Dante folded his arms and swore under his breath. He nodded his head toward Santiago. “His rocket launcher could start a fire.”
President Brown sighed. “This isn’t a time for an argument, Dante.”
“Speaking of my precious rocket launcher,” Santiago said, his eyes lit up, “I have eight rockets, right?”
Mack nodded. “I only sent two with Gideon.”
President Brown glanced at Mack. It probably bothered him that Mack knew of our plan and didn’t say anything. Not only had we’d done something major without permission, but we’d also gotten an adult to agree and help us.
“When can I use it?” Santiago asked. His smile reminded me of Derek’s whenever he found Vice President Oliver’s stash of candy in his office.
“You’ll be up with the archers,” Mack said. “I want you switching back and forth between your shotgun and the rocket launcher. Space the rockets out. We want them to think that the rockets could keep coming at any point.”
Santiago nodded and ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. “Works for me.”
“I’ll also put some grenades on each tower,” Mack said. “The designated leaders of each tower will be responsible for using them as needed.”
“Once we’re done with arrows,” Vice President Mendes said, “we’ll move on to rifles on the towers.”
“Is the ammo already up there?” Santiago asked.
“Only for your shotgun,” Mack said. “You’ll be on tower two, so that’s where your shells are. The person on weapon control in each tower will oversee changing ammo. We want to minimize the amount of weight on the towers as best as we can.”
“What will we be doing down below?” I asked.
The thought of being down below, completely exposed, made me feel weary. But I needed to be strong. New Haven depended on us and I didn’t want to let any resident down. I would die for any of them.
Terrance pointed at the map. “We’ll also have our shotgun experts lined up on the mountain on either side of the canyon. They won’t start shooting until the enemy’s close and the archers have already started.”
President Brown looked at Maya. “You’ll be down in front with all the sword experts. You’re in charge of them. We don’t have a lot of swords yet, so there won’t be many of you at first.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yet? Are you planning on getting more swords?”
“I figure as soon as we kill an enemy,” President Brown said, “we can take their sword and use it.”
Santiago whistled. “Think about it. If we kill all twenty-five hundred of them, we’ll have that many swords. That will surely put a boost in our weapon supply.”
Maya nodded. “Yes, it would.” She looked over at President Brown. “How are we communicating with each other? Am I just supposed to shout commands to my line, or do we have devices?”
“We have some earpieces,” Vice President Mendes said. “You will each be given one. All the others will be spaced out among the residents so they can spread around whatever commands any of you give out.”
Mack stood, stretching his back. “Once the fight starts, there really won’t be much communicating going on. It’s going to be loud. You’ll have to rely on visual signals.”
“Speaking of that,” I said, “what are we going to do about the noise? All those guns going off, someone’s bound to go deaf.”
Dante laughed. “I think you mean everyone.”
Terrance pulled out a box from under the table and placed it next to the map. “Earplugs. Everyone’s getting a set. Archers included.”
Santiago reached into the box and took out a set, placing them in his ears. He swatted my arm since I was sitting right next to him. “Say something.”
“You’re a dork,” I said, smiling at him.
“Did you say I’m hot?” Santiago smirked. “I know.”
I rolled my eyes. “I think they’ll work just fine.”
“What?” Santiago asked, his voice loud.
I pulled out one of his earplugs. “You don’t need those in here.”
“Anyone have any other questions?” Terrance asked.
Derek shifted in his seat across the table from me. He was wearing his camera lens shield shirt. He’d made one for Naomi as well. She surprised me—and Derek—when she suggested they wear them to work, like unofficial uniforms.
“Why am I in here?” Derek asked. “And Naomi.”
“You’re our security detail,” Mack said, punching Derek in the arm. Derek tried to act cool, but when Naomi wasn’t looking, he rubbed his arm, a grimace on his face.
“Now that we have cameras installed on the east entrance,” Terrance said, “you’ll be our eyes during the battle. Let us know of things we can’t see.”
“Also, you’re in charge of keeping anyone from getting into Headquarters,” President Brown said.
Derek went pale. “What?”
“If, in the worst-case scenario, an enemy gets by and gets all the way through town to Headquarters, you have to stop them,” Vice President Mendes said.
“Uh,” Derek said, scratching his head. “How?”
“I thought you were a big tough guy,” Naomi said, looking at Derek’s puny arms.
Derek glanced over at me and then looked down, his face red.
Mack placed two handguns on the table in front of Derek and Naomi. “The chances of someone getting through the steel door and into Headquarters are slim, but if they do.” He pointed at the guns.
Naomi picked hers up, dropped the magazine and pulled back the slide, examining the inside. Nodding in satisfaction, she put the empty magazine back in.
Derek just stared at her, his eyebrows raised and his mouth slightly agape. I tried repeatedly to teach him gun safety, but he never thought it was necessary. He was convinced he’d never have to hold a gun. He was a tech guy, after all.
Derek looked up at me, sweat forming on his brow. I took a deep breath, telling him with my eyes to do the same. Derek nodded and took a long, very noticeable, deep breath. I sighed.
Mack leaned over the table, placing the palm of his hands down, looking right at Derek and Naomi. “You can’t let the enemy past you. They can’t get to the infirmary or any of the children.” He paused until both Derek and Naomi were looking right at him. “Do I make myself clear?”
Naomi nodded. “Yes, sir.” She looked at her gun in front of her. “You’re giving us ammo, I assume, and not just expecting us to whack them over the head with the gun.”
“You’ll be getting ammo,” Mack said with a small smile. He looked at Derek, still waiting for his response.
Derek wiped the sweat from his eyes and forehead. He looked at me, still uncertain of what to do. Derek had a serious problem. He was good at technology. Amazing at it. But when he had to do something outside of his comfort zone, he broke down. His ability to think rationally flew out the window. It made me fear for the sick and the children he needed to protect.
“I asked you a question, Derek,” Mack said. He glared at Derek until I thought Derek might burst into tears.
Derek licked his lips. “Yes, sir.” His voice was barely audible.
Naomi suddenly stood, looking at her pager she always kept on her. “The security cameras have picked something up.” She dashed out of the room before anyone could respond.
As everyone else left the room to see what was going on, Derek stayed frozen in his seat. He stared at his hands in front of him, which were shaking uncontrollably.
I stood and went to the other side of the table, sitting down next to Derek. I gently placed my hands over his. “Derek, you’re going to do fine.”
He looked at me, his eyes desperate and pleading. “Emmie, I … I …”
“The chances of anyone breaking into Headquarters are so small. There’s a good chance you won’t have to use the gun. Mack just wants to be prepared.”
“But if they do …” He stopped, the words getting stuck in his throat. Tears started to form in his eyes as he
pointed at the camera shield on his shirt. “I can’t do this, Emmie. I’m a tech guy. I’m not you.”
It was the first time in my life I’d ever heard Derek mention that I was better at something than him. I clasped his hands tightly. “Derek, look at me.” It took him a second, but he finally did. “You can do this. I know you can. All you have to do is point the gun at the enemy and pull the trigger. Naomi knows how to use a gun, so if you have any questions, ask her.”
Derek shook his head. “I can’t be responsible for all those children.” He paused, looking down at the table. “And Dee. How could I ever look at you again if something happened to her?”
I wanted to make a joke, asking when he had started caring about me, but I refrained. “The trick is to not think about it so much. Just do it.” I smiled at him. “Show Naomi how brave you are.”
“I’m not brave. You of all people should know that. I’m a total wimp.” He looked up at me. “Those words aren’t leaving this room.”
I nodded and smiled. “Sometimes in life, you just have to suck it up and do it. Don’t question yourself, don’t think about the outcome or consequences, just do it.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Remind me to never let you advise anyone under the age of sixteen.”
“This is a special circumstance. And the outcome will be you saving a bunch of lives. I just don’t want you to think about that part. Your ego’s big enough as it is.”
Derek picked up the gun, placing his hand over the barrel.
I quickly pulled the gun away from him. “First of all, never put your hand over the barrel.”
“But it’s empty,” he said, shrugging.
I sighed. “How do you know that?”
“Naomi’s was.”
“And she checked first. You always check that first. Just because you think it’s empty, doesn’t mean it is.” He stared at me. “Just pick up the gun, the barrel pointed down and your hand not over it, press this button to take out the magazine, and then pull back the slide.” I showed him how to do it and then let him have a go at it.
When he was done checking, he shoved the magazine back in. “Okay, I can do that.”
“Never point a gun at a person unless you want to shoot them, and never, ever put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to pull it.”
“Where do I put it in the meantime?” Derek asked, looking at the gun.
“Just along the side.” I pointed right above the trigger. “That way, you can slide your finger down and pull the trigger in a heartbeat.”
“You really know a lot about this, don’t you?”
I nodded. “That’s what training is for, stupid. Something you should’ve done a long time ago when I asked you to.”
He shrugged. “I never thought I’d have to use one.”
“And yet here you are, holding a gun.”
“With a very, very, very small chance of using it, right?” Hope sat in his eyes.
I laughed. “Very small. In fact, let Naomi do most of the shooting if anyone breaks in.”
Dante stepped into the room. “We have to go. The cameras spotted the army not too far out. We need everyone at their posts.”
I stood and placed my hand on Derek’s shoulder. “You good?”
Derek nodded as he stood. “Yeah. Just do me a favor and do your job right so no one gets back here.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Derek gave me a big hug. “I love you, little half-sister.”
I squeezed him tight, taking the breath out of him. “Love you, too, big, annoying half-brother.”
Dante sniffed. I turned around and he pretended like he was crying, waving his hand in front of his face. “That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever witnessed.”
Derek released me from the hug and walked out of the room. He slapped Dante on the back on the way out. “You really need to get out more if you consider that sweet.”
“Marie, don’t let anyone past your desk,” I said as all the children, men, and women who weren’t fighting were passing us in the hall. They were all headed to the back of the infirmary where we had a large storage room.
Marie nodded as she watched everyone walk by. “I won’t.” She stopped a kid who was running. “Slow down, okay? No running in the infirmary.” She looked at me. “This is crazy, Emmie. I can’t believe it’s finally happening.”
“We knew it would someday,” I said. Someone threw their arms around me and I looked down to see Rosie. She flashed me a big grin. “Hi, Miss Rosie.”
“Hi, Miss Emmie,” Rosie said. “You ready to fight?”
I stroked her hair. “You bet I am. I have your cute face to protect.”
“And mine!” Dee shouted from her room. Rosie and I laughed as we went to Dee’s room. She was sitting up in her bed, her color fully back. I still couldn’t believe how well she was doing. The treatments were going so well. Dee rolled her eyes when we walked in. “Marie won’t clear me to leave yet.”
“You need to trust her,” I said, taking a seat on her bed. “She knows what she’s doing.”
Dee scooted past me and stood, doing a little dance in her hospital gown. “Look, I’m a young spring chicken. I’m good to go.”
“Where would you go anyway if she let you get out of your bed?” I asked.
“Um, hello, to fight,” Dee said with her hands on her hips.
I shook my head. “You’ve been in a bed for a couple of months now. You can’t just expect to go out there and fight in a battle. You’ll pass out.”
Dee sat down on the bed and groaned. “I’m just so antsy. I’m going crazy being cooped up.”
Taking her hand in mine, I turned my body to face her. “Look, we’ll get through the battle and then Marie will probably release you.” I tucked one of her curls behind her ear. “You can go live with her and Tina. You can go on dates with Will.”
Rosie sat down on the bed, bouncing up and down a few times. I was glad she’d be with Dee during the battle. They both needed each other’s company. Dee put her arm around Rosie, squeezing her.
“Has he said anything about me?” Dee asked, biting her lip.
“I talked to him the other day.” I smiled at her. “He really likes you, Dee. Like a lot.”
Dee’s eyes lit up. “I like him, too.” She shimmied. “You didn’t tell me how hot he was.”
Rosie snickered, so she covered her mouth with her hand to control it.
“I wanted you to make that judgment for yourself,” I said. A huge smile came to my face.
“What?” Dee asked. “What’s that smile for?”
“Emmie.” Dante’s voice came from my communicator. “Where are you?”
I pulled my communicator out of my pocket. “I’m with Dee.”
“You don’t have time for chit chat,” Dante said. “In case you’ve forgotten, an army that wants to destroy our entire city will be here any minute.”
“I know, Dante,” I said. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Will’s already on his way over there,” Dante said. “I’ll tell him to give you a ride.”
“Thanks.” I shoved my communicator back in my pocket.
“What was the smile for?” Rosie asked, looking at me.
My smile came back. “Will told me that Dee was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen.” I looked at Dee. “He said his breath caught when he first saw you. That’s why he took a little pause after he walked in.”
“I noticed he did that,” Dee said, “but I wasn’t sure why.” She blushed. “Did he really say that?”
“Yes,” I said.
Rosie threw her arms around Dee. “I’m so happy for you. You two make a cute couple.”
“Thanks,” Dee said, resting her head on Rosie’s.
Seeing how happy she was made me think of Eric and how I’d felt when we first met. I reached up to stroke my necklace, only to touch my empty neck.
Dee took my hand. “I’m sorry, Emmie.”
“For what?” I asked, tucking my hai
r behind my ear.
“That you lost your necklace,” Dee said. “And that Eric isn’t here with you.”
I looked down at my lap. “Do you think he’s dead?”
“I don’t know,” Dee said, her voice quiet. “He could be. But there’s also a chance you can still save him, Emmie. With everything that’s happened to me over the past few days, I believe anything’s possible.”
I closed my eyes and nodded, trying to hold back the tears. I needed to focus on the upcoming battle, not my love life.
“I have something for you,” Dee said. She motioned to a package sitting on the chair at the foot of her bed. Rosie picked it up and handed it to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
Dee smiled. “You’ll have to open it up and see.”
Ripping open the package, I took out the present. It was a belt made of leather with empty pouches all around. Two leather shoulder straps connected to the belt, both with the same pouches lined along them.
Dee fingered one of the pouches, rubbing her thumb along it. “Each pouch is for a magazine for your handgun.” She pointed to a loop on the left side of the belt. “I made a spot for a sword, too, since you’ll probably need one of those. And of course, a spot where you can strap your holster to.”
I put them all on with Dee helping me out. Once everything was in place, I looked at her. “How do I look?”
“Like a warrior,” Dee said.
“Thank you, Dee,” I said, pulling on one of her curls. “I love it.”
There was a small knock at the door. I looked up to see Will leaning against the door frame.
“Dante said you needed a ride,” Will said. He looked so official in his black military uniform.
“Yes, thanks.” I gave Dee a big hug. “I love you. Always.”
“I love you, too,” Dee said. “Now go kick some serious butt out there.
Smiling, I kissed her on the cheek.
I stood and took Rosie by the hand. “Come on. Let’s give these two some privacy.” Rosie gave Dee a one-armed hug before we left the room.
I shouldn’t have spied, but I did. Rosie stood with me as we hid behind the door, just barely peering in. Will had sat down next to Dee and taken her hand. They were talking too quietly, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Reckoning (New Haven Book 2) Page 16