Chapter 27: Blood Ran Cold
ELENA
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The silence settled over the truck like a fragile veil. For several long seconds, I didn't dare move. I listened. The muffled voices of the soldiers gradually faded as boots crunched through the abandoned parking lot toward the supermarket. One by one, the sounds disappeared until nothing remained except the distant whistle of the wind and the quiet creaking of the truck beneath my weight. They're gone. I waited another moment, just to be certain. Now. Slowly, I pushed the heavy cloth away from my face. Fresh air rushed into my lungs. I inhaled deeply, greedily, as though I had been underwater for hours. My chest expanded with relief, and I closed my eyes for a brief second, letting the oxygen steady my racing heart. Thank God... Carefully, I climbed over the stacked supply crates and lowered myself from the truck. The parking lot was eerily deserted.
Cracked concrete stretched beneath my boots, littered with broken glass and forgotten debris. Beyond it stood the massive Marie Supermarket, its shattered windows staring back like empty eyes.
I took one cautious step toward it. "Elena?!"
My entire body froze. Shit. I turned sharply.
Leila stared at me through the open driver's side window, her eyes impossibly wide. "What are you doing here?!" There was no point pretending anymore. I hurried toward the vehicle, stopping beside the open window where Leila sat with the tablet balanced on her lap. The tracking device blinked steadily beside it. I lowered my voice immediately. "Leila... please."
She continued staring at me in disbelief.
"You can't tell anyone I'm here." Her eyebrows knitted together. "What?" "I'm here to find Nowella." Leila blinked several times before shaking her head. "But... the soldiers are already here for that." Her voice carried both confusion and concern. "You shouldn't even be here. Weren't you still training?" My stomach twisted painfully.
She wasn't wrong. I wasn't ready. Not according to everyone else. But none of that mattered. Not when my sister could be somewhere out there. I met Leila's gaze.
"Look..." I whispered. "I can take care of myself." The words left my mouth with more confidence than I actually felt. Could I? I didn't know. But I refused to stay behind while everyone else searched for Nowella. I simply couldn't. For a few moments neither of us spoke. Then desperation won over pride. The next words tasted bitter the moment they formed. I hated myself for saying them.
I hated that I was about to use her own emotions against her. But all I could think about was Nowella. Forgive me. "Leila..."
I swallowed hard. "You remember what you told me?" She frowned slightly. "You said I gave you hope." Her expression softened.
I continued quietly. "This..." I placed a hand over my chest. "This is my hope." My voice cracked despite my efforts to keep it steady. "Please don't take it away from me."
A long silence followed. "I just need you to keep quiet." I looked directly into her eyes.
"Please, Leila." She looked away first. Her fingers tightened around the tablet resting on her lap. I could see the conflict written across her face. She didn't want to agree.
Every logical part of her knew she shouldn't. The soldiers deserved to know.
Ian deserved to know. Caine deserved to know. Everyone deserved to know. But after several agonizing seconds... She sighed. "...Alright." Relief washed through me so quickly it almost made my knees weak. "Thank you." Before either of us could say another word, Leila suddenly glanced toward the supermarket entrance.
Her expression changed instantly. "They're coming back." My heart lurched. "What?"
"The soldiers." She looked back at me urgently. "They didn't find anything inside."
She spoke faster now. "You need to get back where you were hiding. Right now."
My eyes widened. There wasn't time to argue. Without another word, I sprinted toward the rear of the truck. I climbed over the supplies once again, squeezed myself into the narrow space between the crates, and pulled my knees close to my chest.
Just before I ducked completely beneath the cover, I whispered, "Please... put the cloth back exactly how it was." Leila nodded once. "I will." A second later, darkness surrounded me again as the heavy cloth settled over the supplies. The little light that remained disappeared.
I barely had enough room to breathe. Moments later... Bootsteps. Voices. Doors opening. The soldiers were back. I held my breath. Their conversations echoed through the truck, muffled by layers of supplies and thick fabric. "...Nothing..."
"...Ground floor cleared..." "...No signs..."
The rattling of the boxes made every sentence difficult to understand. I strained to listen. Then I heard Ian's voice. Clearer than the others. My pulse quickened.
Ian found something... I couldn't hear every word. Only fragments. Something of Nowella? What? My heart skipped. Something of Nowella! Then another realization struck me. Something that belonged to Nowella? How? How did Ian know it was hers? What exactly did he find? I shifted ever so slightly, trying to hear better, but the crates scraped together with a dull thud. I immediately froze. Don't move. The rattling of the supplies swallowed most of the conversation.
Frustration gnawed at me. I could hear their voices... But not their words.
Then Leila spoke. Her voice was louder this time. "We need to go toward the Marie Central Building." My blood ran cold.
Every muscle in my body is locked. No...
The Marie Central Building. The words alone were enough. The memories came crashing back without warning. Cold hallways. Steel doors. The suffocating silence of the Reestablishment. The screams. The commands. The fear.
Nowella. No... I squeezed my eyes shut, but it made no difference. The memories were already there. Waiting. Haunting. The truck's engine roared to life. A violent jolt shook the entire vehicle as it lurched forward. The supplies shifted around me.
I grabbed onto the nearest crate to steady myself. Outside, the journey had begun once again. And this time... We were heading toward the Marie Central Building.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZ8ALRuioV
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