Picture of Matt

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          We ran down the hall holding Elena close to me she held her legs around my waist while I wrapped my around her, "Don't look." I demanded incase it gets dangerous.

             Trembling down the stairs I passed by people flocking out to the landscape trying to escape, turning around to get a peak from behind the groupies were still trying to massacre people in their wake. Thrusting my hand forward I pushed down four fire people down on the concrete gritting my teeth the plumbing from underground restrained them.

                Darting my eyes to a group kids hiding behind the ice vendor neat the office bullets were hitting the vendor as the kids screamed tears spilling down their innocent cheeks, placing a forcefield around them. They soon noticed taking off into a sprint, the forcefield blocked further bullets from the kids running. 

          Ducking over to a black town car I elbowed the passenger window unlocking the doors before I quickly put Elena in the back seat, helping her buckling up onto the seat. When the other kids were far enough the forcefield dispersed allowing me to enter the driver side, hotwiring the car in the meantime my fingers trembled resisting to collide with the other wires, giving myself a second the sparks finally flew.

            Bulldozing my way out of the parking lot, soon bullets marked the car earning a yelp from Elena who was ducking under the seats between the seats. Swerving from left to right I slowly focused on a creating a forcefield large enough to surround the car the groupies started running after us while two others hopped on their motorcycles.

            Shrugging off the t-shirt I was wearing I tossed it to Elena since I was already wearing a cheap workout shirt underneath, "Cover yourself." I told the girl checking my blind spots to see that the red motorcycle was going for the right while the left white one was going for the left.

            Wheeling the window down I used my left hand to steady the steering wheel while I tried to aim towards the white bike , "Fucking bitch has a gun." The man yelled to his partner they both nodded, a ball of fire blasted towards me ducking back inside the car as the blind spot mirror was knocked to the ground.

            Regaining the wheel with both hands I checked the magazine counting that I only had four bullets left, "Fu-" When the window smashed the red biker fired his gun proceeding to pushing myself into the plastic seat I yanked my hand to the right his gun flying out the driver window.

          When the white biker begun to shoot the back windows Elena screamed which caught the attention of the white biker daring him to reach into the window, thrusting my hand forehead he screamed his body flying. Swerving to the right the red bike continued to follow, giving me zero chances to ditched him.

          Taking a quick peak to the rear view mirror the red biker was closing in the shots rang through the air Elena attempting to silent her screams, stomping on the brakes once the biker was near it appeared that he tried to swerve away. It was too late, his bike smacked right into the back window shield a curving crack splintering the window, but his body flung over then landed on the hood of the car before rolling off to the concrete road.

           Exiting the slowly everything was beginning to ache signaling that the wound from elbowing the window was starting to kick in the man laid on his stomach twitching unconsciously. Stalking forward I kicked the men to his back, only to see that the visor of the helmet was broken, showing his bruised face. 

             Pushing off the helmet it was an older white man with greyed out hair and a disgusted wrinkled face there were several tattoos that claimed his neck then below, but his tight upgraded leather armor blocked from taking in the other tattoos that he was hiding. The man gasped waking up in a shaking terror, trying to piece together the events.

           "What...you bitch!" The man slashed a dagger in my face before I caught his arm then twisted it inwards forcefully, enough for the man to drop the on the ground. 

           Slamming the on the hood of the car he groaned loudly wrapping my hand around his throat, "Who's the bitch now!?" I angrily asked.

            The man thrashed around scratching at my arms tears swelling in his eyes those lips transforming into a shade of blue. I watched intensely when his eyes slipped to the back of his head, releasing the man I stuffed a note into his pocket visibly showing, then tossed his body to the corner of the road leaving immediately.

          Elena was resting on the seat she was clinging onto the shirt tightly there was blood some blood dots on her chin including a cut that was on her eyebrow it was now dried up blood, her neat back hair was now a will that stuck to her face due to sweat. I wanted to question Elena to find out what happened in the room, yet it was too early she was going to need time to decompress everything.

          Looking over to the rear view mirror a reflection of the motel was blazing on fire everything was burning the stream of smoke filled the air dawning air; there wasn't anything other than pure chaos we were far enough to prevent another attack, yet close enough to smell the thicket of the smoked air.

            The entire drive was filled with smoke and silence there wasn't much to be said other than the fact that we needed to leave in a hurry that I left everything behind even my favorite motorcycle, but I was hoping those douchebags didn't lay a finger on my bike. I was planning on returning to retrieve out belongings if there was still going to be anything left when we returned.

           "Somebody sent that man Charlotte." Elena mumbled clear enough for my ears to catch wind that she was finally speaking.

            Lowering my gaze on the road I nodded for her to proceed hearing a sharp intake of breathe Elena explained, "He's the ones that sent those bikers I can't see his face...he's hiding it somehow...Charlotte this was the man that Mr. Elijah was warning you." Once she put the pieces together there wasn't much to be said afterwards only the fact that we needed to go back to the motel.

          After two hours the fire was cooling it was safe enough to get blow torched by the fire at least and I wasn't going to have people steal the crap I bought for myself, leaving Elena in the car she hid between the seats again covering herself the best she can with the shirt I gave her earlier. I was in desperate need for a shirt doubting that the cheap workout shirt would last in a fight I needed to something sturdy and durable enough.

          Entering the room that Elena was staying I emptied a full duffle bag filling some of her clothes in it then grabbing a few magazines, two handguns, and the Private's phone that leaving the room I closed the door gently wanting to respect the Private's corpse. Going up my room I repeated the same motion, we needed to be prepared for anything.

          When I dumped the bag into the trunk I managed to toss in the suitcase that I bought at the nightclub, those things was going to have to work or else all of this traveling was going to be nothing. Getting back into the car there wasn't people there to cause any problems which made things much easier to handle.

          Dusting the glass off the seats and flooring I brought Elena up to the front, assisting in putting Elena in her sweater that was surely a size bigger on her, people came back too grab their lost belongings. However, there wasn't much to salvaged everybody knew that this chaotic world was coming to breaking point. 

            I took a look around the compound people rummaged through the opened rooms people cursing in the ash air, yet the longer we stood here the angrier the tension grew contagiously spreading amongst us. When I slid into the car I drove away from the scene hearing the distanced sirens finally arriving.

            We took refuged in a ran down pancake house there five cars in the parking lot when we arrived inside the host guided us to a booth by the window, leaving us a menu for myself and kids menu for Elena. Sitting from across to get a view of the entranced hall Elena had her back against the entrance, it would give me a chance to react to any of those bounties that would had attempted to cross me. 

         Melting into the seat I stared across the room allow everything to sink right into me; the entire destruction those bloodcurdling screams ranged in my ears, pressing my hands on to my forehead I stared into the table intensely those screams clawed it's a way into my core tearing down the walls I been trying to build. 

           Panting heavily I tried to slide off the booth of seat instead a hand reached out pulling me into them, "Calm down." Elena's voice soothed the spiked of my blazing nerves, into a tamed fire and for the first time the bridge of destruction that was twitching the ends of my fingertips were now tamed.

            "We're going to make it." Her voice reassured a dying coil that hasn't been revived for years, but to get through this week and bring this girl to the safe haven. 

           Squeezing her small tendered hands into mine I looked straight into her eyes cross across the booth replying, "You are client." I pressed down on each word, empathizing that I had to protect it was she was my job and I needed to finish it or else me and Constance won't be able to leave.

              Once the host arrived, the Elena ordered what she wanted while I requested to have some crackers; any pang of hunger was smothered away. When I looked around the bar, I rested my hand on the gun, forcing myself to be on guard. Taking a peek over to Elena, there was some lingering questions about her past that weren't in which a distant fog surrounded her.

          The restaurant was peacefully mumbling amongst another leaving us in a black spot light for people to leave us, "What happened to your parents?" Elena's eyes drifted away from the coloring menu over to the utensils. 

            "I...I don't remember them, like I mentioned before." Elena eyes heavied for a moment, before she wiped the expression away replacing it with a smile that was as sweet and innocent to those who weren't aware of the mask. 

           I decided not to push for further questions it wasn't any of my business anyways, even though there was a swirling of questions I had for Elena I wouldn't want her giving out details of my own life to anyone. Our main objective was to go to the Safe Haven safe and sound, but most of all I envisioned to finally retired from all of this political bullshit.

           Everything was broken the world was already dying there wasn't a point in scratching out more time to have, we were running on broken time the hurricane being reported on the news that was slowly covering most of Europe was only a breaking point. After that everything would fall into place we only had a limited of time to kill ourselves in this bleak world.

           Elena wasn't even going to make to her fifteenth birthday, the end was near; to come to think of it her death might have been a blessing all these years of self-blaming, maybe it was good thing that she died giving her a purpose to live in some other world where she doesn't have to worry of dying in a world that is on the brink of destruction. I was alone in a world that was killing to kill their own mothers for money and one day; I might become that person.

           After an hour Elena was taking her time with the food she ordered, I was fiddling with the crackers between my fingers. I looked out the window watching as two officers were buying drugs from a woman in the corner, "Do you ever think about the people you have killed?" Snapping my eyes to Elena straightened my shoulders shaking my head.

            "I'm surprised you don't Ms. Grey." Looking up the red head older woman stood at the frame of the hall, she was wearing her most sophisticated business attired replacing the skirt for pants. She stride over with such a controlling presence that everything silenced, the moment she reached the table I stood frozen in place.

          "Charlotte!?" Elena words rang an emptied note to me.

            Staring intensely at the woman she glowered her eyes in my direction meeting with the same dangerous intentions, "I'm surprised she hasn't told you about me, then again this mute was good for one thing."

            Attempting to stand the woman pushed my shoulder down forcing me sit in place, despite the chairs around us she used her height and dominant domineer to tower over us as she always did with people that weren't familiar with her. Every muscle was tensed my thoughts were racing on how to get away from here. 

             Looking at any other place that wasn't the woman or Elena, I could here the erratic beating of my heart pounding in my ears. I rested my hands on the utensils clenching my hand around the butter knife, "Stop your screaming child." The woman told Elena.

           "My names Isa Davis I'm the woman in charge of all the border state anarchy groups." My teary eyes filled with a yearning of commands looking back up at the Isa she offered a smirk sticking her hand out for me to take.

           When I met her eyes she nodded with a sort of warming confirmation reaching out Elena grabbing my arm pulling me back, "No, please don't!" Shakily retreating from the hand that was swarming with danger the woman yanked my hand into hers.

             "Let me help you Charlie, what happened in Mexicali was a minor incident. It won't happen again-we both know you weren't born a hero just mere creation for destruction." Drifting off to the distance I allowed Isa to pulled me to her side, while I looked back to Elena witnessed a flash of betrayal going through her eyes.

           Her hands skidded right through the tangles of my hair, she snapped a fingers and on command two armored soldiers grabbed for Elena her teary eyes screamed loudly, she struggled against them until one guard handed the other a syringe puncturing Elena's arm. 

          Elena lingered her eyes back to me sobbing heartfelt fully, "You....you were supposed to protect me." Her eyes rolled to the back of her head going limb once the medicine took full affect.

             Isa guarded us back to their jeeps helping me to the front, while Elena was placed in another jeep that was going to be following us. I sat in the front seat besides Isa I known this woman for seven years she taught me the ropes of this; she was the only woman who taught me to have faith in myself, that nothing else mattered and to never allow anyone to make me feel useless without my permission.

            The woman from a few days ago was only in charge of smaller groups that resigned there, but Isa was the Captain of them all, she oversaw the entire businesses that those groups did which also included corruption. 

            "I'm glad you took my offer, there's bounties looking for you and your friend. When isn't there going to be a day when trouble doesn't come to find you." Isa mused brushing back a strand of her dark red hair that flamed proudly by her side.

            When I looked in the blind spot mirrors the jeep behind us was behind keeping up with the speed we were driving, glancing from the woman to the car from behind two guards were seated from behind us while the other the other three were in the second jeep. I knew Isa was going to be driving us to her home base that should be and hour or two from here.

          I knew I made the right decision I wasn't fit to protect that girl I was only going to draw more attention to her if someone else could watch her it would be easier on her, she was only a mere distraction that was going to get in the way one day-I didn't need her to one day question to handle the methods I used to get what I wanted. 

            Once we arrived to the base they carefully placed Elena into a one of the rooms of this taken over motel that was now surrounded by fences, checkpoints, and guard towers that scoped out the landscape. Entering an old room that had my belongings in place, there was absolutely nothing moved.

            Discarding the clothes that clung to my body, I was in dirty white bra that was stained with dirt and blood along with my boxer like purple underwear's that were only stained with blood on the outline of it. I winced checking out the bruises, cuts, and wounds that were barley  healing from the past couple days of fighting.

            Going to the bathroom I wrapped the wound on my side with a medium-sized bandage I looked at the full mirror that leaned against the wall besides the opening of the door, reaching down for my ankle I creamed out lotion to ease the burn marked. I went over to my fingers, putting one small bandaged over my pinky then another on my right thumb. 

          Sitting at the end of the bed I was freshened out the shower discarding the dirt also blood that was building over time, but now I sat in front of the mirror wearing a loose grey collared shirt also grey sweats with a purple lining on the outline of the pants. When I looked in the mirror I pulled my legs criss-crossing from one another.

           Watching the door slowly opening Isa peaked into the room with approval I nodded my head with approval, yet she stepped into this woman that I viewed with such high admiration was now leaning on the door frame her wrinkled age was now bursting with despair the bags under eyes revealing the truth of tiredness. When I looked back over to the mirror I noticed that I was aging just like her.

            The faded scars on my body from the constant years of killings to debt collecting was taking a toll on us, but I wondered how much longer I could go on before any of this was going to deprived me enough to big myself an early grave. Those words she spoke of earlier was the truth, she cleared the naivety that I believed that I could actually protect that child.

            "I came here to apologize for calling you a mute, but I wanted you to see that your in over your head. The man coming after you is tied to that girl, don't worry about the girl-I will have someone come for her and the car you were driving in is in the parking lot, so don't forget to remove any items from there." Isa slowly released a tensed breathing taking a step out of the room proceeding to leave.

            Staring at the door for a moment I closed the door crawling into bed under the sheets looking at the wall, those betraying eyes came back to dance hauntingly in my mind all the while those thunderous words scraped its way in forging it's way into nightmares. I knew that she needed someone that could protect that would have their morals be more righteous; I was nothing like those people that preached goodness, if anything I was to kill my way to the goal I set for myself.

            Turning to face the ceiling once more those haunting piercing eyes daggered it's way once more before I drifted off to sleep, thinking of the nightmarish words that were going to break me into fits of sweats and feeling guilt-ridden.  

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