The clearing was thick with tension, the air charged with the stink of fear and desperation. The self-appointed leaderâsome pathetic, trembling foolâstood in the center, his voice quivering as he tried to rally the sheep. "Listen, everyone... we need to be together in all this. Weâll share the supplies equally so thereâs no fighting."
A few nodded like mindless drones, muttering, "Yeah, thatâs right." Others stayed silent, their eyes darting, their instincts screaming that something was wrong. But none of them dared to speak up. None of them had the spine.
I stepped forward, my boots crunching over broken debris, my voice cutting through the weakness like a blade. "Hey." My tone was ice, my smirk pure arrogance. "Forget about it."
The crowd froze.
"These supplies?" I gestured to the pile of scavenged food and tools, my voice dripping with ownership. "Theyâre mine."
Silence.
Thenâ
"What the fuck, dude?!" A man shouted, his face reddening with fake outrage.
"This bastardâwhat is he talking about?!" Another yelled, his voice cracking like a broken twig.
I laughed, the sound dark and mocking, my eyes scanning the pathetic lot before me. "Oh, boo-hoo." I turned to Lisa, who stepped to my side, her hand resting on the gun tucked behind her waist. She didnât speak. She didnât have to. Her presence alone was a promise of violence.
"Does anyone else have any opinions?" I asked, my smile razor-sharp, my gaze daring them to challenge me.
The would-be leaderâsome scrawny, wide-eyed foolâstumbled back, dragging a girl with him. She looked young, scared, and around the same age as Nicole and Bill. His voice shook as he tried to sound brave.
"I-I donât believe you dare to shoot!" He turned to the crowd, his voice rising in desperation. "What are you afraid of?! There are so many of us, and only one gun!"
I chuckled, my voice a low, dangerous purr. "Oh, little man..." I stepped closer, my eyes locking onto his. "Looks like youâre not afraid of dying."
His face paled. He swallowed hard, but forced himself to stand tall. "Y-you wouldnâtâ"
"Wouldnât I?" I cut him off, my smirk widening. "Try me."
Thenâshe arrived.
A woman pushed through the crowd, her police uniform stretched tight over curves that defied gravity. Damn. Those buttons looked like they were one deep breath away from giving up the fight. My eyes lingeredâjust long enoughâbefore snapping back to her face.
She had a gun. And it was pointed straight at Lisa.
"STOP!" Her voice was a whip-crack, authoritative, commanding. "Iâm a cop! Put the gun down!"
The crowd scattered, parting like the Red Sea as she stepped forward, her gaze locked onto us.
I exhaled, my expression shifting in an instant. The arrogant, domineering god vanished, replaced by a trembling, wide-eyed coward. "O-Officer!" I stammered, raising my hands in fake surrender.
"P-please, I was just joking!" I pulled Lisa behind me, ducking my head like a scolded dog. "I-I didnât mean it! We were wrong! You can do whatever you want!"
The police beauty didnât lower her gun, but her tone softenedâjust a little. "This lady..." She nodded at Lisa. "Give. Me. Your. Gun."
Lisaâs fingers twitched, her knuckles white around the weapon. "Itâs for my protection," she growled, her voice low and deadly.
The officer didnât flinch. "The situation is unknown. After what just happened..." She glanced at the crowd, her voice firm. "I think itâs best if you surrender your weapon. For everyoneâs safety. Youâll get it back once weâre out of here."
The sheep bleated in agreement.
"Yeah! The officerâs right!"
"Give her your gun!"
Lisa shot me a glance, her eyes burning with rage. She wanted to put a bullet in every single one of these fools. But I chuckled internally, my mind already three steps ahead.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
I turned to Lisa, my voice soft, pleading. "Lisa... please. Give her your gun."
She hesitated, her grip tighteningâthen released. With a cold, deadly stare, she handed the weapon to the officer.
The cop took it, her expression satisfied. "Good. Nowâ"
"OFFICER!" A man shouted from the crowd. "What about HIS gun?!" He pointed at me, his voice accusatory.
I raised my hands higher, my voice trembling with fake fear. "I-I donât have a gun, Officer! S-swear!"
The copâs eyes narrowed, sizing me up. For a moment, I thought sheâd call my bluff. But thenâshe scoffed, lowering her weapon just a fraction. "Fine. But no more threats."
I nodded frantically, my face the picture of innocence. "Y-yes, Officer! Never again!"
She turned to the crowd, her voice firm. "Alright, everyoneâ"
I let my eyes drop to her uniform again, my mind already racing.
Oh, you beautiful, naive little cop.
You have no idea whatâs coming.
And when it hits?
Youâll be the first to beg.
I leaned back against the broken concrete, pulling Angela and Lisa into the shadows with me. My smirk was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating stare as I watched the scene unfold. The police beautyâthis holy mother, this naive foolâwas strutting around like she owned the place, her gun tucked into her belt, her uniform stretched over curves that distracted every man in the crowd.
Pathetic.
She didnât understand the situation. She didnât realize that the rules didnât apply here. That authority was a joke. That power wasnât givenâit was taken.
And I took what I wanted.
The crowd clustered around the officer, hanging on her every word, their faces a mix of relief and blind trust. Fools. They thought she could save them. They thought this was still a world where laws mattered.
I chuckled under my breath, arms crossed, watching.
Angela leaned in, her voice a whisper. "Youâre enjoying this, arenât you?"
I didnât take my eyes off the officer. "Oh, Iâm loving it."
Lisa snorted, her fingers twitching like she wanted her gun back. "Sheâs got no idea what sheâs walking into."
"None," I agreed, my voice dark. "And by the time she does..." I smirked. "Itâll be too late."
Mira and Nicole were hovering near the edge of the crowd, their eyes darting toward us. Fear was written all over their faces. Mira pulled Nicole closer, her voice a harsh whisper.
"Stay away from them."
Nicole nodded, her gaze locked on us for just a second too long before she looked away, swallowing hard.
Good.