“It’s them!” he yells back to the truck. To our group he says, “You are hereby arrested as fugitives trying to flee the republic. On orders from the prophet, we are returning you to the capitol.” More soldiers pile out of the truck, as do men in grotty street clothes.
Before I can make a move, Corey pushes me out of the way and grabs the soldier by his collar. There is a quick flash of steel and then Corey has his knife pressed against the soldier’s throat.
“Back up!” Corey yells at the rest of the Texans. Half of them now have their guns raised and the other half don’t know what to do.
“Do it,” the soldier being threatened by Corey answers.
“Take his gun!” Corey commands. I yank it out of the man’s grasp and a thrill of excitement races through me.
The standoff ends abruptly when a Texan soldier fires at Corey. The bullet hits the soldier Corey is restraining instead. Corey’s arm shoots out and his knife flips end over end before plunging into the chest of the man who took the shot.
What happens next is a blur. Dawn retrieves the dead soldier's gun as the rest of the Texans duck behind their truck. After tearing his knife free, Corey runs after them. Alison cuts down two men in civilian clothes who don’t seem to know what to do with their guns.
A large man runs at me so I duck sideways and spin around. He is moving fast and my first shot misses. I fire again and hit his leg. He screams and clutches at his thigh as he tumbles to the ground. I jump back to keep him from pulling me down. The look on his face is one of complete horror when I pull my trigger once more. Point blank. His head jerks back from the impact and then he is motionless.
Dawn is on the ground nearby so I run to her to make sure she’s okay. She has only had the wind knocked out of her. She’s alright. Drew is sitting nearby with his head in his hands, breathing hard. Allison’s arm has been grazed by a bullet and she holds it close to her chest. Corey took out a majority of our attackers and doesn’t even look like he’s broken a sweat. I watch him pull his knife free and clean it on the grass.
“You all take a lot more effort to protect than you’re worth,” Corey says as he pulls a man out from behind the truck.
“What now?” I ask.
Chapter 27: Dawn
That’s not a man. He is only a boy. Dirt streaks down his face as his sobs become audible. His shorts are fraying and his shirt is torn. He wears no shoes and he looks like he hasn't had a nosh in days. Corey drops him in front of us before dragging an old gaffer into the open.
“Dad!” the boy screams.
“Please,” the father urges, “don’t hurt my boy. He is only twelve years old.”
Corey pulls Allison aside to talk, leaving Drew, Gabby, and I to watch this man and his son.
“Why should we spare anyone?” Gabby snaps. “You tried to kill us.”
“They made us do it,” the man says fervently. “We’re just farm workers, see?” He holds up his hands to show us his callouses. I crouch next to him and speak softly.
“They forced you into the army?” He nods. “Your twelve year old son too?”
“They needed men on the ground searching for fugitives in the area,” he explains. I straighten up.
“We have to get them back to their village,” I tell my sister.
“No way,” Gabby argues. “They tried to kill us.” She’s not backing down.
“They didn’t have a choice,” I state.
“Something has to be done about them. We can’t trust them enough to leave them behind us.” Her grip tightens on her rifle.
“Gabby’s right,” Drew chimes in. I turn on him.
“They deserve our help, not our hatred. Why can’t you prats understand that?” I try to get through to him. It’s useless.
“Rubbish! Did I deserve the hatred in Texas?” he yells. “Did Gabby?”
“There is a major difference here.”
“I don’t see it,” Gabby says. “They’re Texans; their only purpose is to obey their prophet.”
“How many Texans have helped in our escape?” I try a different tactic. I try to make them see reason. Gabby and Drew share a look that I am not privy to. The boy is still sobbing on the ground and his father’s eyes are asking for our help. They widen in shock as his body goes rigid and he falls to the side.
“Dad!” the boy screams, crawling over to the dead farmer. I look to Gabby who still has her gun drawn. Her face is unreadable. I tear my eyes away from her and run to the boy that is hugging his father’s lifeless body with all his strength. I kneel down and pull him to me. He is stiff at first but then he buries his face in my neck. His tears dampen my shirt as I rub his back to calm him down. I look up at my sister.
“Shite Gabby! Who are you?” I say.
“What the hell?” Corey screams as his eyes fixate on the dead man and his sobbing son.
“It needed to be done,” Gabby shrugs.
“The hell it did,” his voice quiets into a low, menacing drawl, “that man was practically a slave. They used to take men from my village. They take them from the fields for a specific job and return them when they’re finished. When I was a kid, I was taken to fight a group of Americans.” His face is dangerous as he regards Gabby and Drew. “You really don’t care how many people have to die because of you, do you?” He turns. “Get in the truck. The boy comes with us.”
Chapter 28: Gabby
I am wearing a Texan uniform that stinks of the dead man I took it from. This is how we are going to get through the Texan checkpoint. The boy is hidden in a crate in the back because they would never send someone so young on a trading expedition. We are supposed to be heading north for negotiations with the Americans.
With that story, we get through the checkpoint without any problems. The soldiers believe us right away because they don’t believe anyone would willingly leave the protected lands of Texas. They believe that their God only protects people in close proximity to their prophet. Their mistake.
We let the boy out once we are sufficiently clear. Dawn immediately starts to dote on him. His name is Matthew but Dawn has already started calling him Matty. The kid is scared to come near me. I don’t blame him. I hear him crying at night and it reminds me of when Dawn and I were first on our own. At least he has Dawn to look after him. When I was his age, I had to take care of both myself and my little sister.
There is nothing out here, well nothing big enough to be rebel headquarters anyway. Allison and Corey say we’re close but the empty hills stretch far into the distance. It’ll take us days to cross the expanse. The only structures I see are a small shack and the windmills that surround it. Something around here is using energy. What is it?
“Shit!” Corey says as three trucks seem to come from nowhere. Corey turns us around and floors it. Allison grabs for the wheel.
“Chill out!” she yells. “Stop the car!” Corey ignores her. “Now!” she screams. She yanks the wheel and Corey slams on the brakes. The vehicles that were chasing us only seconds ago surround us. We are circled by a group of people with their guns drawn. They are not Texans. I notice that with one glance. I grip my gun tightly and step out. I am no match for them. As soon as I am out, they disarm me and cuff my hands behind my back. I try to jerk free as they push me to the ground.
“Sir, we’ve got the intruders,” the soldier says as he digs his knee into my back. It takes a couple of guys to subdue Corey. Eventually they jam the butt of a gun into his head and his strength drains immediately.
I only see the commander's feet as he circles us silently. “What are Texan soldiers doing this far North?” he demands.
“Screw Texas,” Drew spits.
“Get him to his feet,” the officer barks. Drew winces as they pull him up by the shoulders but then he stares straight ahead defiantly.
“Let’s see…” the commander stops mid-sentence, “Drew?” Drew’s eyes widen in recognition but he does not speak. “Don’t pay attention to the uniforms.” The commander turns away from us. “T
hey’re not Texan. They’re British scum.”
Chapter 29: Dawn
I wake on a cold stone floor.
“I need to see Jonathan,” Allison is saying to the guard.
“He will be here shortly,” the guard responds. Allison is not satisfied. We wait all morning until he comes, trying to suss out what to say to him. The door opens and in he walks.
“Jonathan,” Allison says, relieved.
“Sorry for the rough treatment but we had to check out your story that you have been operating as a rebel spy. It's not often my men see a bunch of Texans drive right up to our front door.
“No problem, sir,” she says.
From a dark corner, Drew emerges and walks towards the commander. “James?” he utters in disbelief. “James?”
“Hello Drew,” the commander says as their eyes meet.
“Wait a second,” I say, “Jonathan Clarke is...”
“James,” Drew finishes my sentence.
“Your brother?” I say quietly. “The brother that your dad sent to Floridaland?” I look from Drew to Jonathan and neither can take their eyes off the other.
“I thought you were dead,” Drew says.
“That was the point,” Jonathan says. “Heard you were dead too. Regardless, you aren't supposed to be here. You nearly got yourself killed again.” He effectively ends the welcome speech. He turns to Allison.
“We found valuable Intel among your possessions,” he accuses.
“For the rebels,” she explains curtly.
“So you say.”
“Sir, with all due respect. You have only been in charge here for a short time. I have been a rebel asset in Texas for years.”
“What about them?” he gestures towards us.
“A couple farmers and…” she pauses, “General Nolan’s daughters.”
Jonathan coughs suddenly. “What? Our Intel told us that they were killed.”
“Your Intel was wrong.” Allison stares him down. I watch him consider us. There is something not quite right in his eyes. They look wild while his demeanor is calm.
Jonathan turns abruptly and leaves. No one speaks. I try to talk to Drew but he won’t say anything about James or Jonathan or whoever he is. The hours roll by. I stare at the door, willing it to open. It finally does and Lee steps through. His face is serious, as per usual. Forgetting everything, I jump up and run the short distance to him. He catches me and hugs me tight before setting me down. Now, this is a surprise.
“It is so good to see you,” I say. “I didn’t know if you were alive or…” I stop, unable to complete the sentence.
“If I had known you were okay, I never would have left those woods,” he says as a flash of guilt crosses his face.
“I know,” I say.
“Sam didn’t make it did he?” I shake my head and his shoulders hunch forward.
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling like a proper prat for not coming up with something better.
“He was a good brother,” Lee says,”he deserved better.” I take his hand.
“What’s with the uniform? You a ranker now?” Gabby asks, ruining the moment. Lee straightens up.
“I am a rebel soldier,” he says proudly. “I’ve been sent to take you to your room.”
“Finally.” Gabby pushes past him. “I’m so sick of being a prisoner everywhere I go.”
Lee shows us to our assigned bunks. The room is tiny, with just enough beds for the six of us. “There are some clothes in the closet so you can stop looking like traitors. I suggest you make use of the shower as well.” Lee leaves us, saying he has a meeting to get to and that he’ll be back when he can. Something has changed in him. There is an edge to him, a professionalism in every move he makes. It’s probably the uniform. His posture is straighter. His eyes are sharper. His presence is larger.
As I watch him walk from the room wondering what's gotten into him, I realize I’ve missed Lee. Having him around provides a sense of comfort and safety. He is my protector. After washing up and changing I lay back on my cot and only close my eyes for a second before I feel the end of my bed move. Matty has curled up near my feet.
“You okay buddy?” I ask him.
“I don’t like it here,” he whispers.
“Why not? We don’t know anything about this place yet.”
“I want to go home,” he mutters. I lean towards him and kiss the top of his head.
“Me too, kid.”
Chapter 30: Miranda
I walk through the underground labyrinth, making my way to command for yet another meeting. It seems like the only thing they do here is hold meetings. I’m getting really tired of it. I haven’t seen the sky since the day I arrived. Everyone here is so pale from living underground. The only people that get to venture outside are those on the patrols. Shite, I would love to be on one of those right about now.
I open the door to the meeting room and Jonathan immediately comes to shake my hand. He has started to call me Miranda. I prefer Officer Edwards to keep it professional but he is hell bent on becoming friends. I want to keep my distance. Something isn’t quite right about him. His eyes are shifty and his smile is just…off. To be a rebel, you have to be a little crazy but sometimes I think he might be the biggest nutter of us all.
“I have a couple of soldiers I’d like you to meet,” he says as he leads me across the room. Two men in uniforms are standing along the wall. They salute as I walk up.
“At ease,” Jonathan orders. “Miranda, this is Lee and Jeremy.” Once again, I am struck by his informal nature.
“Soldiers,” I say.
“These two are our shining stars!” Jonathan yells suddenly. “They have only been here a few months and have already mastered their training.”
“Is that so?” I ask distractedly, trying to figure Jonathan out.
“Yes sir,” they snap in unison.
“Well, congratulations,” I say.
“Jeremy here was actually in one of those Floridaland camps until Lee went and pinched him from right under the slavers noses,” Jon explains. “We’re going to get those fascist bastards eventually.”
“That’s quite the accomplishment.” I ignore his last comment as I turn to Jon, “how many escaped prisoners have you enlisted?”
“Here? Oh I don’t know. Probably about ten or so. But, beyond here, hundreds. They’re a very resourceful people. I was in one of those camps myself for about a year or so before General Nolan was able to fake my death to help me escape.” To Lee and Jeremy he says, “that will be all soldiers. Our meeting is about to start so you should be on your way.” They salute and hurry off.
I don’t even understand why this meeting has been called until it is half way through. The first part is all nonsense. We talk about which soldiers are ready for active duty and which are struggling. Then awards and commendations are discussed until finally Jonathan says, “For those of you who haven’t heard, we have released the intruders we captured.” This sets the room abuzz.
“Mind telling us why?” I ask the obvious.
“Allison has brought us some valuable information,” he says.
“Who’s Allison?” I interrupt.
“She is a rebel spy that has been living in Texas,” he explains irritably. “Her final mission was to get herself out and get here. My predecessor put her final orders into play over a year ago. She was able to get here but not alone.” His eyes scan the officers around the table and then land on me. I do not like the look he gives me. “She brought General Nolan’s daughters.” Everyone starts talking at once but I don’t hear any of it. All I can hear is a rushing in my ears.
I steady my breathing so that I don’t draw attention to myself. I don’t know how Jonathan seems to know I am the girls’ mother.
“I thought only one of them was in the colonies,” a woman to my right says.
“That was Gabby,” Jonathan says. “Dawn is her younger sister. She got Gabby out and then they ended up in Texas.”
Hearing
their names sends a shock wave through my body as a panic starts to build.
They were supposed to be out of my life forever. I was the mother that abandoned her children, but I had a reason. I had a really good reason. Tears well up but I wipe them away quickly.
“Are you okay Miranda?”
“I’m fine.”
“We all owe General Nolan a lot,” Jonathan is saying. “Let’s make sure his daughters are taken care of. They had a tough journey to get here. The boy, Drew, is already being treated in Medical. He was held prisoner in Texas and we all know what that means.” The sympathetic murmurs around the table are almost too much for me. “The rest of them need quite a bit of rest.” Jonathan stands. “That is all for now.” I move to follow the others out the door but Jonathan calls me back.
“Yes sir?”
“I respect your choice,” he says.
“What choice?” I ask.
“You’ve made some tough decisions in your life. We all have. The rebels are better for it. I thank you for your sacrifice.”
As I walk down the command hallway, I think about what he said. Somehow, I don’t think I want that man agreeing with anything I’ve done.
Gabby. Dawn. Oh my god, they’re here. Shite.
Chapter 31: Gabby
I follow Dawn out into the hallway, trying to get her alone to talk. I am so sick of her being mad at me. She doesn’t give me the chance to say anything. She keeps walking in front of me. I leg it to catch up with her and am surprised to find her calm and even smiling. We wander past rankers at their posts. Their eyes follow us as we go. It is late and most of the doors are locked but some of the training rooms have been left open.
In London, I already had my military assignment. That’s the life I saw for myself and after everything I’ve been through, it is finally possible. I look sideways as Dawn and her eyes are wide in amazement. I can almost see the wheels turning in her head. She’ll want to know how this place is possible; how it was built, pretty much everything about it.
Day of Reckoning (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 2) Page 8