Page 117 of Bonds of Hercules
Golden hair blowing as she raised a gun and a knife, glaring at the Titans with determination.
Alexis wasn’t weak. She didn’t need my pity.
Kharon palmed a gun.Click.He slid in a cartridge and flicked off the safety.
“What are you doing?” I snapped.
Ignoring me, Kharon stomped down the gravel road toward the row of dilapidated trailers, gun raised and his black cloak trailing behind him.
I stalked after him.
Sighing, I reached down my hand to offer—
Poco isn’t with you anymore.
My heart squeezed.
Kharon banged on the door of a trailer, scoffing at the hand-painted sign hanging above it:Private property, organ harvesters beware.
“Open the door,” Kharon shouted. “Or I’m kicking it in.”
The various metal sheets, patched together to create the front of the trailer, rattled like they were going to fall apart.
The door flew open.
A portly middle-aged man held up a crowbar. “I’m gonna fucking whack you, you goddamned—”
Kharon smiled with his teeth.
“S-S-Spartans?” the man whispered in horror, crowbar dropping as he stumbled back.
Since we stood taller than the peeling door frame, we had to duck our heads to keep him in our vision.
Have humans always been so puny?
I pulled out the pictures of Alexis and Charlie that I’d secretly taken at dinner last week.
“What can you tell me about this girl and boy?”
The man blanched and shook his head, his eyes darting around. “I d-don’t know them.”
“You’re lying.” Kharon held the gun up to his head.
Whimpering, the man’s mouth opened and closed with a wheeze.
A woman appeared.
Gray-haired, wearing hole-riddled clothes, she cleared her throat as she pointed to the picture I was holding. Her arm was covered in fresh bruises.
“Alexis and Charlie,” she whispered. “Those rug rats lived behind the tree line … Good kids. Everyone in town knew about them—especially Alexis … She was a prodigy. We heard she’s a Spartan.” Her voice filled with awe. “Is it true?”
Kharon worked his jaw back and forth. “Why… did no one help her?” he asked.
“Shut the fuck up, Katie.” The man whirled toward the woman. “Don’t say another goddamn word or I’ll—”
Thud.
He dropped to the floor with a splattering sound.
