Page 43 of Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance

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 firmly 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 back as I tried to get a look at the way on. I shrugged 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. Adrenaline shot through my veins and I snatched my head back out of view before my attacker could take another shot.

“Are 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 close by but was quickly cut short.

“Move up!" and order was barked and the sound of quick, pounding feet moved away from us.

I waited a few moments to be sure they were gone then peeked around the corner again. A body was lying still on the ground but other than that, there was no one left in the small opening.

“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 for Taylor and Evan to follow me. Up ahead we could hear shouting and 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 and spotted Dolly with her half head of vivid red hair turning to follow Grey down a narrow passageway. A messenger in green was lying dead on the ground behind them. I suppressed a shiver as I ducked back out of sight again.

"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 psychopath."

"Well they turned left, I vote for right," I said.

“Agreed," said Taylor instantly and Evan nodded.

We moved down the right hand path which started to widen slowly as we went. After about two hundred feet, the walls had moved so far apart that it couldn't be counted as a trench anymore and we were able to walk next to each other. I felt exposed without the walls closing in on us.

A shadow moved ahead of us and we shrank back to hug the wall on the right side of the huge trench.