Chapter 2- "A Surprise Savior"


I always liked the night better then that day time. There were less people, less noise, and the dark was like an infinite cloak around me. I felt efficiently hidden and numb out here in my District wandering the streets.

I made carefully slow steps along the pavement my eyes gliding over everything and down every nook and cranny. He could be out there, hidden, feeling like I did. Feeling the safety of being out at night and being able to see the occasional star showing itself through the polluted air above.

Caleb would defiantly be one to enjoy this feeling.

I drew in a deep breath of the slowly cooling air around me and shivered, plunging my hands into my jackets pocket. I let out the lungful in a puff of warm air visible in front of me.

I continued to stroll down the street I'm on and slowly my eyes stopped searching and instead I found myself trapped in my thoughts.

What if Caleb is really dead? Or just too far beyond my reach?

The thought depressed me, but I felt the very real sensation it could be true. He wouldn't do this to me; he wouldn't abandon me without as much as a note. So the only other reason I could think of for him putting me through this sort of suspense was if he couldn't do anything at all. He must be dead or at least in danger of being killed.

I take a turn down another street subconsciously when out of nowhere from the alley to my right a hand grasp me by my upper arm and pulls me into the shadows.

I gasp as my back comes into contact with the cement wall of the building and a black hooded figure hovers near me. Their breath fans over my face and their hands are on either side of my head as they leaned towards me.

My heart skips a beat and I can scarcely breathe for a minute.

Caleb? I open my mouth to speak, to just whisper his name when suddenly their hand smacks against my mouth. And they are snarling into my face. "Don't even try to scream, bitch."

My face drains of color and my eyes widen as his hood drops back, revealing Rankin's hazy orange eyes. I would have cried out, but the hand clasped over my jaw nearly suffocates me.

Then two more hooded figures drew closer into my sight, my heart hammers in my chest and I pray they only wish to beat me and only that. The group of Peacekeepers, of whom I recognize the other two from the ones outside of city hall this morning, look at me eagerly.

I sudden lift my hand and grab onto Rankin's wrist, trying to pry it away from my face. I dig my nails into the skin, but he merely laughs at me and his other hand travels downwards until he's placed it across my hip. It sneaks under my shirt and I abandon his wrist and try to keep his other hand away from my body.

But then the other two jump in, both grabbing an arm of their own and pinning them against the wall. I trash in their grasp, but it's useless.

I don't give up though; I was in the Huger Games for fucks sake! I buck against Rankin as his body crashes against mine. His lips nip at my neck and I can feel the other boys, with their free hands, have begun to try to strip away my shirt.

They tear my shirt and fear consumes me for a minute as I feel their hot and heavy hands run along the expanses of my waist up to my chest. I gasp when the boy, the one who had asked me for a kiss early today, begins to pull at my bra.

But then I wake up from my frozen horror and I kick, and trash and whip my face around. Their hands fall away, except Rankin's, and then he lifts the one at my waist and delivers a stinging blow to my face.

I scream into his hand, and he smirks littering kisses along my jaw. I gag as he runs his tongue along my cheek bone and soon tears are running down my face. The other boys move forward again, but suddenly Rankin pulls back and sends them looks of warning; claiming me.

They back off, not without sulking, but they take stance to watch and that was almost worse.

Rankin though doesn't advance instead looks me in the eyes and softly murmurs. "I'll remove my hand, but you have to promise you won't scream." I glare through my tears and I try to kick my feet at him, but his own legs pin mine. "Just accept me, Keera." He whispers, moving his lips to my ears and kissing the skin right beneath it. "…You'll enjoy it."

I shake my head feebly in his tight, crushing grasp and he cackles in my ear. "You're so stubborn."

I hear the two other boys laughing at me and then slowly Rankin peels his hand away from my mouth. I don't question why, but instead gasp in air readying myself to screech loud.

But before I can his lips are on top of mine.

He put force behind it and I try to pull my face away, hitting it against the concrete wall I'm pinned to. His breath is hot and its heat- it's too much. First I'm standing there looking into his disgusting face and the next images of the flower are there, of Cyra and her ripping apart her neck.

His body emanates with heat and it reminds me of the poisons searing burn as it ran through my body, killing me. I scream then as I let the memories flow freely, and he rips his mouth away, slapping a hand back over it.

I'm beyond myself with fear and I gnash my teeth down on Rankin's palm and he hisses, drawing back. But then I glimpse someone outside of the alley and they were coming closer- no, running closer.

Then next thing I know I look to Rankin and he is raising another hand to hit me, when out of nowhere an arrow zips through the air and impales his neck.

I scream as blood splatter across my face and I watch Rankin sway, his mouth open in a silent scream as he collapses at my feet.

The other two Peacekeepers gap at him, but then the hooded figure enters the alley, panting, a bow hanging around his shoulders. They look between me and the person and then take off sprinting in the opposite direction, but the person takes one step forward drawing two knifes from their belt.

They walk passed me with quick, stealth steps and then they throw the knifes, crouching forward. They meet both the fleeing men's back and they fall at the same moment blood spraying across the alley walls and then pooling around their motionless forms.

I begin to hyperventilate and I don't even let myself think, not of what has just happen or before that, not of the hooded figure. Instead I lean into the wall an arm wrapping around my bare stomach and the other clutching my shoulder as I slide down it with exhaustion. I remain still at the base of the wall, watching as the person began walking towards the two Peacekeepers.

They leaned over the bodies, and retrieved the blades wiping them clean with their clothes before replacing them into their belt. And then they stood back up, looking to me and my heart hammered against my chest, filling my ears, and pounding through my head.

They paced towards me slowly and I tried to think of something to say, a thank you; maybe a plea for my life. But they stop just in front of me crouching and then ripping the arrow through Rankin's throat and cleaning it, before stowing it in the quiver on their back.

Then they lifted their face to me and I nearly sobbed.

"Are you okay?" They murmured his voice deep and monotone. He slowly began crawling closer with concern.

I flinched away from the closeness, and smack into the wall behind me. "Get away!" I shout.

He shakes his head quickly, glancing around. "Shh!" He hisses. "We must get out of here, before others see their bodies!"

I looked at Rankin's corpse and I nodded slowly. "Okay." I croak.

He stands and I struggle to stumble to my feet also. My hair falls into my face and I touch my lips lightly, they are swollen and as I look down at myself my shirt has a rip running from my right hip to my upper rib cage. The wind picks up as I step towards the exit of the alley and I shiver.

The boy, who I had yet to glimpse a look at, led me. Blatantly refusing to look at me or touch me as I followed him through the streets blindly, shivering and covered in blood.

It wasn't until I was standing right in front of the factory, mine and Caleb's factory, did I let the thoughts that this could possibly be Caleb in.

He'd saved me! Of course it is something my Caleb would do. I could slightly recognize the voice… but maybe it was the shock, the fear that makes my thoughts thick, obscuring my realization that it was my best friend.

I climb the latter to the building and as I follow him into the attic, he slams the door from the stairs behind us, locking it.

I tense, but then he turns back around taking off the quiver and bow, tossing the knifes aside. He grabbed the black cloak he was wearing by the fasten at his neck and then pulled it off, throwing it on top of the crates to his right.

I stumble backwards onto some crates, shakily sitting down and the air in my lungs swooshes out of me. "Caleb?" I whisper.

The boy with brown hair darkened by the lack of light, save for the moon outside, and hard green eyes looks to me. "No." He snaps, walking over to a crate across me and sitting down. "My names Blake, Caleb's older brother."

My heart sinks at this as I also notice the distinctive features that aren't Caleb's. Caleb has hazel eyes with specks of gold, Caleb is taller than this boy who is thick and muscular, Caleb shoulders aren't so broad, and Caleb's jaw is stronger. They did look alike, but there were certain things I could say were different.

I draw in a shaky breath and then murmur. "I-I didn't know he had a brother."

The boy gave a harsh laugh, his blunt face giving me a look. "Most don't."

"Why are you here?" I ask, wrapping my arms around myself once again.

He notices and there is something in his eyes, like pity or concern, but it's gone in a flash and he clenches his jaw. "I was asked to watch you."

I raise an eyebrow. "By who?"

"Caleb. He begged me to stay here and make sure you stay safe." He pauses as he watches the suddenly light go off in my eyes. "I only accepted because I didn't think it would be that hard, but apparently you seem to think it's safe to wander around at night alone."

I don't even let his tone of voice or words protrude on me though, and the sudden warmth spreading through my chest.

Caleb still cared! Caleb had wanted me safe, he hadn't abandoned me. I sat up straighter leaning towards Blake. "Where is he?" I ask eagerly.

The boy's eyes break contact with mine, looking at the wall. "You care too much for him." He mumbles.

My hands curl together against my stomach clutching my sides, as I lean even closer. "He deserves to be cared about." I press.

Blake's eyes snap back to mine and he sneers. "You don't know what you think you're doing. I told him not to keep you around, the very first time he had written to me about you."

I grit my teeth. "Just tell me that he is safe!"

"No!" The boy shouts standing abruptly, glaring. "No, he is not safe. I am not safe, and I very much doubt you are. He is a prisoner, Keera. He will never be safe with the Capitol ruling over us all. None of us will be."

I stare up at him and slowly sit back, watching him in confusion. "You are rebels?" I ask.

I had always known Caleb hated the government, but I had not thought him capable to be an active rebel, trying to take down the Capitol. Besides those were long extinct I had thought, back when District 13 fell. There were whispers of them still about, but few and holding no power, I hadn't believed them true…

"We are just trying to survive." Blake snaps his voice sharp and then he turned his back to her, strutting for the door and snatching his cloak.

I scramble to my feet. "No! Wait, please!" I cry and he pauses, throwing his cloak over his back.

His eyes slide to me over his shoulder and they are pleading. "Stay here until the morning and go home, clean yourself up and move on. Forget Caleb and stop wondering the streets at night."

I stare at him in disbelief my face falling into a despair I had been fighting for months. My trembling hands struggle to hold on to my torso as I take another step forward. I could never let go this, I know that I would not- could not- forget Caleb.

"I won't." I whisper watching him open the door.

"You will." The boy replies, slipping out the door and closing it slowly behind himself.

I stand there until a sudden shadow runs along the floor and I shiver, flashes of Rankin face and remembrances of his cruel hands on my hips are flooding my mind and I stumble backwards. A glint from the knife he had tossed cause even more memories to bloom and I see the knifes impaled through Eric's hands, I gag, and then trip over a crate behind me.

I fall across the hard, cold floor and I sob. I close my eyes against everything and curl into a ball. I lie there and cry and cry… all through the night.


A/N: So I can't remeber if I said I would stop the angst... but that was untrue. But hey guys, that title of the story is 'Friendless'! Hope you liked this chapter and all it's secret filled-ness. I love just throwing hints to you guys to see what you make of it. Please review! -Taryn(: