Liberty's Hope (Perseverance Book 2)

by Amanda Washington

  The soldier stared at the ground.

  “That we’re the ones torturing you all?”

  “I think you broke my kneecap.”

  “Yeah, I did.” Connor leaned over and searched the soldier, finding a handgun strapped to his ankle. He disarmed him and stood. “And I did it so I could leave you alive.”

  He dropped the vial on the ground in front of the soldier. Then he scooped up the soldier’s weapons and took them back to the tree where he’d stashed his own. He reequipped himself and returned to the soldier lying on the road.

  “Your guns are behind the second tree on the right. In case you haven’t figured it out, everything the Progression told you is a lie.” He left the soldier stewing in the middle of the road with only his thoughts and the vial of potassium chloride to keep him company.

  As Connor continued on his way, he thought about the young soldier’s reaction as Liberty’s words replayed in his mind.

  ‘This is about more than Ashley, Connor. I know this sounds crazy, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m needed in that town. I keep having these dreams and… and these kids need a chance. They need a choice, and I think we’re supposed to give them that choice.’

  He contemplated the brainwashed soldier he’d left behind, wondering if any of the Progression kids could truly be reclaimed, whether or not they should be reclaimed. They had signed their own death warrants the instant they signed on with the enemy. No one could deny that they deserved death for what they’d done to the country, but they were just children. Liberty was right; there had to be a better way. Connor wondered how many more kneecaps he’d have to break in order to get the Progression kids to think for themselves. Their world consisted of lies and murder. How could anyone reform that? Fueled by anger for the man responsible for all of this, Connor glanced at the sky and made a vow. Even if he and everyone he loved died today, he would kill Major Jack Thompson.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Liberty

  I HAD SO many questions for Kylee. I needed to know why she had sold us out, taken Ashley, and killed Shortridge. Desperate for answers, I opened my mouth to unleash a full-on investigation, but the only question that came out was, “Is your mom still alive?”

  Jeff squeezed my arm. “That was a scam,” he said, making me feel like the biggest fool on the planet.

  “You really are that dumb, huh?” Kylee chuckled and shook her head. “Forget it. Where’s Connor?”

  I didn’t have a chance to answer before a deep baritone voice shouted, “Tinstel!”

  I had been expecting the Major, but even knowing he would be here, hadn’t prepared me for the way his voice unhinged me. The terror of my nightmares came to life and breathed fear down the hallway and up my spine. Just one word paralyzed me.

  Suddenly I saw the gigantic flaw in my plan, and I wanted out of it. I turned and tried to tug Jeff along with me, but he was frozen like an ice sculpture by my side. Wide eyed and tight lipped, he stared in the direction the voice had come from. Jeff had said his father wouldn’t kill him, but he didn’t look so certain anymore.

  Kylee straightened to attention and turned back the way she’d come. “Yes, Sir!”

  “Are you going to keep our guests to yourself, or are you going to bring them back here?” the major asked.

  No. Don’t take us to him.

  The sound of heavy footfalls filled the hallway. She didn’t have to take us to the major, because he was coming for us.

  A whisper of conversation came from down the hallway. The major laughed. Echos of his merriment bounced off the hallways and smacked into me, freeing my feet. I took a step back and another. Kylee reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the laughter. Amusement lit up her eyes.

  I swallowed past the lump in my throat to ask, “How could you? Haven’t you seen the things he’s done?”

  Her nails dug in to my flesh until I cried out in pain. It didn’t matter, though. All I could focus on was the sound of Major Thompson limping toward us. Closer and closer he came as Kylee held me in place, keeping me from escaping. Jeff moved. I didn’t see what he did, but the pressure and pain from Kylee’s grip disappeared.

  She snatched her hand away and snarled at him. He glared back at her. She ignored him and addressed me. “You haven’t seen the things I’ve done. I stabbed that soldier right in his weak and pathetic heart.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because we’re enemies. That’s what enemies do, genius. Either they kill us, or we kill them. That’s how it works, Liberty.”

  Kylee’s eyes hardened, and I finally understood the depth of her deception. She’d fooled me. They’d all fooled me. They didn’t want to be redeemed, they wanted to kill us.

  What was I thinking? It was just a dream. I can’t help them! I can’t even help myself!

  I wanted to run, but we were out of time. Major Thompson was upon us.

  He clucked his tongue at Kylee. “Now, Sergeant Tinstel, I sent you to welcome our guest, not frighten her.”

  Kylee snapped to attention. “She tried to run away, Sir.”

  The major gave her a stern look. “That’s because you broke character early, Sergeant. I told you, you have to hold the ruse until the end. Adds to the affect. Besides, Liberty wouldn’t get far, would she now?” he asked with a wink.

  “No, Sir.”

  He looked at each of us, and then frowned. “I see the reports are accurate. Dunstan has decided to play games with us.”

  “He didn’t enter the town with these two and we haven’t been able to get a visual on him yet,” said a male voice behind me.

  Since I hadn’t heard anyone come in behind us, I turned to see who it was. Camouflage and guns crowded the hallway as young soldiers stood at attention.

  “Move your men into position. It’s time we changed the rules of Dunstan’s game. Secure the building, and when Connor appears, tell him we have his ladies and demand his surrender. Bring him in unharmed,” the major commanded.

  Just like that, the hallway behind us emptied.

  “Don’t worry, Liberty,” the major crooned. “We won’t let this minor setback ruin the day we have planned.”

  He reached for me and I winced, expecting an attack. Instead, he gently took my hands in his, and gazed at me with his lips turned up in an eerie smile.

  “Look at you!” he said, acting like we were old friends. “It’s good to see you again. Although, it took you quite a bit longer than we anticipated.”

  He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “To be honest, I was beginning to wonder whether or not Sergeant Tinstel actually left the note to lead you and Connor here. It’s a comfort to know she remains loyal to me. Loyalty is such a fragile thing, you see.” The major scowled at Jeff. “Isn’t that right, Son?”

  Jeff didn’t answer.

  The major released my hands moved in front of Jeff. “And yet, you came back. I can’t help but wonder why?”

  Again, Jeff didn’t answer.

  The major slid something out of his pocket. There was a flash of silver, and then Jeff cried out in pain. The major leaned back, pulling a short, thin knife from Jeff’s forearm.

  “No!” I shouted. “Leave him alone!”

  “Shh, I’m fine,” Jeff insisted, covering the wound with his hand.

  I gently grabbed his arm and studied it. A collection of small, thin scars ran up and down the arm. Most were faded with age, but a few looked recent.

  Shocked and appalled, I asked, “Are these all from him?”

  Jeff looked away.

  I shook my head. “You shouldn’t have come, Jeff.”

  The major laughed and wiped his blade on Jeff’s t-shirt. “Yet, he did. It seems that you somehow managed to instill in Jeff the main character trait that I could not: Loyalty.”

  I spun on my heel and faced him. “And why would he be loyal to you? You’re a monster who attacks his own child and terrorizes his own country.”

  Jeff grabbed my arm and pulled me back a
way from his father.

  The major clicked his tongue at me. “There’s no need for name calling. Jeff causes his own discomfort, and as for the country… I believe Mark Twain said it best. ‘Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.’ Our government hasn’t deserved loyalty in a long time. So, we started a new one.”

  Four soldiers filed into the hallway behind the major and stood at attention.

  “Everything’s ready?” the major asked his men.

  “Yes, Major.”

  A grin spread across the major’s face, practically splitting it in two. “Great! We should get going then. The show is ready to begin!”

  Dread soured my stomach. “What show?”

  He ignored me. “Search them quickly, so we can be on our way.”

  Soldiers vigorously patted me and Jeff down. One them stuck his hand in my front jeans pocket and pulled out Boom’s paper. He offered it to the major.

  “What have we here?” the major asked. “Could it be a note of surrender maybe? Or perhaps some silly order from Dunstan demanding that we release the girl?”

  When neither Jeff nor I answered he let out a dramatic sigh and waved us off with a hand. “Well go on, read the thing,” he said to the soldier who’d found it.

  The soldier’s brow furrowed as he scanned the page. “It’s from a General Douglass from Fort Lewis and is addressed to the Progression soldiers under the command of… of you, Major.”

  The major chuckled. “Oh yes, I’m sure it is. Knowing those windbags, they’re ordering us to lay down our arms, shove our tails firmly between our legs, and crawl back to them on bloodied knees. Then they’ll promptly position us in front of a firing squad and put us out of their misery for good.”

  Frowning, the soldier shook his head. “No, Sir. It says here that if we defect to the Army we will receive immunity for the crimes we have committed and a full pardon—”

  Before he could finish, the major snatched the paper from his hands and read it. “Lies!” he announced, ripping the paper to shreds. Then he ripped those shreds into shreds and threw them on the floor.

  “Immunity! Pardon!” he shouted. “These are lies that they will promise you, but we all know the truth. They attacked first. They tried to shut us down. They didn’t want us, so we took over and proved to them how valuable we are.”

  He chuckled. “Now they see the error of their ways, just like General Justice said they would. It’s too late for us to come back. Even if we wanted to return to their counterproductive micromanagement, they wouldn’t take us back. No, any who defect to the Army will wish for a firing squad after the torture they will subject you to.”

  “Yes, Major,” the soldier replied, but I could see the lines of doubt fracturing his composure. Boom’s document had affected him. “It’s why you give us the pills. To keep us from all that they would do to us.”

  The major nodded. “Remember that. The Army will offer you nothing but pain and suffering. Whereas I offer freedom to get what you want.”

  “Freedom?! You call this freedom?” I asked. “You treat them like killer puppets and send them out to do your dirty work. This isn’t freedom, this is—”

  A blur came at my face with a loud smack. My neck twisted and my cheek stung. Stars danced before my eyes and I tasted blood. The major had backhanded me. He stood, glaring at me, inches from my face, and I knew he wanted to do much more.

  “You will not speak to my soldiers again, or I will kill you,” he spat.

  I cradled my cheek in my hands.

  “Understood?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “You have no regard for their lives. You do not know them. You would send them to their deaths for some lies on a piece of paper? You will not speak to them!”

  I stepped back, cowed by the intensity of his tone. So much for my grand speech.

  The major calmed and adjusted his shirt before offering me his hand. “Ah well, your stupidity cannot be helped. No doubt they’ve fed you their lies, too. Come now. This has put me in a foul mood and I wish to get back to the festivities to lighten my disposition so I don’t kill you before it’s time.”

  I gulped. Jeff filed in beside me, and we followed the major and his cronies around the corner and through another hall. Each hallway grew a little darker than the last. Finally, we stepped through double doors and entered a pitch-black room. The major paused at the doorway and I squinted into the darkness, trying to make out anything at all.

  I heard rustling, followed by a click. The beam of flashlight illuminated the immediate area. We stood atop terrazzo floor a few feet from a row of black upholstered seats. I could barely make out an additional row in front of that one, but couldn’t see much else.

  The major leaned close to me—his fermented breath making my eyes water—and asked, “Did you ever do any acting, Liberty?”

  I didn’t want to respond, but something in his tone warned me. “A little, in school.”

  “Did you enjoy it?”

  Wondering where his line of questions would lead, I answered, “Yes, but I wasn’t very good at it. I could never seem to make myself pretend to be someone other than who I am.”

  Kylee snorted.

  The major frowned at her. “Sergeant Tinstel, there’s no need to be disrespectful. Although it’s unfortunate that Liberty doesn’t share your acting prowess, you shouldn’t belittle her shortcomings.”

  He grabbed my arm and turned me toward the stage. “But truly, I must disagree about the fundamentals of acting. It’s an art form to be able to take on a different identity. Sergeant Tinstel is one of my most accomplished artists.”

  I shrugged. “I’m sorry, but deception seems like such a waste of talent to me. Kylee could have been so much more. She still could be.”

  Kylee glared at me.

  Loud, raucous laughter surged from the major. I waited, wondering why he found that so funny.

  “You’re such a delight,” he said once he finally regained his composure. “So authentic and transparent. Even in the enemy camp you’re trying to save the world. Completely unlike these bootlickers who only ever tell me what they know I want to hear. We could use someone like you in the Progression.”

  Eying him suspiciously, I replied, “I’m quite certain you’d kill someone like me.”

  He considered me for a moment before replying. “Yes, perhaps you’re right. Well then, enough dilly-dallying. On with the show.”

  He put his arm through mine and led me past the chairs. We followed the beam of his flashlight to a center aisle, and then turned again and walked deeper into the darkness.

  “Lights!” Major Thompson shouted, startling me.

  A generator hummed, and then one lone spotlight sputtered and clicked on. It sat above us on a stage and lit up a large circle in the middle of dark velvet curtains. Beside me, Major Thompson giggled like a psychotic child on a sugar high.

  “I do so love the theatre, don’t you?” he asked.

  Certain I wouldn’t love anything he was this excited to show me, I chewed on my lip.

  “Come now,” he dragged me along. “We have to get good seats!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Connor

  CONNOR STARED ACROSS the four lane road in front of Granite Falls High School. Even if he could magically teleport himself across the street, he’d be dead before he came within ten yards of the school. The major’s choice for a base had been a brilliant one, since open parking lots with sparse landscaping bordered the school. A few vehicles sat abandoned in the parking lots, but getting to them safely would prove tricky.

  Although, if Jeff was right about his father, Connor wouldn’t have to walk across that parking lot until the Major stood waiting for him on the other side. That was—of course—assuming Connor could trust Jeff. Connor was still pondering the wisdom of the plan when the front doors of the school swung open. He ducked down and watched through the scope of his assault rifle as soldiers filed out of the building an
d pressed against the walls. They split up, and he counted them as they fanned out into their positions around the building.

  One crouched in the shadows to the left of the door. He lost sight of two, three and four behind bushes and trees. Five knelt behind a bench. Six disappeared for a moment, and then reappeared right before ducking behind an abandoned truck in the lot. Glass crunched and something on the roof caught Connor’s eye. Number seven broke the window and started crawling out.

  Without killing them? Right, Libby.

  Connor sighed and aimed his M4. He squeezed the trigger and planted three shots into the wooden paneling that encircled the window, forcing the roof climber to rethink his position. Connor kept an eye on the window, but the soldier didn’t try again. If he had any chance of surviving this, he needed to keep them on the ground.

  “Connor Dunstan!” one of the soldiers shouted, his pubescent voice cracking on the last syllable.

  Connor peered into the scope on his M4 and watched the young soldier stand and project his voice.

  “We have your daughter and your—,” he paused and whispered to the soldier beside him. They shared a brief conversation, and then he projected his voice again. “And a woman named Liberty. Lay down your weapons and come in, and neither of them will get hurt.”

  “Bring out my daughter!” Connor shouted back. “I want to make sure she’s unharmed before I surrender.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t do that, Sir. Our orders are to bring you in, but I assure you, she has not been hurt.”

  The soldier was arrogant enough to stand in the open, giving Connor a clear shot. He scanned the boy’s body, trying to decide where to shoot him. He settled on the outside left thigh and squeezed the trigger. Return gunfire erupted and Connor hid behind a tree and waited for the shots to die down. When there was a lull, he peeked out again. From his angle, he could still see the foot of another soldier—the one behind the truck—so he aimed and fired.