Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

“Val.”

I turned my head to the voice that whispered my name, shocked, stared at the scene before me; I willed my feet into motion. My body was rigid with shock as I scanned the shadows, searching for the enemy that was long ago. A low groan came from the figure lying around 5 meters in front of me.

My heart clenched and I choked back sobs as I rushed to the woman. ‘What can I do?’ I asked as I knelt beside her, my hands fluttering over her body, not sure of what to do.

She gave me a weak smile, her brown eyes losing some of their glow. ‘Nothing.’ She whispered.

I gritted my teeth to keep my tears at bay. My throat burned as I swallowed, trying to get rid of this uncomfortable feeling. I stared at her before shouting ‘The ambulance!’ feeling like a total idiot for not thinking about it earlier. My hands shook as I tried to get hold of my phone, ‘damn it,’ I growled as my fingers struggled to grip the plastic and my phone crashed to the ground. My hands fumbled along in the dark, feeling across the pavement that was slick with blood.

‘Don’t,’ she said quietly, reaching out one of her hands out to grip my hands, ‘there’s nothing they could do, anyways.’ Her voice was so quiet that I had trouble listening to her without leaning closer, ‘Val, I want you to listen to me.’

‘Please don’t call me that,’ I whispered, feeling my body starting to shake violently.

‘It’s your name, baby,’ she said and I shook my head, feeling the tears drip from my eyes.

‘In the field, there are no names,’ I quietly recite one of the rules that I lived by.

Her brown eyes filled with something that looked like guilt. ‘I was wrong.’

I hushed her and continue the search for my phone. Finally when I felt it, I gripped it and gave a whimper in relief, ‘They will be here soon,’ I said, dialing the three digits and listened to the ring, after three rings, the operator said ‘911, please state your emergency,’ in a business like tone, clam and modulated just like they were trained...