Chapter 18: The Reporter
CIANE
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlh3uMH9UC4
The moment the gates began to part, every instinct I possessed screamed at me to prepare for combat. The heavy steel doors groaned apart only enough to admit a single person. She came through like a storm. Before either of the guards could fully close the entrance behind her, she pivoted sharply on her heel, raising her firearm with practiced precision. Three shots split the air. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Each muzzle flash briefly illuminated the snowfall beyond the walls. She never hesitated. Never flinched. The instant the final round left her weapon, the gates slammed shut behind her with a deafening crash, sealing whatever nightmare had pursued her outside. Silence settled over the courtyard. Only the sound of her ragged breathing remained. My hand instinctively hovered near my own sidearm.
Interesting. She wasn't simply carrying a firearm. She knew exactly how to use it.
That wasn't luck. That was training.
Professional training. My eyes narrowed as I studied her from head to toe. She appeared to be around my own age.
Her dark hair had been hastily braided, several loose strands plastered against her face by sweat and melted snow. She wore what resembled a military field suit functional rather than fashionable its fabric stained with dirt, frost, and whatever horrors the wilderness had thrown at her.
Remarkably... She wasn't bleeding. Not that I could see. But exhaustion clung to every inch of her. Her chest rose and fell violently as she struggled to catch her breath. Yet despite her fatigue... She never lowered the weapon. Whoever you are... you've survived far too much to be ordinary. I continued watching her carefully.
Every movement. Every breath. Every twitch of her fingers around the grip of her pistol. Then I glanced toward Ian. He understood immediately. No words were necessary. "Get everyone here," I ordered.
Ian gave a sharp nod before disappearing deeper into the compound. Only then did I return my attention to the stranger. She slowly turned, taking in the shelter around her. The children. The guards. The buildings. The people. Her eyes searched every corner as though she couldn't quite believe somewhere like this still existed.
I stepped forward. "Who are you?" The question lingered between us. She didn't answer. Instead... She hesitated. Not the hesitation of someone inventing a lie.
Something else. Something almost... Lost.
It was as though she had forgotten the answer herself. That expression stirred an uncomfortable memory. Elena. The first day she arrived, she looked almost identical. Disoriented. Guarded. Unsure whether trusting us would cost her life.
I kept my voice measured. "This is a safe place." She looked back at me. "You can tell me." I paused deliberately before asking again. "We're not going to hurt you."
Another heartbeat passed. Then I spoke once more. "Who are you..." "...and how did you end up here?" She inhaled deeply, as though forcing herself to remember who she had once been. Finally.. She spoke.
"Hello..." "I'm a reporter." A small, uncertain smile appeared. "And don't worry." "I'm not infected." I slowly looked her up and down.
Then back into her eyes. A humorless smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Spare me the charade." Her smile vanished.
I folded my arms across my chest. "Tell me who you really are." I gestured toward the pistol still resting comfortably in her hand.
"You're carrying a firearm with the unmistakable confidence of someone thoroughly acquainted with its use." I let my words hang for a moment. Then continued, my voice was colder than before. "And unless I've somehow overlooked the impossible..." "There aren't any reporters left." A bitter laugh escaped me. "There aren't any people left to listen to your goddamn news." The courtyard fell silent. Several nearby guards exchanged uneasy glances. The woman sighed. Not in frustration. In resignation. "You're right."
She lowered her eyes for only a second.
"Let me reintroduce myself." Her voice carried uncertainty now. Almost as though she were searching through fragments of memories scattered inside her own mind.
Watching her struggle to answer something so fundamental sent another warning through my thoughts. She's reminding me too much of Elena. Could she have come from the Reestablishment too?
The possibility settled heavily in my chest.
It certainly wouldn't be the first time they'd broken someone's identity before throwing them back into the world. Just as she drew another breath . A loud gasp erupted from somewhere behind me. Every muscle in my body tightened. I turned immediately toward the sound.
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdrKTgXXmE
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUObLZkXuav
and then Add to home screen.