Bloody Hands

She stared right at the stream, retrieving a box of cigarettes inside her bra, and puffed one in between her mouth. Zella sighed, watching the ruffles of the water by the stream, and sighed. She drove for an hour along the forestry highway and no one was alarmed by the screeching tires of an ambulance dragging itself down the road.

Jaina died, just a few moments ago.

Zella resorted to sling her legs on the edge of the bridge and have a smoke. It's the first time she'd smoke pot. She swallowed, pulling out a lighter, and run the flame at the other end. She coughed up as the smoke reached her throat, and she immediately threw the cigarette butt at the stream.

It plunged right onto the waters. She threw the box, too. Zella brushed her fingers onto her hair, and think of a next move. Now that she has to move without Jaina, she doesn't know where to go. She had to leave them right at the ambulance car, locking the doors so they wouldn't stink for the next days to come.

Besides, she couldn't drag Jaina out and onto the road.

Zella knew that running isn't good, but she still let the officers chase her. She's a mere death convict who ran away from the punishment she had, an electrocution. Zella turned to the mountains, and she wished to be one. Who could have thought a fast food server like her would end up escaping from the prison because… she doesn't deserve the punishment?

She felt cold. The wind blustered, the trees rustled along the cold breeze. She's wearing her sleeveless shirt and the pajama similar to all of the inmates inside the prison. Zella was too alone to even ask for somebody to cover up her shoulders, and shake off the breeze.

The tears broke out, and she couldn't handle the exhaustion. Plus, the only thing she wanted to do right now is cry.

…

Zella pulled on the clothes the patient has on him. She hoisted herself naked, and stood in the middle of the woods with her one-piece underwear. Zella didn't want to pay attention to her smell, but it wouldn't do her good to transport from one place to another if she smelled like trash. Zella washed herself naked at the stream, laid down her head, and turned to the sky.

She swam a few inches away from the plank. It's peaceful and quiet. Still, the juxtaposition of having silence here could mean a chaos outside of the woods. Zella wagged her hands on the stream, brushed her hair clean, drenched every part of her body, and sighed.

She felt refreshed right after she went out of the stream. She used the remaining clean clothes she saw by the ambulance counter, and dried her body. Zella helped herself on an upside down coat, slacks, and a collar shirt. She looked normal now, except that her hair was too wet to deal at.

As soon as she prepped up her body, she noticed her long nails. Zella didn't even get surprised to see its red.

"Jaina's blood…" she breathed. Zella turned to the ambulance, saw the cracks of the mirror from which the bullet penetrated, and tilted her head to one side. What she should supposed to do to run away from the punishment? Zella bit her bottom lip.

She turned at the mountain borders, and right when she saw the peak, Zella knew what to do already.

…

[Present time.]

"I arranged a blind date for you. I know, for sure, you don't want to come, Leo." Jeremy Tyran is like a father to him. He is somewhat the father who can look out for him. Not the real one, but a figure of what should a father be. Jeremy laid down the clipboards, and got surprised the Cassanos aren't doing anything to capture Zella Albert.

"Are you sure you and the rest of the Cassanos aren't slacking off this time?" The thing about Jeremy is: he liked to jump from a certain topic to another one. Leo doesn't like vague statements from him, cryptic messages, in other words.

"No, sir, we're planning it thoroughly. We couldn't lose the fugitives unlike the rebels." They can hide, but the rebels weren't. How can they protest if they're not under the sun?

"You're right. You couldn't lose a chance towards the fugitives. They know how to play the game, Leo. They are…" Jeremy shifted in his seat, his gaze smoldered right on Leo. He raised his eyebrows, but his hands stayed intact behind his back.

"They are our greatest opponents, Leo. Runaways are no better than rebels."

...

Leo washed his hands vigorously. How can Jeremy say those words when he doesn't know the whole story? He scrubbed his nails for nearly 10 minutes before rinsing the bubbles under the water. Leo flicked it, leaned on the counter, and bit his bottom lip. He turned in his reflection, gritting his teeth.

This is not him… this is not him…

Leo Luciano isn't the one backing down when he had someone to kill. He will always aim at the right target and shoot without hesitation. But today, having Zella Albert inside the mansion, slowly letting him realize how meaningful life should be. Leo threw the tissue paper inside the trash bin, placed his hands on his hips, and retrieved the pistol inside his coat.

He unloaded it, checked the bullets inside, and it was still full. He only had it when it's emergency. Leo clicked it again, slipped it inside his coat, and brushed the side of his head.

"You need to stay cool and hot, Leo. Cool when the situation is too heated, heated when the situation was too cool to touch." He nodded, convincing himself to do this. He went out of the bathroom, and was on the way back to Jeremy's office, when his cell phone rang.

It's Vincent.

"Hey, I'm still on work."

"I am, too. But I properly designed the bullet bombs, care to check it later?"

"Sure. Do you want me…"

He halted in his tracks. Leo looked up at the sleek, wide television screen of the Calvorite Hall, and the news flashed through the screen. As soon as he saw Zella's face, he froze. Leo blinked several times.

"Hello? Hello, Leo?"

Zella Albert's wanted all over the Idris.