Phoenix Burning

by Anne, Melody

  “John said you’re from a rebel group in the Oregon mountains,” Grayson said. After a moment, Brian stepped forward and stuck out his hand.

  “Yes, my name’s Brian,” he said before introducing the rest of the group. “Are you escapees?” he asked.

  “We’ve never been captured. We saw what was happening, and Paul, here, has a built-in fall-out shelter. He gathered as many people as he could and brought them to safety. A few of the original group have passed on, and a few more have joined us. The first year, we were mainly below ground. It’s a large shelter, and he had a lot of food stored. Eventually, we had no choice but to surface, but the soldiers have long since gone. They come here once in a while, but we are easily able to hide. They’ve never known about us,” Grayson said.

  “We’re glad to hear that,” Brian said.

  “We asked John what you were doing, but he said he needed to bring his group in before explaining,” Grayson said. Phoenix could see he still didn’t fully trust them. She knew if they got an inkling that the group before them was from the wrong side, they’d have no qualms about killing them. She stepped forward.

  “We’re fighting back,” she simply said.

  “How do you expect to fight back? Just the eight of you?” Grayson asked, raising his brows.

  “We have thousands in our group. We’re the initial team. We’re taking over the base near Oak Harbor,” Devon said. The group muttered at his words.

  “Are you a part of the Liberty group?” Grayson asked, sounding more excited.

  “No, I’m sorry, what is that?” John asked. He hadn’t heard of another group.

  “There’s a huge militia fighting back. They’re like us, and sick of hiding. They’ve pushed the soldiers back. Slowly they’re taking over the West. Last I heard, they pretty much had California secure. Their numbers have been growing larger. More and more survivors are being found. Since the enemy lost power, they’re a lot more vulnerable,” Grayson said.

  His words sent excitement through their small group. Phoenix smiled as she looked around the room. The people relaxed as they realized they were among friends.

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard since before the war started,” Brian said. There were a lot of murmurs of agreement.

  “We only know this because we have an old battery-powered military radio and are tuned in to their frequency. At first we thought it was another trick of the enemy to draw out stragglers, but we figured out it was real. We’ve seen people heading south. There’s actually hope again,” another man spoke up, standing to join them.

  “I bet you’re all hungry after your long journey,” a woman shyly said.

  “We found some food at a store in town, but we’re completely out now,” Devon said.

  “We’ve gathered most of the food in this town and surrounding areas. We have plenty. We’ll supply you with a few days’ worth. What else can we do to help?” Grayson asked.

  “Thank you for the food. If you’re sure it won’t hurt your group, we’ll gladly take it. I’m going to leave you a radio so you can stay in communication with us. Once we’ve secured the base, the best thing you can do is join us there. Bring what you have and help us protect the island. Do you have a means of transportation?” John answered.

  “Yes, we have a large supply of fuel and several all-terrain vehicles. We’ll have a meeting, but I can’t see anyone not wanting the safety of numbers and the companionship of other people. If you have as many as you say, it would be like moving from a farm to a metropolis,” Grayson said with a chuckle. His group agreed.

  “We should make some more ground,” John reluctantly said. It was nice to have company again and hard to leave.

  “Why don’t you stay the night? It’s going to be dark in another hour. You can have supper, fill us in on what the world is like, and then get a fresh start in the morning. You still have a couple of days to travel,” Grayson offered.

  John looked to the rest of his group and they all nodded their heads in agreement. They’d like to have an evening with company other than their own.

  “If you don’t mind, we’d love to accept your offer,” John said.

  “Of course. We have a bathing facility. It’s not nearly as great as being able to turn on a faucet and have instant hot water, but it’ll get you clean,” Grayson said. All three girls looked at him like they were about to kiss him. He started to laugh. “I knew you’d like that. Gracie will take you to the bathrooms,” he chuckled.

  “Thank you so much,” Leah gushed before the three girls followed Gracie from the room. They stayed up late into the night, planning the takeover of the military base. Grayson’s group supplied valuable information, and they’d be a real asset to the operation.

  Phoenix liked the people, but she was still afraid as she lay down to sleep. She was glad to find Devon at her side. She closed her eyes, knowing she was safe in his arms. Sadie was on her other side and John was in the room as well. They needed each other — it was the only way they’d survived so long.

  Chapter Thirty

  The goodbyes were hard as they left the next morning. Phoenix had to fight back tears at leaving another family. Time rushed by as they pressed forward, inching closer to the island.

  They found the bridge they’d enter by, surprised no soldiers were guarding it. The area was eerily quiet, sending chills through Phoenix. They surveyed the area for some form of defense but found nothing.

  “Set up camp,” John told them. They quickly obeyed. They were anxious to storm the island, but knew acting too quickly could mean death.

  The other groups were making their way north, toward the base, and everything rested in their hands. It was a lot of pressure put on them. If they failed, there wouldn’t be a home for the survivors. The caves were too far away, they had limited supplies, and they needed a stronghold to make their stand. They couldn’t dangle the ultimate gift of freedom in front of people who’d been through hellish circumstances for years, then rip it away.

  “I’m going to head in and scope out the area. I need the rest of you to wait here. I might not make it back until late, so don’t panic,” John told them.

  “You can’t go in alone,” Brian protested, for which Phoenix was grateful.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m far less vulnerable than the rest of you,” John said with a smile. It was easy for them to forget who he was. To them, he hadn’t changed.

  “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll keep things secure here,” Devon piped in.

  “Watch out for each other,” John said. Phoenix smiled at him. She knew he was really telling the guys to keep an eye on the girls. The group had a lot of respect for each member, but they were always overprotective of the girls. Phoenix used to get frustrated with their excessive attention, but as they waded into dangerous territory, it was comforting to know she had so many protectors.

  The day dragged on as they sat around and waited for John. Phoenix was worried, though she knew she really didn’t have a reason to be. He was mostly immortal. Only dark magic could actually hurt him. But it was in her nature to worry, just as it was in his. They loved each other, and when you loved someone as they did, you couldn’t handle anything bad happening to them.

  Phoenix thought about the horrors she’d seen over the years with beaten and starved people, and tales of torture. Enemy soldiers killed with smiles on their faces. They took pleasure in it.

  She shook off the depressing thoughts. She had to stay strong and alert. She couldn’t let anything affect her or it could cost not only her own life, but more importantly, the lives of her friends and family.

  “I’m going to get some water to boil. I think we should make a fire and start dinner. I’m sure John will be back anytime,” Phoenix said.

  “I’ll come with you,” Devon quickly jumped in. Phoenix smiled. The water was only about fifty yards from their camp. He was going a bit over the top in his protectiveness.

  “Okay, but then I’m
going to make you carry the bucket.”

  “Of course,” he answered as if there was no question.

  They quietly walked to the water’s edge. She looked over the glassy surface, thrilled with the location. It seemed like the soldiers hadn’t destroyed it. The water kept everything green and clean looking, and the closer they got to the base, the less destruction she’d noticed. They most likely had used the area as one of their strongholds until they’d decided to converge in the East.

  They reached the shore and Phoenix bent down to fill her bucket. She was about finished when she heard a gunshot. Phoenix’s heart raced as she dropped to the ground and looked around, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. Devon dropped next to her and they both turned toward their makeshift camp. Their team was jumping up, grabbing weapons and looking for the threat.

  “Phoenix, stay down,” Sadie yelled. With the sound of the river lapping against the shore so close, Phoenix had a hard time hearing her. If she knew where the threat was coming from, she could be more prepared.

  “I can’t find them,” Devon said, his voice tight while his head whipped around the area. Another shot rang out and he moved closer to her, covering most of her body with his.

  “We have to get out of here. We’re sitting ducks,” Phoenix said, not liking how vulnerable he was making himself.

  “I agree,” Devon said. “The sun’s almost down — they’re going to have a much harder time hitting a moving target. Run in a zigzag pattern toward our team. We need to find cover, get weapons, and figure out who they are, where they’re shooting from, and how to take them out. On the count of three, jump up and get to camp.”

  Phoenix didn’t argue. She didn’t know if she was going to be able to make her legs move with terror consuming her. The worst part of her ever-increasing fear was not knowing where the bullets were being fired from.

  Brian, Scott, and Jacob were trying to move toward them, but with shots ringing out, they weren’t making much progress. It wouldn’t do them any good if they got themselves killed. Another shot sounded, and it clearly came from their left, in the trees near the river.

  “Now,” Devon said, figuring it out at the same time as Phoenix. They were too close — there was no time for counting. They jumped up and ran as fast as they could on the soft ground. “Move, Phoenix, you have to go faster,” he shouted right behind her ear. She knew he was holding himself back, not allowing her to get behind him.

  She didn’t want him using his own body as a human shield for her, but she couldn’t get him to move beside her. She couldn’t yell at him as it was taking all her concentration and energy just to get her shaking legs to push forward, one painfully small step at a time. She felt like she was running in place — like a bullet was going to bring them down at any moment.

  “Get down, now!” Brian shouted. His gun was drawn, pointing toward them. Devon wrapped his arm around Phoenix’s waist, not slowing a bit, and flung them toward the ground. Her feet lifted and the momentum made her feel as if she was flying for a moment, before reality hit painfully hard, and she slammed into the ground with Devon landing on top of her. She panicked when she couldn’t pull air into her lungs and struggled against his rock solid arms.

  “Stay down!” he shouted right next to her, making her eardrums throb. He’d never yelled at her before — he must be in a panic. Devon finally shifted to his side, but still used his body as a shield over hers. The sound of Brian’s gun erupting felt like a cannon going off in her head. Phoenix was awed as she looked at the powerful expression on Brian’s face. She’d never seen him so fierce. He rapidly fired several shots, before glancing at them.

  “Go,” he said, not wasting time with politeness. Once again, Phoenix was manhandled by Devon as he jumped to his feet and yanked her up. He started running again, not letting go of her hand. She panted as she ran with all her might, but she was only managing short gasps of air to reach her straining lungs.

  When they finally reached their camp, Sadie ushered them behind a tree, and Leah pointed a gun toward where Brian was. He joined them a few seconds later.

  “There are more of them. I hit three men and the others backed off, but they’ll regroup and attack again. I counted seven in total, but I don’t know if that’s all, or if they have a whole army back there,” Brian said, his entire demeanor focused. The rest of the group let him take charge. He was the best man for the job at that moment.

  “This isn’t a good spot for a fight,” Leah said, looking around the area. She was calm, but trying to find anything useful to help.

  “No, it’s not. We searched this area. I don’t know where the enemy soldiers came from,” Brian said. Some of the elders who’d accompanied them the entire way, had left at the same time as John. They’d gone up ahead to the other bridge on the island, so they could split up to come at the enemy from all sides. Another group was meeting them there the next morning. They were too vulnerable being all split up.

  “John will be back soon,” Brian said. “Until then, we need to keep calm and do what we were trained to do. Stay covered and don’t let them near. Sadie, grab the bow. You’re the only one who can shoot the thing. Phoenix, keep your knives close. If they get within throwing distance, just start flinging them at the closest body. Don’t even think about what the knives are connecting with. Devon and I have the guns. Leah, Jacob, and Scott, use the knives, and if you have to, throw a grenade. We have very few of them and they’re loud so don’t pull the pin unless you absolutely have to.” The team nodded.

  They moved apart, Leah and Scott scaling trees, Jacob and Brian watching from behind a boulder, and Phoenix, Sadie, and Devon huddled behind the truck. They had every view covered — there was no way the soldiers were sneaking up on them.

  Phoenix heard a gunshot and peeked over the truck. With evening’s low light, she strained her eyes to see one of the enemy soldiers fall. She was barely able to see as three others rushed in their direction. Sadie lifted her bow and fired an arrow at the same time as Phoenix threw a knife. To their utter astonishment, two more soldiers fell to the ground. They couldn’t believe they’d each hit their target. The girls sank back down as another shot rang out and the third man fell. They were shaking from the reality of what they’d just done.

  Several more shots were fired, followed by shouting. Suddenly Brian was standing in front of them. He knelt down and pulled Sadie into his arms. Devon helped Phoenix to her feet, though she wasn’t sure her knees were going to keep her upright.

  “It’s over. That’s all of them. Scott and Jacob just did a perimeter search,” Brian said. Phoenix and Sadie were looking at him in shock. “You didn’t kill the men. We have them tied up,” he said, reading the questions in their eyes. Sadie looked up, her face regaining some color.

  “Are you sure?” she asked. Neither of the girls was ready to accept the responsibility of taking another’s life, even if that person was trying to kill them. It was something they feared above anything else.

  “Yes. It seems you both had the exact same spot picked out. You hit them in the shoulder, causing them to drop their weapons. Great job, especially considering there’s not much light. Before they could get back up, the others went down, and we got them tied,” Brian reassured them.

  “I know we may have to kill, but I don’t want to,” Phoenix said. She was shaking from the aftermath of the minor battle.

  “We need to get out of here. We have to get to a safer place,” Brian said, pulling them toward the truck. He didn’t have time to soothe them. “I’m not trying to be a jerk, but you have to pull yourselves together. We aren’t safe yet, and I need you to be fully aware of your surroundings. You’re both stronger than this,” he lectured, making them feel ashamed. They wouldn’t be weak links for their team.

  “What about John?” Leah asked.

  “He won’t have any trouble finding us,” Brian said. They struck their camp quickly, gathering all they could find. The truck engine r
oared to life and Brian turned on the headlights. The elders had been notified of the prisoners and would pick them up. They couldn’t risk taking them along.

  Brian drove onto a back road and quickly slipped into the hills. They drove through the wooded area, and soon he found an old logging road. It was overgrown and extremely bumpy, but he continued to push through. The sky was overcast, blocking the moon, causing an eerie blackness to blanket their surroundings. Phoenix felt a chill cascade down her spine. She was cold, scared, and wished they were back in the safety of their cave.

  “It’ll be okay. He’ll find a safe spot soon and we’ll stop,” Devon said, while pulling her closer and tightening her quilt around them. Sadie was up front with Brian, and the other guys were on alert for any more danger, though with the stars and moon hidden by clouds, they couldn’t see much.

  All of a sudden the truck lurched, and before Phoenix knew what was happening, the vehicle launched into the air. She didn’t have time to react as she felt gravity pulling her away from the truck. The next few minutes were a blur as she was ripped out of Devon’s arms and found herself flying through the air.

  Phoenix couldn’t breathe as she slammed hard against the ground. The wind was knocked out of her, and she felt the oily slickness of blood but didn’t have time to figure out where it was coming from. She shakily got to her feet and turned to look around her. All was silent, and the blackness of the night was all-consuming, making it difficult to get her bearings. She did a full turn before she saw the lights of the truck. It seemed they were dimmed. She rushed toward the truck, tripping over potholes in the road, but somehow stayed on her feet. She found it turned on its side, lying in a bush.

  “Sadie,” she called out. She knew she should be worried about all of her friends, but Sadie came first — she couldn’t help it.

  “Phoenix, help,” Sadie groaned from inside the truck. Phoenix rushed to the door and climbed up the side. She froze as the truck teetered. If it was going to turn over, she needed to know which way to jump.