Page 39 of Chained

"What's your deal?" I asked him suspiciously. "That's a Dweller tattoo."

Evan gave me a look that said he didn't appreciate being called a Dweller.

"How come you're here?" I pushed on. "What did you do?"

He regarded me for a moment before replying. "I killed a man," he said simply.

I took a step back and bumped against Taylor.

"What?" I gasped.

"I'm not like Grey. I didn't enjoy it." He looked at his boots and took a breath. "I found him attacking my neighbour. There was blood everywhere, she was screaming and I just snapped. Picked up a knife and here I am.

The Guardians felt that justice had been served but they wanted to send out a message against vigilantism so I got four months as a messenger."

"That's horrible," I said finally.

"It's fine." He looked away from me. "Are we gunna stand around here all day?"

"No. Let's go," Taylor said and we continued down through the gap.

The sounds of shots being fired were getting louder. We crouched by a wall and Taylor tried to pull me bac

k. I shoved him off with a frown and peered around the corner.

The brickwork next to my face suddenly exploded in a puff of grit and debris as a bullet hit. I snatched my head back out of view, before my attacker could take another shot.

"You okay?" Taylor asked anxiously, pulling me around to face him.

"Yeah," I replied, though my heart was beating so fast I thought it might be trying to break free of my chest. He kept hold of me until I shoved him off again. "Quit babying me."

A scream burst through the air but was quickly cut short.

"Move up!" the order was given and we heard the sound of quick, pounding feet moving away from us.

I peeked around the corner again. A body was lying still on the ground but, other than that, there was no one.

"It's clear," I told the others.

I ran across the gap, staying close to the ground, to gain cover by a big sheet of metal. I checked it was clear again and signalled Taylor and Evan to follow me. Up ahead we could hear shouting. We paused to listen.

"Which way did they go?" asked a rasping female voice.

"Left I think. Did you see the look on his face when I got his little mate?" I recognised that growl; Grey.

"He cried like a baby. Thought their little red stripes would stop us." The woman laughed.

"Idiots. It just makes them easy targets." Grey again.

"He didn't even raise his gun. C'mon we can catch the other two." I peeked around the corner to see Dolly, with her half head of vivid red hair turn and follow Grey down a narrow passageway. A messenger in green was lying dead on the ground. I suppressed a shiver.

"He's with Dolly," I whispered to the others.

"I heard she burnt her husband alive in their bed," Evan whispered back.

"Why?" I asked, horrified.

"Apparently he gave her a funny look." He shrugged at me. "Don't ask me to fathom the mind of a psychopathic murderer."