Chapter 24 #2
If Lowell attacks Kinsley, my last hope of going home is no more.
Worse yet, Nilsan will use Lowell’s aggression as an invitation to open fire and level the Gaia 4 compound.
While I don’t fully understand Kinsley’s intentions, I can’t sit back and watch him be gifted a reason to abandon diplomacy due to Lowell’s inability to control himself.
I can’t let either of these idiots kill everyone.
If I can get to the Nilsan side, Lowell will behave. He won’t want to hurt me.
Probably.
My heart squeezes. I have no idea what I’ll do, but by how it’s escalating, I don’t have time to think it through.
I lurch forward quickly enough that Guy can’t react, narrowly avoiding his outstretched, clawing hands that try to pull me back.
“Lowell!” I scream, bolting out from behind the barricades.
“May! Stop!” Guy shouts after me.
“Take his offer, Lowell, please!” I yell, knocking into Gaia 4 soldiers on my path to Kinsley.
If there is a chance this can end without violence, I’ll do whatever I can. Lowell’s too bullheaded to see that he stands to lose everything.
Both Kinsley and Lowell whip their heads to face me in stunned expressions. Nilsanian soldiers raise their firearms reflexively, but Kinsley signals them to stand down.
“Wow. You’re actually alive?” Kinsley asks, recoiling from the sight of me.
Although the rope around my wrists has loosened to the point of falling off, I keep them fixed behind my back. Allowing myself to look helpless will put Kinsley, and the Nilsanian soldiers, at ease.
Lowell glowers at me wordlessly. His gaze shifts to Guy, who hangs back in a dumbfounded position. For a moment, I feel bad for him.
“I’m alive, sir. They didn’t hurt me,” I say, stepping in line next to Kinsley like a faithful subordinate.
Lowell’s posture changes from offensive to defensive, just as I’d hoped.
“I’ll fill you in on the details when we return to Nilsan, Director,” I say while saluting Kinsley. “They rescued me after I got caught up in a sandstorm. They mean no harm to me.”
The look chiseled into Kinsley’s face is… strange. He gapes at me with anger and confusion, as though he’s seen the ghost of someone he despised. Nevertheless, he forces a smile.
“May, I still need to barter for you,” Kinsley whispers through gritted teeth.
I don’t dare look at Lowell.
“Well, here I am. So make good on your initial agreement, and let’s return. No need to escalate this any further,” I urge, my voice shaking with nerves.
“We didn’t agree on anything,” Lowell snaps, the words almost inaudible through the low rumble. The guttural noises pull my attention to his waist, my eyes avoiding his powerful glare. He grips his hip tightly, nails pinching into the scales and straining to burst.
“Let me go,” I mouth, knowing Lowell’s attention is on only me. “Avoid violence.”
“I suggest you reconsider, as we want to get May home as soon as possible,” Kinsley says. “At least allow her back to our vehicles for medical attention. Then I’m sure we can work out something from here.” His tone is disingenuous at best.
“She’s already had—” Lowell begins, but he stops suddenly when I look up to catch his gaze. His expression harbors betrayal, annoyance mixing with dismay. It’s a face I didn’t think I’d ever see from him.
“Trust me, please,” I mouth again. “No violence. This won’t end well.”
He doesn’t know that this is the best outcome possible. Kinsley will kill everyone in his squad just to hurt Lowell the tiniest amount.
A myriad of emotions wash over Lowell as he deciphers the underlying meaning of my words. From the flash of realization in his eyes that turns to darkness, he doesn’t like what I’ve decided.
With a sharp inhale, Lowell pinches his mouth. “I expect more supplies than initially promised, as well as weapons.”
Thank the Goddess.
Kinsley hums, twisting the ends of his mustache in consideration.
An exhale pours from my chest in relief.
“Good luck,” I whisper, hoping he can keep his composure long enough to complete the transaction without incident.
I’m both shocked and relieved that he listened, and I wish I could explain everything to him.
Leaving this way feels even worse than before, but while this isn’t how I wanted us to part, it’s not as if anything has been on my terms thus far.
Still, part of me wants to touch him one last time, breathe his scent, hear his heartbeat, listen to whatever obscene “compliment” he has for me —
Focus.
Shooting daggers without turning his head away from Lowell, Kinsley jerks his head behind him. “Go back to the vehicles and have someone inspect your injuries. Clear?”
I swallow the lump in my throat, nodding. “Understood, sir.”
Kinsley’s mustache twitches at the corners as he returns attention to the behemoth Lizardfolk, puffing out his chest proudly. “Well, what exactly is it you need? I have a month’s worth of dried meats, various spices…” He trails off.
I drop my gaze to the ground as I approach the vehicle, but stay cautious of the soldiers who make varying degrees of repulsive faces.
Part of me wants to turn around, a feeling so nagging that the sand feels like weights trying to tether me in place. No matter how difficult, I fight the urge. The sooner I get back to Nilsan, the sooner this whole nightmare will be over and done with.
But for now, I have a plan and promise to keep. One I must keep hidden from Kinsley at all costs.