Chapter 94
Clementine:
I was carrying the baby, walking straight toward nowhere. After a while, I stopped running because I was tired, and running was making the baby anxious. I calmed him down and saw he had no visible injuries. Thankfully, he was wrapped in thick clothes that had helped prevent injury from the fall. I looked back at the empty road. It was a cold night, and I hugged the baby tightly to keep him warm. But I couldn’t help wondering what happened to Haiden, Troy, and Yorick. I sighed and kept walking until I saw one of the tallest buildings in the distance. I knew I had reached the biggest city yet. From here, the true north began, and the collection of monsters would start. I didn’t know what to do. If I walked back, I knew there would be many fleshmingos waiting for me. That’s where they had all been herded together. And now the baby was probably hungry too. I realized they hadn’t given us any food for the babies. It was so messed up.
“Well, at least they had left bags at the station for us,” Mint reminded me.
The ringleader had told us to leave the child care bags at the station, which now felt so wrong to me. Why would they do that? Did they not want us to save these babies? You’d think that if you were sending your warriors on deadly missions, you’d give them as many weapons and as much comfort as possible. It had been weighing on me heavily.
“But I cannot go back. We won’t survive the fleshmingos when I am tired, it is dark and the baby is starving,” I complained aloud, stopping because my legs hurt. I had been running for so long, probably three hours. I couldn’t run anymore. I was starving, and I was so worried about my squadmates.
“And what makes you think moving forward will get you any food? Did you not see the food containers? They’re all expired,” Mint said. She was right, but it was a chance I was willing to take. I kept walking, giving her the silent treatment because she wouldn’t stop telling me to go back.
Morning began to arrive. The sky cleared a little, but it was still dark. The baby woke up again. Of course, he was so little. He needed food. I had cleaned my thumb with my clothes, and he had been sucking on it for a while. But how long could that last? I found an abandoned bus stop and sat on the bench, holding the baby.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I could help you more,” I whispered through tears, my lips quivering.
“And how exactly would you do that?” a deep, smooth voice came from behind me, making my body jolt. I turned my head quickly. I was in such a state that I didn’t even think it might be my squadmate. My first thought was that it was a monster. When I turned and stared into his gray eyes, I realized it was indeed a monster—Ian. He leaned his elbows on the back of the bench, hunched down, smirking. He looked fresh, too.
“You,” I grunted. “What are you doing here?” I asked him furiously. I meant on the city side.
“Um, I thought this was the safest place for now. I’ve been here for a few hours and haven’t seen a single monster. So I figured I’d just waste my time here before going back home.” He walked around to sit beside me. I looked at him, sizing him up before frowning.
“You can’t go back if you don’t have a baby,” I said, “They will send you back here for a week.” I reminded him.
He sat there casually until my words sank in. Then he shook his head, suddenly standing like he was in a panic.
“Where did he go?” he asked himself. He ran behind a small wall and came back holding a baby—a freaking baby he had left there.
“You had a baby on the ground?” I complained.
“I thought somebody else was here, so I hid the baby for a while,” he said, looking exhausted as he placed the baby on his thighs and crossed his arms.
“You might want to hold him close to your chest. It’s freezing,” I told him, annoyed at how carelessly he was holding the baby.
“Listen, I’m not really the child kind of guy. I hate kids. So the fact that I’ve secured one should be enough for the day,” he said, shaking his head.
I looked at the baby and smiled. “She’s so pretty p>
Ian glanced down and hunched more. “How do you know it’s a girl? I thought it was a boy p>
“She’s in pink for a reason. Her mother must have been really connected to her,” I said. She even had a little bracelet with handmade bows around her wrist.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think her mother’s going to be taking care of her,” he muttered, clicking his tongue.
“How is your baby so calm?” I asked.
Ian actually thought about it, then looked at me. “Oh, wait, I guess I have something for you.” He stood, leaving the baby on the bench. I quickly pulled the baby toward me. Now I was holding two, but I could manage. Ian came back with a big bag.
“It’s okay. Leave her here. I’m trying not to spoil her too much,” he said, making me groan. Talking to Ian so casually felt strange, but I guess being alone together made it happen.
“Let me show you magic,” Ian said, and I was all ears. But what he brought out wasn’t magic at all—it was just him breaking yet another rule from the ringleaders.
Then I saw him unzip the bag and inside was baby food and diapers.
“Ian, we were supposed to leave this bag at the station,” I groaned with a hint of frustration.
He smirked, showing me how much was inside without a care in the world. He didn’t even mind that I was staring at him with shock-filled eyes. Then, in a very soft and sexy tone, he asked, “So, what do you say? We feed them, Mommy?” and my heart skipped a beat.