Thunder by Zahra Girard

Author:Zahra Girard [Girard, Zahra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Thunder

The sterile light in Eileen's hospital room casts a pale glow on her sleeping form, the creases of exhaustion etched into her face. I can't help but feel a pang of guilt for what she's been through. The air smells like a mix of sick and old people, and machines emit chirps and clicks at odd intervals. Nothing about this place feels right.

Owen, Natalie, and Bullet are with me, sitting on worn chairs that have seen better days. There’s a half-eaten tray of food sitting in front of Eileen. Just minutes ago, she ate some mushy peas, stale bread, and something the nurse said was meatloaf, but looked so terrible it probably had Eileen wishing the poison had finished the job, but now, she’s asleep, her body giving in to the need for rest. Looking around the room at all four of us gathered around her bed, I can't help but think about the important things in life.

"Nothing matters more than family," I say, my voice cracking slightly as I glance at each one of them. "We look out for each other. No matter what. We’re going to beat these developers, and we’re going to make sure no one messes with Eileen, or anyone else, ever again."

"Absolutely," Owen agrees, nodding solemnly. His eyes meet mine with a sense of understanding, knowing all too well the importance of unity in shaky times like these. "We're stronger together. We’ll beat this thing together."

Natalie clears her throat, drawing our attention to her. She’s been quiet a lot lately, but I don’t blame her; it’s hard to feel comfortable speaking up when the people you’re talking to—me, Owen, Bullet—problem-solve with guns and fists instead of words. "You know, that's why I pursued hard-hitting stories as a journalist," she says, hesitant. "I wanted to find information that would help make our town safer and better for the people who live in it. If you guys can get me anything at all about Mar y Tierra, I can really make them hurt."

"Sis, we’ll bring you in, I promise, but we have to be careful. I don’t want anyone else to end up like grandma," Owen says. "Bullet, Thunder, me, we’re all here to take those bullets.”

“Yes, but also, I’d rather not,” I say, grinning.

“We’re soldiers. That’s what we do,” Owen says. “When I joined the military, I wanted to protect my country, my friends... everyone I care about. It’s the same thing here." He hesitates for a moment before continuing. "My grandfather did the same thing, too. He fought, he’d be fighting if he were still alive. He was in the same Marine unit as me. They called him Striker."

"Striker?" Bullet asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," Owen nods. "He never backed down from a fight. Even when it was against someone bigger, stronger, or higher-ranking than him. He got disciplined a lot. I like to think I inherited some of that from him."

Bullet and I share a brief look of understanding; the Steel Reapers MC could use someone like Owen—someone with a strong sense of loyalty and duty.

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