Monster (double drabble)

The bodies had been removed. The man and his daughter had been taken to a safe house. Napoleon went looking for Jo and found her in the garden staring out into the night, hand on the gun on her lap.

“Jo.”

She turned tears in her eyes which she wiped quickly when she saw him coming.

“Moya lyubov you’re crying?”

“Am I a monster?”

She had killed the men when they tried to kidnap the frightened child to prevent her father talking.   He had called her a ‘monster’ for letting his daughter see death.

“You aren’t.   We protect innocents. Killing is sometimes part of it.” He pulled her close to him, kissing her hair.

She buried herself in his chest soaking up his comfort. They sat quietly until he slowly felt her begin to relax.

“Why are we often hated?”

“Jo the world wants to be safe, but doesn’t want to know how it’s kept that way. We give our all, including our lives, but we’re often viewed as bad as the men we fight. It won’t change until the world does. Until then we have each other.”

He saw a small smile and knew she’d be okay once more.