The rain left her sticky and cold. The power had gone out, Sebrion citizens scurried the streets like sewer rats, breaking and entering, riots and fire. All over the place was an aftermath of the parade bombing. It was crazy to believe the amount of terror in the air, it was physically choking. And despite the hike in crime rate in the last few hours and the unsafe neighborhoods, she'd been careful selecting the streets.
Being part greenie made most folks apprehensive when they met her, so the secret ways and narrow passages were a great escape from the unwanted attention. She'd near well lost the feeling of her chest with her heart rate— her phone blasted that annoying toon it always did. She screamed, barely managing to calm her heart as her hands scramble through the thick layer of reports and make up in her bag. No one owned devices like these anymore, it was a laptop and chip installation in your temple. When she finally turns it off, she surveys her surroundings like a skittish animal.
The walls on either side of the alley don't have doors or windows. Maybe no one heard. She begs her heart to slow, the adrenaline doesn't help. Maybe no one heard.
But someone did.
And that someone would follow her home.
Gwen would have to be careful now. She wouldn't want the woman to know she's just behind her. Crouched and watching a safe distance back. She'd crossed into Sebrion this afternoon and immediately the borders shut behind her. She wasn't prepared to see Adam again, not like this.
But desperate times— The lady with the pink turban weaves passed a dumpster and takes a sharp left. Gwen moves too fast, doing the same. Big brown fearful eyes stare at Gwen, they're a hair apart for a nano second before Gwen witnesses the fastest woman alive.
Shit.
"Fuck me." Gwen mutters and runs after her. Back streets were slippery, she didn't know how the woman could run that fast in it. But Gwen's bigger and desperate, there's nothing like a desperate person.
She catches the woman's hair first and pulls back with enough force her legs buckle. She tumbles down hard with Gwen right beside her. Anne screams in that shrill way you know something isn't right with your body anymore. It turns to loud sobs as she clutches her leg.
Gwen hisses and stands over the woman. "Where do you live?"
Anne continues sobbing, shaking uncontrollably while thinking her worst fears coming true. Gwen curses, walking over to the woman's belongings sprawled on the road. She looks both ways before reading the ID. Her brows quirk, "half and half. Chocolate milk."
She tucks it into her pocket, looking over her shoulder to check if the woman miraculously stands on her dislocated knee. She gathers the belongings, standing over the woman trying so hard to stifle her sobs. "Which one of 'em was milk."
"Please. I'm just- just visiting my friend. Don't hurt me please—"
"What, no! I have nothing against greenies— I know how this looks but I swear, I wouldn't be outside doing crazy shit if it wasn't life or death." She scrunches her brows. "Just please don't scream. If you're well behaved I'll make sure you have where you can shower and eat and magazines to read, so don't scream."
"I have a family." Anne cries.
Gwen scrubs her face in fatigue and exhales. "I just need a place to stay. Somewhere discreet for me to do what I need to do here and I'll be gone. I don't have to hurt you— if you behave."
The sound of the riot was coming closer, they needed to go but Anne looked pale, she couldn't trust this woman not to kill her. Gwen could see that clear as day. "I won't hurt you."
"You can have my house— live there for as long as you like but leave me here. I won't tell anyone about you."
The way she said it made Gwen's stomach churn uncomfortably. But she's a scientist, she's observant. She catches the quick flicker of hope as her eyes dart to the end of the street where the noise is coming from. What would she do?
Someone holding a flashlight strays from the crowd. Gwen couldn't think. But that's when Anne screamed so loud. "Helpmeplease! Please!"
"Fuck—" Gwen panics.
The figure turns towards them and starts walking, "Hey!"
Gwen picks her, digging a thumb into her knee. A sacrifice her left ear had to make to keep Anne weak and in pain. She struggles carrying that much weight and running but luckily Anne's home was close. The more she ran, the more people followed them. Anne kept screaming over and over and—
She comes down to bite Gwen's shoulder and the shock makes her drop the woman. Gwen clutches her shoulder, swinging her leg back without a second thought. Her muddy boot makes clean contact with her head.
"Ffff.." the pain was out of this world. She knew Anne had bitten a reasonable amount of flesh off. She bit down on her lip to muffle the curse words. Anne's home was two sharp lefts and an alleyway away. She could do it.
Gwen picks her up and runs until she gets to the alleyway, she dumps Anne's body in the dumpster and hides behind it. The mob chasing her had dispersed in confusion after an hour of searching.
Gwen opens the door with the key from Anne's purse. She decides she likes the master bedroom the most, the balcony created appropriate ventilation and a view of the street a couple ways down. The spare room has dusty beddings and some extra belongings. She flops Anne's body on the bed and closes the door.
She walks to the kitchen, food on the stove and tequila in the cabinet. She bites down on an oven mitten and pours a good amount on the wound, it sizzles and the cloth muffles her shout. Her body coils and tightens— she should've left Anne in the dumpster after the stunt she pulled.
She wraps the gash half hazardously and tears apart the apartment for a laptop or computer. She finds Anne's, opened with her logged in the cloud. Her fingers lazily dance on the keyboard, 'Gazelle is here. Send aid. Compromised with company.'
She waits a beat and more before the reply comes in. And her heart drops to her stomach.
'Rhino to Gazelle. Do not engage predator…
Kill company.'