Page 21 of Leave Me Behind
“I killed a few bad people.”Horrifically. Borderline animalistically.“I’m useless in the real world.”
His eyes widen and he cackles. “Useless? I wouldn’t exactly say that.” I think that might be an accidental compliment.
I nod. “Useless in every other sense besides killing.” His jaw flexes at that. Did he think they’d put a softie on their squad? “I was recruited because there’s darkness in me and this is the only place I belong until I’m eventually killed too.”
“Damn, Bunny. So depressing. How many people have you executed? I heard Riøt had a long list before you guys were wiped out. So, how many?” he asks as we casually start making our way back to the base.
I give him a confused look. “Are we supposed to keep track of that?”
He blows out a breath and shakes his head. “Damn, you’re a cold bitch.”
Yeah, and it’s better that you know it now.I look up at the treetops ahead. I think of Bradshaw’s pained eyes when he spoke of his prior second.
“What was his name?” I ask after a moment of silence. “Achilles, what was his real name?”
Ian swallows but blinks past the hesitance of telling me.
“Abrahm.” Ian says his name softly, with respect. “His code name was Achilles, but we often just called him Abrahm.” I raise my brow but Ian isn’t looking at me. He’s focused on the pine-tree-thick hills ahead, in a trance of sorts.
“How long was he a part of the squad?” I pry.
“Five years… and you can’t replace him. So, try if you want, but you’ll never be able to fill his boots,” he says venomously. I blink slowly, unbothered by his statement.
“Already filled, Colt.” I keep my expression impassive. The rage that flashes across his gaze is quiet but promises punishment.
His animosity is hard to ignore, but I manage.
What I can’t seem to ignore so easily is the team bonding activity Eren has planned out for our evening.
I get paired up with Bradshaw. His black hair is slicked back with sweat from the afternoon exercises and his jaw is set with anything but contentment at our matchup. I couldn’t agree more. Aren’t we forced together enough as it is?
Eren has it out for us.
Both of our arms remain firmly crossed while the rest of our squad mates have amused smirks. Bradshaw’s face is unreadable beneath his mask, but the creases of the black fabric don’t look like a grin to me.
Eren stands before the six of us with his arms behind his back. “Malum, today we’re working on team bonding,” he says bluntly, staring at me specifically. “You’re tasked with reaching the destination marked on your map by nightfall. The path on your maps must be followed to the T, regardless of the obstacles. Both you and your partner need to arrive together, or you fail. Those who fail will be on night watch for the entire evening.” A long groan escapes from the team. I’m assuming they’ve had to pull all-nighters as I have at some point in their training. It’s as dreadful as it sounds.
“Come on, Sergeant, we all know it’s going to be Bones and Bunny. Let’s just skip the team bonding portion and make them do the watch tonight,” Jefferson says breezily as he stretches hisarms behind his head. Ian nods at his side, which earns him a glare from Eren.
“If I hear any more complaining, I’ll haveeveryoneon watch tonight,” Eren threatens. His dark blue eyes shift back to me and soften. “I’ve marked your maps. I’ll see you soldiers before nightfall.”
God almighty. This could not have been a worse scenario for a worse pairing. Bradshaw’s already rolled his eyes at me over ten times and I’ve withheld at least forty swear words.
I may have underestimated my patience.
“Can’t you climb faster?” Bradshaw snipes at me as I’m hauling myself over a ten-foot-tall ledge. My gloved fingertips sting and the sweat running down my spine is making me more agitated by the second.
“Shut the fuck up,” I retort between gnashed teeth. With one last pull I finally manage to drag myself over the lip of the edge. I collapse against the ground and stare up at the sky. Pine trees crowd the space above. Thenhisface appears and I scowl. His eyes are impassive, brows pulled tightly together and his frown is evident beneath the mask.
I hate this man more than insects.
“Get up, Bunny. We should be a klick further than we are.” He fists my vest and yanks me up the remaining few feet, then sets me down hard. I smack his hand away and glare. He gives me a curious raise of his brow, nearing amusement.
“Don’t touch me, asshole,” I snap as I stand and stalk past him. “I’m not the one who couldn’t fit between the two fallen trees and had to walk an extra five minutes around the riverbank.”
He doesn’t respond, but I can feel his loathing gaze boring into the back of my head. I pull out the map Eren marked for us and go over the details once more. We already passed through the meadow and river. We still have at least five klicks before we reach the marked position and most of it is up this fucking mountain side.
I shove the map back into my vest pocket and take a deep breath to recenter myself.What would Jenkins say to me right now?I focus on the swaying pine boughs ahead as birds land on the thinner branches and chatter without concern for the rest of world. Jenkins would probably tell me that if I can’t conquer my emotions, then I need to empty my mind. Let the stress and heavy things go. I can almost hear his laugh against the shell of my ear, his labored breathing when he carried fallen comrades through mud.“When you let go of your thoughts, you can do anything, Gallows.”
