When Reid finally pulls himself together and steps outside, he discovers he isn’t alone after all. Marcus is waiting for him.
They stare into each other’s eyes for a long time, the cool night breeze washing over them, detached from the horror happening on the other side of the compound.
“Thank you,” Marcus begins but Reid shakes his head.
“Don’t, please.” His heart can’t take another loss. He thought that was true when Drew died. But now Reid knows it for sure. He doesn’t want to care about anything, not the kids he just sent to die, the girl he loves and hasn’t told or the enemy turned ally standing in front of him.
Marcus falls silent, moves to leave. “I expect to see you at the gate,” he says. “When this is over.”
Reid nods. “You too. And Marcus.”
Marcus waits. “Yeah.”
“In case you were wondering. I heard everything you said.” Seems fair to tell him that.
“Yeah,” Marcus says.
Reid draws a breath, not sure why it’s so important to ease Marcus’s conscience but doing it anyway. “It’s okay, man. I forgive you.”
Marcus chokes on a sob, stills. “Be safe.”
That was why. Not for Marcus, though Reid knows he did some good, but for himself. To heal his own heart and bring him the rest of the way back.
At last, Reid is alone, as he was in the beginning and wished to be so many times. Only this time he has a plan and a rifle to carry it out. But his speed is stunted, his senses lost. He is ordinary again and the prey he hunts is not.
When he finally moves, it’s to turn and creep along the side of the building. Just as he does, something sharp catches his side. Reid cries out, staggers backward. A hunter hovers over him, his blood on its claws.
Reid brings the rifle around and pulls the trigger. The hunter staggers, falls toward him, raises its arm to cut him again. Reid fires the second time but the rifle jams, useless in his hands.
He strikes out at the hunter, hitting its arm, keeping him safe by inches. Reid is cursing and sobbing, knowing he has no choice, wishing things were different and he was strong again, just as he cracks open the tube and shoves it in the creature’s face.
It’s a girl it turns out, her wide eyes locked on his as she falls on top of him, body twitching and convulsing. He feels something hot and wet on his shoulder and shoves her away in revulsion, the white foam from her mouth running down his arm. Reid gets to his feet, clutching at his side and the blood that runs from the cut. He’s lucky, must have been turning just as she struck. It saved his life. But the pain is intense and he can feel the blood loss dragging on him already.
There is no going back for him now. Without a gun, wounded, even his trusty knife gone to Syracuse, Reid has to do what the other kids are doing. Lure the hunters and take them down and most probably die doing it.
So be it. He starts to jog, the pain making it hard but forcing his feet to move, his legs to carry him.
“I’m here.” It comes out as a whisper at first, barely audible, just enough for him to hear, though he knows the hunters should pick it up too. “I’m here.” Louder this time, like he’s finally understanding that he still has a voice. “I’m here!” Shouted, called out to the creatures he hates and envies as he picks up speed. “Do you hear me? I’m here!”
Reid sees flickers of them, emerging from behind tents and the surrounding buildings. He laughs, his side aching but his heart finally free of the fear that crippled him. “Over here, freaks!”
Reid turns and runs.
***