Liberty's Hope (Perseverance Book 2)

by Amanda Washington

  Eighty-three flames danced across the forest floor in some sort of wild revelry. They burned unchecked and unrestrained by county lines, rivers, or lakes. Animals fled ahead of the flames, but I knew they couldn’t run fast enough to escape the fire. Through pops and crackles, the flames sang of their goal to destroy it all, leaving nothing but ash and ruin in their wake.

  Terror squeezed my heart, and I screamed for the flames stop. Life couldn’t end like this. Not at the hands of such mindless destruction. I needed to do something, but what? How could I stop them when not even the rivers could dampen the destruction?

  Desperate, I closed my eyes and flew straight into the heart of the flames. Heat licked at the thin pocket of air that separated me from the flames, but it did not burn me. As I hovered above the ground, waiting for inspiration, a song filled my heart. I opened my beak and sang of the beauty being destroyed. I mourned for the lost, and crooned about the possibility of a better future.

  “It doesn’t have to be this way,” I told the flames. “Come and see.”

  When I opened my eyes, all eighty-three flames surrounded me. They swayed back and forth, dancing to my solo. They were listening! So close to making a difference, but I had run out of words. Silence enveloped us, and fear crept up my spine. The bubble surrounding me thinned as the fire crept closer. Anticipating the worst, I closed my eyes and waited for the flames to consume me.

  * * *

  When I awoke, ghosts of clouds and fire lingered in the back of my mind. Ashley was still asleep in her bag, but Connor was nowhere to be seen. I remembered his hands under me, lifting me into the air, probably provoking my crazy flight dream.

  Was Connor a dream too?

  As I struggled to sort reality from dream, the tent flap unzipped and Connor ducked in. “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.” Self-conscious, I started to pat down my curls.

  Connor graciously averted his eyes from my Medusa hair, slid into the tent beside me, and handed me a steaming cup of coffee. “Still want to kill me?” he asked.

  Too tired to commit to a yes or no answer I’d most likely end up regretting, I shrugged. “Maybe after my coffee. Thanks, by the way.” I took a sip.

  Connor returned my smile. “Just shout out a warning first. Otherwise people might say you’re un-sportsman like.”

  “We wouldn't want to make people talk.”

  He moved closer, and his smile evolved into dangerously sexy smirk. “Not even a little? You should probably know that soldiers gossip like little old ladies. They’re already talking.”

  “What? Why?”

  Connor shrugged. “I sleep here a lot. They can probably sense the chemistry between us.”

  “Chemistry?”

  “Yeah. Enough to build a nuke. Don’t you feel it?”

  With no way to backpedal the conversation, I considered kicking Ashley to wake her up so she could interrupt us. As Connor closed the already small gap between our bodies, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to scream for help, run away, or lean into him. All three options terrified me. Closer and closer he came, gobbling up my personal space as if it were a meal served to him.

  “Regardless of whether or not you missed me, I missed you,” he whispered.

  His voice had deepened and gone husky. It wreaked all sorts of havoc on my stomach. I loved him. Like some co-dependent maniac, I wanted to wrap my arms around him and smother him with kisses so he could never leave me again. I longed to be forever by his side and on his arm. And here was my chance to tell him how I felt. I breathed him in. His presence was like morphine for my aching, lonely heart and I wanted to open my veins and let him in. But, I knew that if I took a hit, I’d only need more. I wanted to grab his shirt and pull him to me. He leaned forward and my hands shifted, anticipating him. Heat gushed down my chest, scalding me, and it was from more than just my emotions.

  The coffee!

  I tried to jump to my feet, but smacked my head on the roof of the tent. “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”

  Connor grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled the fabric away from my stomach, providing a little relief. I thanked him and leaned back, tugging my shirt from his fingertips. With a smirk still affixed to his handsome face he watched me expectantly, as if any moment now I would throw myself into his arms like some stupid damsel in distress.

  Nope. Not today, mister.

  “I make you hot. Literally,” he said.

  I rolled my eyes, while my stomach attempted to un-knot itself.

  “Ash, wake up, honey.” My voice sounded desperate even to my own ears. “We need to get packed and ready to move.”

  She stirred.

  Connor watched me, obviously amused.

  “Ash.” My shirt had cooled, so I dropped it to fall back against my skin and used both hands to shake the girl. “Time to get up.”

  Please. Don’t leave me alone with this maniac. He’s looking at me like I’m a steak and it’s freaking me out!

  Finally, she stretched and sat up, rescuing me from my alone time with Connor.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Connor

  STILL SMILING ABOUT the desire he’d seen in Liberty’s eyes, Connor slipped from her tent and went to refill his coffee cup from the pot by the in-ground fire pit. Taking a moment to sit and reflect on their conversation, he ladled himself a bowl of oatmeal and watched the trees. Within moments, a soldier hopped out from between two tents, laid two roughly-made crutches beside Connor, and then plopped down. He breathed heavily as he adjusted his splinted right leg to stretch out in front of him.

  “Noke?” Connor asked, amazed.

  The soldier nodded, chuckling at whatever he saw in Connor’s expression.

  “Last time I saw you… it didn’t look good. That was only a few days ago. What are you doing out of bed?”

  “The doc cleared me.” Noke grinned. “So I reckon it’s about time to stop letting people carry me around.”

  “Well, good to see that you’re healing so quickly. I’m shocked actually. You’re not planning on walking the next stretch, are you?” Connor continued to gape at Noke.

  “No, Sir. I can hobble around camp just fine, but I’m betting these wooden armpit supports would chafe like nobody’s business. I can ride, though. Doc says he don’t see why I can’t sit atop a horse for a bit. The ride can’t be much rougher than the gurney.” He gave Connor a wide, toothy grin. “Well, I best go pick out a horse.” Pushing himself up with the help of his crutches, he stood and hopped away.

  “Excuse me, First Sergeant,” someone said from behind Connor,

  He turned to find Soseki addressing him. “Yes?”

  “The Captain is looking for you. He says it’s urgent, and he’s waiting in his tent.” Soseki’s words were clipped, emphasizing the urgency he spoke of. He stood tall and tense, and his eyes darted across the camp, clearly on alert for something.

  Wondering what had set the soldier on edge, Connor nodded. “I’ll go right now.”

  Soseki nodded and hurried away.

  What now? Connor wondered. The camp buzzed with its normal activity, and the soldiers looked relaxed and at ease as they packed. Whatever news had rattled Soseki obviously hadn’t reached the rest of the camp yet.

  Boom’s tent was one of the few structures still erect. Connor came to a stop in front of the open flap and peeked inside.

  “Enter,” Boom said.

  He sat atop his sleeping bag in the small space, his head just inches from the ceiling. Mouth drawn in a tight line, he clutched a single sheet of paper that his eyes seemed glued to.

  Dread crept up Connor’s spine as he wondered what could have Boom so absorbed and somber. Ducking into the tent, he asked, “You were looking for me?”

  Boom nodded, still not taking his eyes off the page. “Have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

  Connor sat, and then watched as Boom continued to scan the paper. After a few moments, Connor cleared his throat, finally earning Boom’s attention.

  “Oh, right
. Close the flap,” Boom said.

  After Connor zipped the flap closed, he pointed at the paper in Boom’s hand. “What’s that?”

  Boom put it face-down on his lap. “We will discuss this in a moment, but first, I have something for you.” He grinned and opened his hand in front of Connor’s face, revealing a ring.

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Connor said.

  Boom chuckled. “Sorry, but I’ve already chosen my bride. She’s a harsh one that’ll no doubt be the death of me, but she’s much more exciting than you are.”

  Connor laughed. “Indeed. The Army will most likely drive you to your grave. So what’s this for then?”

  “This is for your bride.”

  “Boom, where did you get this?”

  “It was my mother’s. Take it.”

  Connor studied the ring, hesitant to pick it up. The large, round diamond in the center sat surrounded by a circle of sapphires. The band was thin white gold and although Connor knew little about jewelry, it looked expensive and old. “I can’t take this. It’s too much.” But, he wanted to. He could envision the ring on Liberty’s finger, and in his mind it looked perfect.

  “It’s been stuffed in my weapons crate, collecting dust for a long time. Madre would want it to go to good use. Take it, Conman.”

  Suddenly excited and a little anxious, Connor scooped up the ring and studied it closer. “It’s amazing. She’s going to love it.”

  Boom grinned. “Yes. I imagine she’ll even take you along with it. Just don’t wait too long to ask her.”

  Connor nodded and stuffed the ring into his pocket. “Thank you.”

  “Of course, hermano. Now, let’s talk about these marching orders. A message came across the radio this morning.”

  Connor cocked his head to the side. Boom had been complaining about issues with the radio. Fort Lewis promised to communicate with the platoon at oh-five-hundred every Sunday morning, but so far, the radio had only relayed static, with an occasional beep. The Progression had to be jamming the signal. Radio waves had become a battlefield to be won by the team with the best technology. The Army seemed to be losing that war, too.

  “You finally picked up something?” Connor asked.

  “Yes. They’re calling us back to the fort. Immediately. Intel says that Lieutenant Justice is on the move.” Boom picked up the page he’d put down and offered it to Connor. “The signal was interrupted before they finished.”

  Connor scanned the document. A jumble of letters had been scribbled across the top of the paper, decoded into a message at the bottom. Although he’d never met Lieutenant Donovan Justice, he’d heard plenty about him during his stint in the service. As both creator and head of the Progression, Justice had started the child soldier division of the military out of the Mountain Training Center in central California. The program had spread quickly, though, branching out first to other bases and eventually into public schools. The idea that Justice would venture from the safety of his California home both intrigued and terrified Connor.

  “Why would he leave Cali?”

  Boom shrugged. “Good question. He’s coming, though. If he’s planning to invade the fort… I don’t know if we can stop him.”

  “What?! How big are his forces?”

  “Big enough that we’re needed at the fort.” Boom folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket.

  Connor’s mind raced, trying to make sense of what Boom had said. “Fort Lewis could easily defend against an attack. I’ve been there. I remember the security and the—”

  “No, Conman. You were there before the collapse. You haven’t seen it since. The Progression knew what would happen somehow. They were prepared. When chaos hit, we recalled everyone we could. We secured the base, and then sent out teams to regain control. I was away, leading one of those teams when our own jets started dropping missiles on the base.”

  Connor felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “What? How?”

  “The Progression was part of us. They had access. Codes. Everything.”

  “The Army voted to shut down the Progression.”

  Boom shook his head. “After you left, the powers that be reached a negotiation to keep the Progression alive, but limited.”

  Connor rubbed a hand over his head. “The other bases?”

  “Varying degrees of the same fate.”

  “I had no idea.” Connor swallowed, feeling like the proverbial rug had been ripped out from under his feet. He had a ring and planned to ask the woman he loved to marry him. They might even be able to squeeze in a few moments of happiness before the Progression wiped everyone out. “Now Justice is bringing his Army to finish what they started.”

  Boom nodded. “Have you ever met him?”

  “Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”

  “I met him once, and it definitely wasn’t a pleasure. I can’t begin to imagine what has him marching north, but it cannot be good.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Connor asked.

  “We move. Quickly. I’m thinking about sending you and Soseki ahead to scout. Whatever the Progression is planning, it must be big. You can bet they’ll want to keep us from reaching the base and interfering. We will have to prepare for whatever traps they’re setting.”

  Connor nodded. He didn’t want to be away from Ashley and Liberty, but he understood the necessity. “Say the word and we’ll make it happen. We must assume they know our approximate location, and therefore know our route. We will have to change it up a bit to surprise them.”

  Boom rubbed the stubble on his chin, considering the map once again. “Yes, you are correct. My original plan was to continue south to Highway 203, take 203 to 18, and stay on 18 until we reached the fort. It’s a good route that will keep us off the freeway and away from the more populated areas, but we’d still have the convenience of the road for the wagon. Travel would be quicker.”

  Connor nodded. “Smart, but predictable. It’s exactly what they’d expect you to do. What’s the one route they’d never expect you to take?”

  Boom stared at the map. His brow furrowed and he shook his head. “You’re talking about I5. The Progression has held control of the freeway for months. There’s no way… ” Boom shook his head again, but Connor could almost see the wheels spinning in his friend’s brain.

  “Of course it’s crazy. That’s why they’ll never suspect it. Major Thompson is an arrogant, self-inflated leader who would never suspect that we’d be brazen enough to hit that road. I bet he only has a few patrols running supplies on it right now. With any luck, we might even be able to intercept one of those wagons, refill our ammo and maybe steal some meals from the Progression. If we send out scouts and keep our pace up, it could work.”

  Boom scratched the whiskers on his chin and stared at the roof of the tent. Then he turned back to Connor and laughed. “You’re right. You’re crazy, but you’re right. We could do it.”

  They had just bent their heads together and started making plans when Connor heard Liberty’s panicked voice shouting for Ashley.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Connor

  CONNOR LEFT TO refill his coffee, and I collapsed on my sleeping bag.

  “You okay?” Ashley asked. Although she wasn’t quite laughing at me, she couldn’t mask the amusement in her voice.

  “My shirt is soaked.”

  “What happened?”

  I sighed again. “Connor. Connor happened. He made me crazy and I dumped coffee on myself.”

  She giggled.

  “If I had a pillow, I’d throw it at you.”

  That only made her laugh harder. I started thinking up creative threats, but Kylee called Ashley’s name. Ashley unzipped the flap, revealing the siblings.

  “Hey Libby,” Kylee waved at me. “Ash, you wanna go get some breakfast with us?”

  The girls both looked to me with big, pleading eyes.

  “We’re supposed to be packing,” I reminded them.

  They upped the pathetic on their p
leading and continued to stare at me.

  “Please,” Ashley asked. “We’ll eat fast and hurry back to help.”

  By the time Ashley got done with breakfast, I’d have our tent torn down and ready to go. We both knew that, but I didn’t want to stand in the way of their budding friendship.

  “Fine, go,” I told her. “But hurry back. I want to watch you saddle Cinnamon this time.”

  “You’re the best, Libby!” Ashley squealed before disappearing into the sunlight.

  “Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Just don’t forget to hurry back,” I yelled. Unsure of whether or not she heard me, I decided it didn’t matter. There were only so many places the kids could go in the camp, and I’d find them as soon as I was ready to help her with the horse.

  “Thank you,” Braden said, startling me.

  I looked up at the flap, and there he stood with a forced smile. Startled, I asked, “For what?”

  “Brae, come on!” I heard Kylee shout from behind him.

  “For teaching me how to play Blackjack, of course.” Then he disappeared from my view.

  The whole exchange felt odd, but I had too much to do to waste any time on it. Dismissing Braden’s odd behavior, I got straight to work rolling up our sleeping bags and attaching them to our packs. Then I climbed out of the stuffy tent into another beautiful July morning. The sky was clear, birds sang from the trees, and the camp busily packed up around me. I tore down our tent to the tune of soldiers shouting orders and loading boxes.

  Jeff showed up, looking fresh-shaven and dapper in clean fatigues. “Need help?” he asked.

  “Not really.” I pulled one of the stakes from the ground. “If tent striking were an Olympic sport, I’d qualify for at least a bronze.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know, you’d have some pretty steep competition, but let me rephrase that. Do you want help?”

  “Sure, since Ashley abandoned me to hang out with Kylee. Speaking of which, your shadow was acting kinda odd this morning. Any idea what’s up with Braden?”

  Jeff shrugged. “Don’t know. Haven’t seen him yet today.” He plucked another stake from the ground.