“Thanks, Marie,” I said, squeezing her arm. I stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me. Dante and President Brown were the only other people in the room besides Steven.
Dante gave me a small, sympathetic smile. “Feeling better?”
I’d gone up to our alcove above Headquarters to cool down. Staring out over the city, I reminded myself of why we were truly there. It helped calm me.
I nodded at Dante. “Yes, thank you.”
Steven was laying down, his face completely pale. I’m sure the pain was unbearable for him, but I didn’t care.
President Brown stood at the foot of Steven’s bed, his arms folded. “I need you to tell us everything you told Amber.”
“I didn’t tell her much,” Steven said through gritted teeth. He took a couple of deep breaths. “We mostly just had normal boyfriend/girlfriend conversations.”
I stepped up to his bed. “She knew we were going to war with Juniper. She knew they were on their way.”
Steven looked at me. “I mentioned the training, which led to the people of Juniper coming here. But what’s the big deal? I was just stating a fact.”
“You have no idea the implications that can come from telling her that,” President Brown said. Anger flashed in his eyes. “River Springs knows when and who we will be fighting. They know that we will be at our weakest afterward. They could even be on their way here right now to attack us from the other side.”
“No,” Steven said, shaking his head. “I never told Amber where we’re located. I promise.”
“Why should we trust you?” I asked. “You’ve been lying to us. You’ve lied to me before.”
“I don’t care whether you believe me or not,” Steven said, rubbing the top of his head. “It’s the truth. She doesn’t know where we are.”
Dante stepped forward, leaning in close to Steven. “You were going to hand Emmie over to Amber. You were going to take her hostage and send her to her death.” He slammed his hand down on the back of Steven’s bed. “We should sentence you to death just for that!”
Steven looked up at Dante, startled. “You said you wouldn’t execute me.”
Dante shook his head, his face livid. “No, I told Emmie not to execute you out in public like that. Not without a proper discussion among the other revolutionaries and a trial with the president and vice president. But believe me when I say that we have enough evidence now to convict you of treason, attempted kidnapping, and attempted murder.”
“What?” Steven looked flustered. “You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t think you comprehend the trouble you’re in,” President Brown said.
“I didn’t do anything!” Steven shouted. “Nothing bad is going to happen because of my communication with Amber. River Springs isn’t coming here. Emmie’s safe.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Steven didn’t truly understand what he did. I balled my hands into fists, fighting back the desire to hit him. “Nothing’s going to happen because I stopped you.” Stepping forward, I pressed my knees up against the side of Steven’s bed. “If I hadn’t shot you, you would’ve gotten away. You would’ve told them everything!”
“You don’t know that!” Steven’s face was red, his breathing fast and heavy. “I just wanted to talk to my girlfriend. I missed her.”
I pointed my index finger at him. “If you think for a second that I’m going to believe you, you’re out of your damn mind. If you wanted her so badly, you shouldn’t have come here in the first place. You’re a worthless, pathetic human being. You’re weak. I’ve seen you crumple under pressure. All Amber would have to do it bat her stupid eyelashes at you and you’d reveal everything.”
Steven looked away, fighting back tears. Just looking at him disgusted me. I turned away and walked back toward the door. Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.
“I think this should be obvious,” President Brown said, “but you’re under arrest, Steven. Once Marie clears you, we’ll send you to lock up. We don’t have time right now to fully address this situation, so your trial will have to wait until the battle with Juniper is over.”
I didn’t wait to hear if there was any more to be said. I opened the door and left and almost started running down the hall, but President Brown’s voice stopped me. “Emmie, we need to talk.”
“Can it wait?” I was trying to keep my emotions at bay, and I didn’t think talking right then would help.
President Brown shut the door to Steven’s room and came up next to me in the hall. “Do you want to tell me what you were thinking?”
Dante was standing near us, but when he heard the irate tone in his father’s voice, he stepped back.
I looked up at President Brown. “What do you mean?”
“You shot a resident.” President Brown had his jaw clenched together, doing everything he could to not yell at me.
“He was trying to get away,” I said, my voice a little shaky. “And he would’ve gotten away if I hadn’t stopped him.”
President Brown rubbed his forehead. “Emmie, why were you even chasing him in the first place?”
“He refused to take the lie detector test.” When I said it out loud, I realized how stupid it sounded.
President Brown lowered his hand, looking me straight in the eye. “That is why you chased him?”
I bit my lip and slowly nodded.
Taking me by the arm, President Brown dragged me to the conference room. He slammed the door and threw me down in a chair. He didn’t control the volume in his voice. “I told you it was voluntary!”
“I know, it’s just …”
President Brown held up his hand to stop me. “I don’t want to hear it. You can’t just chase down residents like that and threaten them. You didn’t even know if he was guilty of anything.”
Heat flared in my cheeks. “I didn’t have to know. I trusted my gut. I’ve never trusted the guy. I knew something was off.”
President Brown slammed his hand down on the table. “I don’t care about your gut. We aren’t running this city off gut feelings! You need proof of guilt before you pull a stunt like this.” He sighed and sat down in the chair next to me. “Emmie, I like you. You’re a strong woman and most of the time you think rationally. But lately, you’ve been thinking with your emotions. You can’t base your decisions on your feelings.”
“But I was right.” I was being stubborn. I had a hard time backing down or admitting I was wrong.
“You were lucky. There’s a huge difference. Emmie, what if an innocent bystander got hurt? What if you’d been wrong?”
“So, I was just supposed to let him get away?” I tucked my hair behind my ear and focused on keeping my breathing even.
“He may have never run in the first place if you’d never gone to question him.”
I shook my head. “He was already packing a bag. He was ready to go when I got to his home.”
President Brown sat back in his chair, his face full of disappointment. “Next time, if you don’t have absolute proof of someone’s guilt, you let them go.”
“Are we done here?” I didn’t feel like talking anymore. I was on the verge of a breakdown.
President Brown nodded. “For now.”
Leaving the room, I ran until I was out of the infirmary and out of Headquarters. I sprinted to my house, went to my room, slammed the door, and curled up on my bed.
So many thoughts raced through my head. If Amber had taken me prisoner, I had no idea what she’d do to me. That was if Whit and Dean didn’t have their way with me first.
Lou’s face entered my mind, followed by Dee’s. We’d already lost such a sweet, innocent boy and the thought of digging a grave for Dee was too much for me to even process. With thousands of soldiers on their way to destroy our city, the number of graves would just pile up.
I thought about the disappointment in President Brown’s eyes and how I’d let him down. I’d been so foolish, making irrational decision
s and not thinking about the consequences.
Then I thought of Eric and how much I missed him. I wanted him there with me so badly to give me the comfort I needed. The fact that I might not ever see him again cut me to the core. Just the thought of never again being in his warm embrace left me hollow on the inside. I lay there, sobbing, unable to control my emotions.
I cried until there were no more tears. I cried until every negative emotion and thought left my body. I had to get through this on my own. I needed to stay strong for New Haven. I needed to fight for our freedom.
Slowly sitting up, I wiped my cheeks until they were dry. I said a silent prayer in my heart asking for the courage and strength I needed to win the war.
When I finally had myself put back together, I stood, telling myself I could do this. I needed to be brave. I was brave. I was a fighter and I’d stop at nothing to get what I want.
I opened my door, my heart now lighter. For the first time, I felt courageous. And then I stepped into the front room to find Dad, Tina, Dante, Santiago, Maya, and Joshua all waiting for me and my heart softened all over again.
Tina was the first to me, wrapping me in a bear hug. “I’m here for you and I always will be.”
“I know,” I said into her ear. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Tina pulled back and smiled at me, tucking my hair behind my ear.
Dad came up next, giving me a big hug. “Be strong, my sweet girl. You’re going to get through this.” He pulled back, kissing me on the cheek in the process. “I love you so much, Emmie. I want to look at you and see my little girl, but all I see now is a beautiful, strong woman.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said. “I love you, too.” I looked at everyone else in the room. “I truly appreciate your support. It’s something I need right now. But I think I just cried out every little girl emotion I had, so I’m good to go.”
“So, you’re ready to fight?” Dante came up, kissed me on the cheek, and pulled me into a hug.
“Yes, I think it’ll be good therapy for me right now,” I said with a small laugh. Maya tightly hugged me. When we pulled away, I looked at her. “Did Bruce and Gideon get off okay?”
Maya nodded. “Yes. They should be to the end of the canyon soon. Once they’re settled, they’ll contact us.”
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked her. It was hard for her to send her little brother away, knowing there was a chance he may not come back.
“I think so.” Maya smiled. “I just need to remind myself that Bruce can take care of himself. He’s strong, just like our dad.”
“We should all get some rest,” Dante said. “It’s getting late and the soldiers will be here tomorrow morning.”
“That’s a good idea,” Dad said. He excused himself from the room, and then Dante and Maya left.
Tina moved to leave, but I stopped her. “Do you mind staying with me tonight?”
She smiled at me. “Of course. I could use a good snuggle.”
Santiago wrapped his arms around me. “Remember for tomorrow, all you need to do is picture every soldier that comes at you as someone who’s pissed you off. President Randall, Steven, Amber, Dean … whoever you need to lash out at.”
“I like that idea. I have a lot of aggression to get out.”
“I’m just excited at getting to use the rocket launcher.” Santiago kissed the top of my head. “You know, if you ever need someone to hold and comfort you while Eric’s gone …”
I pulled away and looked up at him. “Really, Santiago?”
He laughed, raising his arms. “I’m just giving you options.”
“That’s what I have Tina for,” I said, pointing over at her.
Santiago looked at Tina and then at me. “I’m up for that, too.”
“I’m glad I have your humor at times like this to cheer me up,” I said dryly.
“Who’s says I’m joking?” Santiago asked, his smile a little twisted. “I have a softer side, I’m a great listener, and I love to snuggle.”
I sighed. “We really need to find you a woman.” One that wasn’t me.
After countless times of telling Santiago that Tina and I were fine on our own, he finally left.
Joshua had been standing in the corner of the room, his hands stuffed in his pockets, quiet the whole time. When we made eye contact, he stepped away from his corner and came to me, rocking back and forth on his heels as he scratched the back of his neck. "I know we're in a new and awkward family situation, but would a hug be out of line or too …"
I threw my arms around his neck, cutting him off. "It's only going to be awkward if you make it awkward." I was about to pull away, but Joshua held on so tight. It made me wonder when he’d last been hugged by a family member.
Joshua’s voice was quiet in my ear. “Thank you, Emmie, for everything.”
“Of course,” I said. “That’s what families are supposed to be for, right?”
Joshua laughed. “That’s what I hear.” He pulled away and stuffed his hands back in his pockets. “So, are we good, on trust and everything else?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “I told you I’d trust you if you passed the lie detector test and you did.”
“Were you serious about me being able to change my last name?” Joshua asked.
Tina looked at Joshua. “You want to change your last name?”
“I don’t want to be linked with the Randall name anymore,” Joshua said.
Tina nodded. “Makes sense. I wouldn’t want to, either. What will you change your last name to?”
Joshua looked at me. “Would it be okay if I took yours?”
“Of course,” I said. “You can take Woodard. After the battle, I’ll get the committee together and we’ll write up the papers and get everything signed off.”
Joshua hugged me. “Thanks again, Emmie.”
“You’re welcome.”
As Joshua went to his room, Tina and I went into my bedroom and lay down on the bed, facing each other.
“I think I finally know how you feel,” I said to Tina. “I can’t believe how much I miss Eric. It just makes my heart ache.”
Tina sighed and rubbed my arm. “It was harder at first. I thought about Luke every day. But then I finally realized that I’d lost him for good.” She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around me. “We still have a chance to get Eric back, Emmie.”
“If they’ve kept him alive. I don’t know why they would. It’s been so long now.”
“He’s still leverage for them. They don’t have what they want yet.”
I grunted. “What they want is me.”
“I know. But we aren’t giving you to them and we still have a chance to rescue Eric. As soon as we win this battle with Juniper, we’re going after Eric. It’s been decided.”
I looked at her. “What? When?”
“When you were having your meltdown,” Tina said. “Which was heartbreaking to listen to, by the way.”
“Sorry,” I said with a frown.
She laughed. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You needed to get that off your chest. But me, Dante, Santiago, Maya, and Joshua are all going with you to get Eric back. It won’t be hard to talk Mack and Terrance into coming, too.”
“Us four revolutionaries aren’t allowed to go on trips together. We can’t all die at once.”
“Screw that. Eric’s more important.”
Running my fingers through my hair, I raised my eyebrows. “More important than keeping the four of us alive?”
“Let me rephrase that. You’re important and Eric’s a part of you. We all love you and want you to be happy.” She pulled away and lay on her back. “And if I happen to have a side mission of kidnapping Luke, then so be it.”
I laughed. “I like that plan.”
We found the perfect hiding spot for the jeep. We made sure it was nestled behind some trees and used tree branches to conceal it. Since we knew it would be a while until they came, w
e decided to get a few hours of shut eye to renew our strength.
When we woke, Bruce stayed in the jeep, using a pair of nighttime binoculars to look for the troops. Mack had made sure we both had communicators so we could talk to each other when we were separated. Bruce said he’d contact me as soon as he saw something.
I went up the side of the mountain, hoping to find a spot that was high enough so I could see but would still conceal me. I had the launcher in my arms, the rockets in a pack on my back. Mack had given me two rockets, but I was hoping to only use one. Once I set it off, it wouldn’t take long for the enemy to come for me.
I found the perfect spot not too far up where I could clearly see the opening to the canyon. There was a giant sequoia tree that I could hide behind, so I rested my equipment up against it.
When I was settled in, I contacted Mack. “We’re here. Bruce is hidden in the jeep. I’m up the side of the mountain, ready to go.”
“Good,” Mack said. “Try to keep your communication with Bruce to a minimum. Only talk to each other when needed. You both need to be as quiet as you can.”
“Yes, sir,” I said. “Anything else I need to know?”
“Don’t be too hasty,” Mack said. “Make sure you have your sight set on General Ming. Only take the shot if you’re certain it’ll hit him. Try to keep your mind clear and focused, and your breathing steady.”
“Will do,” I said.
“Don’t contact me again until you’ve set off the launcher and you and Bruce have made your escape,” Mack said. “Wait until you know you’re out of danger of pursuit. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said. “We won’t let you down.” I put the communicator away and pulled out a pair of binoculars, searching the valley below. It was still dark, but I hoped the sun would come up soon.
While I waited, large gray clouds rolled in, casting a gloomy feeling over me. Time seemed to move slowly, the minutes dragging on like hours.
As if sensing the impending battle, the air had shifted dramatically. A fog came in, thick and heavy. The temperature dropped at least fifteen degrees. I could smell the incoming rain and I hoped it would wait until after I accomplished my goal.
Reckoning (New Haven Book 2) Page 14