I leave my father to his planning and my head is still reeling when I run into Allison lurking outside his office.
“Hey,” I say, trying not to let my suspicions get the best of me. She could be doing something completely innocent. I stare at her until she speaks.
“What’s up Dawn?” she asks, trying to be subtle. “Why were you in the General’s office?”
“I can’t tell you that,” I say as I sidestep her to try to get away. She’s acting weird.
“I know you can’t tell me everything, but come on, we’re friends, right? Or, at least I thought we were,” she says.
I have to stifle my own laughter. Friends? I haven’t seen this woman since before I went to Cincinnati, and, even then, she was never a friend. I’m saved by Ryan as he hurries toward me.
“I have to go,” I tell Allison.
She looks frustrated and I suddenly get a bad feeling about her. Ryan takes my arm and guides me away from the situation.
“Dawn, I need to talk to you,” he says, the tone in his voice making me forget about Allison immediately.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“No, not really,” he answers, looking away as he scratches at his arm furiously.
He’s seems nervous. We haven’t really talked since returning from the Wastelands.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Sensing a sadness, I reach out and squeeze his arm to let him know I’m here for him.
“I have to go back to Cincinnati,” he blurts out.
“What?” I ask.
That is not what I was expecting him to say.
“Ryan, your parents are..,” I stammer.
“Dead. Yeah, I got that,” he snaps. “The rest of my family is still fighting though. I can’t just do nothing.”
The Americans in Cincinnati are divided into their “families”. That doesn’t always mean they’re related, but they’re loyal. Ryan’s family, the Smith family, is the largest and had control of the town. The other big families always resented the dealings that the Smiths had with foreigners. Things reached a head when my patrol showed up asking for aid. Eventually, Chief Smith had to smuggle me out along with Ryan and Emily. He was killed shortly after that and the Smith family lost the chiefdom but is still fighting to protect the smaller families from being wiped out.
“I know you can’t,” I say quietly as my eyes fill up with tears. “But you also can’t go alone.”
“I have to,” he says, hanging his head. “Things would only get worse if any foreigners got involved.”
That’s me. I’m the foreigner he’s telling not to come. It breaks my heart to see Ryan like this. When I first met him, he was pretending to be my doctor in the Cincinnati clinic after I had been shot. This is the boy who loved horses and fishing. War has made all of us into the people that we would never have wanted to be.
I stare at my best friend and think of everything we have been through together; everything we have done for each other. Ryan is family to me. Who knows what is going to happen to him in Cincinnati? There’s a very real chance that I’ll never see him again.
“So, this is goodbye?” I ask, as tears stream down my face and Ryan pulls me to him in a strong hug.
“No,” he says. “I’ll see you again. I promise.”
In this war, promises mean nothing and we both know that. We stand like that for a few moments, both understanding that as soon as we break apart, he has to go. I love this man. This feels like it did when I lost Sam. It feels like losing a brother. Ryan isn’t dead but he’s going to walk straight into the fire. He will be the biggest target in their civil war.
Ryan finally releases me and steps back. We don’t say anything else as he backs away, still facing me. He reaches the end of the hall and gives me a smile and a wave before disappearing around the corner.
For a moment, I let the sadness settle on me then shake it off. We all have to do what we have to do in this damned world.
Chapter 38: Gabby
Lee looks much more peaceful when he sleeps, even with he’s snoring. Life hasn’t been easy for us. Lee has seen some terrible things. Heck, he’s done some terrible things. As I’ve gotten to know him, I’ve realized that every one of those things stays with him. He never forgets or forgives himself. He says that I’m the same way, and maybe I am. Lee knows me better than anyone else right now. He understands me because we’re alike. If we were together, we would only add to each other’s pain. The hurtful things he said to me in St. Louis are a perfect example of that. He was trying to tell me he wanted to be with me and ended up throwing my failings in my face. They were all true and that just makes it worse.
I hate hurting him. I’ve never cared for someone like this before, but the pain would only be worse later on when I buggered it all up big time. I look down at him and brush the hair out of his face. It was a silly impulse and I bring my hand back quickly so that I don’t wake him. His lips curve into a smile but his eyes stay shut.
I’m on watch right now and enjoying the quiet. Moments of peace are hard to come by these days. The other soldier assigned to watch has fallen asleep but I don’t mind the solitude.
The trees block my view of the sky above our shoreline camp but the chilly night breeze feels good.
I was relieved to get off that boat. It smelled funky and we were all living on top of each other. We’ll be back at Rebel base by noon tomorrow.
I hear the snap of a twig and see movement in time to duck as someone tries to grab me. I yell and Lee is up in a second. He knocks the guy out but stops as a rifle is aimed high on his chest. The rest of the camp is roused at gunpoint.
Someone is shouting, “Tie them up!”
I realize the orders are not for us. Over half of our Rebel group are waving their guns around. Lee grabs my arm and pulls me behind him. I reach for my gun before realizing I left it in my rucksack on the ground.
“Everybody move!” someone screams.
“What is the meaning of this?” Officer Lincoln barks as he steps out of his tent.
He doesn’t get an answer, but he does get a knee to the gut. As he doubles over, he is pushed to the ground and his hands and feet are tied. Jeremy has been knocked out and bound. I try to run but am caught and thrown into a tree. My head snaps, hitting the large trunk and sending me sprawling at its base, only to have a gun barrel greet my face. It takes three men to get Lee tied up.
“What is going on?” Linc tries again for answers.
“A changing of the guard,” a woman answers with a laugh. “You all are in for a rude awakening. We’ll teach you what happens when you follow Nolan over Jonathan Clarke.”
Chapter 39: Dawn
I watch from my hiding place as Clay and Jack lead a group of Rebel soldiers toward command. It’s only been a few days since I overheard Allison screaming at my father and I’ve been keeping an eye on her and her friends ever since.
They enter command, guns drawn, and begin marching people out with their hands tied behind their backs. My father is last, bound and bloodied. I duck back around the corner to avoid being seen. They’re headed towards the cells where Jonathan Clarke is being kept, or “was” being kept I’m guessing. There are many soldiers who were fiercely loyal to him. He’s behind this, I just know it. I need to find Drew.
Earlier, Drew said that he was heading to the firing range so that’s where I look first. The halls are eerily empty until I pass the weapons room. The room is packed with men and women arming themselves. This can’t be good.
I step into the firing range and lock the door behind me. Shay sees me first and stops shooting. I don’t come here much so she raises her eyebrows quizzically. Drew does a double take and they both remove their earplugs.
“There’s something happening out there,” I say, breathing hard.
Shay puts up a hand for me to stop talking. It annoys me at first until I see her go to the camera I had failed to notice and pull on the cord at the back. It comes free.
�
��No one can hear us now,” she states.
“I saw a group of soldiers arrest every person in command, including my father,” I explain.
Drew comes to me and tries to hug me but I push him away. Now is not the time.
“Then I saw another group arming themselves next door. It must be Jonathan’s people,” I continue.
“Did you recognize anyone?” Drew asks.
“Yeah,” I pause. “Allison, Jack, and Clay are involved.”
“Shite…” Drew mutters, mussing his hair.
Shay has already busted the glass doors of the weapons locker that holds everything for the gun range and she starts handing things to us. By the time she is finished, I have multiple guns and a sack full of ammo. I don’t like it, but I have no choice.
Drew uses his fingers to count to three. I open the door and he looks around the corner with his gun drawn.
“Clear,” he whispers.
I follow him out and Shay brings up the rear. We don’t see another living soul, so we leg it toward the living quarters. There have to be soldiers there who aren’t a part of all of this. As we get closer, we hear the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Three soldiers have another one pinned down in one of the bunk rooms.
“Who’s on our side?” I whisper.
“It’s gotta be the one that’s pinned down,” Shay answers. “I’ll bet these people out number us.”
“Okay, then I have an idea,” I say. “I know how we can get in behind the shooters.”
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Shay asks suspiciously.
“Just shut up and follow me,” I respond.
We slip inside the boiler room and I hurry to the opposite end of the room and point to the door.
“They’re in the hallway here,” I say.
“Great,” Shay moves to open the door but I stop her.
“Aim for their legs. I don’t want to kill them,” I say.
She looks at me like I’m crazy and then asks, “Do you think they’d ever hesitate to kill us?”
“We’re not them,” I answer.
I slowly open the door, hoping that the rusty hinges won’t give us away. We’ll only have a few shots before they’re aware that we’re here. Shay starts shooting as soon as she steps into the hall. Drew and I follow suit. Shay kills the first man before he even knows what hit him. Drew drops the second one by taking out his knee, and we jump back into the boiler room as the third one turns on us. Our handguns are no match for his rifle. One last bullet sounds on the other side of the door and then silence. We stay put because we don’t know who took that last shot. I almost jump out of my own skin when someone knocks on the door.
“Dawn?” a woman’s voice asks.
I open the door and Officer Grace Mills is standing there, terrified. She throws her arms around me.
“You just saved my life,” she says.
She releases me and I step back.
“Is there anyone back there?” Drew asks, pointing to the room Officer Mills was guarding.
“There are some, but they’re not armed because only officers carry weapons while at base,” she answers. “There were a few more officers back there but they’re dead now.”
She hangs her head and Drew puts his arm around her to guide her down the hall. Shay and I stand on either side of them, ready for anything. We pass the two soldiers we killed and the third that is writhing in agony on the ground. There is nothing we can do for him right now. He chose his side and now we need to save ours.
We pick up a few dazed but loyal soldiers and give them weapons. To my dismay, Matty, Henry, and Antonio appear and want to help. I’d rather they stayed safe, but everyone agrees that we need the numbers.
“So, what’s the plan, Dawn?” Grace asks.
Isn’t she supposed to be the officer? Everyone is looking to me to figure this out and I feel my pulse quicken. I am not the leader type. Drew squeezes my hand to reassure me and also to tell me I need to do this. I calm down enough to speak.
“Jonathan has probably been released by now,” I begin. “My father,” I stop myself. “General Nolan has probably taken his place in the cells along with most of the officers. These people are being led by a woman named Allison. Most of you don’t know her. I obviously don’t either, because I wouldn’t have expected this from her. She’s smart though. We need to be careful here.”
Chapter 40: Gabby
“We got word from Allison,” I overhear one of our captors say and start listening intently as soon as he says her name.
“And?” someone asks.
“Things are underway and moving quickly. We just need to keep them here,” the first person replies.
“What’s underway?” I yell. “What has Allison done now?”
One of the traitors walks towards me and spits on the ground at my feet.
“You’re going to get your answers soon enough,” he says. “You just won’t like what they are.”
I struggle against my ropes because I want to hurt this man. No, I want to kill him. He walks back to the others. I recognize a few of the faces but I wasn’t in St. Louis long enough to get to know them. Jeremy is another matter. Some of these people were his friends. He lived with them.
“Gabby, calm down,” Jeremy says.
“Didn’t you hear them?” I whisper urgently. “Allison is behind all of this.”
Both Jeremy and Lee look confused.
“She’s the one who got Dawn, Drew, and I out of Texas,” I explain.
They don’t get it. They think I’m hurt because she was a friend.
“She’s the traitor who blew up the labs,” I say angrily.
Now they get it, or at least Lee does. He knows that I don’t want to save her because she’s my friend. I want to stop her because she never really was.
“So, what do you think is going on at base?” Jeremy asks. “Do you think Allison is taking control?”
“Who do they have locked up there that still has a loyal following among the Rebels?” I ask. It’s obvious to me what’s going on and I watch it come to them.
“You think Jonathan Clarke is behind this?” Jeremy asks, sounding surprised, even though he shouldn’t be.
We all have seen what Jonathan’s followers will do for him. On our way to Texas, they burned farms and destroyed villages. Here in the colonies, burning farms is about the worst thing you can do when food is in short supply. It is unforgivable. Even Miranda was upset by the stupidity.
“No talking,” one of our captors, a woman this time, barks before rejoining the others.
There are four of them. The rest left to join their counterparts at base. There are eight of us: Me, Lee, Jeremy, Linc, and four others that Jeremy seems to know. I lean back so that my head is close to Lee’s.
“We need to get to base. Something big is happening there,” I whisper. He nods, but that isn’t enough for me, so I explain further, “Lee, Dawn might be there. We need a plan.”
They took our weapons so none of us have knives to cut through this rope. Think Gabby. How do I get to Dawn? I notice a slight movement from Jeremy. His hands are working on something. They relax suddenly and the rope falls from his wrists. He puts a finger to his lips to tell me to keep quiet as he tosses a sharp rock my way. It lands behind me, near my hands.
I run my hands along it, cutting my finger as I feel the sharpened edge. I begin to saw at my rope. It takes me a while but as soon as my hands and feet are free I give the rock to Lee.
“Now what?” I ask Jeremy.
He seems to be the one with the plan. One of our captors glances back and I make sure my arms stay behind my back.
“We need to get to our guns,” Jeremy says.
They’ve taken all our weapons and piled them up. They’re unguarded. Why guard them when your prisoners are tied up?
“Hey!” one of the soldiers yells. “That one isn’t tied up!”
He points to Jeremy and I look at him frantically as all four soldiers close in on him. He
is grabbed by the hair and yanked to his feet. Jeremy stumbles as they push him forward with the nose of a gun, pressing it into his back. Once he is where everyone can see him, he is pushed to his knees.
“You can’t beat us,” the armed soldier says. “Watch what happens when you try.”
He releases the safety on his gun and Jeremy closes his eyes, but before he gets a chance to pull the trigger, I jump to my feet and start running, hoping they will come after me. I pass the weapons pile, grab a rifle, and run like hell, hoping to draw our captors away from Jeremy. Someone shoots at me from behind but I dodge through the woods as the bullets splinter the trees around me.
I don’t stop running as I aim my gun behind me and fire rapidly, hoping to hit someone. But they’re still coming on fast.
I turn, take aim, and fire. The closest one goes down screaming. Two more keep coming until the space behind me erupts in shooting, taking down my final pursuers. I close my eyes, expecting to be next.
“Gabby?” someone asks.
I recognize the thick accent immediately.
“Raf?” I ask in response.
I open my eyes as he grins.
“What are you doing here?” I demand.
“It’s a good thing I am here,” he grins. “You’re welcome.”
“I had it handled,” I snap. “But you might as well help me. There’s one more.”
I take off running back to the group, hoping Jeremy is still okay. We reach the others and the final captor lies dead on the ground at Jeremy’s feet.
As soon as he sees me, Lee rushes over and pulls me into his arms. I let him, as my body sags against his. You never get used to almost dying. I feel him tense up as he sees Raf behind me. I never told him about our meeting in St. Louis. That was the night Lee basically confessed his love for me and I walked away.
“This is Raf,” I tell Lee as he releases me.
I turn my attention to Raf and say, “You haven’t told me why you’re here.”
“I was following you,” he says.
“How?” Jeremy interrupts. “You can’t follow someone on the water.”
Eve of Tomorrow (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 3) Page 11