The Enemies

PayBack in Dronland

Rhea

The tight ball of emotions inside boils my brain. I fail to think clearly. So I concentrate on a wall. The rugged bricks of an ancient building dotted with microscopic cracks and indents. The cement in-between is black from years of rain, snow, and wind. Worn out. The living manifestation of me. Thin, crumbling and battle-scarred.

At least by now, I sorted out the ingredients. Dancing inside me bubbling with all sorts of dark colors is the rage. My good friend, fear, prickles my head and makes me frozen to the bone. The sorrow and grieve are also there. And I am helpless.

But there is one extra component - a crippling feeling, luring me into the darkness. The mixture of bloodthirst, agitation, and thrill – the beast of emotion devouring me before the kill. The sick excitement of evil. I am starving for my enemies, for their suffering and pain. It makes me feel wretched inside, and I detest myself for being that way. But I nourish and cherish that feeling. If I let go, I may never bring justice and revenge for Tadgh's death. And this is all I seek now, annihilating the lowlifes who have done a terrible wrong. The only human who showed me light, genuine and heartwarming, has perished. So it is insufferable for me to crave peace until everyone involved pays. I hunt people responsible and, ironically, locate them in Dronland. Only now, it is a much more dangerous place than it used to be a month ago.

I was wrong though, it will never be just a town. Now, these streets hold pieces of his DNA. The broken red bricks, black cement, and even the pavement have tiny small pieces of Tadgh because of the T60s. I wonder if the material is still red because of his blood. A silly thought. As if jumping to opportunity, my hand twitches to touch the wall. But all I do is stare.

If I pull this through, Joolls and I will become cardinals. We will be able to find them. If this is a cost of revenge, I am paying. My father does not mention, however, that half of the Drellian army is located here, with the A9 sniper squad stationed in the neighboring house from my target. So, all in all, he wants me to sweat. Or die.

I blink several times to get my mind back to reality. I worked meticulously for the past hour creeping around buildings and sticking the explosives to the walls in areas no one could espy. The system should function here. Drellians might have set something to ensure our signals are jammed but, too bad, I came with transmitter. Several bunker busters are there just in case the rest will not go off. A hundred dead Drellians is still better than none.

The tinnitus in my head calms a bit. The reality sneaks back along with the sounds in it, the water dripping down the drains, Drellian soldiers shuffling on neighboring streets, and soft breeze whistling between the buildings. It is eleven in the evening. It's time.

I head in the direction of Farmer's market. A black jacket, grey T-Shirt and pants are exactly what Drellian officers would wear if they were not required to put on a uniform. I walk past men and women speaking in a low key, with ever-present sublime contempt on their faces. I wonder for the hundredth time how it is even conceivable for the whole nation to be that vain. I walk fast but do not run, my back straight and head high. Several men follow me with their eyes. They find me attractive. Tadgh always said that beauty could be my superpower if appropriately used. I abuse it now when he passed. They say – all is fair in love and war. I do not care or know much about love, but I am quite acquainted with war. So I intend to return it to Drellians in spades, right to their homes and families.

My father uncovered why they planned to entrap me. So he obliged and asked to resolve an issue. Me. The very same person, they failed to eliminate. My skin crawls when I approach the building. My mission is suicidal.

I try the knob. Locked. So I knock and wait. After one painfully long minute, I hear footsteps.

'Who is it?' asks the sleepy voice.