They went into his office. Major Fulton found the recording. He pressed the playback button and the two of them listened.
“This convoy Delta. Left the pickup point ten minutes ago. We just arrived on highway nine,” The drive of the convoy said.
“Understood, Convoy Delta,” a dispatcher said.
“Our ETA is around twenty minutes,” The driver informed.
“Truck number one?”
“Go ahead, truck three,”
“Do you see those lights up there?”
“I do. I think it is a State Trooper doing a pullover. This highway was supposed to be clear.”
“He must have gotten a straggler.”
Major Fulton turned off the recording before he spoke to Marx.
“Soon after that, the convoy was attacked. I am willing to bet that other attacks had a state trooper present,”
“Which means the trooper is helping the people who raid the trucks?” Marx asked.
“Correct, Sergeant,”
“What do we do now?” Sergeant Marx asked.
“We have to find the State Trooper.”
Chapter 13
Growing Closer
The gun hadn’t moved from Jonah Schweppes’s head. Mr. Reese stormed out of the meeting. He showed no signs of wishing to join the Democratic Insurgence. Why now was he asking for another meeting?
Jonah was near tears. Captain Underwood walked up behind Sarah. He seemed to be just as mistrusting of Jonah as Ms. Hill was. It seemed for the first time since they had met Ms. Hill, Sarah, and Captain Underwood were on the same page.
“Why would he want another meeting?” Captain Underwood asked.
“He must have been impressed. I wasn’t there. He didn’t tell me how it went. He called me and said to come by and arrange another meeting.” Jonah said his was voice shaking.
“He practically told us he wasn’t going to join,” Ms. Hill added. She had left her guards to see what Jonah had to say.
“He did?” Jonah asked confused. “He didn’t have that tone with me.”
“Is there a way he used Mr. Schweppes to lure us into a trap?” Sergeant Miller asked.
“He wouldn’t do that!” Jonah protested. “If you all wanted us to join you so bad then you could have reached out to him. You reached out to me. If I had given you up then you wouldn’t have spent so much time here.”
“He brings up a good point,” Steven said.
Sarah followed his logic also. It wasn’t a secret where they were hiding. Several people knew where they were. Sarah suddenly felt a sick feeling. It seemed like they weren’t as safe as they thought they were.
“Maybe he does want to join,” Mary started. “If he thinks he could get something out of us rather than you, Will or Steven. Then it makes sense he would want to meet with us. Sarah was willing to work with what he asked.”
“It still seems off,” Captain Underwood said.
“I think we can rule him out as being a part of what is going on,” Sarah pointed at Jonah who hadn’t been able to leave the ground. Captain Underwood nodded in agreement and Sarah put the gun away. She held out a hand to help Jonah up.
“You aren’t going to put a gun in my face every time I come here will you?” Jonah asked this with a slight chuckle but Sarah could tell he was serious.
“No promises,” Captain Underwood said.
Captain Underwood, smirked but Sarah didn’t think he was joking. Jonah asked if the girls were available the following day to meet. Captain Underwood told him that he would be in contact soon. Sarah had a hunch he wanted to plan more before he agreed to the next meeting. Jonah left the house quickly. He showed no sign of trying to hide his fear. The group was silent as the car drove away. Captain Underwood instructed Ms. Hill and two guards to sleep in the hotel room. He concluded that they still didn’t know the team had those rooms. He figured she would be safer in that area than in the townhome. Sarah wasn’t sure who the ‘they’ was. Ms. Hill didn’t argue. She left with Agent Young and Agent Mason. When the three of them left the room Captain Underwood spoke.
“We need to get out of this country,”
“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked.
“This isn’t right. We aren’t safe here. More importantly, Ms. Hill isn’t safe here,” Captain Underwood explained.
“I agree.” Sergeant Miller said.
“We can’t leave,” Mary said. “We have to get these people to join. That is the mission. Without them, we won’t last in an open war.”
“We are already lasting.” Captain Underwood argued.
Sarah had never seen the two of them act like this. They always seemed to be the people who had each other’s back. No matter what.
“We aren’t even close to being in open war. Reese was right. We need them. Whether we like it or not he has to join.” Mary fired back.
“You want someone like that to be a part of the war? Look at the way he treats people!” Captain Underwood thundered.
“If that someone will help us win. Will, we can’t go back with nothing.”
“We can’t have you three doing the negotiating,” Steven said. “It is too dangerous.”
“Are you kidding me?” Mary said in a fake shocked voice. “Too dangerous? I am a soldier in the Insurgence. My whole job is dangerous. You can’t tell me everything we have been through wasn’t dangerous.”
Steven blushed and looked for a brief moment at Sarah then to the ground. Sarah was his concerns and Mary seemed to get the idea.
“I am more trained than anyone here.”
“Speaking of that,” Sergeant Miller started. “Didn’t Jonah say he was SAS? He didn’t act like it. He got the gun in his face and broke down.”
“I thought that too,” Orson said. Orson hadn’t spoken he seemed to be watching from afar taking in everything. “Could he have lied to us?”
“If he lied about that then we can’t take anything he said as truth.” Captain Underwood explained.
“We need to be in on the meeting then,” Sergeant Miller said.
“No one is going to a meeting,” Captain Underwood said.
“Your wife is right though. We do need this. We can’t just go home.” Sergeant Miller said.
He seemed defeated. Sarah figured he would have wanted to get back home as fast as possible. They had been roughing it for months. She wouldn’t blame him for wanting to get back and have a break. Sergeant Miller was intent on finishing the mission.
“He won’t let me in,” Captain Underwood said annoyed.
Mary was smirking, she knew she was right and now Captain Underwood knew it.
“I’ll go,” Steven volunteered.
Sarah tried to hide her smile. Was Steven trying to protect her? He must have been. She didn’t need protection. The thought was cute and it seemed to light a fire in her.
Captain Underwood thought for a moment. “If Reese lets it happen I will allow it. I don’t trust these guys but Mary is right.” Captain Underwood looked at his wife and nodded his head. “We need these guys for now. If he tells us no again then we are done and we are leaving. Agreed?” Captain Underwood looked at Mary for confirmation.
“Will, I think I can safely say we see eye to eye on this. If they tell us no and want more information then there is a good chance they are already working against us. They might be using the meeting as a way to gain intelligence. If that is the scenario we have to make sure we don’t give them any information about us during the next meeting.”
“Only things that are public knowledge.” Captain Underwood added.
Sarah looked at Steven who still didn’t look thrilled with the idea that they are having another meeting. She wondered if he being there will make him more at ease. Compared to the rest of the group who will be waiting. Captain Underwood checked the time and ordered everyone into their nighttime stations.
Sarah and Steven were still to stay at the opposite side of the complex in an empty house. The two of them walked outside, d
id a perimeter sweep of the complex, before entering their nighttime station. The sun was setting and light was rapidly disappearing. Sarah had to search in her bag to find her flashlight. Steven had his in his pocket. He teased Sarah about being ready. She gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder as they cleared the area. They couldn’t bring their rifles but they both had their side arms. Sarah opened the door to the empty townhouse and had to use her flashlight to navigate, making sure the area was clear. They weren’t allowed to house lights for fear of drawing attention. Which meant they were going to be in near darkness until morning.
“I’ll take first watch,” Sarah told Steven.
She had sat down to look out the front window. She took her pistol out from the holster on her lower back and set it on a nearby table. She would sit like this for several hours then check the back of the complex and before they change shifts they would both walk the perimeter again.
“You have the meeting tomorrow you need the rest,” Steven argued.
“I wouldn’t sleep either way. Might as well keep watch.”
“Not sleeping well?” Steven asked.
“I can’t stop seeing my dad when I sleep. I see his body on the ground. The only thing I do is toss and turn. I don’t want to see him like that anymore.”
Steven sat next to Sarah. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“What else is there to talk about?”
“I don’t know? Honestly, I don’t know how to comfort someone who lost their father. I don’t have a relationship with my father. It is hard for me to put myself in someone’s shoes who actually misses their father. I wouldn’t mind at all if it were my dad.”
“That is a terrible thing to say. I miss my father so much. I would give anything to see him again.”
“You don’t know my dad.”
“What is wrong with your dad?”
“His job didn’t make him the nicest person. He would come home drunk pissed about work. He would take it out on me.”
Steven looked at Sarah. The flashlight cast a strange light on Steven, as Sarah looked into his eyes. She knew what he meant by ‘take it out on him’.
“He hit you?” She asked.
Steven nodded. “Sometimes my mom and I would play a game called Don’t Take It Out On Them. We fought to make sure he didn’t hit the other. When I was in high school I would try and get home after she went to sleep. If he came home and passed out then he couldn’t hit me or my mom. Most of the time if I was sleeping he would wake me up. He would throw me across the room. Then he would take whatever I broke and hit me with it. Blame me for ruining his house.” Steven changed his voice to impersonate his father. “Those are my things you are breaking boy!”
“Didn’t you fight back?” Sarah asked in shock.
“He loved when I did. He got to really go hard on me. I can’t tell you how many times I missed school cause my chest was so bruised from him kicking me or my face was so swollen that I couldn’t open up an eye.” Steven had a tear running down his face. “He didn’t want me. He wanted my brother, George. George was from my father’s last marriage. My brother was smart. He was several years older than me. Dad said he was going to be a West Point graduate. He was all set to go. George went out with some friends. They were drinking and celebrating the end of high school. I was in sixth grade. I will never forget the call. The phone rang and my mom answered it. She screamed and fell to the floor. She was hysterical. My father went on the phone and got the story from the officer who told them they had to identify him. Turns out they left the party to go somewhere. I never even heard where they were going to go but George’s friend was drunk and drove them into the wrong side of traffic. They were hit head-on by another car. My brother was in the back seat. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt and went through the windshield. His body slid thirty feet. He was hit by another car which stopped him from sliding farther. My gifted brother was killed. My father’s pride and joy was dead. All that was left was me who wasn’t nearly as smart as George and my mom who he started to despise.” Steven wiped his eyes.
“Is he still with your mom?” Sarah asked.
“I think so. I haven’t seen my mom in years.”
“Couldn’t you try and find her?”
“I can find her. She is Washington D.C where I grew up. Same house. I can’t go back though.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t.”
Sarah could tell he was trying to get himself together.
“I am sorry,” He started. “I didn’t mean to go on a rant about my family when we were talking about yours. It is just one of those things that I don’t understand. I don’t know what it is like to care about my father. I don’t know how I would react if I found out he was captured like your father. Besides shock, I think I would have let him rot in that prison. I would be overjoyed if he died. After everything he did.”
Sarah put her arm around him. She hugged him. He buried his face in her shoulder. Sarah hadn’t known any of this about Steven. He had come with her to save her father. Sarah’s father wasn’t perfect by any means. Sarah could remember those years of feeling neglected by her father. At the time she thought he was just dealing with the loss of her mother only to find out he had helped form the Democratic Insurgence. She didn’t forgive him making her and Nolan feel like they were abandoned but he had never hit them. Sarah suddenly felt guilty for bringing Steven to save her father. He wanted his father to die but he had fought so hard to save her father.
Sarah was rubbing Steven’s head. She felt bad for making him relive this. Sarah kissed the top of Steven’s head. This seemed to calm him. She couldn’t believe she kissed him. It was his head maybe he didn’t notice. Steven pulled away for a moment. Sarah noticed even in the dim light from the flashlight that Steven’s eyes were puffy.
“Did you kiss me?” Steven asked. His voice was a little hoarse from crying.
“I am sorry. I thought maybe…”
Sarah didn’t finish. Steven pulled her in for a kiss. Sarah kissed him back. She put her hands through his hair. Their tongues touched and danced in each other’s mouth. Steven put one of his hands on her face and the other was on her lower back. She moved on top of him. He laid back and Sarah was on top of him. They continued to kiss and put their hands all over each other. Sarah’s surroundings were a blur. All she could think about was Steven.
“I can’t tell you how long I have been thinking about this,” Steven said to her.
He had to brush the hair out of his mouth. Sarah smiled and kissed him hard. Sarah took Steven’s shirt off and put her hands all over his chest. Sarah removed her clothes and before long they were entangled in each other. Sarah had never felt sensations like she was feeling in that moment. She never wanted it to end. She could feel this building sensation in her. It seemed to start in her legs and grew. Sarah moved her hips faster. It seemed to Sarah that Steven was having the same feeling. She closed her eyes and it seemed to happen at once. An explosion of pleasure erupted. Sarah put her head in Steven’s shoulder to mask her moans. Steven was doing the same to her. Sarah collapsed on Steven. She was almost limp except for the small muscle spasms. Sarah laid on Steven’s chest she was feeling his chest move up and down. It was almost rocking her to sleep. Sarah’s eyes were heavy. So heavy. She knew she had to keep watch but there wasn’t any way she would be able to stay awake. Despite her trying to keep her eyes open she drifted to sleep.
Sarah felt a hand on her shoulder. She stirred and rolled over. She felt a light kiss on her head. This opened her eyes. The room was dark but she could see a small glow out of the window. Sarah sat up and she had a loose shirt on. She couldn’t remember getting dressed. She looked and Steven smiled at her. Sarah smiled back and she wanted to kiss him. She resisted the urge for fear she would only have sex again.
“It is your turn to keep watch,” Steven whispered.
“Thanks for letting me sleep.” Sarah said. She could tell she had a morning voice.
“You were out.” Steven laughed. He reached out and brushed her hair back.
Sarah got goosebumps from his touch. Sarah stood and grabbed her clothes and changed. This time she didn’t bother changing in a different room. At this point, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before. She caught him looking at her. She decided not to call him out on it. He handed her a pistol and they walked to check the perimeter.
Sarah wasn’t sure what to say about what had happened. She felt like they should say something but she couldn’t find any words. She couldn’t help reliving it in her mind. Before she knew it they were back at the townhome. She realized she hadn’t paid any attention. She hoped Steven was more focused than she was. They walked back into the house and Steven turned to her.
“I think it goes without saying that we can’t mention this to anyone. Captain Underwood wouldn’t like the idea of us doing…” Steven paused for a moment. “That while we were supposed to be keeping watch.”
“I understand.”
Which was true. She figured they would be in trouble if Captain Underwood found out they were alone for a bit and had sex. She knew this was something she could keep to herself.
“I also want to tell you that I think I like you, Sarah,” Steven blushed. “I want you to know that. I don’t want you to think I cried and used it as an excuse to have sex.”
“I kissed you first if you remember,” Sarah joked. She hoped he wasn’t thinking that she took advantage of him.
“I could never forget.”
They looked at each other. Sarah moved in and kissed him. She had wanted to kiss him again ever since he had woken her up. They kissed for several moments before he pulled away.
“I got to get some rest.” Steven gave her a kiss on the cheek.
He found the small makeshift bed Sarah had slept in. He took his shirt off and almost immediately fell asleep. Sarah sat by the window watching the glow of the sky grow. She would take frequent glances at Steven. For the first time since joining the Democratic Insurgence, she thought about her life after the war was over. A life with Steven next to her.
Resistance Rising Page 14