Dante nodded. “It will be a good way to make them feel a part of our community.”
“I think Dee and Marie would love to help with that, too,” I said.
“Maybe I can grab all the kids,” Vivica said, “and go pick out rocks. We can take them back to the infirmary where we can paint them. That way the injured can help, too.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “I’ll have Naomi give you a list of everyone we lost.”
Right after Vivica started making her way down the ladder, Dante looked at me. “We need to talk. All of us revolutionaries.”
I nodded. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“Let’s plan on talking after the funeral,” Dante said. “We’ve lost our president and our vice president. And one of our military leaders.”
“We’re going to need to find someone else to take over. Someone who can run New Haven and handle the four of us.”
Dante laughed. “That’s a mighty big job for a person. They’re going to need a lot of will power to put up with us.”
We finished filling in all the holes in the late afternoon. Eric woke up a few times during the day, so I went to him every time. He didn’t last very long, usually less than thirty minutes, but I treasured every second.
We had Vivica, Dee, and Marie bring all the children out and as a city, we placed a rock on each grave. Tears came to my eyes when I saw the one painted for my dad. Rosie had insisted that she be the one to color his rock. On the top she had printed, Philip Woodard. Below that she wrote, loving father of Emmie and Derek. My favorite was the drawing. My dad was in the center, with Derek on his left, me on his right, both hugging him tightly.
When I saw the one for Mack, I couldn’t stop laughing. A little boy from River Springs had done the rock. On the top he wrote, Mack: The Meanest Warrior. Then he drew a picture of a guy with huge muscles and a very stern face. He even had a vein popping out of his forehead. I’m sure that was how all the children saw Mack since he was such a serious and tough guy. But the man I saw had a big heart and not a selfish bone in his body.
By the time we were done, everyone was exhausted. The thought of having a funeral right now was too heavy. Santiago's mom, Carmen Mendes, suggested that instead, we should use the night to celebrate the lives of those we lost and remember the good times.
We turned on some lights outside of Headquarters, right where we wanted to build the school. Residents of Scorpion had brought drums and guitars with them, so they played music while the children danced around, entertaining us all.
Dinner was brought out that night, so we all ate out on blankets, watching the sun go down and the stars come out. We all shared uplifting stories of our fallen warriors, trying to focus on the fun memories we had of them.
Derek stole the spotlight, telling grand tales of our dad, most of them exaggerated, but it didn’t matter. Everyone was enjoying them. Watching Naomi stare at him, a smile on her face, made me happy. I never thought he’d find someone who could put up with him, but I was so glad he did. Although, I still thought Naomi was too good for him.
My heart swelled watching Dee dance around with the kids and Will. The medicine had been working just as Marie, Alexander, and Dr. Stacey had hoped. They were optimistic that this meant it was the cure, but it was still too soon to tell. Before we’d really know, we’d have to see how Dee did over time and see how it worked on any others that got sick.
We also had the problem of limited medical supplies and the only place that had what we needed was River Springs. With Austin gone, we had no more contacts there, so we weren’t sure how we were going to get our hands on more. If another resident came down with the disease, the cure wouldn’t mean anything if we didn’t have the ingredients for it.
Eric woke up right before the festivities started and insisted on coming. He was still in horrible shape, but Marie cleared it for just a few hours. We took him out in a wheelchair and set him close to the entrance of the cave that led to Headquarters, but still in a place where he could see.
I sat next to him most of the night, watching our residents have fun for the first time since we’d all come to New Haven. Everything we’d gone through had bonded all of us together, making our city strong. We had so much work ahead of us, but at the moment, it didn’t matter.
Dante asked Eric if he could steal me for a little while so I could join in on the dancing. Tina and Luke kept Eric company while I danced around with Dante, Santiago, Maya, Vivica, Rosie, Dee, and Will. After a couple of songs, I snuck my way back to Eric, Tina, and Luke.
I took Eric’s good hand and held it in mine. “Did any of you think we’d ever be sitting here together, watching people dance around to music?”
Luke laughed. “If you’d told me six months ago that this was going to happen, I’d say you were completely crazy.” Luke had his arm around Tina, holding her close.
“Well, I’m glad it did,” Tina said. She kissed Luke’s cheek. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Did Emmie tell you the good news?” Eric asked Tina and Luke.
I brushed some hair out of his eyes. “Not yet. In fact, I haven’t told anyone yet.”
“Don’t want people to know?” Eric asked, a small smile on his face.
“Know what?” Tina asked.
I looked at Eric. “The time just hasn’t come up. But if I could, I’d shout it from my rooftop.”
“How about an alcove?” Luke asked, pointing up to it.
“I would if Eric could get up there with me,” I said. “This is news that we both need to share.”
Tina stood. “I’ll be right back.” She ran over to the musicians and the next thing I knew, the music completely stopped. Tina ran back over to where Eric and I were sitting and stood behind us. “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
“Uh, Tina,” I said, looking up at her. “What are you doing?”
Tina smiled at me. “Giving you your moment to shout your good news.”
“Unless you’re too embarrassed,” Eric said.
I kissed him on the cheek. “Of course, I’m not.” Keeping his hand in mine, I stood. Everyone in New Haven was completely quiet, all eyes on us. I was glad it was dark so they couldn’t see how red my cheeks were. “Citizens of New Haven, I have an announcement to make.” Eric squeezed my hand, giving me the courage I needed. Those with drums started to do a drum roll, making me laugh a little. “Last night Eric asked me to marry him one day and I said yes.”
A loud cheer erupted through the night, making me laugh even more. I bent down and kissed Eric lightly on the lips, trying to avoid his stitches. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” Eric said.
I heard a squeal coming toward me and I looked up to see a blur of brown curls crash down on me.
Dee threw her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank, Dee,” I said.
Dee pulled back and clasped her hands together. “We have so much work to do! Oh, I can’t wait to design your dress! We’re going to have to come up with color schemes and a menu.”
I held up my hand. “Whoa, Dee, I think you’re getting too excited. I said one day, not next week.”
“I know that,” Dee said. “Can’t I be prepared? I have to make sure everything goes smooth. This will take months and months of planning.”
“Maybe you should try years and years.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “We’re only eighteen.”
Rolling her eyes, Dee folded her arms across her chest. “Fine. But since you’re making me wait so long, you can’t complain every time I come to you with questions or measurements.”
“Deal,” I said.
After that, there was a long line of people wanting to congratulate us. I had never received so many hugs in my life. Rosie even asked me if she could be the flower girl. I had no idea what that was, but I still agreed since her eyes were so pleading.
Dante squeezed his way to the front, pulling me into a big hug. “Congratulations.”
“Thank y
ou,” I said.
Dante released me and patted Eric on the shoulder. “You’re a lucky guy.”
“I know,” Eric said, smiling at me.
When Eric was distracted, Dante leaned into my ear. “Even though it won’t be for a long time, make sure you get a ring. It’ll keep Santiago away and I’ll sleep easier at night knowing he won’t be trying anything on you.”
“I don’t think you’ll be sleeping well very long.” I pointed near the band where Santiago was dancing with Vivica. There wasn’t much distance between them, if any, and she laughed at everything he said. “It looks like he has found someone else.”
Dante looked over to where I pointed, and he swore loudly. “My sister?” He stomped away, mumbling to himself.
When the line finished, I sat down next to Eric, intertwining our fingers. The residents went back to dancing, while I soaked in every second of it, grateful to have come that far.
We started the funeral the next morning after breakfast. It was another beautiful day, the weather perfect for being outdoors. The residents who wanted to speak sat next to the grave of the one they wanted to talk about. Everyone stood up one by one, sharing their words, row after row until there were no more. The rest of the residents surrounded the entire cemetery, watching on as we spoke.
I had placed Dad and Mack right next to each other in the cemetery. I sat between the two graves, patiently awaiting my turn. Derek and Joshua both sat next to me, giving me their support. Derek had decided it would be best if I spoke about Dad. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized how hard it really was for him. He’d never lost someone this close to him before and I think it was finally starting to sink in as he sat there, staring at Dad’s rock.
Dante and Vivica sat nearby, next to their dad’s grave. Santiago, Rosie, and Carmen sat between Javier and Vice President Mendes’ graves, Rosie clinging to Santiago as her tears flowed.
When it was my turn to go, I took a deep breath and stood, straightening out my green dress—Dad’s favorite color on me. I had spent countless hours trying to come up with the right words to say, but nothing seemed to give justice to these two extraordinary men. So, I just had to follow my heart.
I reached my hand down to Derek and he held on tightly. “As most of you know, I have an interesting family dynamic.” There were a few chuckles from the crowd, calming my nerves. “My true dad, Philip Woodard, was the kind of father anyone could hope for. He worked long hours throughout our childhood, but he always made sure Derek and I received the attention and love we needed. He always stood by our side, giving the perfect advice, or stepping back and letting us make our own decisions.”
Derek shook a little from laughter. I squeezed his hand before I continued. “I think both Derek and I can tell you that whenever he let us make our decisions, they were definitely the wrong ones. But they were growing experiences and made us stronger individuals.”
Closing my eyes for a moment, I thought back to Recruitment. “Our father took his job at Infinity Corp very seriously. He was dedicated and loyal, always giving every piece of him to every task. But when my life changed in a blink of an eye, when my life was almost taken away, my dad dropped everything and was there at my side. He never doubted me for a second and he left our city, our life, behind us and trusted that I knew what I was doing.”
A slight breeze came by, the crisp scent of pine in the air. I looked down at Dad's grave, still holding onto Derek’s hand. “Our father was a brave man. He fought for New Haven with everything he had, never once giving up.”
I glanced at Joshua sitting on the other side of me. He looked up at me and smiled as he rolled the end of his tie wrapped loosely around his neck. “And when my other brother showed up, my dad welcomed him with open arms and let him into our home, no questions asked. My dad always saw the good in people and trusted his instincts. I love him with all my heart and will miss his kind demeanor for the rest of my life.”
Letting go of Derek’s hand, I went and stood next to Mack’s grave. I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “I’m not going to lie. When I first met Mack Clark, I was intimidated.”
Derek laughed. “I think that’s an understatement. I was freaking terrified.” A lot of people chuckled, agreeing with us.
“Mack can come off a little rough around the edges,” I said. “He’s very strong-willed and determined. He doesn’t back down for anything and he took his job as military leader seriously. But I think that’s one of the first things I admired most about him. He always took full responsibility for anything that happened under his watch. He never tried to pass the blame onto someone else like some people I know.” Whit came to mind.
“Mack taught me how to be a fighter.” Clearing my throat, I shifted where I stood, blinking back tears. “He showed me what it really meant to be brave. He taught me to be strong and independent.” I looked out at everyone, my voice now steady and sure, my sorrow replaced by resolve. “He taught me to fight for what I want. For that, I will be forever grateful for this man. He’s been such an important part of my life, and he’ll continue to be. Every obstacle I face from here on out, I will conquer it for Mack. I will fight for New Haven and I will never back down.”
I wasn’t expecting any reaction from the crowd. Most had been silent throughout the memorial, with just a few murmurs and quiet laughs here and there. So, I was surprised when everyone started cheering.
Santiago got into it, jumping up and getting the residents involved. Every time he shouted, “What are we fighting for?”, the crowd would yell back, “New Haven!”
Joshua and Derek both stood next to me, each holding one of my hands and pumping their other fist into the air. I looked out at our residents, feeling their excitement. We were now a tight community and we weren’t going to back down. We were going to continue to fight for New Haven, no matter what.
Two weeks later, Dante, Santiago, Maya, and I stood on our alcove, looking out over New Haven. The construction of the school was already underway, along with more homes for all our new residents.
Hiro and Gideon had taken a trip back to Juniper to find out the effect of the virus. When they searched the city, they didn’t find a single soul alive. With that city down and Scorpion now completely with us, we were only left with Kingsland and River Springs to contend with.
We had sent some of our residents down to Scorpion City to manufacture more weapons and ammo. They already had a factory set up; we just had to make some adjustments to add different weapons to the product line.
We decided to have the four revolutionaries be the main leaders over the military unit. We still had a lot of planning and training to do to prepare for the war with the other cities. We divided the unit into sections, with officers appointed over each style of weapon.
Terrance was over archery, Gideon was over guns, and Hiro was over swords. They worked closely with us revolutionaries with all training and decisions made, helping the four of us gain knowledge that we could use in the future.
A mandatory self-defense course was set up for every resident, children included. We wanted everyone to learn basic skills, but also build character and confidence. Tina and Vivica ran the class, with Luke, Joshua, and Bruce as their assistants. Once Eric was all mended, he would help, too.
With the president and vice president gone, we had to vote in new ones. Santiago had suggested that we just step up and lead, but the other three of us thought we needed to focus on the revolution. We’d let a new president and vice president watch over the residents of New Haven so we could turn all our attention to making sure there still was a city of New Haven down the road.
The four of us had come up with our nominees and we addressed New Haven, asking if they agreed or had anyone else they’d like to nominate. A few more nominees were added in and the voting began.
In the end, Carmen Mendes was elected President, and Dee’s father, Harold Jennings, was elected Vice President. I was excited to have Carmen as President. I had nominated her my
self. She had all the characteristics of her family wrapped into one. She was passionate and opinionated, spunky, loved to joke around, serious when the job called for it, and had a huge heart. She considered everyone’s thoughts but was able to make a final decision that would best suit our city. And boy, could she cook.
President Mendes was the opposite of her boys when it came to her height and weight. She was short and had, what she liked to call, more cushion for the pushing. She kept her dark black hair short, which made her round hazel eyes stand out. Every resident of New Haven adored her as I did.
Vice President Jennings was soft-spoken and gentle with his tone. But he was a smart man, capable of making the right decisions and he was thorough in all his work. I swear the man never ran out of energy. He woke up early and went to bed late, making sure that everyone was taken care of and all our needs were being met. He was a little shorter than me and much skinnier. Being petite ran in the Jennings’ family. He had thick brown hair and light brown eyes, and every feature on his face was small and thin.
Our first order of business once everyone was settled in was to get Joshua’s last name changed. Derek was reluctant at first because he didn’t want to share his last name with someone with “full Randall blood” as he called it.
But over the weeks, Derek had grown to like Joshua. They found a topic they had in common, which was security. They shared stories and I caught them a few times in the house just talking and laughing with each other. It helped ease the tension in our household.
Overall, things in New Haven were going well. We were still dealing with our losses, but it was nice having so many people who knew exactly what you were going through. President Mendes had made it her personal mission to make sure her door was always open for those who needed to talk.
I had gone to her office to talk with her alone a few times. It was helpful to talk to someone who understood everything I’d been through but wasn’t a close friend or family.
I replayed Steven and President Brown’s death in my head over and over again. No matter how many times I had someone tell me it wasn’t my fault, I knew it was in some way.
Reckoning (New Haven Book 2) Page 25