The Regulator (Complete First Draft)

Chapter 56: Annaliese - Rule One

“I don’t want him to ever come back!” James shouted through tears. He stood, red in the face with tears streaming down his cheeks, in the middle of the room right in front of Annaliese.

Everything was a mess. James, who was always calm and rational, was breaking down in front of her. Jaxon was silently sobbing on his bed, face buried in his pillow. Niko, Anthony, and Danny all seemed to stunned to do much other than sit on their beds and look out the windows. Seth was crying into his arms while he sat in a corner of the cabins main room. Ivan and Gabi were standing at the front door, solemnly looking down at the ground, avoiding having to look at the kids around them and at Annaliese.

Annaliese didn’t know what too do. She had felt so close to Andrew, especially as the apocalypse took place around them and trapped them together. She almost felt that she loved him. He had always been kind and compassionate, and not just to her but to everyone. To see him kill so many people, so quickly and so uncaringly, was shocking. She couldn’t handle it. She wanted to believe that the old Andrew was in there somewhere, but she didn’t know if he’d ever show that side again after something like that.

“James, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Annaliese said. She couldn’t think of anything else.

“It’s not! We trusted him. He was our counselor, our friend. We thought he was a good guy. But he’s not. He’s a monster. He’s exactly what he warned us about.” James shouted.

“He’s still Andrew. He’s still in there somewhere. He killed those people to protect you because of what they did to Brad. He killed four people yes but…”

“Five” Ivan commented. “He killed five today. He killed a guy when we were out on that mission. But to be honest… the guy deserved it.”

“Ivan, get out.” Annaliese demanded, exasperated.

“No. No I don’t think I will.” Ivan said, getting confrontational. He stepped forward into the main room. Gabi rolled her eyes and looked away.

“Ivan…”

“What? I should calm down? Everyone’s treating Andrew, the only person who’s taken survival even remotely seriously, like some kind of Monster. He killed five people. Five bad people who didn’t deserve to live anymore.” Ivan shouted.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Annaliese argued, her voice fumbling.

“Oh I don’t, huh? I was with him. I saw what that man at the house had done to people… what he was going to do to people. And then we come back to find out that Brad’s dead and theirs a whole group of bad people who we can’t trust. They deserved what they got, and Andrew gave it to them.” Ivan declared, he looked over at the still crying James, “Sorry, kid. Suck it up.”

“He’s a monster…” Niko whispered from his bed. Ivan quickly walked over to him and looked Niko angrily in the face.

“Andrew killed monsters to protect you. He lived with you and gave you a home to protect you. He taught you how to use a gun to protect you. And he killed those people to protect you. What’s rule number one?”

“Love life, friends, and family…” Niko muttered, his knees pulled up to his chin.

“We’re the closest thing to family we have left. Me, You, Anthony, Jaxon, James, Seth, Gabi, Annaliese, and Andrew. We do everything for each other, that’s why he did what he did.” Ivan said.

“Ivan’s right.” Annaliese said. “Andrew may have done some horrible things recently. But he is not evil. He is not a monster. I can’t change what you all may think of him now, but you should know that he isn’t evil. He isn’t a monster.”

“Monster’s come in many forms.” Gabi said, still looking out the front door’s window. She turned to face the group in the main room, all eyes were on her. “Maybe he’s just a good one.”