Rain of Rebuilding Hope VI

By the time Raven reached Brody, the men were bending down over Brody, and one of them had aimed a gun for his head. “No!!!!” She threw herself over the man she loved, clinging to him even as the men tried to lift her off.

“Raven! What are you doing? Move, NOW!” Draven voice grew louder and she knew he was moving to her. He reached for her and tried to pull her off, but she clung to Brody’s coat. “RAVEN! MOVE!” He yanked harder on her, but she clung to the black leather coat with all of her strength.

She heard her brother sigh heavily, and slowly his grip released on her. She raised her head up slowly to meet eyes with him, still clinging to her love. “Please, you can’t kill him.”

“Raven, he’s not going to make it. We don’t need another biter around. ” He put a shoulder gently on her shoulder. “I know you have a kind heart, but it will get us in trouble. We can’t save them all.”

She buried her face against Brody’s jacket. ‘Make slaves of them all is more like it.’ She didn’t say the words out loud, but wanted to. There were few they added to their group, but only those who could really contribute to Draven’s goals. Everyone else was either killed or forced into slavery to work for them as they saw fit.

Raven forced herself to look up at her brother. “Please, we have to save this one. If you love me, you’ll save him.”

Her words caught her brother off guard, and she could see it in his face. He narrowed his brow as he stared down on her, folding his arms across his chest. “What is it about this one that draws you in?” His eyes widened as he seem to realize he knew the answer to his own question. “You know him, don’t you? You said his name as you ran to us.”

She nodded, cautiously watching her brother’s face to prepare herself for his reaction. “I do, yes.” Her voice was so soft, she could barely hear her own voice.

“How do you know him?” He glared at her, and she swallowed hard, then laid her head against her love’s chest. She could hear his heart still beating, but it was very faint.

She whispered “I love him.”

“You WHAT?” He was shouting again, and his hand reached down to grip her shirt as he tried to pull her up. She hung on tightly. “Stand up and face me! How can you love this man?” She clung to her fiancé, waiting for the blow she expected to follow. “ANSWER ME!” His voice was almost like the roar of a lion now, and he yanked her up to her feet. She tried to cling to the one she loved, but could hold on no longer. Her brother stood her up to face him and put his face closer to hers, then lowered his voice. “Answer me.”

She drew in a deep breath. “We met on a run. I know I should have told you, but I was scared. I fell in love with him, and we were going to get married. I was going to tell you soon, really I was.”

He stared at her, then glanced down at the man on the ground. “Take him to the truck.”

“But sir, he’s almost dead.”

Draven shoved a gun in the man’s stomach. “Do as I say.”

She stared at her brother, then wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t decided how to deal with you.” He pulled away from her, stiff as a board and walked towards their vehicles. She hesitated, her heart racing as she tried to think of a way out. There was nothing to do but follow.