Chapter 24. Bring his head
Meanwhile...
Back in Okutama town, silence filled the old condom factory like a funeral shroud. The scavengers sat scattered across the dim space, each gripping a weapon—some with blades,a few with guns—yet none spoke a word. Eyes were down, and mouths shut.
The only sound was the quiet sobbing of a grown man.
Akira sat hunched over on a crate, his face buried in his hands. The echo of his choked cries bounced off the concrete walls, mixing with the scent of lattex condoms and rust. His tears hit the ground one by one, as if each drop was too heavy to hold in anymore.
Elena... the only woman in their crew. Her body had been found dumped behind one of the buildings, torn apart like garbage. Naked. Her neck severed. Her clothes shredded like tissue. It didn't take a genius to piece together what had been done to her before the end. She was rated. Mercilessly. The image haunted them.
And then there was Gerald.
His right-hand man. His brother in arms.
Stabbed to death. Not once. Not twice. But so many times the body barely looked human. His throat was slit so deep the esophagus was hanging out. Akira had seen a lot in his time—but even in war zones, death hadn't looked this personal.
He held his chest like it might burst. Rage. Grief. Helplessness. It all mixed into something sharp and bitter in his throat.