Eric and the guys led the two surviving men somewhere away, they made sure to cover their eyes so they wouldn't be able to back track towards us. The girl and I sat under a tree. After she got done crying she didn't say anything. She sat in silence looking at the dirt. Her jacket and jeans were torn all over and she was shivering. I stood and took off my outer jacket and walked over to her. As I drew closer she scurried backwards with a feral look in her eyes. Just how much did this girl go through?

"It's okay, you looked cold." I said, putting on a genuine smile. She eased up and rested her back against a tree. I laid my jacket over her shoulders and pulled it tight around her. "My name is Donavan, but most people call me Donny. What's yours?" 

She doesn't say anything. 

"It's okay, take your time. I'm sure you've seen your fair share of horrors in this world. You're welcome to accompany us back to our camp, however we have to make a trip to Bear Creek first." As the words Bear Creek escaped my lips she tensed up. 

"No." was all she said

"What's wrong with Bear Creek?" 

"You just can't go there." She continues to short me and I try to keep my patience.

"My camp is counting on me and those guys out there to bring back food. I figured if there's still bears in that area, then there must be some type of wild game keeping them sustained." 

She looks me in the eye and I see her shattered soul behind them. This girl was so mentally beaten I feared that she was already too far gone. 

"There was bears in that area, at one time. Two years ago a group called the Bloody Wings moved there and slowly got rid of all the bears. Now that is there proving ground and anyone who goes against the leader, Karim's word faces the wrath of the 'wing' as they call it." 

Her story did make some sense. No one has attempted to go into that area for a little over three years now. However, how had we never heard of this group or seen anyone from there group scouting near by areas?

"So why were these Bloody Wing guys after you?"

"They keep women hostage and do horrible things..." her voice broke for a second, no doubt was she reliving some trauma. "I stabbed the leader in the eye one night when he called me to his room and escaped. I'd been in hiding for a month now, but I got too comfortable and was caught. You saving me has put a target on your back and most likely everyone you associate with." 

"How big of a group are they?" I ask, my heart racing at the thought of Eric and the others getting into some sort of trouble out there because of me wanting to be a hero. 

"They are somewhere in the two hundreds. They have enough firepower to start a war and Karim isn't the type to let go of a grudge." 

Footsteps approach from somewhere to my right and my hands automatically go for the rifle. However, Eric calls out saying that it's them returning. 

I run down the situation to them and they all give me the same look scared look. I can't blame them, our measly sixteen people with only three guns compared to their two hundred something with guns like no tomorrow. We'd be wiped out in an instant if they found their way to our camp.

"Right now we need to worry about what we came out here for and that's to find food, so I say we call off our trip to Bear Creek and hunt here until the morning." I say, handing my rifle to Terry. He's the best hunter and tracker we have so I trust him to get us something. 

***

The night was cold and bitter, we built a small fire and it sure as hell wasn't doing much in the way of keeping us warm. However as morning came we had come up with three rabbits and a raccoon. It wasn't what we promised on bringing back but we would have to deal with that bridge when we crossed it. 

The hike back seemed like it was longer than the hike out. I was stuck in my head about the Bloody Wing. If they attacked there would be nothing I could do to save anyone. The two guys that Eric and the others led away know what our faces look like and I'm sure if what the girl said about Karim is true then we won't have a quick death.

When we arrived at the gate Blake let us in and he immediately knew something was wrong. 

*** 

"Gather everyone and tell them to meet in the courtyard." I said, and he nodded. 

Everyone was gathered in a matter of minutes and I stood at the front of the crowd with the girl to my left. She looked uncomfortable but I needed her there to explain what I couldn't. 

"On our trip to Bear Creek, we heard this girl cry out for help. As many of you know, I am not the type to let a chance to help someone slip through my fingers. We ended up saving her in the nick of time. The problem, however, is who we saved her from. They are a group called the Bloody Wing." I stopped taking a breath and getting ready to deliver the hardest blow. "They are a savage group with numbers in the two hundreds." 

Mutters and whispers flow through the crowd and the faces of the people reflect my own feelings. They are scared, and that's not something I can blame them for. 

I looked over to the girl and she was looking at the ground. 

"However, the girl I was telling you all about, as many of you guessed, is this woman right here." I raised my arm leading her into introducing herself. 

"My name is Myra and I was held as a prisoner of the Bloody Wing. They hold females hostage. They are a group of ruthless savages and will stop at nothing to exact revenge." Her words ran through the crowd and instilled an even deeper sense of fear than they had before.

"Do not fret," I exclaim, trying to bring peace. "According to Myra, the Bloody Wing has had a camp in Bear Creek for a little over three years now and we have never run into each other. We do have a secluded little area here and I doubt we'll have to worry about anyone attacking. After all, it's been two and half years since any bandits have shown up around here." 

That seemed to calm everyone a little, but I knew that they were still worried. There was that 'what if?' What if they found us? How would we even combat a force like that?

"We have food for about two days, after that the hunters will set out again and bring back enough for a week. That is all." 

I walked to my tent and laid down on my cot, I didn't realize how exhausted I really was. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out.