by Nikki Landis
“Lizzie!”
I heard Alec’s voice. At least I thought I did.
“Lizzie! Can you hear me?”
I must have been dreaming. Alec wasn’t here. I was stuck in this room and maybe I was hallucinating or dying. I felt the baby kick me and slowly opened my eyes.
“Lizzie? Lizzie! Darling, where are you?” I heard Alec calling me again, the baby kicking to the sound of his voice.
My head was fuzzy but I managed to call out. “Alec? Alec!”
My voice was faint. I couldn’t yell. I was so thirsty it made my voice hoarse.
“Lizzie! I’m coming. Can you hear me?”
“Alec? Alec, I’m stuck. My leg is hurt.” I tried to yell but it wasn’t very loud.
I heard people outside the room, making noise and moving the debris. Loud banging and crashes shook the walls. It took a long time since I was buried in the room, layers of furniture, debris, and fallen chunks of ceiling blocking the way. The dust became thick, making it hard to see. I heard someone push through and rush into the room. Flashlights illuminated the black.
“Lizzie? Where are you sweetheart?” Alec!
“I’m over here,” I responded weakly.
A few seconds later, he was in front of me. His face looked anxious and tired.
“Are you all right? Where are you hurt? Is the baby all right?”
“We are both tired, thirsty and hungry. My leg is pinned, the dresser fell over on me,” I told him, wincing with pain.
Mal appeared, his eyes wide with concern. “She needs medical attention. She’s dehydrated and she’s been inhaling all of this smoke.”
“I know Mal. Help me get this dresser off of her leg. I need to see how bad she is injured. Big Dog! Can you get in here?”
He yelled, just as Big Dog came through. The dresser was wedged into the bed. It took all three of them to move it but they managed to get it free. Alec pulled me close, examining my leg. Satisfied it wasn’t life threatening, he kissed me and held me to his chest.
“I’m ok. I’m all right Alec.”
His arms shook around me. I could hear his racing heart under my ear as he practically crushed me to his chest.
“I love you Lizzie. Let’s get you out of here.”
He lifted me and carried me out of the room, balancing my weight with help from Mal and Big Dog. Once we were free of the room, he carried me the rest of the way. His grip was tight, as if I would disappear in front of him.
Outside, he lay me down gently on the ground and handed me a canteen full of fresh water. I gulped it down, feeling a little better. He handed me a granola bar and I ate it. The baby kicked, happy to have some nourishment.
Alec watched me intently, examining my leg more closely. His eyes narrowed and I noticed a tick in his jaw. He took out a first aid box and cleaned the wound. It hurt but I didn’t say anything.
“It needs a few stitches. I’m going to numb it a little with this cream but it’s still going to hurt. I’m sorry sweetheart,” he explained, kissing me softly on the lips.
“It’s ok. I’ll get through it. I did once before,” I reminded him, remembering the night he found me and tended to my wounds, when the refugees detonated the caravan and he saved my life. I needed stitches that time too.
Three years he had searched for me, joining the militia in a desperate to locate me. One night during a raid gone wrong, he had stumbled upon me. That reunion had been the match that lit the flame. The fire that had returned us to each other.
I searched his eyes and they softened.
“I remember my love. Always,” he whispered, laying his palm against my cheek.
Alec started the first stitch and I sucked in my breath, the pain terrible. Mal took my hand and I squeezed it so tight it turned white. Alec finished as quickly as he could, bandaging up my leg after applying antibiotic ointment.
When he was done, he looked at me, tears in his eyes.
“I missed you Lizzie. How is your chest? Does it hurt to breathe?”
“Not much. I kept the rag around my nose and mouth, trying not to inhale all of the smoke.”
He nodded and helped me to stand. “We have a long way to go. I managed to find a small cart with wheels. Everything around here is destroyed. We have to go on foot. But I’m going to pack it with blankets for you to ride in. It’s better than walking.”
He made up the makeshift cart and helped me into it. It was actually pretty comfortable. It even propped up my leg. I put my hands on my belly as the baby moved, happy to hear Alec’s voice.
“He missed you. He’s happy to hear your voice and moving around, a lot,” I told him smiling.
He bent and touched my belly, placing a kiss on it.
“I missed you too my little son. Be good for Momma. I love you.”
Little Benjamin kicked his daddy in response, making my belly shake. We both laughed, the normalcy of the moment out of place in the destruction of the base. Alec picked up the makeshift handle and started pulling me along. Everyone was silent. Too silent.
I was dying of curiosity. A million questions were running through my head. What happened? Who was fighting? Where was Darren? Were we safe? What did we do now?
We took a break a couple of hours later. I needed to stretch and move, feeling cramped. Alec helped me up and took my hand, leading me away. We walked around the corner, alone, and he instantly brought his lips to mine, holding me tightly against him. I felt him shudder and I knew he was worried about me.
“Oh God Lizzie. I was so afraid for you. Did Darren hurt you? Did he try to do anything?”
“He kissed me and I know he wanted to but I am so big and pregnant that it stopped him. Thank God Alec. I think he would have raped me. He still touched and kissed me. I hated it. I hate him. I was so very afraid.” I trembled, remembering his threats.
“I am sorry it took me so long to get to you. I had to plan your rescue. I waited for Mal for days before he showed up. And then the hospital and militia base bombing…” He trailed off and seemed to lose focus for a moment. “It was utter chaos. No one expected the militia bombers to inflict so much damage on their own people. The hospital was destroyed Lizzie. If you had been there…”
He gulped several times and I saw real fear in his eyes.
“I know. Darren told me they were going to do their own bombing this time but I never imagined the militia could stoop so low. He promised me that you would be killed and I would be a widow. He…told me you wouldn’t survive it,” I choked.
He kissed me lovingly and brushed away my tears.
“I will always find my way back to you,” he promised.
“I know but…Darren will never stop. He will always come after me. He’s crazy Alec.”
He shook his head.
“The militia moved from the hospital straight to this base, destroying it. Darren was killed by one of the bombs. Mal was with me and Big Dog came to help and find you right away. I’m glad the bomb killed him. It saved me the job of doing it myself. I would have Lizzie,” he confessed.
I sighed in relief. God was merciful. An end to Darren’s tyranny without blood being spilt by our hands.
“I know my love. He’s gone now. Forget about it. We are alive and together and nothing-”
A sharp pain in my belly made me double over. I gasped, holding on to my side. Another one hit, making my heart rate accelerate and my eyes widen in pain.
“Ow! Oh Alec, it hurts. Owww!”
“Lizzie! Lizzie, baby, look at me. Breathe Hun. Breathe. That’s right, calm down. Breathe, nice and slow. Listen to my voice love.”
He coached me through two minutes of pain, my stomach hardening into a knot. It finally subsided as I leaned against him. He brushed his fingers along my cheek.
“Better now? It’s just labor pains. Your body is getting ready for our son to be born. We don’t have much longer now Lizzie,” he told me, gently kissing my hand.
I stayed close to him, loving the feel of his arms around me ag
ain. He rubbed my belly as it started to soften again and little Benjamin started kicking around, my stomach doing flip flops. He kicked really hard once and Alec jumped.
“Wow that was a big one. We have a fighter in there Lizzie,” he told me, pride in his voice.
“Just like his daddy. I love you Alec.”
He squeezed me tight, careful of my belly. “I love you with all my heart.”
He leaned down and kissed me, long and deep, desire igniting between us. I clung to him, pushing all of the anxiety of the last weeks behind me, and enjoying the feeling that I was with my husband again. He finally pulled away, his breathing slightly fast.
“I want to make love to my wife and hold her close. My arms have been so empty. I thought I was going to die without you.”
“I couldn’t sleep without your arms around me,” I confessed.
“I realized something when you were gone. Revenge is no longer number one in my life. You are Lizzie. I care more about you than anything else. I don’t care about the militia and the war anymore,” he told me, squeezing me tight again.
I was surprised. “Really? What do you want to do? Run away together into the sunset? Where would we live and raise our son, my love?” I teased him.
“Big Dog and Mal asked me to be their new leader. I’m considering it. What do you think? I want your opinion.”
I needed only a few seconds of thought about it. Of course. My answer was yes. He was born to lead. A natural. One thing concerned me though. Actually, two things. I decided to bring them up to him.
“I have a couple of concerns. One, will the militia consider you a deserter? Will you be an enemy now, hunted down until you are killed and taken from me? And two, what about our baby? How is he going to grow up? A refugee? Is that what you want Alec?” I asked him.
I guess I had more than two concerns.
“I want our son to be free. I want him to live in a world where he can do anything he wants, be anything he desires. The militia will never let him live in that world Lizzie. You and I both know that is true,” he replied.
I conceded. “I guess you are right.”
“The militia had already declared me a deserter when I left to rescue you. They wouldn’t grant my leave. I told them I had to go and rescue my wife, no matter the consequences. I was dismissed from my post. I have no job to go back to Lizzie. Even if I did, how long do you think we would last? How long before something else threatened us? I don’t want my son born there. I never really did.”
I sighed and nodded.
“It seems the decision is already made. You will be the new face of leadership to the freedom fighters. We aren’t just refugees anymore Alec. We fight for more than our past rights, or revenge, or vengeance for our families. We fight for the freedom of our children. The freedom of a future.”
He kissed me again and swung me around, setting me down gently. His face was beaming. Taking my hand, he led us back to Mal and Big Dog.
“Lizzie agrees with us. Refugees no longer, we stand for something greater. We are Freedom Fighters now. Let us go to our new base. We have much to do and discuss,” he told them.
Both of them shouted their allegiance and grinned. Alec’s other friends, the militia soldiers, saluted. Alec was charismatic but more than that, he was a motivational speaker and highly intelligent. His leadership would usher in a new era. People would join us by the hundreds. They would flock to him. The militia was never going to see him coming. This time we had the advantage.
We finally reached the car (and a militia jeep) and headed to the new base. Alec was incredibly smart in his choice. The abandoned underground military compound was surrounded by electric fence and heavy artillery above ground. The militia had let it go, declaring this end of town to be free of refugees. They had left it intact, only cutting off the energy to run it. For the last couple of years it had sat unused and forgotten.
Alec, however, knew all of the codes. Within hours, the place was up and running. It was massive, much bigger than our original base under Darren. It had similar aspects but everything was on a much larger scale. Taking us down in this place would be near to impossible. It was built to withstand bombing attacks, raids, and even a ground assault.
People started coming within the first few hours. Diva showed up and XXX. Everyone I knew from Darren’s camp. Some I had seen in the hospital on the militia base. Others I knew from Ballard’s compound. I had been shocked to see him but pleased. It felt right to have his people included in the freedom fighters. I was even more surprised when I found out that the bunker was Ballard’s idea.
Night fell and still more people came to the compound. So many came I wondered how we would feed them all. Alec turned no one away. He gave anyone who entered food and shelter, upon the understanding you had to help.
It was the only requirement he had. If you had food and shelter, you had to help in some way. If you could garden, hunt, or cook then you helped in the kitchens. If you could fight, you practiced with us and were given a gun and ammo. If you knew technology, you helped with our systems and security. Several of the women opened a nursery. It was a fair agreement.
The first night we arrived, Alec took my hand and led me into our new room. I fell on the bed exhausted from my ordeal. My leg was throbbing and I didn’t feel well. He made me eat a small meal and gave me plenty to drink. I was so tired I couldn’t slip off my shoes. He surprised me when he opened a suitcase and it contained all of our belongings from home.
He helped me change into a clean nightgown and then he helped me to sit up. I unbraided my hair and brushed it out, letting it fall in waves all around me. Alec took the brush and set it to the side, gathering me into his arms. I lay my head on his chest, struck by the normalcy of the moment, and listened to his heart beating beneath my ear.
I awakened to the sound of his deep breathing. He was still sleeping. Quietly I lay there. I didn’t want to wake him. It was difficult. I really had to use the restroom. Finally, I had to get up or wet myself. I sat up slowly and put my feet on the floor. In that small amount of movement, he was instantly awake.
“Do you need help my love?” He asked, his voice groggy.
“I think I can manage all right.”
I got up slowly, my leg hurting. I was a little wobbly, but determined. It took me several minutes to get there but I sat triumphantly on the seat and relieved myself. Alec was staring at me, one eyebrow raised in humor. I made it back and climbed into the bed. I was facing Alec, my belly in between us.
“I love you Lizzie.”
“And I love you.”
“Are you really all right?” His eyes searched mine for any distress. “I thought I was going to die without you. I’ve never been so miserable in my life. I was terrified Darren would hurt you or the baby. I nearly lost my mind.”
I reached for his hand, our fingers intertwining. “I felt the same way. He asked me to marry him. He told me I was going to be a widow so many times I found myself almost believing him. I was frightened out of my mind Alec.”
“I know,” he croaked, his voice choked from emotion.
“Every night that he held me, I would pretend it was you. I’m so glad he is gone. Is that wrong of me?”
“No Lizzie. He tormented you,” he reassured me softly, “it is only natural for you to feel that way.”
“He did it on purpose. He is…was psychotic.”
“I saw the security tape from outside my office. You were already gone when I reached the entrance. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find which direction you left in. It scared the hell out of me. No one saw you leave. No one saw him. When I watched the video and he shoved you against the wall by your neck, I was so angry I nearly lost it. I’ve never been that angry,” he admitted, swallowing hard.
“It was understandable Alec. I’m glad he didn’t hurt the baby. That’s all I was concerned about. I knew you would be angry, you had every right to be, but all I wanted was to stay alive and return to you.”
; He kissed my hand, held firmly in his, and let out a shaky breath.
“The video gave me a lead, a good lead. He made the mistake of being caught on camera talking to a nurse. I found her and she admitted to helping the refugees. Without her help, I may not have been able to save as many as we did so quickly. When I returned to the hospital she believed us about the bombing.”
“I guess there are many who are sympathetic to our cause. God was with you Alec.”
“Yes, he led me straight to you,” he agreed, “I was terrified when they launched the bombs. I had hoped they would back off until I rescued you but no one cared, not after I was relieved of duty. I can’t even begin to describe the fear of losing you…how it terrorized me, my darling.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his lips lingering against mine for several minutes. I lay my hand against his cheek when he leaned back. His grey eyes were murky like a cloudy sky before a storm, clearly tortured by his thoughts.
“Alec, my love, everything is all right now. We are together. Nothing is going to separate us aga-”
He interrupted me. “There is no guarantee of that. Each moment is precious, every minute counts.”
“I know. You are right,” I conceded.
I saw tears fill his eyes. “God, I love you so very much. I can’t stand the thought of losing you…ever. It haunts me Lizzie.”
Tears sprang to my eyes too. “Oh Alec…I can’t live without you. Don’t you understand? You are my husband, my savior,” I paused and swallowed loudly, “my everything.”
He hugged me close for a long time. Neither of us said another word. It wasn’t necessary. Laying there, in each other’s arms again, it was all that we needed.
Chapter Nine: Lizzie
“How did Darren die exactly?”
“The militia dropped their bombs, hitting the base in succession, just like on K.D. I took men on foot and attacked. I let everyone I came across go free. I didn’t say or do anything. I just let them go. Big Dog and Diva recognized me with Mal. They told me you were being held captive by Darren and wanted to help me rescue you. We agreed to a truce that quickly turned into mutual respect,” he explained, pausing to take a breath.