Chat - 5/24

Our captors introduce themselves. The grey-haired woman named Lucie used to work at a deli. Annitta, the middle-aged woman, was an office worker who happened to be on a smoke break during the quakes. In the back, a giant bald man called Tony and the small child named Rachel, rounded out the group. They were all from the east side of the city.

Marcos introduces himself as a firefighter, which he has never explicitly told me before, but I had started to assume.

I introduce myself as a once freelance editor, but I should have said shut-in.

Professional mooch.

I already knew more about my captors than I did anyone in this city before the earthquakes. Not that it was hard.

“Like I said, sorry about the hostage thing. We’ve run into all sorts of types over the last few days.”

“Mostly good people, though,” Lucie adds, handing Alex her leftover portion, of which Alex quickly finishes.

“True, mostly good people,” Alex confirms.

“We ran into some as well, all heading toward the Green Zone down south. They didn’t have kind things to say about you,” Marcos says. He seems more on edge than earlier, but not nearly as on edge as I felt.

“Sure it was about us?”

“Pretty sure, descriptions match. Didn’t mention a kid though.”

“And they said negative things about us? Like what?” Alex asks. His voice was almost mocking, as if daring Marcos to accuse him of something so he could break back into the bad cop role again.

“I think the term thief was used,” Marcos says, tactfully leaving out the murderer part.

“Hell, us? Thieves? What could have made them say that?” Alex asks, his words dripping with sarcasm.

“You did just sneak in and take me hostage,” I say, before I clock his joking tone.

“Sure did. Won’t deny the thieves thing either. Doing what we have to out here.”

“We’ve stolen some things, sure, but not from those who can’t afford it,” Annitta clarifies.

“Or who just deserve to be stolen from,” Lucie chimes in.

“Exactly. We simply took from those who didn’t know how to share,” Alex adds. “Wouldn’t even call it stealing, more so distribution.”

Lunatics.

They all look confident in themselves, not a hint of remorse for being monsters. They see themselves as the good guys, the Robin Hoods.

We are going to die for sure.

“They made it sound like your ‘distribution’ got a little violent,” Marcos says, the obvious accusation putting my hair on end. I thought he wouldn’t mention it after his first comment, but as always, he surprises me.

“Like I said, they don’t know how to share, I had to teach them,” Alex shrugs.

“Right.”

“It’s just survival kid.”

Marcos looks annoyed but doesn’t press them further.

“Speaking of survival. Bold choice to stay behind with a bunch of worthless corpses,” Alex says, a smirk breaking across his face.

“Stayed behind?”

Alex pulls out a pair of binoculars from his jacket.

The conversation pauses as Marcos and I suddenly realize they have been stalking us. He and Alex stare at each other. Annitta and Lucie don’t seem bothered at all, both sitting and listening intently, much more relaxed than they had any reason to be given the situation. Their backgrounds had offered no insight into why they were so calm in a hostage negotiation, even if they held all the cards.

What had they been through these last weeks?

My cheeks flush watching them as I realize Annitta is staring much more at Marcos’ shirtless torso than anything else. I quickly brush the thoughts aside.

“How long were you watching us?”

“Day or so,” Lucie responds for Alex this time, “But we heard about you all before too, thought there would be more of you.”

“Me too,” Marcos responds sadly.

“Should leave yourself, nothing noble in dying for people you can’t save,” Alex says.

I agree.

He had no reason to stay behind and help us before, and he especially didn’t know when the odds of his survival were constantly dropping.

“Says the guy with a child in tow,” Marcos jabs.

“You hold your tongue bout her. She holds her own weight in this group, all us do. You should try it. Ya seem plenty capable if you’d just leave your dead weight behind.”

Marcos didn’t respond to this, nor did he look toward the less-than-able-bodied crew he had been caring for. Part of me hopes he takes Alex’s words to heart, but for my sake, I hope he doesn’t.

Still selfish.

“I’m confused. Why even give us food if you don’t think we are worth helping?” I ask, probably against my better judgment. Marcos flinches as I do.

“Honestly? Same reason he stayed, I’m just more practical about it,” Alex responds. “I don’t just leave people to die or needlessly put them in danger. Can only carry so much anyway.”

“But you tried to rob us first?” I ask, even more confused.

“Look, I ain’t got to justify it all to some ungrateful lout like you. Accept your food as an apology for the robbery attempt and move on.”

I am not about to question him further; there is no benefit to me in understanding any of these crazy people’s actions at this point.

This is why I avoid people.

“So what now?” Marcos asks.

“Well, Marcos, I’d be happy to have you along in our group. Like you said, can use all the hands. Any way I can convince you to leave em behind? To survive?”
“Thought I was done with people asking me that,” Marcos responds coldly, “Not a chance.”

“Then I suppose you need to do it,” Alex adds, looking directly at me. “Let ‘im go. Let ‘im be free.”

Marcos starts to say something, but I cut him off.

“I keep telling him that. He’s stubborn.”

“Then make it easier,” Alex responds, pulling out his gun from the holster. He slides it just in front of me.

“Don’t be selfish now, it’s the right thing to do.”

He’s right.

“Hand me the gun, Lance,” Marcos orders as I pick it up, the metal cool against my hands. I’d never held a gun before. I feel powerful.

“He’s right, Marcos,” I respond, looking at the object, weighing it in my hands against my own life. Marcos touches my arm gently, calmly speaking to me like you would a child.

“Don’t insult me,” he whispers.

Do it. Save him.

I look up at Alex, his smug grin is nauseating.

“Bye, Marcos,” I say, before I quickly yank the gun up and point it at Alex, pulling the trigger as soon as I think it’s lined up.

There is no bang, no flash, just Alex and Lucie cackling on the other side of the room. Annitta looks less amused, and is looking at Marcos, who is lying across my legs holding my arm in the air. He would have been a second too late to have stopped me.

“Guess you got some fight in you after all. Tony, I owe you a drink,” Lucie laughs, walking over and taking the gun from my restrained hand.

“Alright, alright. He can stay with you,” Alex says as Marcos' face collapses into my lap.

Alex claims he just wants to know where everyone is at mentally, to give them the option, but I didn’t buy it. He didn’t care what I thought.

He’s just a sociopath.

I don’t say a word the rest of the night, and nobody addresses me. Marcos and the others discuss survival plans after helping me change. Marcos even shares the water harvested from his cans outside. Eventually, I dismiss myself to the spot on the floor I plan to call my bed. The adrenaline wears off, and I quickly drift into a restless slumber.

Instead of Julie keeping me up tonight, it was Marcos’ relieved smile haunting me.