand steady on the two gas cans.
"Come on now, give me one of them" I insisted on the young teenager.
Kallen sighed as he gave me one of the gas cans and walked away with his head low. He's quite a shy person, isn't he? He put the gas can on the back of the truck while I followed after.
I take one of the gas cans from Kallen grasp. The others gather food and supplies from abandoned places. We took our time sightseeing while we're moving the gas cans from the gas station. Kallen and I were the ones in charge of moving the gas cans. Supposedly Adrian is also here, but he said he wanted to go to the public toilet.
"Adrian is so slow" I sighed.
"That's how Adrian is," Kallen complained as well.
I looked at Kallen as he didn't mention Adrian with any honorifics, just his plain name Adrian.
"You two close?" I asked the young boy as we put the gas cans on the back of the truck.
"Yes, and he makes all kinds of trouble in the settlement! Even Sir Vladimir dislikes his troublemaker attitude!" the boy scoffed.
Why am I not surprised? Yes, of course, that troublemaker Adrian would make this kind of trouble everywhere he goes. He's just an irresponsible young adult who likes to goof around. This made him famous among his peers as the goofball.
"He is indeed a troublemaker" I chuckled.
"You know Adrian?" the boy asked me curiously.
"Yes, I do," I responded to the boy calmly. "He is my friend from University, we hang out sometimes".
"What did you guys hang out for?" Kallen continued to ask me questions.
"Lots of things, we joke around, talk about life, social media, rumors, and stuff" I added. "Most importantly, he's a funny man to be around".
"Yeah, he's joking around too much!" Kallen pouted.
We continued to talk as we waited for Adrian. He didn't show up at all and there are only 4 gas cans left to transport, it's like he ditched his job this long to do something that I don't know in the toilet.
"What took that guy so long? Sheesh!" Kallen pouted yet again.
"Kallen, why don't you check him out in the toilet? I'll wait here" I assured the boy.
"Okay, please do big sis Aria" he nodded.
He walked toward the gas station public bathroom on the left corner, the bathroom was hidden behind some trees. Kallen disappeared behind the trees, not long after we heard a scream.
"DRONES! NEW DRONES!" Adrian yelled could be heard from the distance.
I immediately prepared my knife from my back pocket. Jean is still nowhere around me, he probably still looted the food he found near the gas station mini markets. What surprised me is that Jean hasn't shown himself. Right from behind the trees, Adrian and Kallen ran toward the pickup.
Behind them were five or six human-looking drones with dangerous submachine guns on their hands.
"NEW DRONES! WE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF DRONE BEFORE!" Adrian yelled on top of his lungs. "And where's Jean!? We need to leave this place!".
The humanoid drones had the same facial structure as humans with no skin. The shining crimson eyes from their eyes emanated malicious intent. Their body structures are similar to those of bulky soldiers. The body wore a military outfit, is this yet another drone that the government hid from us?
Now those theories don't matter as we faced yet another life or death situation.
"Big sis Aria, you're the leader! Do you have any plans?" Kallen asks me, confused.
"Huh? Of course not! We need to run!" I told them.
"How about Jean!?" Adrian growled.
"We'll find him! So for now start the engine, Adrian! Before we all die!" I shouted at Adrian.
Adrian's expression turns into grim as I stated that we're leaving Jean, he didn't want to leave Jean. However, he immediately went to the driver seat and started the engine brilliantly without complaining.
"Hop on!" Adrian commanded.
Kallen gave me a gun from his back pocket, he prepared his handgun too. It seems like he carried more than a dagger. He had two guns stored behind him.
"Wait, is this Glock?" I couldn't contain my excitement.
"Yup! Mila, Tom, and Adrian got from this one weapon shop! They said it looks cool, so they took it!" Kallen spoke. "But that's not the point! Let's hop on the back!".
Kallen snapped me out of my fascination toward guns. I nodded to him as we hopped on the back and aimed our guns at the humanoid skulls.