Author's Reflection:
I feel this chapter might be a bit lacking in content, I'll try to follow up with more content in the next with quicker speed. I didn't want to bring in content i reserved for the next either. Some will rage, so will be alright. I can't please everyone. Christmas is coming, and so is the heat wave in Australia. We'll all be retreating into the comfort of our air-conditioned or fan-cooled verandas and patios.
They say that looking at your phone while driving was dangerous.
Going at a hundred and thirty kilometres on a bike at night while looking at text messages from Army HQ probably wasn't a good idea. Yet, it wasn't something Ajay stressed himself over, in fact he never felt more alive with the rush from the higher than normal speeds the transportation in Kyrat was limited to. He stuck to the concrete roads as much as possible although they were longer they didn't hinder his journey. The Uttar region roads had undergone a major makeover, now wider and either in concrete or bitumen tar. The same could not be said for much of the Southern roads in Pacchim Valley that were still host to conflicts. But when you possessed a hundred and seventy housepower on a lightweight frame, you might as well be flying.
Being involved in street races before, he was able to appreciate the joys of going liberate on the accelerator throttle. This fun was shortlived, he had a mission for coming here this time.
His mission was Hurk's safety. Brody's friends, he didn't care, they weren't his problem. Even if he were willing to take them in, they would only be a liability he didn't have to deal with. He could already imagine it, the moment they were not feeling threatened a conceit kind of behaviour would emerge. Critizising everything he and the Royal army did, why they couldn't go home yet or why he was so stingy on lending them aid. He had no reason to help them, period.
There friend, that psychopath Jason Brody. Whether he was truly aware of his own urges to kill or not, wasn't going to go unpunished.
Layak sent him an overview report on the situation.
De Pleur was leading an attack in the direction of Baghadur, they'd already captured several outposts along the way. The Tigers simply weren't ready, it was a festive mood they adopted due to the silent truce that all factions had yet the Golden Path were unscrupulous enough to attack them. They were just asking to be loathed by everyone, it was quite laughable. To think that Ajay Ghale's absence from Golden Path could lead to such calamity on its own. If Amita were still in Golden Path, then perhaps this would have settled on its own but she wasn't any longer. She was the representative for her own agendas, thanks to Ajay.
Ajay had managed to divide the Golden Path, while Amita's faction was technically a fifth of the whole group it was still a considerable size force that left because of poor management and leadership on Sabal's end. Ajay found that Sabal was a better crowd stirrer than he was a strategist let alone a fighter. He was also very slippery, Ajay noticed. He managed to get himself out of death traps on numerous occasions and was becoming a rather annoying thorn in his side.
-Note to self: Place bounty for Sabal. Dead twice the amount alive.- That way he was dead anyway and couldn't wiggle himself out of capture.
(Ring) His phone blinked in front of him, he pressed the answer and waited for the response on his wireless headset built into his mask.
"Badala speaking."
*Kamran here, I just wanted to inform you about the change in situation.*
"Go on."
*Hurk is with me, and don't worry. He's in a bad shape but nothing live endangering at the moment.*
(Screech) The brakes were applied on the bike and the tires bleed against the road.
"Say again?"
*Hurks with me on the way back to the north, I've already called up the Royal Physician Mahabir so he'll be in good hands.*
"And Ricardo?" Did he just waste a trip?!
*They-…. Hurk discussed with them something and they went in the direction of the Tiger's homeground.*
-Shit!-
Ajay knew exactly what they were doing. They were going to rescue Jason's friends. From a strategic persepective, it looked as if they were removing Jason from the playing field. His apparent drive was saving his friends, but that's not what Ajay saw in him.
They were complicating something that was not hard to see from his perspective. Ajay had been bathed deeply in blood to know when a person enjoyed killing and to what extent. With Jason's schizophrenic tendencies there was no telling how he would justify himself.
*..Uph-… hang on. Hurk wants to say something.*
*Urgh-…. Hey Bad's.* He heard Hurk's weak voice on the other side of the microphone.
"Lie back down and rest, you big idiot." Ajay said in monotone but couldn't hide his disappointment in him. Hurk laughed but soon regretted as he started to cough painfully.
*I know you're upset, I did something foolish and made all of you worry.* Saying that to him, Ajay found it hard to punish him for this.
*I asked Ricardo if it were possible to save Jason's friends since they were the only group capable of contending with whatever the Golden path could throw at them. He considered it a hefty favour I owed him, but something I'll pay all the more if it means saving you too.*
Ajay was finding it difficult to fault Hurk for his choice, from how he explained it he had given much thought into this trip to save Jason's friends. But he was still oblivious to the danger of rescuing them. Should he tell him?
"Hurk…. Regarding Jason-."
*I know what you're gonna say, I know you take me for a fool sometimes and that's reasonable. I can do stupid things and make dumb decisions. In fact, I didn't want to believe it till I got locked up in the City of Pain with his friends. There's something different about him, something very….. wrong. Sound's strange dun'it?* Hurk chuckled in self-pity.
*He's not the same as he once was all those years ago. When I pleaded with him it was as if-….. as if he already knew.*
Ajay didn't believe what he was hearing, Hurk actually understood to a limited extent Jason's deteriorated mental soundness. After all, crazies didn't know when they were crazy.
"So then, why? What use is there rescuing his friends?"
*Because it's the right thing to do.* Hurk's answer was simple yet the most effective on Ajay.
"You owe them nothing."
*No. You still don get it. I didn't do it for them…. I did it for you.*
-Me?!-
*(Sigh)…. I know you can't forgive Jason for what he did, but most of all you can't forgive yourself. So I wanted to bring his friends to you so that you would stop making excuses for him and for you. You owe it to yourself. And… I'm sure she wouldn't want you tearing yourself over her.*
"…" He didn't need a refresher in memory lane to remember that. The pained voice that told him not to let her death bog him down for both their sakes rung clearer than ever. Why did Hurk always say the simplest of things with the most truth?
*And then, who would have thought another reason to save them came up. Somehow, I'm starting to buy into the whole karma thing, because among the people that I rescued from the City, were Kamala's parents.*
The last sentence struck Ajay deep in his psyche.
Kamala's… Parents.
"… Where?" Was all Ajay asked. Hurk couldn't believe his luck as he had somehow gotten through to Ajay.
*Where Ricardo was headed, to Baghadur.*
A long silence crept between their conversation until-
"….. Hurk, pass the mic to Kamran."
*Uh- oh! Ok!...* Hurk shuffled with the microphone to hand it back to the pilot.
*Hello?* Kamran answered.
"Stay on route. Call HQ, send in the Dragoons and the Hussars. And tell them to raid Banapur, make sure Golden Path knows the seriousness of their offense. Spare only the civilians living there, and kill any that take up arms." Kamran trembled at the ruthlessness of Ajay's demands. Almost like an eye for an eye but thricefold. It was clear that even if Ajay hadn't ask this of the Army HQ, some of the council members would have already vied for it to happen. The attack on
*W-What about you?*
"What about me?" Ajay ended the call and turned the throttle to accelerate away, but now he no longer headed in the direction of the Brick Factory.
Within the chopper, Kamran held the phone in surprise.
"He hung up on me!" Hurk chuckled to himself, careful not to let Kamran hear it. He knew that Ajay had already left and which direction he likely went. Knowing that Badala had entered the field, Hurk was assured that the day was already theres.
Tearing the country road with his bike, he was headed for Baghadur. Not just for his own sake.
But for both Kamala's parents and for Brody's friends.
Kamran brooded over the task Ajay gave him, but then concentrated on flying away. It didn't mean he couldn't made conversation while piloting though.
"Oh! Did you hear? His royal highness apparently made Badala duke.
When Amita arrived at the site where her fellow comrades held off the Golden Path. The battlefield was already torn with shell craters and bodies from both ends pilling. This wasn't the New Year that everyone had imagined, it's image burned deeply into the hearts of the Tigers who were only moments ago enjoying the time of their lives merrymaking.
This assault was led by none other than Paul Harmon, the former Royal Army Chief Interrogator. In a strange twist of fate, joined the very people he victimised not too long ago.
"Call in the second group near the river back to fortify!"
The situation was getting desperate. Being caught unprepared, cost them all of the outposts that buffered the Golden Path from Baghadur stronghold. Now they were fighting just a few hundred metres from the stronghold at the ridge before the stronghold came into view from the East.
It seemed that with the success of De Pleur's breakthrough due to his experience soldiers hardwork had convinced the Golden Path's war council to take the initiative to go through with a complete takeover of the North-East parts. Something they wouldn't have dared to do before with Sabal's failure, but this time was different. The Royal Army and Mukti Tigers were oblivious to what was coming, they may have won the battles but they were fated to lose the war.
On the other side of the ridge stood De Pleur and some of the reserve old Guard Commanders. Impressed with De Pleur's feat at taking away Amita's defensive front, the war council bestowed their best field commanders and battalions to command. He was proving to be more competent than the disgrace. The Tigers were finding it hard to match the quality of the professional soldiers that were the Renegades and Old Guard Elite. Although they had some cross training with the Royal Army, the gap was still present. And they were losing their initiative due to culminating factors, especially to do with morale. The surprise attack had taken a huge toll on the Tigers that it had shaken them up considerably.
"Amita, there!" A sergeant pointed out to the slopes in the North where the airport lay.
Amita had pressed the alarm to summon the Dragoons to come to their aid again, but was told that a similar instance was happening behind the mountains in the Uttar region. Golden Path was attacking a stronghold on the other side and one that was rather deep behind the lines. How they managed to get through the mountain pass with such a large force was the question they looked for without answers. But it didn't mean the Royal army didn't send help to them.
A small convoy of three technical trucks with heavy armaments of Dshk HMGs had arrived to assist them. Amita understood they could have only come from one place, that was the airport.
As it was, the airport was too valuable to the Royal army to spare the existing garrison to help the nearby Tigers. That was why the Dragoons were detailed to watch the Tigers backs, but their base was in the Uttar region and they needed twenty minutes' time to arrive. So Amita understood that for Army HQ to dispatch troops from the Airport meant they were doing their very best.
"Corporal Ban, reporting. General Staff sent us a message to dispatch a platoon to aid you, I sorry if this isn't enough."
"It's alright, Corporal. Anyone will be welcomed right now."
"Forgive me, I know this must be nerve wrecking considering the Golden Path's shamelessness in breaking the truce. But considering the odds here, your group is gonna take considerable casualties in this ridge." The Corporal spoke bluntly.
"It's fine, we were prepared for this. Unfortunately, there is a large civilian presence evacuating towards the North and we can't fall back from here or we risk their safety."
Not everyone settled in at the newly forming town between the airport and king's bridge. Some settlements and camps were set up near Baghadur by the river because they were under the impression the stronghold could provide them with safety. The Tigers were now fulfilling this role.
"I see, then my troops will be under your command. Use us as you see fit." The Corporal entrusted his platoon under Amita's control showed not only the respect they had for her ideals and temperament but for her courage in adversity.
"Don't worry, Corporal. I won't waste you or your mens' lives over nothing."
"I know you won't. The situation looks very poor, but perhaps I can shed some light in this grim time."
"What is it?" The Field commanders were also curious.
"We heard a rumor that some of the Condotierri contractors came here, but that's not all. Apparrently, Badala is also here."
"Badala?!"
"Heavens!"
As shocked as they were to this rumor and the hope that sprung from it. It was still a rumor. But if he were really here, his arrival would spark a turning point in this hopeless battle. Because the fear the Golden Path had of him wasn't just limited to the partisan fighters but every joint in the organisation, including the Old Guard regiments.
"Where is he now?"
"A mate from mine in communications said he intercepted a transmission between him and Headquarters that he was searching for a friend of his that escaped from De Pleur's City of Pain."
Amita looked at the map and traced the likely point that he would stop to search. If his friend were escaping from the City of Pain. It led to Baghadur via the Rochan Brick Factory. Amita had a feeling that De Pleur's attack on them wasn't initially to assault them by surprise. Just who was this prisoner of theirs that was so important they would be willing to attack them and shame themselves for breaking a truce.
But there was no mistake. Badala would come here, the breadcrumb trail that Paul left would lead him to them. Again, Amita frowned when thinking about that prisoner or prisoners selfishness to have brought this disaster upon them while not appearing before them and admitting to it. She felt slightly reluctant to welcome them if they sought asylum, to cause everyone such grief for their own safety. Him/Her or they had singlehandedly ruined that festive mood they were having this new year, now they were preparing to cremate a majority of their forces that would fall tonight. The dawn seemed almost a few minutes away. If they could hold out till morning at sunrise, perhaps it would discourage the Golden Path from continuing on now that their presence was 100% visible and out in the open for the Royal Army to attack.
"Amita! Something's happening in front!" A sergeant informed her of the sudden change in the battlefield. The Golden Path's end had quietened and out popped a white flag manned by one of the Renegade soldiers. Seeing a traitor from their ranks, the Royal Army soldiers glared at them with disdain and loathe.
"Fancy seeing you here, Amita!" Out of cover came, De Pleur. Standing foolhardy in the open as if to taunt them to shoot him.
One such fighter was nearly about to do so when Amita placed her hand on his sights and pushed his rifle down.
"The feeling is mutual, though it holds nothing but loathe for you!" Paul chuckled at her words.
"Lot's happened since Bad's pulled out three-quarters of the population here. Can you believe it? The Golden Path were nearly about to hand Sabal's ass over to Pagan! HAhahaha!"
The words that came from Paul's mouth confused not just the Tigers but the Royal Army soldiers and Amita herself. They all thought the same thing.
-Then whose leading Golden Path now?!-
"I think I've revealed enough now, though you wouldn't believe me if I told you who! Don't worry, in a few minutes it'll become a reality."
"What the hell are you blabbering on about, Paul?" Amita called out coldly.
"When Golden Path returns to its apex."
"The Golden Path is doomed!" Retorted Amita, but all Paul and the Golden Path did was laugh. The scene was nervewrecking and uneasy. They should have been pummelled into the ground by now, yet they were still on the high horses that they would win this war.
"What the hell do you want, Paul? If you called for ceasefire just to tell us this bullshit then I'll take your head right here!"
"Will you just chill out? Jeez… haha… No. I didn't call this ceasefire for that, I want to make a deal with you."
"You have nothing worth negotiating, end of discussion." She returned.
"Oh-ho! Hot and spicy as always. You do have something I want. Jason Brody's friends and that kid brother of his, Really- Rolly- what was his name again? Oh yeah. Riley."
-So it was these people!-
Amita pieced together the building blocks in her deduction. Paul was out looking for Jason Brody's friends. Most likely taken against their will to threaten Jason.
"Never heard of them."
"Oh come now, sweet pea! We know you have them all nicely tucked away in Baghadur, you obviously know the importance of Jason Brody to us. Come now, we're all civilised people. You've got something I want and I've got something you want."
"And what would that be?" Amita asked half convinced.
Paul didn't answer, instead he snapped his fingers and his men disappeared into the background and returned with an assembly of people. Although, they weren't just ordinary people.
"Please, spare us!"
"Forgive us!"
"Just don't hurt us anymore!"
The hairs on the fighters on Amita's side stood up. Made to line up in front of De Peur and his renegades were the people who had gone missing from the villagers several weeks and even months back. They were the former inmates that escaped with the thanks of Hurk but were unfortunately captured. There were old and young within their midst as well.
"Sunnovabitch!"
"PAUL!" Amita raised her voice in anger. But all he did was laugh maniacally at their suffering.
"One of the greatest flaws in the so called Mukti Tigers, I'll show it to you right now, Amita. And its that the Tigers can't protect everyone. I told you I wasn't shitting you. Now, shall we get down to business?"
"We don't have you Jason Brody's friends-." (BANG)
"Hiieee!"
To their surprise and utter disbelief, Paul executed one of the seventeen hostages in their grasp. He then responded with-
"I think I heard wrongly, you mind repeating that?"
"You bastard! I'll kill you-." One of the fighters in their ranks witnessed the act and went out of control, the others quickly stopped him from crossing the line. It was during this time that the Golden Path members held unsightly expressions, to be associated with this monster was the most humiliating thing. But they were under orders, and he was dirtying his hands to get what they truly wanted. He was better in every way compared to their disappointment Sabal and that included his ruthlessness and immorality.
Even if they did have Brody's friends, they would have gone through this deal in one swift motion. But they didn't.
"Paul stop! We don't have them, we-." (BANG) A soldier executed another hostage in the row.
"Damnit!" The Field commander next to Amita cursed.
"Quit wasting everybody's time, we caught them at the training ground outpost. They were definitely there with that fat guy Hurk!" It could be seen from the lines on his face that De Pleur was losing his patience.
Amita bit her lip till she could taste iron. There had never been a moment as intense as this. Also, where had she heard that name before? It was the least of her worries at the moment with the hostages being executed one after another in front of them and they were all helpless to watch.
The hostages pleaded and begged Amita to save them.
"No?... Let's try a soft one this time, shall we?" Paul motioned one of his soldiers to snatch up a child amongst them this time.
"NOOO! Please, not my boy!"
"MaaaMaaa!"
The screams tore at the psyche of the Tigers and Royal Army soldiers who stood their with blood shot eyes and bulging veins upon their weapons.
"Just give the word! The snipers will drop'em!" Her field commander whispered to her ear. Ready to pounce upon Paul and the renegades at Amita's go. But she knew that the moment they moved, the hostages were dead.
The seven-year old boy was placed in front to kneel in front of them. Tears and mucus running from his face as the renegade soldier placed his kukri against his neck to slit when the command was given. Pleeing to Amita and her fighters to save him, his eyes said it all.
"I'll give you till the count of ten then. And It'll be back the good old fashion tug of war. Ten!"
"Nine."
But they really didn't know where they were.
"Paul, we don't have them!"
"Eight!"
"They never came to our stronghold. But we'll give up the outposts to you in exchange instead! How bout that?!" Amita was already pushing her limits within bargaining power but the next response from Paul took the life out of her.
"…Five!" He shortened the countdown.
"YOU CAN HAVE THE STRONGHOLD!" Amita shouted to the top of her lungs.
As if time had stopped, the entire battlefield quietened to nothing when Amita shouted out the most unbelievable words to ever come out of her mouth.
"Did I just hear correctly?"
"Yah. I heard it too."
"When has she ever been like that?"
The was much confusion amongst both sides, Tigers and Golden Path. They were all familiar with Amita's ethics she always made cold calculative decisions… yet… now she just said she was willing to give up the greatest strategic advantage the newly formed Tigers had over the live of a boy that barely reach the sink in the bathroom without help. When the hell did she become so magnanimous?!
When? That was the question not just on everyones' mind but hers as well.
In the heat of the moment she blunted out something even she couldn't believe she just said. Why did she say it? In that brief moment her mind scurried through her memories to find out the reason for this. And then it appeared within her thoughts once again.
The day when Kamala died.
Returning from chasing Sabal and his strikeforce was Kamala in the arms of Badala. Though she hadn't been there to see it, she could see the visible lines of tear marks upon his face. The ache she felt upon seeing him that way, the one she looked up to. And more recently, she discovered something else about her not too long ago in her quarters. Another besides herself believed in her core values and agenda. What was it?
To break from the shackles of tradition. Freedom from oppression!
Her own realization of her beliefs and his faith in her strengthened her desire to uphold them even if it meant losing significant headway to stay with it. It was still what defined their organisation and the core of the people they protected.
De Pleur looked at her for a moment in amazement and slight ridicule when he regained composure and burst out laughing.
"I had the highest regard for you, Amita. But just now you blabbered out something that was so ironic in regards to you. You just sold yourself out as one of the biggest hypocrites in Kyrat!" Paul grinned diabolically.
"So what if she is!" A voice shouted from the Tigers.
"You expect another response when you hold that child hostage?" Followed by others.
"You're a shameless bastard, Paul!"
"I bet your children would be ashamed to call you father!"
The last comment made Paul twitch with fury. The Tigers burst into an outcry at De Pleur, regardless if he were an enemy or not. That was the lowest thing to do.
But Paul had a simple way to quieten them down.
"FOUR!" All of the voices ceased and faces turned pale. Especially that of Amita's. She had offered everything they had yet Paul chose to torture them with the one innocent soul they weren't able to save with all their might and strength. One that was of a child.
-Stop..- The words couldn't form in her mouth as she pleaded to De Pleur through her expression.
"All units, ready for an assault now!" The field commander whispered onto his radio as the Tigers prepared themselves to take the fight to them.
"Three!"
-Stop!-
"Two."
"GOLDEN PATH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Amita screamed at the top of her lungs. It was one thing for the Tigers to do everything in their power to stop this tragedy from happening, but for the Golden Path to stay in inaction when oppression was happening within their ranks. She looked deeply at the fighters on the other side to see if they would at least show keenness to intervene. But too her disbelief, nobody spoke up, they didn't even look at her or the Tigers. Just what did Sabal do to the Golden Path?
But Amita was unaware that Sabal no longer ran the show, but the one running it had given his explicit order to the war council and in turn to the men down below. "Victory at any cost." It was the most simple of phrases yet it had all they needed to abide by. Things were different than it once was, the father of left-wing traditionalism had returned. Paul had brought them further than any of the commanders ever had within the Tigers territory and with so few resources. This was the price they had to pay to attain victory.
The blood of a child on their hands.
"One… I guess that's the best you could do." Paul walked next to his soldier holding the kid at gun point. The water trickled from his eyes and nostrils as he knew what was coming. Paul patted the kid's head much to their surprise, was this all a ruse to get them worked up?
"It's gonna be alright son, Amita will take care of everything." He said to the kid with a convincing smile, the soldier who had him in possession had even stepped away. The boy stood their confused. So their thoughts were correct, De Pleur was just playing them. But it was only Amita that saw that something was truly off.
Paul then turned to Amita and said the most despicable thing to her.
"Lie, like I lied." He said with a straight face as he drew his 1911 and faced it at the boy standing alone. Then everyone's minds rattled with an unforeseen pressure acting on their minds.
De Pleur didn't want their answers at all, he only wanted one thing and they'd given it to him freely.
Despair.
Who were they kidding, they realized it too late. This was De Pleur, Paul Harmon, former Chief Interrogator of Pagan. The butcher of thousands of innocent men, women and children behind the wall of the City of Pain.
The mother of the child, still on her knees fainted on the spot from the stress she underwent. The other prisoners watched in despair as well, all they could do was watch knowing they and the other children were next.
"Well? I'm waiting!" Paul said with losing patience while waving his pistol in that general direction. The boy was too frightened to move out of the way and shivered in the spot he stood on.
"… ok…" Amita struggled word for word.
"SAY IT!" He shouted. (Click) His hammer on the pistol cocked back. Amita trembled as she gazed towards the boy wearing an equally terrified expression.
"… it's alright,… kid…everything's….gonna…..gonna…be-…..…." Tears dropped from her face, every word that came out of her mouth comdemned the boy to an early death.
"Finish it!" Paul called out. The Tigers stared murderous glares at De Pleur. Hands gripped around the pommels of their kukris ready to pounce upon Paul and deliver a thousand stabs of retribution upon him.
Amita looked up to the kid with a look of despair and apology, in the end she could do nothing. Paul was a madman from the very beginning, he feared nothing except the one person that wasn't here. He was already confident he would take the stronghold on his own without bargaining and to drag Jason's friends out by the hairs. He never intended to negotiate, he simply wanted to damage their morale and cause them to rage at his acts so they would lose their clear focus.
So instead of lying to the kid…
"What is your name, child?" She asked with strength in her voice that seemed to give the kid some ease.
"K-…Kou."
"Kou, I'm very sorry. The Tigers have failed you. Your mother will be taken care of but for you... All I can promise you….. is that Paul Harmon will never rest easy so long as the last member of the Tigers exist, we will avenge you."
While it may have only been Amita who said this, the Tigers had already inscribed that oath upon their hearts. Paul's face fell into an ugly look when the Tigers refused to submit.
"You Fucking Whor- (Ping) Huh?"
A metal ping was heard from an object striking the floor next to him.
(BOOM)
And as De Pleur was about to put a cap into the kid's forehead and explosion of thick smoke burst right in front of them. Breaking line of sight De Pleur had with his soldiers, the kid and the hostages. But with them to him and one another as well.
"What the hell!"
(Vrrrrrmmm) The sound of a motorbike not like any heard in Kyrat came closer and closer to where Paul was from the rear of their lines. So close that Paul almost thought someone had the bright idea to ram him with a bike. He jumped out of the way as a precaution, but the bike was never intending to ram him.
It passed him instead, leaving behind a flash of twin red lights.
From Amita and the Tigers angle, someone had burst out of the smoke and stopped in front of them. But it so happened that dawn had just arrived and a harsh glare shone their direction, obstructing their view temporarily.
At the same time, the smoke began to clear as Paul got up from the ground and found a smoke grenade was discharged next to him since their was an empty canister next to him.
He turned back to the opposite direction where the Tigers were and too his horror. The man he had constant nightmares about was before him. With the child wrapped around his arm from the kid's waist in one arm. The other rested on the throttle of his out of place motorcycle. A gleaming mask sent electric down the spines of Golden Path and renegade alike.
The reaction on the other end was the reverse of his in their eyes. Delight, salvation, gratitude. The same could be seen in Amita's eyes and that of the kid Kou's, yet she was the fastest yet again to notice something had changed. Because Ajay was completely oblivious to their demenours.
He was focused only one way, and that was where Paul was.
While a mask concealed his face, an expression behind it couldn't be hidden. An expression bleeding with the most potent hatred. And it said a thousand words, with just one meaning.
You're all dead.
Author's notes:
If you found this behaviour of De Pleur to be strange then I can't think of any way to redeem. From what I gather, Paul was always a bully and a coward. Add his sickfuck tendencies witness at the City of Pain and you have yourself the worst scum on the planet. If Ashley ever knew…..
My idea was to give Amita a soften edge here for the future.
