Nell Gallows: The Scarred Sniper of Riøt Squad

Overview

Nell Gallows, code‑name “Bunny,” is the last surviving member of the elite Riøt Squad and the emotional core of Leave Me Behind. Haunted by the death of her mentor Sergeant Jenkins and her role in the massacre that wiped out her team, she is reassigned to Malum Squad. Her body carries physical scars—a bullet wound on her back, a reminder of a mission gone wrong—and deeper psychological wounds from a childhood of violence. Nell struggles between her training as a ruthless killer and a growing desire for a normal life, a conflict that defines her arc.

Plot Role

Nell serves as both protagonist and catalyst. Her arrival at Malum Squad triggers the central conflict: she is blamed for the death of their teammate Achilles during a failed operation. The squad, led by Sergeant Eren, gives her the degrading nickname “Bunny” and subjects her to hostile training missions. Simultaneously, her one‑night stand with Bradshaw (code‑name Bones) unravels secrets from the Prologue—Bradshaw is the soldier who watched his partner Abrahm die, and he now suspects Nell of being the assassin who killed his unit. Nell’s past actions connect the Riøt massacre to Malum’s present, forcing both squads to confront buried truths. Her eventual escape from Jenkins’ fortress with Bradshaw’s help reunites Malum and leads to the story’s climax.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Nell’s primary motivation is survival—not just physical, but emotional. She stays with Malum Squad even after they humiliate her because she “resolved to stay and avenge her fallen Riøt squad” (Chapter 4). This reveals a fierce loyalty to her dead comrades despite her guilt. She is also driven by a need for atonement. In Chapter 31, she begs Bradshaw to kill her, saying “I have had enough of being the weapon … I want freedom. Make a good Riøt soldier out of me and kill me.” Her readiness to die shows she sees herself as irredeemable.

Her traits emerge through action: calculating survival instinct—during the training mission in the Rocky Mountains, she mentally catalogues each squad member’s weaknesses (Chapter 4). Emotional detachment masks deep vulnerability; she laughs coldly after “killing” a sniper with red powder (Chapter 20). Yet she also shows surprising compassion: she briefly comforts Bradshaw when his hand trembles on the flight (Chapter 6), and later apologizes for insulting Achilles. Her resilience is clear when she withstands the squad’s harassment without backing down.

Chronological Arc

1. Before the main story (Prologue): Two years earlier, Nell is a Riøt soldier under Jenkins. A flashback in Chapter 5 (five years before the main timeline) shows Jenkins discovering her after she killed a traitor named Barlet. Instead of reporting her, he offers to mentor her, calling her a “monster like himself.” Their twisted bond begins.

2. Prologue to Chapter 3: After the Riøt massacre, Nell is reassigned to Malum Squad. On the flight, she meets Bradshaw and Eren. She has a one‑night stand with Bradshaw, who later confronts her as the assassin assigned to his unit.

3. Chapters 4‑6: Nell arrives at Malum base, is given the code name “Bunny,” and endures hostility. A flashback shows Jenkins kissing her and corrupting her goodness. She resolves to stay and earn respect.

4. Chapters 20‑21 (flashbacks): During the second training mission, Nell remembers Jenkins’ lesson on breaking a man by taking away what he loves. She also recalls her earlier mission with Jenkins in Black Bay, where she made a mistake that caused his shoulder injury.

5. Chapters 31‑35: Nell and Bradshaw are captured by Hades Squad. Bradshaw refuses to kill her, saying she was “nothing but the weapon that was fired, not the evil that used it.” They are imprisoned; Nell is sexually assaulted by a guard. She feigns submission to survive.

6. Chapters 38‑43: Six months later, Nell is living with Jenkins, who has become a warlord. She longs for Bradshaw. When Jenkins is mortally wounded in battle, Nell kills him at his request, singing “Davy Jones” and receiving a silver music box engraved “So you’ll remember me when I am gone.” She escapes with Bradshaw and Malum.

7. Epilogue (Chapter 44): Five years later, Nell (now called Bunny) lives in Scotland with Bradshaw, Eren, and their son Nathan. The music box still plays, and she shows Bradshaw the scar he left on her back.

Relationships

Key Decisions and Consequences

• Staying with Malum Squad (Chapter 4): Despite the squad’s contempt, Nell decides to stay and avenge Riøt. Consequence: She earns their respect through her skills and bravery, eventually forming bonds that help her escape Jenkins.

• Not killing Bradshaw (Chapter 20): During the training mission, she has multiple clear shots at Bradshaw but holds her fire. Consequence: This preserves the possibility of trust and love between them, though her hesitation also deepens her internal conflict.

• Begging Bradshaw to kill her (Chapter 31): Overwhelmed by guilt, she attempts suicide by Bradshaw’s hand. Consequence: Bradshaw refuses, redefining her identity as a victim rather than a monster. This moment shifts her from death‑seeking to accepting life.

• Killing Jenkins (Chapter 43): After he is mortally wounded, she shoots him at his request. Consequence: She destroys the last link to Riøt and her past servitude, but the act leaves her emotionally shattered. It also frees her to pursue a future with Bradshaw.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Trust and Betrayal: Nell’s life is defined by betrayal—she left Jenkins to die on his orders, and Malum initially betrays her by selling her out. Her arc asks whether trust is possible after such wounds. Trust and Betrayal

Violence and Intimacy: Nell’s relationships are forged in violence. Her bond with Bradshaw begins with a brutal one‑night stand and grows through combat. The Violence and Intimacy theme threads through every interaction.

Trauma and PTSD: Nell suffers flashbacks, nightmares, and suicidal ideation. Her panic when separated from Bradshaw in the elevator (Chapter 35) shows her trauma from captivity. Trauma and PTSD

Sacrifice and Redemption: She sacrifices her innocence to follow Jenkins, then sacrifices her stability to escape him. Bradshaw’s refusal to kill her offers a chance at redemption. Sacrifice and Redemption

Identity and Masks: Nell hides behind multiple masks: the obedient soldier, the cold assassin, the loyal lover. Each mask peels away as she confronts her past. Identity and Masks

The silver music box engraved with “So you’ll remember me when I am gone”—given by Jenkins before his death—symbolizes her imprisonment and her love for him. By keeping it in the epilogue, she acknowledges that part of her will always belong to that past.

5 Book‑Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does Nell stay with Jenkins for six months even after she wants to escape?
She stays partly because she still loves him—their bond is “old, shaking, and rotten to the core, but it is ours.” The novel also shows that Jenkins keeps her under guard; leaving means certain death. Her decision to escape only comes when Bradshaw returns.

2. What does Bradshaw mean when he says Nell is “the weapon that was fired, not the evil that used it”?
He differentiates between Nell as a tool and the true villain (General Nolan or Jenkins). This line redefines her guilt; she was following orders. It allows her to start forgiving herself.

3. Why does Nell kill Jenkins herself instead of letting Bradshaw do it?
She loves him and wants to grant him a peaceful death. She sings “Davy Jones,” his favorite song, and shoots him while whispering “I love you, Jenkins.” It is an act of mercy, not rage.

4. How does the Malum Squad’s attitude toward Nell change over the story?
Initially they blame her for Achilles’ death and harass her. After she saves Bradshaw in the mountains and later escapes with them, they accept her. Eren personally apologizes, and they risk their lives to extract her from Jenkins.

5. What role does the scar on Nell’s back play in the story?
It is a physical mark of her past—a bullet wound from a mission with Jenkins. When Bradshaw touches it in Chapter 3, he asks for the truth about her identity. Later, in the epilogue, Bradshaw sees the scar she carved on his own back and realizes he fell in love with a Riøt soldier. The scar symbolizes the permanent cost of her life.

For more details on the ending and lingering questions, see Ending Explained and Questions and Answers.