Bella Forrest [Forrest - The Gender End

E xiting the plant was surreal. What had been a cacophony of noise and chaos barely an hour ago was now replaced with the loud yet final roar of the fires that still burned on either side of this entrance. The rest of the noise consisted of muted sounds, sounds that I immediately gravitated towardsoft chatter, boots falling on the ground, and the groans of the wounded. Some people were crying, but quietly. Most simply stood around, vacant expressions in their eyes .

I recognized the look because I understood the feeling. It would be so easy to fall into that shelter of numbness, push away all that I had seen. The thought was tantalizing. I wouldnt have to think about Gregory, how small the bullet hole that had ended his life really was. Or the women Id killed. Justified as I had been, it still didnt change the fact that I had erased people from existence today. None of them would ever feel the sun on their faces or the touch of someone they loved again .

There was guilt. I was alive, whole, save for a scraped shoulder and a few aching ribs. So many others had died. What made me special? Why was it their time and not mine? Where was the justice in any of that ?

Alejandros grip on my vest tightened, the fabric bunching uncomfortably around my neck. I adjusted my grip under his arm and glanced over at him. The older man was pale and his jaw set, determination stamped on his weathered face. I guided him around the corner to the wall, easing him down to the ground to keep from jostling his mangled hand. His good hand patted my shoulder as he leaned back, his breath coming in sharp gasps .

I squatted next to him as Tim helped Mags to a position leaning next to her uncle. The young woman still looked dazed, her blue eyes glazed and unfocused. As soon as her back touched the water treatment plants wall, she jerked around, blinking as if she couldnt understand how shed gotten there .

Sit down, Mags, Alejandro grunted up at her, and she looked down at him, equally surprised to see both of us there .

What? No, I cant. She looked up, biting her lower lip for a second. Shaking her head, she squared her shoulders. I need to find Amelia, she said after a moment, referring to her third in command. She seemed as though she were grasping at straws, trying to stay in control when she really just needed to rest. I knew the feeling, and that only made it more painful to watch. We need to be on cleanup and

Sit down, ordered April, rounding a car, a first-aid bag already in her hands, and I started. The last time I had seen her she had been flying into a water vat, one continually churned by a massive arm used to keep the liquid moving .

April! How did you

Im an excellent swimmer, she replied curtly, meeting my gaze. And I promise to tell you all about it later. Right now, you have to let me check you out. She looked at me and frowned. Whos in worse shape ?

I straightened up, my left side aching hard enough for me to reach out and use the wall as support. Im not sure. Alejandros hand is pretty bad, but Mags is acting a bit dazed. She was lucid minutes before , but

Before I could finish the sentence, April had the scanner out, running its beam over Mags face. Mags raised her hands, swatting lightly at the scanner, but April reached out and grabbed the womans wrists, pinning them together almost effortlessly. I stared in surprise as Mags hissed in pain. April cocked her head, and moved the scanner down to Mags shoulders and arms. She released her grip almost immediately, scanning the rest of her body while Mags massaged her shoulder .

Mild shock, but likely because of a simple dip in endorphins due to adrenaline leaving the system, April told her. Water and food for you, and you need to be checked out again for that shoulder. Its partially dislocated, but it can wait for a few hours. Alejandro ?

Alejandro looked up at her, his blue eyes already swimming with reluctance. There are worse cases, he insisted, but April ignored him, squatting down. If the condition of his hand caused her any emotional discomfort, April didnt show it, which impressed me. I couldnt look at it without getting queasythe fingers were bent at unnatural angles, like a glove had been shoved onto him all wrong, thanks to an enhanced woman crushing it with one hand .

Viggo! I looked up to see Tim pointing behind me, and turned in time to see Morgan and Cody moving toward us, awkwardly supporting Jays weight between them. All three of them were wet, as if they had been swimming with all their clothes on. For all I knew, they had been. Cody was shivering violently in the chilly night air, but he looked like he was not physically damaged. Emotionally, I couldnt say. Morgan looked fine, thanks to the Liberator suit she was wearing; it was Jay who had my heart pounding with worry .

Even though he was wearing black, I knew he was bleeding. A torn blue scrap of fabric had been tied around his midsection, the front saturated with blood. I was moving before I could even register it, my hands going out to take the young mans weight off Morgan and support him .

April! I shouted over my shoulder as I gently turned him over .

Jays wide brown eyes looked up at me, his lips quivering. Sweat and water droplets streaked his face, and I could see how much pain he was in by his intense grimace and labored breathing. Worse than that, though, was a kind of numb, dejected, absolute misery in his eyes .

She shot me, he whispered hoarsely, and I could see how much effort it was taking him just to talk. My stomach churned seeing the young man so pale and hurt and I felt a wash of rage coming over me, as well as ice-cold fear. Where was Violet ?

Who did? I asked. What happened ?

I looked up at Morgan for an answer; her mouth was pinched, her green eyes hard and angry. Desmond shot him. It was a mess. She met my gaze and faltered for a moment. She and some wardens captured Violet and took her onto a heloship. But Solomon was following us. I saw him jump onto the heloship from the top of the plant. Hes Hes been helping us, so maybe hes helping Violet? I-I hope hes helping her. I couldnt, I didnt have time, I was fighting myuh She faltered again, her head shaking .

Jay coughed, and I looked down at him as he took in another shuddering breath. Tim was kneeling next to him, holding his hand over Jays wound, his silver eyes worried. Tell him who you are, Jay said, addressing Morgan. Trust him .

I looked from Jay to Morgan and back again, but Jay was focused solely on Morgan. Despite the severity of his injury, his face was firmand dead serious. A small hand pressed insistently on my shoulder, and I gently lay Jay down as April pushed me out of the way. She ordered Jay not to move as I stepped back a few feet and looked at Cody and Morgan .

What is Jay talking about, Morgan ?

It was Cody who answered, his voice oddly hollow. Shes a princess from Matrus. She killed her twin sister .

I looked down at the young boy, and back to Morgan, wondering if it could possibly be true. It was all so very much to take in. Violet was either in enemy hands or Solomon was on boardand both ideas were awful for completely different reasons. Morgan was a princess and had killed her twin? I was going to need the story on that. But there were so many things that needed my attention. Jay was wounded, Cody looked lost and broken, Alejandro and Mags were injured, and My mind kept going to sickening places, where Violet was already dead. I had to go after her .