Chapter 4

     The demon wrapped his hands around Ethan's neck and began to drag him out to the sewer. "Jarvick will appreciate this sacrifice. This is the one that stabbed him isn't it?" The demon holding Ethan asked.
     "Sacrifice? No, Grevo, he does not plan to sacrifice this one. He plans a better fate for him," one of the other two said.
     "What might that be, Svaric?" Grevo asked.
     Svaric stopped dead in his tracks and looked Grevo in the eye. "We do not need to find out. Curious minds get ended quickly in our line of work."
     Grevo cowered down. "I'm sorry for asking, Svaric." They continued walking.
     A shot rang out through the sewers. Svaric dropped to the ground. Grevo and the other demon ducked behind what rubble they could find. Two more shots rang out. "GET UP AND RUN, IDIOT!" Beth's familiar voice rang. He stood up and dragged his leg along as far as he could. Grevo poked his head out to try to retrieve Ethan and a shot stopped him in his tracks. His lifeless body collapsed. The last demon fled and another shot sounded. The demon dropped.
     "Get up. You can walk now. We need to move," Beth's familiar tone of hostility resounded clearly. "Why does it seem that I'm always having to save your sorry ass?"
     "Moron was hurtful enough, thank you," Ethan said. Beth rolled her eyes and began walking down the sewer in the direction she and Charge came.
     "Lucky that Charge saw what was about to happen were we to waltz right down the sewer. You would have been dead." She said.
     "They were talking to each other and said that a 'Jarvick' had a-" Ethan was cut off by a sudden snarl from Charge.
     Suddenly, Charge spoke. "Jaarrrr-vick...betrrrayyy....Chhharrrge." Beth was around his waist in a second.
     "Easy, boy. Calm down. You can't take him down yet. I know he betrayed you, I know how it feels to be betrayed. Your time will come." Slowly Charge calmed down. His raised back spikes slowly flattened out, lips settled from his snarl, and claws gently retracted. "Easy now..."
     Ethan still frozen from shock sputtered out, "That escalated quickly..."
     “I’ve never seen Charge act this way. This is how he usually is in the heat of war!” Beth whispered to Ethan.

“War changes a lot of people,” Ethan said. “You get used to it.” Beth looked at him. Ethan thought he saw a glimmer of something in her gaze. “I’ve seen too many people die. I’ve already been down that road. You get used to losing people.” The glimmer disappeared. Charge whimpered sympathetically. “Let’s go find somewhere else to hide. They’ll probably have heard those shots.” Ethan started limping. The others followed behind him.

Within three hours of walking, scouting, and exploring, the team had found a place to hide. Deep in the bottom floor of a church was a tornado shelter. It was the perfect place for the team to hide for the night.

They were settled down when Beth pulled out Twinkies and a two liter filled with water. They found a couple of cups and a mug from the shelves of the shelter. Beth leaned forward and asked “What was their name?”

Ethan put down his Twinkie. “Sarah,” he said. “Her name was Sarah.” Ethan laid down and rolled over. Beth and Charge looked at each other. Charge leaned forward and put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. Beth came and sat down next to Ethan. She began to speak, but realized that, coming from someone who’s not lost a lot, words of sympathy are hollow. Instead, she laid down on Charge and listened to the rumble of his breathing. She was asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

Ethan stared at the wall. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. I failed you like I always have. I'm so sorry, Sarah," Ethan whispered. Tears rolled down his cheek and he slowly slid into a uneasy slumber.

While all three sets of eyes closed under the church, two sets blinked above the church. Growls of tactical plans were exchanged and the eyes disappeared into the night.