Closest Among Us

Chapter 14

We decided to have a few hours rest before continuing with our walk. We were almost at the exit we planned to take. Perhaps in about an hour or so, we'd be out in the open once again. The kids needed rest so we let them have a nap. Though most of them whined because of the hard floor they needed to sleep on, with no blankets nor pillows.

I stayed at the back still trying to close my eyes and rest, though I was still alert of my surroundings, I sensed some movement coming near me.

"Hey you okay?" Mushka suddenly appeared on my side, popping the relaxation bobble I was in. I opened my eyes and looked at her with a smile. She's still wearing the same outfit she was in the day before. She looked gorgeous though. I guess she was planning to confess her undying attraction to Alfonse yesterday, that's why she was with them. "Stop spacing out, you're scaring the shit out of me!" Oh, I guess she'd been informed about the mind rape as well. I grinned at her assuring her that I'm about as okay as I'm gonna get. "You're not telling us about it, are you?" she asked, I shook my head in reply. Noelle was also seated not far from us. "God, Fran, stop being such a selfish bitch and give us any idea! We need to know if you're okay." Well, trust Mushka on being the interrogator. She has her ways on me.

I sighed, biting my lower lip before speaking, "Maybe they'd use any weakness they'd find." solemnly they looked at me expectantly. "And I saw Xedgedy, he's a vampire. The one controlling the scenes. He even gave me false memories. Everything felt so real. That was why I had to kill him just to get out."

Noelle snorted in disbelief, "We all know that he died two years ago, so how come he'd be here." She was acting defensively. It was odd, but perhaps she just wanted to remember the man she had been friends with for so long. The man she also loved. "I mean you said it yourself that they'd use your weaknesses right? So maybe they used Xed just to get to you." Mushka nodded, agreeing with her opinion. They were the closest among us. They called themselves bestfriends after all. "They need weakness to control humans."

"Yeah, maybe." I said making myself agree, but something in her words made me uneasy. "I guess it's my turn to keep scout ahead." I stood up and went ahead of the tunnels, making sure that they wouldn't face any danger. It was also my way to shake off my doubts. Why would Noelle say that? She had been away from us for so long. Perhaps these troubling times have changed all of us.

I've been in these tunnels many times exploring with Xed and I know its twists and turns. I won't get lost inside it. But then realizing that made me halt on my tracks. I know these tunnels but so does Xed. He'd know my strategy by now, he may be waiting for us outside one of the exits. How can I be so carelessly stupid. He would have read my mind during the mind rape. He would have easily picked on the strategies that we've set.

"F-fran?" a cold chubby hand held my leg. My reflexes went over drive that it made me do a head lock on her, one false move would break her neck. I almost killed the kid! She started sobbing silently, afraid of me. Her tears dripping on my arm made me sane again.

"Shhhhh...It's okay." I hugged her lolling her to stop crying. "I'm so sorry Gemma." whispering on her. She embraced me shaking. "You shouldn't have sneaked on me like that. You scared crap out of me." yes, she scared the shit out of me. "Why'd you follow me here?"

"I was afraid you'd die too." she sobbed on my chest. She's just a small kid that's why I was able to carry her. Her mother was the orphanage's nurse. She was bitten and was changed. She was attacking Gemma when we arrived , it was why I had killed her. I killed Gemma's mom, because she became a vampire and he was going to kill her own child.

"You know I'm sorry about your Mom right?" I asked, looking into her eyes. She nodded, still sniffling her tears. "Gemma, see this necklace? It was given to me by a friend, he told me that it'll make me safe." I took the necklace off and placed it on her. "Now, it'll make you safe." she looked at me then to the necklace's pendant. "Hold on to it for me okay?"

"O-okay." she stuttered, nodding wide-eyed with innocence, her curly black hair a mess. She was holding the pendant in her hand close to her heart.

"When you reach the shelter, find my mom okay? Tell her I love her. Tell her to take care of you." I held both her cheeks, looking deep into her eyes. "Gemma, take care of her if I don't get to the shelter with you." Fat swelling tears began falling from her eyes once again but she nodded.

"I-I..I will Fran." she finally said to me after she calmed down.

"Gemma, I want you to stay with your friends, alright. You'll be a lot safer in the group than with me." We hugged and hand in hand we joined the group. "Go with them now." she looked at me sadly but she let go of my hand. She then waved at me and joined her friends, showing them the necklace I gave her.

"So that's where she went," Mushka mused, eying the kids. "That one is a little sneaky, much like you." She was now wearing a pair of jogger pants.

"Where's Chelsea?" I asked in a straightforward manner. I was in my military mode. I had to make these kids safe. I had to do everything that I could to send them to the shelter alive.

Mushka noticed my sense of urgency so she answered immediately, "She's at the back."

"Thank you." I went jogging towards Chealsea, my second in command. I knew that I could always count on her to make the best decision. She isn't emotional like the others, that's why I trust her. "Captain, we need to talk." she nodded and we went far from ear shot. I need her to be in with my plan.

"What is it? " She looked at me with seriousness in her tone. She knew me so well.

"Lead the group to the nearest exit and stay away from any open spaces until you reach the beach, is that understood?"

"Yes, but where are you going?" She was puzzled at the sudden change of plan. "Why the hell are you giving me these orders?"

"I am taking most of the extra ammunition you've got, I'm going to distract them." I informed her, "I know they'll be waiting at the exit nearest to the Evac Camp we are heading to. So that's why I needed you to lead the group away from that area as much as possible."

"But Fran I can assist you," she argued. "The kids will be safe. We can go on another route. You can stay with us."

"That's an order, Captain." I said forcefully. "I've been compromised since the mind rape. Our plans, everything that I know, it's in his knowledge now." She gritted her teeth, willing herself to hold back the argument brewing in her eyes. "If anything happens in that Evac Camp, I know you can pilot a plane to get those kids to safety. I am trusting you with their lives now."

"Okay Fran." She nodded, sighing after a long while. She then gave me one of her pistols and five of her ammunition. "You'll need that."

I smiled at her weakly accepting them, "You have to go now." She may have heard my urgency that she moved briskly with me to the group.

"Guys we need to go now." Chealsea said hurrying the children. "Noelle, I need you to go in front and shoot anything that moves unless they're humans. Mushka middle ground the kids are yours. Queencie hold on to your baby, we'll need it later." She barked orders better than I did. "I'll scout ahead."

"What, wait! Where is Fran going?" Queencie asked, she was looking in my direction.

"Flying solo!" I grinned at her and ran like hell to the planned exit.

We were trained to survive and kill if we had to. That's why they didn't stop me from doing this sacrifice. I will never let them die. It would be me rather than them.

"What happened to me is my decision. And no one is to blame." I said slowly pointing the pistol to my temple. "I'll die now." I said pulling the trigger and it was followed by a booming sound of gunfire echoing. My life I think has ended.