The Force (Fighting Freedom Book 1)

by Paige Clendenin

  “I don’t just worry for myself… I am thinking about everything all at once.”

  “I know,” he says.

  I make the bed while Jake cleans up from breakfast. On the way to our common area, I stop off at the dorm to change my clothes. I was still in my night clothes and my hair was sticking up.

  Five minutes later, he and I enter the large room we went to on the first day. The chairs aren’t ranked off the same way, but they are still arranged oddly.

  Everyone is standing in the middle of the room, unsure what is going on. “Take a seat on the floor,” Samantha bellows out.

  We all pile down onto the ground, all of us in different fashions.

  “Where were you this morning?” Mar whispers, when I sit down next to her.

  “I was with Jake… I’ll explain later.”

  “Ahhhh, I see,” she say, with a mischievous smile.

  “It’s not like that,” I say.

  Before Mar could respond, Jake and Samantha come to a halt in front of our group.

  “This may come as a shock to most of you,” Jake begins. “But it has been decided by Captain Samuels and Cole, that all of you will be passing boot camp today.”

  The group erupts in exasperated, somewhat joyous noises.

  “It will not come as a surprise to most of you,” says Samantha, “that we would not have chosen it this way.”

  She eyes Malachi and his fellow misfits as she talks.

  Samantha continues. “The majority of you, however, have in good standings, made it through.”

  “The higher ups feel that, due to our loss of the young phase members, that all remaining members need to be given the benefit of the doubt in order to help better The Force at this time,” Jake says. “It, however, needs to be known…”

  “And should be known,” Samantha interjects.

  “That there are a few of you that Samantha and I do not approve of, and we will be keeping a close eye on those of you.”

  “There is a catch, though.” Samantha smiles.

  The group goes into groans as if it physically hurts to know there is always a catch.

  “Yes… while everyone passed, there are still the phases,” Jake says.

  “You will all be given your phase rankings momentarily, and you will be surprised to see and note the differences,” Samantha begins. “Some of you are hovering on the low side, while others are on the higher side.”

  “If,” Jake says. “you are in phase rankings 1-6, you will still be sporting your dark green attire. If, you are in phase rankings 7-12, you will be wearing brown, and if you rank a 13-15, you will be receiving Force member clothing, like Samantha and I have on.”

  They are wearing the same brown and green patch-like pants, green t-shirt, and brown leather jacket that The Force members wore the day they took us. To think, I had once had one of those jackets and wore it proudly, as if I had found a prize on the side of the road.

  Now I could wear one proudly for a whole different reason.

  “Jake will be reading off the phase rankings,” Samantha says. “When he calls your name, we want you to move to the chairs that correspond with your phase, in order to help us pass out new arm bands, and new clothes to some of you.”

  I look around and notice that the chairs are sitting in fifteen clusters of four.

  Jake pulls out a list from his pocket and begins to read.

  “There are no phase one, two, or three members. In phase four are Shawn and Tobi, who we know are still in our medical compound, but we feel that what they have gone through merits them at least that…”

  “If not more,” Samantha adds.

  Jake continues. “In phase five, are Malachi, Sampson, and Levi…”

  “What?” Malachi screams as he comes to his feet.

  “Go sit down now,” Jake retorts. “Or that standing will even be re-thought.”

  “Yeah, you would not even be a one if it were up to us,” Samantha remarks.

  Knowing he was being outnumbered, and not backed by Levi and Sampson, Malachi saunters over to the phase five cluster of chairs, cursing under his breath. Levi and Sampson then take the cue and follow their leader across the room.

  “Good boys,” Samantha says, slyly.

  “If there are no further interruptions… I will continue. As for phase six and seven, there are no phase members in those phases. Phase eight however, will be occupied with Leah and Mar.”

  Mar is beaming with the fact that she is a phase eight. I am so happy for her. She and my brother are stealing looks at each other. I squeeze her hand to let her know that I am pleased, and she squeezes mine back, just before standing to join Leah in their section of seating.

  Leah is the girl that on the first day in classes couldn’t read. Samantha had to take her and the boy named Derik, out to read to them. Leah is shy, and I can’t say that I have talked to her more than a handful of times. She mainly spends her time with Derik. They were close to Rendell, and his death hit them both hard.

  I really should be better at getting to know my fellow phase members.

  “In phase nine,” Jake continues. “Is Derik…” He pauses, giving Derik time to make it to his appointed seating. “No phase ten or eleven. In phase twelve are Eli and Liz.”

  He stops and smiles at me as my brother helps me up off the ground.

  “That’s it,” Samantha says. “The rest of you, please follow me.”

  There are eight phase members getting up off the floor. None of them seam shocked that they have been requested to go with Samantha, but the rest of us are.

  “What’s going on?” Eli asks.

  No one answers until the last of Samantha’s group exits, and the door is closed behind them.

  “Those are the ones who have expressed to us that they want to go home,” Jake says.

  “Go home?” Mar asks. “Is that an option?”

  “No… it’s not,” Jake says, sounding tough.

  The three phase five boys don’t seem to care what is going on, but Mar, Eli, Derik, Leah, and I do.

  “Follow me,” Jake says as he motions to the five of us. We follow him to the other side of the large room, just far enough that Malachi, Levi, and Sampson won’t be able to hear what we talk about.

  They don’t seem to care, they are having a conversation of their own. Jake is keeping an eye on them, even though they are a good thirty feet away.

  “What’s going on?” Derik questions.

  “Liz already knows where they are going,” Jake begins. Everyone looks at me.

  “The Force Field?” I ask.

  “The Force Field,” Jake agrees.

  “What’s that?” Mar asks.

  “It’s supposed to be a safe haven for those who can’t or don’t want to finish the phases,” I answer.

  “Yeah,” Jake says. “But bad things are happening there… people are disappearing from that place left and right.”

  “Why can’t they go home?” Eli asks. “Why can’t we all go home?”

  “Because The Elected are killing all the ones who have been with The Force and have military knowledge,” I say.

  “Even if they don’t become fully phased members of The Force,” Jake adds.

  “So, what’s going to happen to them?” My brother asks.

  “I don’t know,” Jake says, quietly.

  “What can we do to make sure they are safe?” I ask Jake.

  “Meet me on the roof tonight,” he says “All of you. Instead of going to the dining hall, skip the meal, and we will discuss a few things then. Be careful, and watch yourselves. Make sure you’re not followed.”

  “Okay,” I say.

  The rest of the group nods their heads in agreement.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  We were all given our new clothes and arm band updates. I feel good that I have made it to a phase twelve, although I’m not sure how that happened.

  I think that it might even be because of my closeness with Jake, but I don’t think he
would be that partial. I allow the thought to pass from my mind.

  The dorm seems even more bare than usual. There are only eight of us staying there. Tobi and Shawn are still on cots in the medical compound.

  Eli, Mar, and I lay on our cots in a little cluster, all wearing brown clothes instead of green. Derik and Leah have cots side by side, and they too wear brown.

  Malachi, Levi, and Sampson are, however on their cots on the completely opposite, far side of the room, in a huddled group of green.

  If we didn’t stand apart before, we do now… And it’s noticeable. It’s no longer the arm bands that tell our differences, now we have the color change too.

  The three green wearing guys, get up and walk out of the room. I’m guessing they are heading to the dining hall, and I take that as my cue to motion for our two new friends, and they slowly walk over.

  Derik sits on Eli’s cot, and Mar and Leah join me on mine.

  “So, what’s the plan,” Leah asks, sounding eager.

  “We don’t need to all leave at once,” I say. “I know where the roof access is, so I should lead the first group out, and the rest should follow shortly behind.”

  “Sounds good,” says my brother.

  “Ok…” I say. “This is how this is going to happen. We will walk down the hall in three separate groups. Me, by myself, then Mar, you and Eli will be a few steps behind me. Derik and Leah, you bring up the rear.”

  “Ok,” says Derik.

  “I will walk us past the exit door that we have to leave out of, it’s the only one in that hall. Then, we will all go into the gym like we are going to train, and from there, we will re-group.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Leah says.

  “Mar, Leah, and I will leave out of the gym a few minutes later and go out the exit…” I say. “You boys leave five minutes later… Once you are outside, go right, and follow the outside wall of the complex to the back of the building. There’s a ladder access to the roof. Take it. We will leave in ten minutes, and we should look like we’re going to train, to not raise any questions.”

  “The least conspicuous we can make things, the better,” Eli adds.

  We all go about, getting ready for the gym. I slip on my dark brown tank top and brown cargo pants. Then pull my long hair back in a ponytail for good measure, and grab my water bottle, and boots.

  After I get them on, I casually exit the room, walking slow enough that Mar and Eli could see which direction I go.

  There is an overwhelming feeling of being watched that floods over me, but I can’t see anyone anywhere… not even a guard. I had noticed that even they seem to be getting fewer and fewer as the weeks go by.

  When I get to the gym, I can only hope that my group saw the exit. For effect, and to let off some steam, I take to a punching bag. It’s the one that I use almost every day during training.

  Among learning how to properly use a gun, and run through obstacles, physical training has been a huge part of boot camp.

  “What good does it do if you could kill with a gun, but not with your bare hands if needed?” Samantha always asks. “A gun might not always be available, but you always have you with you.”

  I never really understood that until now.

  Less than a minute later, Mar and Eli filter into the gym. Mar starts pelting the bag next to mine, and Eli starts practicing roundhouse kicks to a stationary dummy.

  It takes a little longer for Leah and Derik to come in, and for a moment I worry that they have been caught. By who? I don’t know.

  I pick pace up on the punching bag, and my knuckles sting and go from white to crimson in seconds. This would not be the first time I busted my knuckles, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

  Finally, Leah and Derik walk in.

  We all stop the beating of the bags, and stare blankly at them. Leah is as white as a ghost.

  “We were stopped,” Leah says.

  “By who?” I ask.

  “Some guy who said he was just doing a head check. He said he would be checking up on all the phase members,” Derik says.

  “Do you know who he was?” Eli asks.

  “No, but he looked rather foreign and was wearing a suit,” Leah offers.

  “Well I look foreign too, that doesn’t always mean anything,” Mar laughs.

  “No, this guy even spoke with an accent,” Leah says. “I think he’s not from the Corridors.”

  “We should get to Jake,” I say, trying not to sound panicked.

  Without hesitation, Mar, Leah, and I walk towards the door. “Remember,” I say, as I turn towards the boys. “Keep a look out… Be safe.”

  “We will,” they both said at the same time.

  Us three girls walk out the door and in true fashion, Mar looks just as paranoid as I feel.

  “Relax,” I whisper, to her. “You’ll give us away.”

  “Sorry,” Mar whispers back. Then, she tries to allow her face to go slack. We make it to the Exit without being noticed. I help the girls find the ladder, and we climb to the roof, me in the lead.

  When I first look over the roof top, I don’t see Jake, but then I notice a commotion in the dark on the far side of the roof top.

  Immediately sensing a struggle, we run full speed towards Jake across the top of the complex. He is standing behind someone with his arms clamped around his neck.

  Mar and Leah are gasping behind me.

  I rush up to Jake to help and realize that the man that he is fighting is… wearing a suit.

  “That’s him.” Leah exclaims.

  “What do I do?” I yell, towards Jake.

  “Get something to tie him up with with…” Jake takes a breath. “From my backpack… Over there.”

  I run to his pack slung on the ground. Mar helps me splay the contents out onto the roof top.

  There is a small rope, a worn-out belt, and an old t-shirt, among other things that fall out. I grab the rope and belt and Mar takes the shirt.

  Still in fast forward it seems, we run back over to Jake and the nicely dressed man still struggling to break free.

  Leah is standing stunned at the scene unfolding in front of her.

  “Get his feet,” Jake yells.

  I try to bear hug the man’s legs, which he is kicking in every direction. He has already lost his shiny black shoes, and his socks are not far from joining them.

  As I wrestle the man, I can feel my necklace fall from my neck, but I don’t have time to look for it while I am fighting.

  With the help of Mar, I get the upper hand.

  “Grab the belt,” I yell, in Leah’s direction.

  She does and reluctantly tries to help us. Jake has the man’s arms pinned behind him, and now we are all on the ground.

  “What do I do?” Leah asks, sounding shaken.

  “Here… Help hold him,” I say.

  Leah falls on top of the man’s knees, trying to mimic what Mar is doing. I take the belt and begin to wrap it tightly around the man’s feet,

  After they are out of commission, Jake flips the man to his face and hog ties his hands with the rope.

  Derik and Eli come over the ladder and began to run to help, but it is pretty well taken care of. By the time they reach us, the man is bound and gagged by a torn piece of t-shirt.

  I take a moment to look for my necklace, but I cannot find it anywhere. I look in my shirt, but it isn’t there either. I want to panic, throw a fit, but that wouldn’t do me any good.

  “What happened?” Eli asks.

  It takes a while for anyone to talk. We are all trying to catch our breath.

  “What happened?” Eli asks, again.

  “We have a few things to talk about,” Jake grunts.

  Remembering my bottle of water that got dropped to the roof, I retrieve it and give it to Jake. It makes its rounds, allowing us all to re-hydrate before we all sit down in a circle on the ground.

  There have been many times that Jake and my family have had talks like this, but never with a man bou
nd and gagged five feet away.

  This feels like a turning point. To what? I’m not sure, but a turning point, none the less.

  Jake looks more upset than I have seen him.

  “What’s up?” Derik asks.

  “First of all,” Jake says, looking at our new friends. “Leah and Derik… you have one chance, and one chance only to get out of all this. I‘m giving it to you now… you should go.”

  “Get out of what? Go where?” Derik asks.

  “It’s bad, isn’t it?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” Jake says, nodding his head at the ground.

  Derik and Leah look at each other, as if talking with their eyes. Leah looks pale again, but smiles at Derik with her eyes, just before turning back to the group.

  “We don’t want to get out of anything, or go anywhere… We’ll help if we can,” says Leah.

  “Yeah… We’re in,” Derik agrees.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  We all stare at Leah and Derik, as if giving them one last chance to get out of our little group.

  “You’re in?” Jake asks, in a deep voice.

  “We’re in,” Derik answers.

  “Ok,” Jake says, still sounding doubtful.

  The man in the suit is trying to get loose, but I don’t know what he thinks he would do if he did. There are six of us, and we clearly outnumber and overpower him.

  “I decoded it,” Jake finally says.

  “What? The file?” I ask.

  “Yeah… And you’re not gonna’ like it,” he says, looking me in the eye.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Eli says. “Wait a second… what file?”

  I break eye contact with Jake and look at the rest of my group.

  “Jake and I have been trying to find out where they’ve taken Syl, Shae, and Zac, but no one seems to know anything…”

  “Oh, God,” Mar says, as she grabs my arm. “Where’s my brother?”

  “We don’t know…” I say, trying to keep my composure.

  “What about a file?” Eli asks again, while trying to comfort Mar.

  “Liz and I,” Jake begins. “Broke into the intelligence lab, a week or so back. We were looking for the location of where they took the younger phase members but couldn’t find anything.”