The blood hadn't even dried on her shirt before she felt the need to leave Austin and Jason. As she was getting up to leave she thought about the burial he deserved and how much she regretted, all the pain and suffering she had caused him. And now after killing him she was going to abandon his body to the whims of a unsteady government. But there was nothing she could do. A dead body slung over your should is a little too conspicuous. So she left without another word.
Miles was impossible to find, but minutes after exiting the dreaded building she found Monroe and Connor near the city limits. She could hear them talking as she approached. "What should we do? We can't wait for him forever. What if someone got a hold of him?" She knew they were talking about Miles, they had never cared for Jason and now never would. When she stepped up she knew he could feel every emotion floating through her, but they didn't have the time to discuss it now. Connor spoke up first "what do you think Charlie? Can we leave him behind." She simply nodded. They turned and ran away from the hectic city to the woods where they would wait silently for Miles.
They sat just inside the forest without moving an inch. Charlie held everything in, she didn't even think about the body still lying on the floor a couple thousand feet away, she simply blocked it out. Connor and Bass occasionally exchanged words and some looks, but for the most part remained silent. At some point it finally dawned on Connor that they were short more than one person and he felt he needed to voice his discovery, "Charlie, where is Ja..." Bass tried to stop Connor by slapping his hand over his mouth but it was too late. Charlie's eyes began to fill with tears, her face twisted and her body shook.
"Connor, go find Miles."
"But.." Bass shot Connor the deadliest look he had ever given anybody and Connor knew not to fight it, he was off in a shot. Bass didn't move towards Charlie and he didn't make any effort at conversation, she knew he was there. After a few minutes Charlie's shaking had subsided and her tears were easing up. She picked herself up and moved next to Bass, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Do you ever feel empty?" Her question seemed legit, she had just lost someone important to her and was probably hurting. "I mean, after you kill someone do you feel like empty, like you are the worst person on the planet?"
"Sometimes. Mostly if I knew the person or if they seemed decent." Charlie snuggled closer to Bass and a few chokes escaped her throat. "Because right now I feel almost nothing. He's dead." She didn't have to explain who. "And I killed him." At this he shot up, she was pushed off his shoulder and forced to sit straight up facing him.
"You, what?"
"Don't make me say it again." The tears had returned, her head facing the ground she was filled with disappointment and grief. "He was the soldier and he couldn't hear me. I fought hard, but in the end the only way to end it was for one of us to die. I shot him straight through the heart. Just like a million times before." She started sobbing again, letting her body be consumed by the sadness.
"Charlotte, I'm so sorry." He stuttered over his words. "I know you've lost so many people. I can't imagine..." But he stopped she didn't want his sympathy. She wanted him, someone to lean on. He pushed himself off the pine tree he had been leaning up against and laid down on the damp ground, his head resting on his arm. Then he pulled Charlie down to rest next to him. Pulling her into his chest he whispered one final bit of assurance, "Everything will be better tomorrow." And they fell asleep like that, hours before Connor returned with Miles.