Chapter 3- The Assassin's Messenger

Heavy cursing! 3rd installment of this book where more background is shared.

Chapter 3:

            Walking in with Levi was like walking in with a celebrity. A very cold celebrity. It, of course, started at the gates. Same protocol, guys with guns asking for names. I gave them mine. They remembered me. He motioned towards Levi and Destiny, “And them?”

            I looked at Levi. He was not happy about the guns being waved at him but he wasn’t saying anything. I finally answered, “If you don’t recognize him then you are a bigger idiot than I thought.”

            The gun dropped, “You mean, he’s-”

I just nodded and they let us walk in. This was part of my route and where I spent the year after my family died, so everyone knew me and they especially knew him. I could hear plenty of incredulous whispers. No one could believe we were wondering around together. I didn’t have time to correct them. We went straight to the medical tents. A nurse quickly intercepted us, “Can we help you?”

            Levi’s eyes were shifting. He was not being the same guy I was talking to in the woods. This guy was suspicious and untrusting. He looked pissed and shifty like he was about to bolt. I suddenly worried that he might. Somehow I understood that he didn’t want everyone to know about his having a baby sister.

            “The little girl, I think she might have twisted her ankle pretty badly but we wanted to make sure it wasn’t broken.”

            The nurse eyed me, “Parker, how do you know this little girl?”

“I know her brother.”
            “What happened to him?”
I looked at my feet. I wasn’t lying but I knew what she was thinking. She took Destiny from Levi’s grip. I put my hand on his arm because I could feel his anxiety level rising. He was stare was burning my flesh. I cleared my throat and the nurse turned around, “Something else?”

            “I’m taking her to some family she has in another camp. Come and find us when you are done?”

She nodded once, “Parker, she isn’t one of your letters. You can’t start delivering children.”
            I nodded, “I know. Thank you.”
I pulled Levi away, “Calm down, she’ll be fine.”

            I let go of his arm. He stopped walking. We were away from the medical tents and no one was within earshot, “Thanks, Parker.”
            I was so confused, “For what?”
“Everything, just now, keeping me calm. You lied for us and you saved Destiny. You distracted the Suits earlier too.”
            I shrugged, “It’s not a big deal.”

His head ticked to the side. His eyebrows were low and I wondered if his hair matched, if it was that sandy blonde.

            “Parker! Yoo-hoo!”

Levi took a step back as a girl jumped on my back. She kissed my cheek then froze, “Is that-?”
            “Holy S**t! You are The Shadow,” Her friend wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

I introduced them, “This is Hanna and Laura. They both live here.”
            Levi just nodded. He was back to his shut in self. He was a complicated guy. One moment he was talking and seemed normal then other people showed up and he was quiet and calculating again.

            Hanna slid off my back. She was wrapped around my arm, “Parker never said he was friends with the Shadow. This just makes you even more desirable.”
            I got a little flustered, “No. We just- I just- We just met between camps.”

“And you stayed with him?” Laura was tapping her chin, studying Levi. He wasn’t answering her, “I heard you don’t trust anybody Mr. Shadow. I’m guessing you trust our Parker-boy. I also heard you guys came in with a little girl. She’s in the med-tent?”

            I don’t know if Laura saw Levi’s fist tighten but I did. I pulled her away from him, “Laura, leave him alone. He probably doesn’t trust people because of blabber mouths like you.”

            She twisted out of my grasp, “Is it true that you can survive the mist?”
His eyes became very mischievous. Laura noticed, “You aren’t going to talk are you? That’s kind of hot. Right, Hanna?”

            Hanna squeezed my arm, “Nope, Parker is too perfect. He is my man.”

I laughed it off. She was only half kidding. Laura touched her cheek, “What are you hiding under that bandana, Mr. Shadow?”

            She reached and before any of us could react, Levi had her wrist in his hand. His voice was low and he suddenly seemed a foot taller than her, “You don’t want to do that.”
            I finally shook Hanna off. I stepped between Laura and Levi. I put my hand on his back, “Let’s go get something to eat.”

            I motioned for the girls to stay behind. He still wasn’t talking. I coughed, “Sorry, they are a little eccentric. I actually stayed with Laura’s family a while. That’s how I met Hanna. She has a weird thing for me.”
            We got some food and were eating quietly, “So are you coming back here after you get tired of delivering others love letters?” He finally spoke.
            I laughed, “It’s not all love letters and no. I don’t plan on settling with Hanna or anyone. I don’t want to stay in one town and get attached to the people and have everything ripped away again. Sometimes it’s best to just be alone. You know?”
            The side of his bandana twitched. It was really hard to read someone without seeing most of their face, “Yeah. I do. Better to keep going. No home, no attachment.”
            I was about to tell him I did have a home, well sort of. I kept my mouth shut instead and kept eating. No one knew about my cabin. It was in a remote location, off the beaten path between camps. I only went there during the colder seasons or when I had time. It was the closest thing I had to a home. It was strictly chance that I came across it one day three years ago. I also had it rigged so booby-traps lined around it, the only one who could get through without getting hurt was me. Hiding was something I was good at and this cabin was perfect. It had two bedrooms and one was filled with medical supplies and books. The other was a normal bedroom. It was kept clean except for my collection room. I loved it but like I said, I couldn’t go very often. I went to stand up and a pain shot up my side. I grabbed Levi’s shoulder for support then quickly retracted my hand. He usually didn’t let anyone touch him. He looked worried though. I apologized quickly.

            He had one of his arms out like he might catch me if I needed it. I touched my ribs, “Damn.”

“Do you need to go to the med-tents?”
            “No,” I lifted my shirt and I heard him suck air between his teeth, “Is it bad?” I didn’t want to look.

            “I think they are just bruised. Those guys really did a number on you.”
I finally glanced. Blue was not a good color on me. I touched it tenderly, “Oh yeah, feels great.”
            He laughed, “You really need a weapon.”
“That usually doesn’t happen.”
            He became incredibly serious, “You usually aren’t being a distraction so a little girl can get away. Thank you again.”

            “Hey, you shot that guy in the head before he could rip my teeth out so I think we are even.”

His eyebrows went up, “He was collecting teeth? I thought he was cutting out your tongue. That’s creepy. But hey, you do have nice teeth.”
            I smiled, “Thanks,” I liked fun Levi way better than brooding Shadow. I wondered how he would react to being teased. I squinted and acted concerned, “Do you even have any teeth under there?”

            I was not making the mistake of reaching for his bandana but I did lift an eyebrow. He laughed, “Yes. I have a full set of teeth. I take care of them too. If I’m going out it isn’t going to be because of rotting teeth or gingivitis or something stupid like that.” He then made audible biting sounds. He definitely had teeth.

            “I actually had braces when I was younger,” Why did I tell him that?

“Me too, I had them from the time I was twelve to sixteen.”
            “I only had mine for a year. Then I got retainers. I didn’t wear those either.”

He was shaking his head, “Wouldn’t it be nice to worry about crooked teeth again?”
            “Pretty much anything would be nicer than this,” I looked around at all the tents. All these families had to be able to pick up and move in an instant. I chunked my trash in the trash can, “This is why I am never having kids. I’d rather just go out then have to raise a kid in a hell hole world like this.”
            He just watched me blow air out my nose. His eyes cut behind me and I turned around. It was Laura, “Are you taking the little girl?”

            I nodded and followed her to the med-tents. Destiny was swinging her good leg. She looked up at me, “Pawkoo!”
            “Hey, how is it?” I asked the nurse. Levi was waiting outside to keep up the impression that she was with me.

The nurse smiled, “You have a little trooper. It is just a sprain. She has an icepack on it. Just make sure she doesn’t run around on it.”

            I smiled, “Thank you.”
“Take care of her.”
            “I will,” I carried her out of the tent.

She squealed, “Let me ride on your back.”
            I helped her get situated. Hanna’s squeal split through the air, “Oh! Parker! Look at you. It is so cute when you carry her like that.”
            Somehow Levi was managing to tell me he wanted out of this town with only his eyes. Laura bumped Hanna with her hip, “Definitely daddy material.”

            Hanna looked down, “Parker doesn’t plan on settling down. Do you?”
Why was everyone bringing this up? I rolled my eyes, “Nothing personal Hanna but this isn’t a kids’ world anymore. If the world was like it was ten years ago or even six, maybe but not now. Laura, leave Hanna alone about it.”
            Laura turned to Levi, “What about you Mr. Shadow? Plan on settling ever? You would have to take off the bandana first, unless you find some kinky girl into that kind of thing.”
            He rolled his eyes. He started walking. I turned back to the girls, “I’ll see you guys later.”
They both waved. Levi and I walked silently for a while until there were no more people around. We were getting closer to the edge of the camp. Destiny’s feet were kicking. I saw the ice pack held on with medical tape and stopped, “S**t!”

            Levi caught my arm, “What?”
I didn’t mean to freak him out. I held up a finger, “I forgot to give them something. It’ll take a minute. Destiny, do you want to stay here with Levi?”
            She looked at him, “Stay. Do not leave me.”
Levi nodded once and planted his feet.

            She giggled, “Dessie will stay on Pawkoo’s back.”

I watched Levi but he didn’t seem to mind. I hustled back to the med-tents. The nurse sighed, “Can I help you with something else?” She seemed so tired and stressed. I put Destiny down and pulled a gallon baggie out of my backpack. The nurse gasped, “How did you-?”
            I put my finger to my lips and winked. Everyone needed medical supplies but they were a b***h to get. I was good at that. I had nothing to lose and was quiet. I tried to divvy up the supplies equally but places like this and Mary Kade’s were the ones that really focused on medical needs. I hoisted Destiny back onto my back and carried her to Levi. He had his arms crossed, “What was that about?”
            I was about to wave it off but Destiny answered for me, “Pawkoo has doctoo supplies.”

Levi looked at me. I shook my head, “Nothing that would have helped her. I would have if I could.”
            He took a quick step towards me, “Do you have something for pain?”
Oh s**t. He was going to kill me and take all of my supplies. I wasn’t going to lie and I wasn’t going to show him how scared I was. I nodded once and finally.

            “Good. You are going to need it in the morning.”
“What?” Was he threatening me?

            He pointed at my shirt, “That’s going to hurt like a b***h.”

I touched my sore ribs, “I’ll be fine. Others will need it more than I will.”

            “I can’t tell if you just don’t give a s**t about your own life or if you really just want to help people,” He was shaking his head.

            “Why not both?”
He seemed like he might say something but decided against it. He held out his hands and Destiny fell into them. She rested her head on his shoulder, “Is Pawkoo comin’?”
            I shook my head, “Nope, I’ve got letters to deliver.”
“And Veevi’s got people to shoot.”
            Levi laughed, “I’ll see you around backpack boy.”

I rolled my eyes, “Parker.”

            “Right. I’ll see you around, hopefully next time it will be under better conditions.”

“If you ever need anything, I’m always somewhere,” I turned to Destiny, “Hey, don’t give your brother too much grief. I’ll see you sometime?”
            She smiled, “Yup!”

“Stay alive, Parker,” Levi very lightly punched my shoulder.

            “You too, sharpshooter,” That had him laughing. I waited until they disappeared then skirted around the camp. I was about to make my break for it when someone called my name. I struggled not to roll my eyes but I waited. Laura jogged to catch up, “Where is the girl?” She looked around.

            “I sent her with him. He knows where she needs to go.”

She shook her head as if remembering why she had originally stopped me, “What is your deal?”

            “I don’t have a deal.”

“You just took Hanna’s heart and stomped on it. What did she ever do to you?”

            “She didn’t do anything. I just don’t want her getting her hopes up,” I was struggling to keep calm, “I don’t plan on ever settling down.”

            “What are you going to do? Run until you die? Deliver messages until a suit catches you and slits your throat? Or will you just run into the mist?”

            “I might!” I started walking.

She grabbed my arm, “Parker!”

            “Laura!” I mocked her seriousness.
“I saw you with that little girl today and I have watched you with the little ones. You would be an amazing father,” She had already crossed a line.

            I slowly turned. I planted my feet. She was a few inches shorter than me but she had her hands on her hips and the face she was making was vicious. I wasn’t backing down, “You know what an amazing father would do? Not bring his f*****g kids into a world like this. I told you and Hanna this a few years ago and my opinion on the world has only grown worse. Since yesterday I have been shot at and nearly had my teeth ripped out, then that guy’s head was blown off in front of me and that is normal! NORMAL! That is not okay.”

            “You are so negative.”

“Laura, I love you and your parents and I wish the best for Hanna. I hope she finds a man who can give her what she wants but I am not him. I’m damaged.”

            “You are not-”

“Anybody who found their dad with bullet holes ripped through him and their mother with her brain splattered across the stairs and then held the hand of their dying five year old brother is very very damaged, Laura. I’m not going to do this to another kid.”

            She wrapped her arms around me, “Parker, you are going to die out there if you keep doing this. The lifespan of a messenger is too short.”

            “Tell your parents I said hi. And don’t pressure Hanna.”

She squeezed, “D****t.”

            I pulled her away from me and grabbed her chin, “I’m doing something productive this way.”

“You are being an idiot. You need to at least stop breaking into abandoned houses and stay out of the hospitals. Suits will get you.”

            I smiled, “I’m good at what I do. Rebel camps need these supplies. I can get them.”

“Dad always said you would do something like this. You care too much for other people and not yourself. What if you get caught? They will use whatever they can to get you to talk.”

            I turned around, “I have nothing but my own life and if that’s what they use they still won’t get anything out of me.”

            “Parker!”
“Laura! Just drop it. I’ll be back sometime. I have people waiting on letters.”

            She shook her head, “Don’t die.”

I laughed, “Don’t plan on it,” I left her standing there. Both her parents were alive and well. They took me in right after my family died. They had about five orphans at a time, trying to give them a loving home. That first year was very difficult. I woke up screaming every other night. I was quiet during the day but

I helped with the other kids. Then one day I started running. I ran every morning. One day I just kept going until I ran into a leftover town. I broke in the window of a house and went in. I grabbed everything that seemed to be useful. When the suits went by I just stayed quiet. I didn’t get scared unless they actually saw me. When I went back Laura’s parents were freaking out until they saw my full backpack. I emptied the contents, “I got this for you guys. In case one of the kids gets sick.”

            They told me it was dangerous and stupid but I kept doing it. Then I became a messenger and did it on a grander scale and I suddenly had the urge to do it again.

Author's Note

Dialogue?... I know it's very fast paced, sorry. Anything helps. Weird sounding sentence? Too wordy? Too dull? Help! HELP!!!