Chapter 3

3

I instinctively tried to lick the damp sand, but I couldn't even move my head.

Silas laughed, leaning down close to my ear.

"The sun is going down soon."

"The temperature will drop, but the desert predators will be coming out to hunt."

He pulled out a tactical folding knife and sliced it deep across my arm.

"We'll come back to collect your body in the morning."

Blood immediately gushed from the wound.

In a final burst of adrenaline and rage, I lunged forward and headbutted Silas, knocking him flat on his back.

The taste of blood in my throat was overwhelming, but the moisture allowed me to speak.

"Silas Bennett... this is murder!"

My voice was a haunting, jagged screech.

Avery and the others heard the commotion and rushed out of the car, dragging me away.

Silas scrambled up, pointing at the bloody knife on the ground with fake terror.

"I just wanted to give him some water! He attacked me with a knife!"

"He said he wanted to use the smell of blood to attract wolves so we'd all be eaten!"

He was twisting the truth so shamelessly. I wanted to break his jaw.

Avery held Silas, looking at me with pure hatred as she kicked me in the ribs.

"Liam Miller! Are you even human? Just because we wouldn't let you abuse your power as Captain, you tried to kill us?"

"Silas was even willing to share his water with you, and this is how you treat him? You don't deserve to live!"

I managed to choke out a few words.

"It was... him..."

Before I could finish, Avery cut me off with a look of disgust.

"People like you deserve to rot in this desert!"

Her words felt like a blade through my heart.

One of the team members spat on me.

"I thought you were just jealous because Avery looks after Silas. I didn't think you were evil enough to try and get us killed."

"We really hit the jackpot of bad luck having a monster like you as our leader!"

These were men I had treated like brothers. Now, they wouldn't give me an ounce of trust.

I let out a weak whimper, trying to move my bleeding arm so they could see the cut.

But nobody looked. Or maybe they just chose not to see.

They were all too busy comforting Silas.

"Don't be scared, Silas. We're here."

"As soon as this mission is over, we're reporting him to the higher-ups."

"Reporting isn't enough. A scumbag like him belongs in a federal prison!"

Avery sneered. "That's assuming he even makes it out of this wasteland alive."

My heart went cold under the weight of their insults.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and the air began to chill.

But I was losing blood. The night predators would smell me from miles away.

I had no chance of survival.

Silas looked at me with pure malice. Avery's eyes were like ice.

"If you crawl over and beg Silas for forgiveness, and if you aren't dead by morning, maybe we'll let you back in the car."

I looked at Avery calmly, as if she were a total stranger.

She was my wife. We had survived countless missions together. And now, she was my executioner.

Darkness finally began to swallow my mind.