Chapter 14 Y–you Killed Them!
Kiara hesitated before pulling over to the side of the road. She got out and walked toward the tiger cub,
The apocalypse was unbearably dull–having a little companion like a tiger cub would make things far less lonely.
And this wasn’t just any animal–it was a tiger.
A tiger with real killing power.
Finished
Right now, that killing power was letting out pitiful cries. Even as Kiara approached, it bristled and hissed at her, fur standing
end.
Kiara pulled out a packet of plain beef jerky from her pocket; she crouched down and held it out. “Go on. Eat.”
The cub eyed her warily, but the smell of meat was too tempting. Snatching it up in its tiny jaws, it turned to run–only to stumble after a single step and collapse, letting out a pained whimper.
Blood matted its fur. Kiara couldn’t tell how bad the injury was.
She reached out cautiously, brushing her fingers over the fur along its spine.
Maybe it sensed she meant no harm. Or maybe the pain was just too much. Either way, the cub glanced up at her weakly before letting its head loll to the side and losing consciousness.
“You want to save it?” a voice called from behind. Kiara turned to see Joy standing there. She didn’t answer, just scooped the cub into her arms–clear enough as an answer.
Joy hummed, then stepped closer, running her hands gently over the cub. Finally she smiled. “Good news–just a broken hind leg.
That made Kiara study her more closely. “Medical training?”
“Student at Capital Medical University,” Joy replied, puffing up her chest proudly,
A straight–A med student.
That was a pleasant surprise.
Kiara glanced down at the restless bundle in her arms. She asked, “Can you treat it?”
“No problem,” Joy said with confidence.
“Good. I’ve got a military–grade first aid kit in my truck,” Kiara replied, relieved.
Joy didn’t waste a second–she found two sturdy sticks nearby and hopped into the passenger seat of Kiara’s Hummer, working quickly to set the bone and wrap it up.
For Joy, it was a minor operation, but it still took nearly half an hour. By the time they finished plenty of people were already heading back from the supermarket.
Joy’s supplies were nearly gone, and she was eager to restock. “Uh… are you still going to the supermarket?” she asked cautiously.
Kiara had only planned to make an appearance there, but she wasn’t heartless–Joy had helped her, after all.
She nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go
After a pause, she added, Tm Kiara”
Joy’s face lit up. “Tm Joy–you know, that beauty famous for being locked up in the history book, the same Joy” Kiara just stared at her for a beat. Well, here’s hoping her story doesn’t live up to the irony of her name. When they reached the supermarket, it was noticeably emptier than last time.
The apocalyptic rumors were clearly spreading fast–staples like rice, flour, and cooking oil were almost gone.
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Chapter 14 Y–you Killed Them!
Finished
Joy didn’t even glance at the grain section. She made a beeline for the snack aisle, dumping a dozen bags of chips into her
cart until it was full.
“You’re not buying rice?” Kiara asked, baffled.
“I don’t own a pot, and I can’t cook,” Joy said matter–of–factly. “Besides, once the volcano finishes erupting, the environment will improve. We just have to wait it out.”
Kiara didn’t bother arguing. “Suit yourself.”
She tossed a few bags of chips into her cart as well, keeping up appearances.
After a quick, half–hearted sweep through the aisles, she and Joy pushed their carts to the checkout.
As expected, prices had jumped sharply, but at least the place hadn’t descended into chaos yet–people were still lining up and paying like normal.
Once the bill was paid, Kiara loaded her supplies into the back of her Hummer. She and Joy pulled out of the lot, driving one after the other toward Skyhaven.
It was a mountaintop community famous for its garden above the clouds view, offering a sweeping panorama of half the city of Zloria.
Midway up the mountain, as Kiara rounded a bend, something on the pavement caught her eye–a neat row of metal tire spikes. She spotted them too late. The Hummer rolled right over them with a muted crunch.
Her vehicle had been specially reinforced and barely flinched, but Joy’s Ferrari wasn’t so lucky.
A sharp bang–bang–bang rang out as all four tires blew. Joy fought the wheel with both hands, narrowly keeping the sports car from skidding over the cliff’s edge.
Out of the dark brush burst several young men–scruffy, cocky, each brandishing a long blade and wearing smirks that promised trouble. They swarmed the Ferrari in seconds. One leapt onto the hood, bringing his knife down in a vicious arc that spiderwebbed the windshield. Hand over your cash!” he barked.
Joy, still green to the ways of the world, froze.
Her eyes were wet with fear, but she knew better than to resist. Wordlessly, Joy pulled her wallet from her bag and handed it to the man with a lecherous smile loitering at her car door.
He took it without looking inside–his attention fixed on her face. A greedy gleam lit his eyes as he clamped his rough hand around her arm. “Pretty little thing, aren’t you?” he jeered to the others. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a treat like this Tonight, let’s have some fun, boys.”
Kiara had been ready to stay out of it, but those words made her brow crease.
The others hooted in agreement, reaching for the handle to drag Joy out of the car
Tears streaked Joy’s checks. This is a lawful country! What you’re doing is a crime–I’ll call the police and have you all arrested!
“Hahaha! Hilarious!” The leader just laughed, yanking her toward him. He jabbed a finger toward the road. “Police? Don’t
make me laugh. We already took out every camera here. No witnesses, no evidence–who’s gonna-
He never finished the sentence; a blade punched through his back.
His face twisted in agony as le spun around, disbelief written across his features. Standing behind him was a lier expression flat and cold.
woman in black.
Kiara twisted his neck, forcing him back toward the cliff. Her switchblade flashed–one clean stroke across his throat. A hard kick sem his body tumbling into the darkness below.
The remaining men tightened their grips on their blades, glancing at each other in unease. They’d only noticed the Ferrari get hit–they hadn’t even realized the Hummer was still there.
So focused on their prize, none of them saw the moment Kiara slipped out of her truck and closed in like a shadow.
Joy rubbed her arm where she’d been wrenched around, scrambled to her feet, and grabbed at Kiara’s sleeve in panic. “Kiara
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Chapter 14 Y–you Killed Them!
—ler’s just run!”
Finished
“Run? After hurting my buddy? Not a chance, one of the men snarled. The group exchanged a glance, eyes glinting with malice, then charged with their blades raised.
Kiara spun the switchblade in her hand, lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t back down–she ran straight toward them.
Two months of intense training had honed her strength, and she was curious to see exactly how hard she could hit now.
The first man swung his blade at her head. She slipped under it like water and, without a second’s hesitation, drove her blade into his heart.
She’d been trained in kickboxing since she was a child, and the brutal chaos she’d survived had taught her only one kind of skill–strikes that killed in a single blow.
Her fingers clenched tight around the handle. She twisted the blade inside his chest before planting a hard kick that sent him over the cliff, letting the night swallow him whole.
Another man rushed in, but Kiara dropped him in just a few quick moves.
By now she’d realized they were nothing but second–rate street thugs. Her guard eased.
The last man standing looked at her as if she were some avenging spirit, the kind that crawled out of nightmares. He’d just watched her cut down his companions and kick their bodies over the cliff, and his legs trembled so hard he could barely stay upright.
With a clatter, his knife hit the ground. “Y–you you killed them! I’m calling the cops!”
Kiara calmly wiped the blood from her blade onto her sleeve and strode toward him, her voice cool and steady. “Funny You’re the ones who tore out the cameras. No witnesses, no evidence–who’s going to stop me?”
She
gave his leader’s earlier taunt back to him word for word.
When she reached him, she bent down, gripped him like a sack of grain, and dragged him to the cliff’s edge. One clean stroke across the throat, and his body joined the others in the abyss.
Turning back, Kiara met Joy’s eyes. The girl was staring at her, wide–eyed–her expression a stranger’s, filled with shock and something close to fear.
In her hand, Joy clutched a long blade she picked up from the ground. She took an instinctive step back.
Kiara’s eyes narrowed. Her fingers tightened around the switchblade in her hand.
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