章節 23: Saving People

"What about Mark?" Anna asked.

"What about him?" Aroon asked back while walking straight towards the gate of the camp.

"He… is taking a tour as well," Anna seemed a bit hesitant, "you don't plan on coming at him, right?"

He stayed a bit silent for a moment. "I won't attack but defend," his answer told the three girls his intentions.

And for them they knew the fire would only rage wilder instead of dying this way.

But no one opened her mouth to say anything to him. They just prayed the two would never meet up or else…

"Open the gate."

Just as Aroon got near the gate zone, the ex-soldiers there instantly recognized him. And he recognized the voice he just heard.

"Going out to help people?" The captain he met yesterday appeared when the gate opened. He seemed conflicted while Aroon felt the news of what happened last night must have reached his ears.

"Are there any free tents here for refugees?" Aroon asked while stopping in front of the captain and glancing around.

The soldier he hit yesterday was still here. His arm was now held by a thin plate of metal, an obvious indication it got fractured.

"We have enough," the captain shortly said, "clear the path and stay alert for any more refugees."

Aroon noticed the captain's distress and he couldn't blame him for that. He only gave him a slight nod before heading outside the gate, entering the extended stretch of ruins everywhere.

"Where shall we start?" Aroon turned to his three girls, "I believe we should divide the town into segments and each take one to check."

"It's…" Anna seemed hesitant at this moment while Cheryl gave him the look that she wouldn't leave his side.

"It's better to stay together," Arora simply said and he nodded.

"Why are you nice to him?" Anna leaned over Arora and said in a soft tone that attracted the attention of Cheryl to her.

Arora was someone who never was nice to any man before, and not to most of the girls as well.

"He is going to do good things," Arora said after a moment of pause before turning to her two friends, "it's my advice to stick around to him and forget that idiot."

"Mark isn't an idiot!" Anna objected.

"He is," Arora firmly said without feeling a speck of embarrassment. "He sought his own demise by challenging him at dawn."

"He wanted answers!" Anna was still persistent in supporting Mark.

"And he got what he asked for, right?" Arora said with a faint smile while Cheryl simply joined the chat as she said:

"If you don't like him then why are you sticking around?"

"I'm… afraid the two would meet up and fight in the open," Anna gave her own excuse that made Cheryl only sigh.

"Tough from the outside," Arora faintly shook her head, "yet so soft from the inside… That's your single weakness Anna."

"I care for my people!" Anna said, referring to the fallens.

"And he is one of ours," Cheryl decided not to stay silent and passive anymore.

"He… never helped us," Anna was still stubborn, "he wasn't there when… he wasn't there at all."

Arora and Cheryl knew how the loss of Alex, Martha, and Yuan left a deep scar over her soul. Anna was so close to Martha, considered her as a sister. As for Yuan… everyone knew what he meant for her.

"Just stick around and…" Cheryl paused mid speech while giving her friend a meaningful glance.

"Don't stir up trouble instead of fixing the current problem," Arora said what Cheryl didn't say.

"Are you coming or what?" Aroon stood in front of a damaged building while watching the three girls walking slower than him. The three were delayed and he stopped in front of a place that needed help.

"This…" Anna reached the building and froze when she saw the group of people gathered there and digging through the rubble.

"Shouldn't your man be taking care of the close places to the camp first?" Cheryl said in doubt while Anna seemed to be doubting what she was seeing.

It was known how fallens should behave during any crisis. First they secure the town, kill all the monsters. Then they would check the central camp.

And taking the camp as ground zero for them, they should spread out and start helping people starting from near to far.

This was a classic protocol known by all, but currently it seemed Mark ignored this common problem just near the camp.

"It's a simple problem," Anna was shocked while watching Aroon move to the rubble while Arora gave the people instructions to retreat.

"He just ignored them," Cheryl stood by her side while watching Aroon dig the ground with his absurd strength.

"That's impossible!" Anna couldn't believe that.

"Well, that's possible now… Goddammit! He grew more muscles in one night… Damn!"

Cheryl saw the exposed arms of Aroon while he was working to remove the fallen pieces of the building off the ground.

It was a common problem to see people trapped underneath fallen buildings. If help didn't come fast to them then they would die.

Luckily humans could stay without food or water for a few days.

"Take my hand," as Aroon lifted the fallen walls and blocks of cement off the ground, a small hole appeared with a small family of three kids and one mother staying there.

Their faces showed how frightened they were. They seemed to lose any hope of getting out alive and even when he removed these deadly blocks, letting the sun rays shine over their faces, they didn't move to accept his helping hand.

"Come, don't be afraid," Cheryl moved instantly to help.

"Take our hands… You are safe now," Anna also moved to help alongside Arora.

"Here you go," Aroon brought two kids out while Anna and Arora got the devastated and shocked mother. The last kid was helped out by Cheryl.

"Take them to the main camp," Aroon turned to the people around whose faces showed their deep gratitude. "I left instructions there to receive anyone sent from here."

"Thanks!"

"Thanks a lot sir!"

"Thanks for helping my family!"

Many words of gratitude came from all of the grown ups standing around, but the last voice came from one of the kids, the last kid Cheryl saved.