Page 136 of Us Defiant Few

But God didn’t sweep down in a mighty force to prevent the soldiers from digging their long syringes into the rest of her family.

One by one, they fell.

Winnie. Derek. Adan.

Until all that was left was Khalani and Takeshi.

Takeshi was motionless, staring at the wall.

Like he didn’t even care.

“DO SOMETHING!” Khalani screamed as one of the men reached into his pocket for another needle, flicking the tip.

Takeshi slowly turned to her, and everything she thought she knew about him was completely gone. He didn’t stare at her like a stranger.

He stared at her like he wished he’d never known her.

And when he held out his hand, the soldier passed him the syringe. Step by infinite step, he moved closer, the needle hanging by his side like a knife.

Khalani sobbed openly, seeing her life flash before her eyes. Every single wrong decision that led to this moment.

“I trusted you, Takeshi!”

He lifted the needle.

“I fucking loved you!”

Takeshi paused, the sharp point centimeters from her neck.

“And I never stopped loving you. Not once. Not even when you forgot all about me.” Her chest rose rapidly as she gazed into his pitch-black eyes. “Takeshi…I don’t know what’s happened, but I know we can still fight together. Please. Please come back to me.”

Her face was a wet canvas of hope and despair, and he hesitated in the face of it.

For a moment, her heart started beating again as he lowered the needle, recognition barely flickering in his eyes. But his spine suddenly stiffened, standing straight like a soldier. Without another word, Takeshi jammed the syringe painfully into her neck.

And Khalani fell into a world of shadow.

* * *

“Ocean levels continue to climb—”

“Leading countries have failed to come to an agreement on the Nuclear Peace Treaty, leading many to believe—”

“The average cost of a home has risen to one million—”

“The newly formed Department of Book Review has banned books containing violence, sexual scenes, and political uprising from all public libraries—”

“Violent protests have broken out across the country—”

“Another record heat wave in the north—”

“Mandatory 6:00 p.m. curfew. Violators will be shot—”

“The polar bear has officially gone extinct—”

“Unemployment is now at 50 percent—”

“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has been disbanded.”