OutBreak

Chapter Seven

The flickering oil lamps cast shadows like phantoms on the shelter walls as Rex lay on the cot, his brain in a turmoil. He felt hardly heavy with his bone-wearying sleep for the chaos of the day kept him awake. Adrenaline that rushed through him while he fought off the bandits ebbed and receded into some vague unease.

Just as he suddenly sat upright, a terrific crash shook the exterior. With a start, Rex had his heart racing. Next to him, Amara stirred slightly, furrowing her brow in worry.

"What just happened?" she whispered, gazing up at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"I do not know," Rex shot back quietly but urgently as he flung aside the tattered thin blanket covering him, swinging his legs off the bed. "I will look.".

As he stood, Lucas leapt from his makeshift bed, his face a mix of fear and resolve. "I'll go with you," he said, grabbing a rusty baseball bat that had become their weapon of choice. "We can't take any chances."

"No," Rex insisted, his gaze hardening. "You stay here. Keep Amara safe."

"Are you serious?" Lucas asked him, as he stepped forward. "What if it's another group of bandits? You'll need backup.".

"We don't even know what we're dealing with yet. I need to assess the situation first. Just trust me."

Lucas hesitated, the tension thickening between them. Finally, he nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Fine. But you better come back."

Rex moved forward toward the entrance, his heart pounding. He slowly opened the door and peeked into the inky blackness. The stillness outside was creepy, every creak and rustle magnified in the silence. He turned back to the shelter, his instincts on high alert.

He stepped out into the night, ordering once more: "Stay inside.".

Outside, the moon was in the sky, casting an otherworldly glow on the open space. Rex moved silently, taking in every inch of the area from each side. He knew Amara was watching him through the door, her worry almost in the air.

"Rex," she whispered faintly, her voice cutting through the night. "Be safe."

"I will," he called back, looking up at her. Her concern tried to drag him back, but he had to focus.

He walked a little farther away from shelter, crunching on gravel, which echoed into the stillness. He could feel a shiver go down his spine as he saw a movement in the trees. Rex froze and squinted into the shadows.

"Who is there?" he called out, voice steady with a thread of tension.

Silence, then another rustle. Rex edged cautiously forward again, his hand resting on the knife at his belt. He couldn't go any further than that before a figure emerged from among the trees-an ancient man, tattered and bearded, eyes wild and fearful.

"Oh, dear God! Help me!" He staggered toward Rex.

Now Rex's instincts flared. "What's been done to you? What's behind you?

"Bandits!" he wheezed, twisting his neck and looking fearfully over his shoulder for an attack. "They're coming! You gotta help me!"

"Stay away!" Rex cautioned, pushing himself squarely between the old man and the shelter. "Do you know anything about them?"

Rex's mind was racing. He had to save Amara and the others. "How many are there?" he insisted.

"Four or five, I think," the old man stuttered. "They've got weapons—crossbows and knives."

Rex took a deep breath, weighing his options. "You need to get back to the shelter. We'll protect you there."

"No! You don't understand! They'll find me! You have to help me fight them!"

Panic crept into his aged voice as he tried to make himself heard, trying to explain his dilemma.

Rex shook his head. "We can't risk everyone's safety for one person."

A shrieking pierced the air from where Amara was, direction the shelter.

"Amara!" Rex shouted in terror, spinning around, panic drenched his veins.

The old man's face twisted into a diabolical grin. "They're here, aren't they? You led them straight to us."

Rex felt like he was being kicked into the stomach. "What are you talking about?"

But before he could ask another question, the group of dark figures pushed through the trees toward them, with silver edges caught in the moonlight reflecting the light.

Rex went cold. It had a figure in it—none other than the shape, the unmistakable shadow—of Cyrus, a guy he once thought an ally.

"Rex," Cyrus sneered, dripping with mockery. "I didn't think I'd ever see you here, playing hero with these pathetic survivors."

Rex clenched his jaw, adrenaline pumping through him. "What do you want, Cyrus?"

Cyrus stepped forward, flanked by his men, who were armed to the teeth. "I heard you've been causing trouble for my operations. I came to collect my due."

"Your due?" Rex sneered, anger rising. "You're a monster, Cyrus. You're preying on the weak."

Cyrus shrugged nonchalantly. "It's survival of the fittest, Rex. You should know that by now."

Behind him, Rex caught sight of Amara's terrified face peering from the shelter. "Get back inside!" he shouted, his heart racing.

"Don't worry about her," Cyrus said, waving a hand dismissively. "She's not the one I'm interested in."

Rex's stomach turned over. "What are you talking about?"

"I have knowledge," Cyrus said, reaching forward, eyes bright with shine. "Of Sara."

Mention of the name caused a jolt of electricity to run through Rex's body. "What do you know?"

"Everything," Cyrus said, spreading his face with a sadistic grin. "But information doesn't come for free. You owe me loyalty, Rex. Join me and I will give you everything.

"Never," Rex spat, suddenly flaring with defiance. "I'd rather die than join you."

The smile died on Cyrus's lips, but an anger glint began flashing in his eyes. "Then you'll have to fight for it."

At the flick of a gesture he motioned to his warriors, who started stepping closer, thrusting their weapons toward the sky. Rex tensed up, ready for what was coming. But just before everything erupted, another voice crashed through the tension. "Stop!

Elena stepped out of the darkness. The figure was imposing, and bandits were taken aback and puzzled.

"Cyrus, you are wrong here; you don't want to start a war."

Cyrus turned, surprise flashing in his eyes. "Elena? I didn't think I'd find you with this loser."

"Watch your tongue," Elena shot back, her voice freezing. "Rex is not your enemy. You're blinded by your greed and too stupid to see it."

"I see well enough," Cyrus snapped in a dripping sarcasm tone. "And what's your business here? Being a hero?"

With his eye, Elena met it cool. "I'm here to protect these people from you and your pitiful bunch of thugs. You expect just to waltz in and take whatever suits you fancy?"

The air thickened with tension, but with a dash of wariness and relief, for Rex realized that Elena's ability and capability were quite formidable but could she have a legitimate interest?

Cyrus laughed, and it was a dark, chilling sound that made Rex want to crawl out of his skin. "You are both morons. You think you can stop me? I have more men, more power. This is no game; it's about survival."

Elena stepped forward whispering to him, "Listen to me, we must work together. We can't fight now and lose everything. Cyrus wants us to get provoked. We can flip the tables around.".

Rex nodded slowly, taking the weight of the situation on board. "What have you planned?" he asked.

"Bring them in, Elena whispered, scanning the surroundings as the bandits came into view. We'll use surprise to our advantage. They believe they are in the upper hand, and then we swoop in".

It had all been quiet until now. "What about Amara? We cannot leave her exposed to attack in the shelter," he said.

"I will get her to safety," Elena swore. "You boys keep their attention. After all, this is life or death."

"Yeah, yeah," Rex responded, pumping himself up in his chest. "But if this is going to end up an exercise in futility, don't say I didn't warn you."

Elena smiled evil. "Deal."

Stepping back towards the safe room, Rex and Lucas prepared for the fight. Pounding heart thumping inside of his chest, Rex moved into Cyrus and his guards' face, and war raged inside of him.

Cyrus stepped forward, squinting. "You think you can outwit me? This is my place. I'll kill you before you even touch me."

Rex glared back, the tension of the moment hanging heavy in his mind. "You're not the only dirty player in the room."

With a burst of sudden explosive movement, Rex charged toward Cyrus, ready to stop anything that was going to hurt Amara and anyone else.

Lurching into him, with adrenaline-fueled passion, he bore down toward Cyrus, unmindful of everything. The landscape narrowed on him-a look in time-a two-strong hold, of two glaring-at each other, aflame with challenge. Now came Lucas in the game clutching the bat tight-primed to stand up for their neighborhood:

"Retreat, Rex. You are losing Cyrus' voice. You err!

Ignoring the caution, Rex threw a wild punch for Cyrus's jaw. Cyrus dodged it just in time, returning with a swift kick that hit squarely on Rex's side, sending him stumbling backward.

"Rex!" Lucas yelled, swinging the bat at Cyrus's closest henchman. The man dodged but not before Lucas's swing clipped his shoulder, sending him staggering.

"Focus!" Rex barked, shaking off the hit and getting back on his paws. "We must take them down together."

"Got it!" Lucas said, determination etched across his face.

Cyrus glared at them, his confidence never wavering. "You think you can take on my crew? You're outnumbered and outmatched!"

Elena emerged from the shelter, Amara by her side, their faces fierce. "We're not backing down! Not now!"

Rex felt his chest inflating with pride and horror. Amara looked shaken, yet determined, her eyes scanning the chaos that surrounded them. "Rex, we can't let them win!" she called out, her voice steady as the storm raged on.

"Keep Amara safe!" Rex shouted to Elena. "We'll handle Cyrus and his men.".

The closer they get, the more the situation feels heavy for Rex-there's more at play than just survival: there's defiance against an uncalled-for enemy. At that instant, just as Lucas and Rex were about to take their positions, the first of a new sounds struck the night: far off roared the engines.

"What is that?" Lucas blurted out, wide-eyed.

With a glint of satisfaction piercing his eyes, Cyrus just smirked. "This would be my backup, Rex. You are already late for the party. You've lost."

Headlights light up the darkness and illuminate the clearing. A car roars into the situation and skids to an abrupt halt. The car door opens, and there are survivors spilling out, faces set, with weapons out.

"Get back!" one of them shouted raising a crossbow.

His face fell as he scanned over the new faces.

"What do you want? This has nothing to do with you."

"We heard the commotion," said a tall woman who was clearly the leader. She had a fierce look in her eyes. "We aren't going to let you terrorize these people anymore."

Rex took his chance, rallying beside Lucas. "You heard the lady! It's time to take down this scum!"

"Let's show them what we're made of!" Lucas shouted, diving into the fray.

The two factions clashed and people flailed their fists and weapons. Rex found himself facing one of Cyrus's goons-a gigantic man who seemed awkward but was pointedly described as wild-eyed. They wrestled and pulled punches, but Rex was driven by something he had never felt before.

"You're not getting away with this, Cyrus," Rex yelled, punching him straight in the gut.

It was utter madness, everything was attacking him at one go bodies hitting him, shouting interspersed with grunting, air filled with tightness. Rex pushed it, his training sessions ringing in his head, the battles he's been surviving all his life.

By now, Cyrus was furious. "You think you can knock me off my pedestal little boy? I have seen men like you crack from the pressure!"

"I am not cracking today!" Rex roared as he sidestepped a punch by Cyrus and landed a kick just right to Cyrus's knee.

Cyrus stumbled backward, and his players quickly regained the chance to strike back. The man swung the bat once again at Rex but Lucas saved him by his body as a result of the hit. "Keep going!" he shouted back and punched forward at the enemy.

Watch Amara! Over the din, Rex shouted. He saw her, stationed at a distance, her face carved with fear. The knowledge of her safety burrowed into his brain urged him on as he fought even harder.

Now the robbers were getting weaker before Rex, Lucas, and the newcomers. But when nearly before their eyes it would be to lay victory before them, Cyrus let out a roar and bellowed and called out to his men. "Don't let them get away! Fight back!

And one of Cyrus's thugs pulled out a knife and took off running at Rex. In the split second before Rex could do anything about it, he ducked under the knife. The man went stumbling forward, falling off balance.

"Lucas!" Rex shouted, grabbing the man's arm and tossing him over his shoulder to crash to the ground. "We can't let them reorganize!"

"I'm on it!" Lucas shouted back, batting another robber away with his bat.

The tide of battle was now beginning to shift as the survivors rallied to defend themselves against Cyrus's crew. But Rex knew that it was only just starting. Cyrus would not back down now.

In the mayhem, Cyrus picked up a crossbow off one of his fallen men. His eyes blazed with fire. "You think you can beat me? I have seen worse than this!

The tension was rising in the air; a higher stake ever loomed. "You're outnumbered, Cyrus. It's over."

Cyrus snarled and snapped his crossbow up. "I don't think so. I'll take one of you down with me!"

"Put it down!" Elena yelled, stepping forward, her eyes locked on Cyrus. "You don't want to do this."

He turned to her with a malevolent grin crawling across his face. "And why not? What's one more life lost?"

"Because you are a coward!" Elena flung the words back at her, voice full of conviction. "You hide behind the shadows of your men as your shields and pawns. Shameless!"

Cyrus's face turned red with rage, churning from within. "Do you think you can reach my head? I'm not scared of you."

"You should be scared," Rex sneered his way closer, slow "You have threatened us a long time now and, high time that you taste the fruit."

Cyrus's hand latches onto the crossbow's handle, grip firmly clasped. It felt like everybody held their breath around as all the weight in the entire room fell onto his shoulders-from the survivors to Amara and Lucas-he knows who was counting on him for survival.

"Let her go, Cyrus. You've got nothing left,.

Cyrus cackled maniacally and set the crossbow on Amara. "I'll make a deal with you, Rex. You step aside, and I'll let her leave. You keep your sweet little girl."

Rex's heart sank. Fury ran through his blood. "Do you really think I will stand back while you're threatening her?"

"Think about it!" Cyrus pressed on, his voice now hushed and conspiratorial. "You can save her life, Rex. Just take a step back."

"No!" Amara yelled over the tension. "Don't listen to him! You can't give in!"

The pull of desperation and rage threatened to break through on Rex's end. "You're wrong, Cyrus. I won't let you manipulate me anymore!"

That tension ended as one of the intruders threw a crude Molotov cocktail, flinging it at the ground mere feet from Cyrus's toes. The fire erupted, and everyone recoiled from the explosion. In that chaos, Rex took advantage of the moment.

"Now!" he yelled, barreling at Cyrus.

He felt the flicker of panic flash in Cyrus's eyes as he closed the distance. Rex lunged forward, punching the crossbow from Cyrus's grip and taking him to the ground. They rolled about in the dirt, grappling for control.

"I'm going to kill you," Cyrus spat, trying to punch Rex, but Rex countered by throwing a knee into Cyrus's stomach.

"Not today," Rex growled, pinning down Cyrus's arms.

Chaos surrounded them, but everything faded into nothing in Rex's eyes as he concentrated on the man whom he had been haunted by for such a long time. This was it; this was his chance to reclaim his life and protect those whom he cared about.

"Finish this, Rex!" Lucas screamed from behind, adrenaline dripping through his voice.

With one last burst of energy, Rex met Cyrus's eyes, the unyielding determination building there. "It ends today."

As he fought to deliver his final blow, Rex knew this battle would determine everything.