by SM Olivier
“But they’ll be an hour behind us,” Jaxson commented.
“With Terrance and Sam, who can use their gifts of earth and wind to their advantage,” Remy remarked as he began to follow Jace down the mountain.
Drake nodded. “We’re all positively certain we can handle them if they were to catch up, but let’s not make it easy on them.” Drake was the next one to go down.
“Guess I didn’t think about that,” Jaxson admitted.
I went next and was glad that it wasn’t a true climb down. I had never gone rock climbing, and I didn’t want my first time to be done in bulky, heavy combat boots. I doubted I would be able to grasp little toe holds and such with them.
I followed the narrow path down, using the mountain wall as a guide. I watched my feet, trying not to look down. I wasn’t afraid of heights, I just needed to focus on the task at hand. I could see myself getting distracted.
Some places were steeper than others, and I had to find places to grasp onto as I navigated my way down. We were mostly silent; not even Noah or Jaxson were filling the quiet with their normal banter, questions, or opinions. I would look back occasionally, and Jaxson, who was directly behind me, would smile and wink at me. Noah was right after him, and Troy brought up the rear.
I finally got to a part that was a flat ledge. I could barely see Jace and Remy waiting below. Drake was sitting on the edge.
“It’s a bit of a drop at this point, so I’m going to hand you down to them,” Drake explained to me.
“Okay,” I replied as I took my pack off.
I looked down at my watch. We had landed about a half an hour ago. I could feel the pack already getting heavy, and the straps were digging into my shoulders. Thanks to my strength training and Remy, I knew I was stronger than I had ever been, but nothing prepared me for this. I could tap into my gift of strength, but it could be a double-edged sword. It could make me more tired and prone to high sexual urges. I needed to tough it out.
I wasn’t going to act like I couldn’t hack it in front of the guys, and I didn’t want to appear weak. Especially not this early in the exercise. We needed to gain a lot of ground between us and the other team. Too much was at stake for me to psyche myself out.
We needed to prove to the Nons that they needed us. We needed to earn their respect. We had played by their rules. Now that the rules had changed, it was time to show them there was a reason we were recruited.
Drake and Jaxson took my hands and lowered me down to Jace and Remy. I felt Remy’s hand on my waist and let go of their hands.
“How are you feeling?” Remy inquired.
“Not too bad,” I responded.
“Good,” Jace interjected. “Let us know when we need to slow down. No use hurting ourselves over an exercise.”
“It’s an important one, though,” I declared. “I’m fine.” At his narrowed look I sighed. “Honestly. I’m good.”
Jace and Remy turned to help the rest of the guys down the nine-foot drop. We all dropped to a kneeling position as we heard the distinct sounds of the helicopter returning. It wasn’t the only one, from the sounds of it. There was a handful of us, but twenty-eight of them.
Troy muttered a curse as he looked down at his watch. “They’re early.”
“Did you really think Paul and Pops were going to take it that easy on us?” Remy asked sardonically before he turned to pick up my pack and his. “Let’s go. We can double time it for a little while. They’ll take time to get their packs and then figure their way down. They’re probably arrogant enough not to have Terrance, Sam, and Gavin ahead and could attempt to stop us before we created too far of a distance.”
He put my pack on his front and carried his own on is back. He then started to jog on the much wider path.
“I can grab my pack,” I protested as I fell into step beside him.
He gave me a crooked little grin. “I know you could, but we need to make up some ground.”
They can’t see us from the drop off point, Troy sounded triumphant as he fell into step behind us.
Good, if we keep at this pace we should reach the woods in twenty minutes, Jace remarked.
We didn’t hit the woods for another forty minutes. Luckily, we hadn’t seen the other team although we could hear them occasionally, their voices carrying down to us. They weren’t even trying to be quiet about it. We could hear them jovially calling and laughing with each other.
Why are they being so loud? I stated telepathically as we took our first break behind a large tree.
Because even the best trained troops still have to work with others that don’t understand that training simulations should be treated like a real-world event. Troy jeered.
I’m sure some of them are trying to take this seriously, Jaxson stated diplomatically. I like that Ford cat. He seems like his head is in the game. I’m sure he’s not underestimating us. His brother and father are huge in the North Carolina community.
How do you know that? I inquired.
I heard him talking to Dad, Jaxson responded. He’s trying to set up a meeting with Paul, Dad, and his brother. Apparently, his brother is older and doesn’t understand the magnitude of the situation we are in. He doesn’t believe the government would ever treat us like second class citizens or force us into situations that may be unconstitutional.
I really hope it doesn’t comes to that, Troy stated with a frown. We all nodded in agreement. We were silent for a few moments. Deep in our own thoughts.
Is everyone good? Can we move on? Jace looked at all of us after a few more moments of rest.
I took another long drink of water from my canteen. Let’s do this, I nodded as I stood up.
I hurried to grab my pack before Remy could pick it back up. I knew he was strong. Even without his powers. I just wanted to pull my own weight until I actually needed help.
Remy gave me an exasperated look but didn’t argue with me.
I kind of feel bad for Terrance, I stated as we set a brisk pace through the woods. They are outnumbered with them, and you know they’re not giving him the chance to lead, like he’s used to.
They’ll learn soon enough, Noah said smugly.
Hopefully, I said with a smile. I didn’t want to get overconfident.
We continued to wind our way through the forest, looking for the stream Troy had pointed out on his map. There were a few paths we could have taken back. One of them was even faster than the one they decided to take. Troy chose this path because of the water source and opportunities for shelter along the way.
Has Jemmy said anything more to you about the whole Gavin and Sierra situation? Drake asked after a while of silence.
I shook my head with a frown. No…She went from obsessing about the whole situation, to nothing. I don’t know if she’s just trying to approach the situation differently or if she’s in denial. Maybe she thinks if she ignores it, eventually it’ll go away.
Do you think she’s lost interest? Jaxson asked tentatively.
Not likely, Noah snickered. She followed you around for years, hoping you would notice her.
She was my friend! Jaxson almost blushed as he ‘loudly’ protested.
A friend who had a crush on you, Drake joined into the banter.
He was just oblivious to it all until she bluntly told him she liked him, Troy guffawed.
Okay she might still like him, but why is she being so… Un-Jemmylike? Jaxson was desperately trying to deflect the attention away from himself.
They’ll figure it out, Troy said confidently. Gavin’s a good guy, and Sierra seems like she fits in with them. They’ll fall into place eventually.
Not all connections find a rhythm naturally. We knew each other for a long time. We grew up as brothers, Jace said cautiously. We suspected that we shared a nucleus. Gavin is so brand new to all of this. Gavin, Jemmy, and Sierra are little more than strangers. It may take some time. It helps that they’ll be forced together all the time to figure it out.
Do you think it wou
ld have been different if you hadn’t known each other for so long? I asked hesitantly.
Without a doubt, Remy rumbled.
We know each other. Noah said slowly. We’ve shared things for years. God put us together. We chose to be brothers. We understand each other. So, it made sense that the transition to sharing you wouldn’t be as difficult.
And your content with that? Are you okay knowing for the rest of our lives we’re on this ride together? I asked as I gnawed on my bottom lip.
“Content? No,” my face fell at Troy’s words. “We’re thrilled to be on this ride with you.”
I looked up at him as he took my hand.
You make us better me, Noah added.
You make us want to be better men, Remy uttered.
You make us stronger, Drake declared.
You make us feel individually special, Jaxson professed.
You made us the complete picture, Jace claimed.
Chapter 7
We decided to take a break for lunch a little after noon. It had been a long time since we heard the other group, and we thought it would be safe to take one. We found a spot that had a nice vantage point in several directions and would still give us time to get out of there if need be.
We had been walking for hours now, and we were all feeling it. Despite my inserts, my feet were killing me. I’m pretty sure I had blisters on them. I wasn’t going to mention it to Noah because no one else was complaining.
We each pulled out a MRE pouch, and I looked at it with genuine interest. I chose the cheese tortellini first. I pulled my multitool off my waist, opened the pouch, and pulled out the contents. There was a cardboard container that said Cheese Tortellini on it. There was a brown foil packet labeled crackers, jalapeno cheese spread and dried cranberries. A little plastic packet that had napkins, salt, pepper, sugar, creamer, and an instant coffee tube. It even had a pack of skittles in it! I looked at another plastic green bag and saw something rattling around the bottom of it.
That will heat up your food, Troy chuckled at my skeptical expression. Put your pasta in there than add the water to the indicated line. He waited for me to follow his instructions, before he nodded.
I noticed I hadn’t been the only one listening to him. Now fold it over and put it back in the box. It’ll take a few minutes to warm up.
Thanks, I smiled at him. How do you know all this stuff?
A shadow crossed his eyes before he shrugged. The summer after Pops adopted me, he sent me to a military summer camp. I was misbehaving and acting out, so he told me to straighten up or he was sending me to that camp. If I didn’t behave after that, he was going to send me to a military boarding school.
He straightened up really quick, Noah said and snickered.
He hasn’t even grown out his hair since then, Jaxson added as he spread some peanut butter on a dry looking bread.
But you still seem to like everything military. Why didn’t you join? I asked as I removed my crackers from the packaging.
My record. He shrugged. Judge Myers made it disappear, but after dealing with a crappy recruiter for over a year, I decided that was my sign not to go.
Plus, he would have missed us, Noah smiled as he pulled out his food from the cardboard. I looked in amazement as the steam came pouring out of the bag.
Not really, Troy joked. But I had a counselor at the camp that was prior service. He helped me a lot. We stayed in touch, and when he heard I had issues getting in, he asked me if I wanted to join his security firm. After a year of working with him, he made me partner. Last year he retired, and I bought him out.
That’s an amazing accomplishment. Especially at your age. I turned to Remy. He was a young entrepreneur as well. Why restaurants?
Remy gave me an indulgent sigh. He hated talking about the past. One of my jobs when I was fourteen was a dishwasher. The owner gave me as many hours as I would take. He paid me under the table. It was crap, but it was something. One night it got busy, and he still needed to place a food order. I had seen him do it numerous times. So, I took his clipboard, did inventory, and notated the orders that needed to be placed.
The following day he gave me a raise and told me to come every morning before school to place the orders. I improved his system. Then I started noticing some of his vendors sold the same items but cheaper. That afternoon I made some phone calls and had his food cost dropped. I’ve always been a numbers guy, so I learned the business side of the restaurant.
When I was placed with Pops, I asked him if I could get a job. He found me a job with one of his acquaintances, but I couldn’t be a dishwasher anymore. I asked the general manager to do the ordering for him and he let me. It wasn’t long before I was helping the numbers there, too.
When I turned eighteen Pops got me my first brick and mortar restaurant as a graduation present. He had the faith in me to do what I had already been doing. I was able to pay him back with interest two years after the doors opened.
I knew he wasn’t bragging. He was humble. I knew it probably killed him to rely on anyone. When he did, people generally let him down. Especially as a child. He became self-reliant. I’m sure it wounded his pride to accept the present from Pops, but he couldn’t throw it back at him either. Pops had faith in him, and Remy didn’t want to let him down, so it helped him, to his success.
Now he’s up to five restaurants. Jaxson gave him a proud look. I knew he reveled in his ‘brother’s’ success.
Why ‘We η 7’? I finally asked after wondering about it since I first saw the restaurant.
Remy gave me a lopsided smile. I got my mark days before I had graduated. Drake had told us what he thought it meant. It was slightly an homage to Pops and what he had done for the seven of us. He was a single parent voluntarily. He was a great father figure for Jemmy, and he showed Jaxson, Jace, Noah, Troy, Drake, and I how to behave like honorable men. Even if we threw his teachings out the window often. Well most of us. He grinned over at the guys. It was also a beacon of hope that maybe I was part of a bigger plan. We knew our marks were special, and they set us apart from everyone else.
And now we’re having a conversation with no words, Noah quipped.
Well, I’ve been doing that for years, Jaxson said smugly
Troy and Noah simultaneously nailed him with tabasco sauces that came in their MREs.
Hey! Jaxson held out his hands in mock outrage, but quickly swiped up the bottles. He had a penchant for putting hot sauce on nearly everything. Even though I knew tabasco was his least favorite.
I smiled at their antics. As grown men, the boys still came out of them every now and then. You could see the love between them. Blood didn’t make them brothers. Life did. They were also best friends. Some of them naturally gravitated towards each other more than others but that happened in normal family dynamics as well. It didn’t change the bond between them.
Should we get going? I asked reluctantly as I finished my last bite of the tortellini. It wasn’t five-star quality dining, but it had been slightly more than just edible.
Troy groaned. We probably should. I don’t think we should be traveling when night falls, and I want to find a shelter to hide in before then so we’re not in the open.
Do you think they’ll find us when we’re sleeping? I asked.
I doubt it. I really don’t think their taking this training seriously, and we can always take turns watching camp, Troy said cynically.
If it was up to Terrance, they wouldn’t stop looking until we are found. Especially with the amount of people they have at their disposal, Jace remarked.
We cleaned up our mess, and I slid my uneaten cracker, jalapeno cheese spread, skittles, and dried cranberries into the front pocket of my pack. The food had been filling.
I looked around when I finally realized my bladder was about to burst. I had sweat a lot today, but the guys had insisted I drink water on numerous occasions.
“Umm I need to relieve myself,” I spoke quietly. I hadn’t even thought about the logistics
of it all until that moment. My napkin from my MRE was used and too paper-thin to wipe with.
After hours of not talking verbally it was weird to hear my voice.
Jace chuckled as he reached into his pack and handed me a roll of toilet paper. It’s biodegradable but make sure you still bury it, so the other team doesn’t find it.
Why don’t you give me both your canteens? I’ll fill it up in the stream and put a water tablet in there. Remy stated as he held his hand out to me. I handed him my canteen off my hip and the one in my pack with an appreciative smile. We should all fill up our canteens now. The stream is flowing nicely so it should be safe to drink, but I’ll still add the tablets. He turned to the guys.
They all got up and walked to the stream. I was somewhat gratified hearing Noah and Drake groan. At least I wasn’t the only one feeling it.
When we set off once more, it was Jace who carried my pack now. I tried to protest but they fell on deaf ears. We made our way through the woods, and after another three hours I was tired. In the distance we could see a cave, and I had a feeling we were headed in that direction.
I want to check that cave out up there, Troy confirmed my theory as he looked up to the sky. It’ll be dark soon, and I want to settle down for the night. Maybe grab some wood for a fire.
The temperature had dropped enough for me to put my balaclava on. My fingers and toes were getting numb even though Remy had handed me some hand and foot warmers. Grey clouds were now on the horizon and rolling in with alarming speed.
If they’re smart, the other team should be seeking shelter as well, Jace said sardonically.
We trudged on until we finally came to the mouth of the cave. There was a boulder partially covering it.
Who wants to go in and investigate, see if it’s occupied by wild life? Jaxson asked with a sly grin.
You are the youngest. I nominate you. Noah joked.
I second that, Troy said with a twinkle in his eyes.
I’m going in. Remy rolled his eyes as he pulled a flashlight from his pack and placed a headlamp on his forehead. He turned them both on.
