Page 14 of Leave Me Behind
Jenkins’s first rule: No emotions. No weakness. Not when you’re on duty.
“I’m going to know everything about you inside and out before your head hits the ground tonight.” My voice is smooth but ill-willed. I’m not going to just forget how big of an asshole he was two minutes ago.
His smile vanishes and a flicker of uncertainty flashes across his gaze. “Uh, s-same,” he stammers before redirecting. “You know you’re dead, right? If you don’t quit willingly, I think Bones just might kill you.”
I set my eyes on the back of Bradshaw’s head. “He can try.”
“Trust me, he will. I hope it’s gross too. You know he has a collection of teeth, right?”
I ignore his attempt to make me fear Bradshaw.
“Because I’m a Riøt?”
Pete’s mouth molds into a sinister grin. “No shit. Your team is the reason we lost Achilles. You guys fucked us when you didn’t show up at the checkpoint.” His voice is laced with anger and he shoulders me before walking ahead. I noticed Bradshaw’s shoulder flinch when he heard the name Achilles.
The soldier I’m replacing.
“Hey, don’t bother talking to Bunny, she’ll be on the first bus out before dawn,” Ian mutters to Pete as they walk side by side.Ignore it—catalog,I order myself. Ian’s code name is Colt. I narrow my eyes at him. He’s the youngest of the group. His hair is an inch longer than Pete’s, black and slicked back. His olive-toned skin is the same shade as mine and he has a cocky smile that I want to put my fist in.
I level him my most insidious stare. One that I hope tells him I’d kill him if ordered to. Because I would. I’ve done it countless times before whether I knew a soldier or not.
“She’ll be crying like a fucking baby when we’re done with her.” Ian winks at me.
“Bunnieswillconsume their own under stress,” I say nonchalantly, and the five of them stop walking and look back at me, shocked. Even Bradshaw this time, his eyes filled with fury.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Harrison barks, disgust muddled in his voice. Code name: Wasp. His hair is blond and he has pale skin that’s been tanned by the sun. His hair is short and he has a straight nose that has yet to be broken.Yet.
“Oh,I’m sorry. Are you hard of hearing? I saidbunnieswill eat their own under stress,” I raise my voice, drawing eyes from other groups of men. My squad’s earlier amusement in me seems to have been properly snuffed out. Their disturbed expressions are better than the sneering ones at least.
They know as well as I do that Riøt specialized in tracking and killing traitors in the armed forces. Sometimes even dark forces soldiers we worked with if their name ended up on Jenkins’s receiver. A black bullet always indicated it was from a Riøt’s weapon. If you were shot with a black bullet, you were dead.
“Jesus Christ,” Ian mumbles.
Jefferson looks at Bradshaw like he wants him to do something about it, then glares back at me. “Great. Our psychopath meets his match and now our lives are in their twisted hands.”
“Make sure to remember that when I’m putting a three-inch bullet through an enemy’s eye socket for your sorry ass, Jobs.” My voice is filled with loathing. I strut past all five of them with my bag slung over my shoulder as I make straight for the showers ahead. Their brows are heavy with irritation, frowns pulling at each of their lips.
Especially Bradshaw. The fact that his mask can’t hide his glower is chilling. He looks at me as if I’m gutter trash that sweptin during a storm. It stings my ego, but I banish all the thoughts of him looking tenderly at me last night.
The second I’m alone in the women’s showers I let out an exasperated breath and look at myself in the mirror with dull eyes.
How am I going to make it out of this alive?
five
. . .
Nell
Five years ago
My bruised legand torn up feet burn as I lower them into the hot spring. The rest of Riøt went the remaining few miles to get back to base, but I can’t handle another elbow to my ribs or one of them tripping me and laughing about it.
I blow out a long breath before letting the rest of my body sink into the warm water. My eyes close and, for the first time in months, I have a sliver of peace.
“Private Gallows, did I excuse you from formation?”
And the peace is gone.
