Chapter 8: Take a Chance

Chad’s gaze remained on her. Seeing that he had no intention of answering her, she continued, “but if you would take me in, I’d gladly help around. There are many things I can do.”

His brows lifted slightly, his expression amused. Stacy hopped over to lean against the window. Settling down, she crossed her arms in front of her. There were a few moments of silence as both of them stared at each other.

“Why?” Chad finally broke the silence. “What?” Stacy countered. “Why the change of mind? I’m sure you’ve always wanted to leave,” Chad elaborated his question. “An enemy's enemy is a friend. Now that the Vipers are after me, don’t you think it’s wiser to team up with their enemy?”

“You’ve got a point, but know that we don’t simply take people in,” his tone was neutral but she could get the meaning behind his words.

“I’m an orphan,” she started, “I’ve traveled to many places and done many different jobs. For instance, I’ve spent a few years in a workshop. Bikes, weapons, or anything mechanical, I could help with those.”

Chad studied her some more, his gaze unwavering. Stacy maintained eye contact, not willing to back down.

“Were you involved with the Vipers before this?” His sudden question nearly caught her off guard. “That day in Ivory when we met,” her answer was short. “Any encounters before that day?” He probed further. “That was my first day here.”

‘That wasn’t a yes or no answer,’ Chad thought, ‘she is either tactful by nature or has something to hide.’

“Where were you before you came to this town?” He continued drilling her with questions. “Cantor. It’s a small town up north. I spent some time there working on a farm before moving on my backpacking journey.” She hoped she didn’t show any sign of guilt. She wasn’t lying. She did stop a little longer in Cantor compared to any other places. It’s one of the most decent and innocent-sounding job she could think of in her long list of blood-smeared gigs. And backpacking is a more gentle way of saying ‘I packed lightly since I’ve got nothing at all and I stopped very briefly at every accomodation because I can’t wait to reach this town and kill everyone who tortured both my mother and I’.

Remembering her outburst when she woke up earlier, Chad decided to change the direction of the question. “What happened to your mother?” Her eyes widened as she stared at him in shock. “What.. do you mean?” She managed the words in her state of shock.

“Nothing. Just curious… about how you ended up being an orphan. You were screaming about something in your sleep.” At that moment, she really wanted to slap herself. “What did I say?” She probed. “You wanted to kill someone,” he said casually as he placed his hands in his pocket.

“I’m sure it was a random nightmare. I can’t remember the details now,” she tried to sound as dismissive as she could. She hoped her poker face could cover her uneasiness under his scrutinizing eyes.

“We started on shaky ground. Let’s start over with the introduction. I’m Chad, the leader of the Reaper gang. The Vipers are our mortal enemy. Many of our men were killed by them. Some of us narrowly escaped their fangs. My guard was up around you as I thought you might be a spy sent by them. When you ran away, we considered the probability of a sneak attack so I had men guard the clubhouse as we tracked you down.”

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly. “How was the fight?” “What do you mean?” he asked, confused. “Literal meaning.”

“We managed to bring you back so that answered the question, right? Their men went back wounded. Our men sustained some wounds too but nothing too severe. It’s just the nature of fights.”

‘Shit. All of these happened because of me,’ the random thought suddenly popped out in her mind. Studying the man in front of her, she felt a certain degree of remorse. It’s the nature of their living that had her keeping her guards up. Without the filter, they were really some decent humans.

“It always is..” she mumbled as she looked down. “What?” Chad’s question brought her back to reality. “Nothing. I still have a severe injury so it wouldn’t be smart to continue my journey right now. Judging by what happened with the redhead, the best way to stay alive is to stay with your gang. I can provide top equipment and internal support while I’m here and I will have a safe place to recover in the meantime. What’d you say?”

“I’d give it a thought. Rest up and rest assured. We’re not that cruel to throw you out to die in this state.” Right after he said those words, he moved to leave. As the door closed, the room was left in silence once again. She fixed her gaze at the door. It’s the same old emptiness and silence she’s familiar with.

Stacy closed her eyes and quietly contemplated her choice. ‘We have the same enemy. We’re used to death and life in chaos. There’s nothing to lose. With or without me here, they’re bound to the dangers out there. We simply team up for our mutual benefit,’ she told herself. “I’m a selfish bitch who uses people I meet on my way to my goal as stepping stones. Everyone alive is as selfish. No one is different,” she whispered. I don’t deserve to belong in any group. I’m not worth it. But I want to try. This time, let me take a chance.

Chad went down to the garage and worked on his bike for hours on end. The sun has set when he’s done. He sat and lit a cigarette. “I heard you sent Neil up north to investigate that girl,” Zalen’s voice broke through the silence. Chad looked up to see Zalen settling down near him. He proceeded to huff out a considerate amount of smoke. “Yes, I did,” he said.

“Why bother?” Came his reply. “I have to make sure.”

“You’re considering taking her in?” Zalen asked as he wiped his hands on a cloth. “I don’t know,” Chad stared at the burning cigarette, “I have a feeling she could help us take down the Vipers.”

Zalen hummed in response. “It’ll take some time to convince the rest if that’s the case,” he said. “That reminds me, how’s the weapon acquisition going?” Chad’s eyes lit up at the thought. “The Vipers are not backing down. The price keeps rising. George demanded a cutthroat amount the last time we met.”

“Let’s give it a go,” Chad said, the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly.