Page 43 of The General's Captive
“Shit, what’s wrong? Did the General hurt you?” The question instantly had me going back to that moment asking myself why he hadn’t? He’d had every opportunity to kill me, to hurt me or to capture me yet he hadn’t done any of those things.
But why?
Why had he let me go and for what seemed like the third time?
My conversation I’d had with Riley in his truck all that time ago now coming back to me. He had told me that hiding from the General would have been pointless, that he always knew if people hid from him as many had tried and failed. Riley had gone on to say that he would have known I was in that cupboard no matter how quiet I had been. And as soon as he said this, I had thought back to the General’s reactions realising that he had been right.
The way he had looked over his shoulder in my direction like he had wanted me to hear him and to see him whereas others hadn’t had such a chance. As if he had been silently daring me to show myself. But then he had let me go just like he had done that day at the cabin,just like he had done last night.None of it made any sense and before I could stop myself I admitted,
“No, he didn’t hurt me…in fact…he let me go.” At this Riley jerked back visibly shaken by the admission.
“But why?” I shrugged my shoulders before telling him,
“I don’t know.” However, something in my face must have told him how close to the edge I was as his gaze softened beforehe bent his knees and picked me up. This time my cry was one of surprise as he carried me to the truck, I reached out and opened the passenger side door to make it easier for him so as he could place me inside.
Then I watched as he walked around the truck before taking his place behind the wheel. He was then quick to get going turning around so he could make his way back to the Train Yard. It was like after hearing this he wanted to put as much distance between us and the town of Jerome.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked after a few moments of silence had passed between us.
“Not really.” He nodded once as his jaw set tight most likely dying to know but letting it go regardless. My hand went to my empty satchel one I still hadn’t taken off yet, despite it being useless now.
“He took my journal.” I told him needing to break the tension. At this he looked at me in surprise, the long empty road ahead not needing much of his attention so he gave it to me instead.
“How?” He asked now looking down at my empty bag that I was rarely seen without.
“It must have fallen from my bag when I escaped him. I was running across the yard when I saw him stop to pick it up.” I admitted, prompting Riley to take my hand and give it a squeeze.
“I’m sorry Alex.” He offered and I nodded in acceptance as he knew how much that book meant to me. Because it was more than just a field guide or bible on how to navigate this new world. As honestly, I knew every single word of it anyway. But it was no longer about that, no longer something to aid me in fighting them. No, in the end it had been more about what it had represented.
My survival.
Proof of my strength, a security blanket I couldn’t be without, a piece of therapy I could carry everywhere with me until the point that I hadn’t felt whole without it but now I had no choice.
Because the General had stolen it from me and now it felt like he had stolen a piece of me right along with it.
“I’m sorry you were left behind.” Riley said, this time the pain in his eyes was bred solely from guilt.
“I understand there was no other way, you had to leave.” I told him trying to comfort him when he started shaking his head his eyes full of shock.
“I didn’t leave you!”
“But everyone was gone.” I argued making him sigh,
“That fucking creature! The Gryphon that knocked me back when I tried to get past, I hit my head on the ground and was out cold according to Volkov. They dragged my ass out of there after thinking that you were a goner the second the General grabbed you.” I frowned at this.
“You mean you didn’t know?” I asked as realisation dawned on me.
“No, my ass woke up just before sunrise and I was fucking pissed! I jumped in my truck and drove back here.” He said with that tick in his jaw back as if recalling how angry he had been at realising he was forced to leave me.
“I didn’t know.” I said softly now reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze.
“I would never leave, you should know that.” I felt the lump forming in the back of my throat as his words penetrated deep, I nodded feeling the tears build.
“You came back for me.” I said for no reason other than to verbalise how much this meant to me as if saying it aloud made it more real. But Riley wasn’t done expressing this to me,
“I will always find you Alex, if there is even a slim chance of saving you I will do everything I can, I want you to remember that.” I nodded before telling him,
“And I promise to do the same.” He gave me a small grin and held back arguing on why I shouldn’t because no matter how strong I had become Riley had always felt like it was his duty to protect me. It was why I stopped going with them on supply runs as he was always too distracted worrying about me. Even in the fight, I knew that was why he had made it back to me as soon as he knew the harpies had shown up.
