Jericho

by T K Eldridge

  “Like you said, love. Fresh start. Come on, Alexander. Shall we go see what Hattie and Sam have been putting together in the kitchen?”

  And just like that, she’d pulled me right back out of the dark place I had slid into.

  “You got it, love,” I said and we went to see what our daughter was up to.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sam and Hattie were in the process of cleaning up the kitchen and the scent of something delicious baking filled the air.

  “So what did you end up making?” Peyton asked as I took a seat at the island. She grabbed a couple of mugs and filled them with coffee for us before she joined me.

  “We made bread and cookies,” Sam replied and glanced at Hattie before she took a plate of still-warm chocolate chip cookies from under a cover and slid them over to us.

  I took one and took a bite of the warm, crispy edges and gooey center. “Bread?” I mumbled around a mouthful.

  “It’s in the oven. You can have a warm slice if you’re still around when it comes out,” Hattie said.

  “So, Samantha,” I said after swallowing the last bit of cookie. She snapped her gaze to mine and I smiled. “Samantha Eagleson. I think it sounds pretty cool, don’t you?”

  She put down her cookie, carefully dusted off her hands, then bolted around the side of the island and tackle-hugged me. “You’re cool with it? Really? We can be a family?”

  I hugged her back. “Sure thing, kiddo. Just remember, I’ve never been a parent before. There’s a learning curve to this, so we’ll have to be patient with each other, okay?”

  “You’ve been a team leader and protected your family for five years or more, Alex,” Peyton said. “You’ll do fine as a parent.”

  “Alex? That’s your name now?” Sam asked.

  “Alexander Eagleson. I’ll still answer to Jericho, as a call sign or nickname, but my old middle name was Alexander and it was my uncle’s name. I like it and decided to keep that part.”

  “What was your old name?” Sam asked.

  I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter now. He’s dead. I’m Alexander Eagleson and my family includes Peyton Eagleson and Samantha Eagleson. Cole…Cutter’s new name…will have our packets for us in a couple of days.”

  I watched Sarah…Sam’s face shift to sadness for a moment and I pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay to remember, and to grieve for what was. Just be sure to also look forward into the future. You’ve got a bright one, and I’ll help you in any way I can to achieve that.”

  I felt her nod against my chest, then pull back and reach for a cookie.

  “Peyton said that I’m done with my high school studies and can take the exams anytime now to graduate. I heard that Kit is going to college online and I’d like to talk to her about that, if that’s cool?”

  Peyton nodded to Sam. “It’s fine with me. Her name is now Kate, and she’s got a cottage next to Hattie and Edgar’s. Just don’t register for anything until you sit down with us, okay?”

  “Yes!” Sam did a fist-pump and turned to Hattie. “Could I take a couple of cookies over to her cottage with me?”

  Hattie smiled at the girl and handed her a plastic baggie. “Here, put a few in this and go on with you. I’ll save you some bread. Thanks for your help, Samantha.”

  Once Sam left, Peyton went to give Hattie a hug. “Thank you for being so good with her. She’s never known a grandmotherly affection as both of hers have been gone since she was tiny. I appreciate you being here for her, so much.”

  Hattie blushed and patted Peyton’s back. “It’s fine, hon. She’s a sweet girl and I miss my own. I enjoy having her around as much as she likes being here. No thanks needed.”

  “Hattie,” I asked, “Is there a Justice of the Peace in town? One that can be discreet?”

  Hattie’s eyes went wide and her smile grew. “Well, there’s one closer than you might think. Edgar is certified. We did that years ago when we first came up here, to help Doc Alden get paperwork processed.”

  “Fantastic,” I said and leaned over to kiss Peyton’s cheek. “Save me some warm bread, love. I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

  Before either of them could say anything more, I headed out to go find Gideon and see if he’d been able to get what I’d requested.

  I found Gideon in the shop set up behind the garage area. The door was open to let fresh air in and I tapped on the frame to get his attention.

  “Ah, Jer…Alex. Here to pick up your special order?” Gideon teased, his blond hair pulled back with a bandanna and goggles pushed up.

  “If it’s ready, yeah. I ordered the stuff you wanted in payment. It’ll be in the next shipment we pick up from the drop storage,” I replied.

  “Sounds good. If the size is off, just have her bring it back to me and I’ll tweak it,” he said as he handed me a small cloth bag.

  “Hopefully, it’s perfect. Thanks, man.”

  “Good luck, brother,” he replied as I headed out the door.

  I returned to find Peyton still in the kitchen with Hattie, so I stopped in the doorway. “Peyton, can you join me outside for a moment?”

  Curiosity and suspicion danced across her face before she rose and set her coffee cup aside. “Sure, one moment.” She turned to Hattie and pointed to her cup. “Please, just leave that there for a few, I’ll be back to refill it.”

  “Not a problem, Peyton,” Hattie replied and gave me a wink.

  We went out to the deck and down the steps, and I led her over to the start of the path into the woods before I dropped to one knee. “Peyton, would you do me the honor of becoming my partner in all things?”

  “I thought we’d already agreed to this?” Peyton asked. “Of course I will.”

  “Will you marry me?” I clarified.

  Peyton didn’t say anything, she just cupped my face in her hands, then leaned over and kissed me.

  I pulled back after a moment and put the small cloth bag into her hand. I didn’t trust myself to open it because my hands shook and I’d end up losing it in the leaf debris on the trail.

  One of the things that Cutter had taken from the trafficker mansion was a bag of mixed jewelry. One of the rings had been a gold band etched with suns and moons and set with a round emerald surrounded by diamonds. It was sized for a small man’s hand, so I’d asked Gideon if he could make it small enough to fit Peyton.

  Peyton slid the ring out and gasped in surprise. “Oh, Alex, it’s beautiful,” she whispered, then held out the ring to me. “You put it on me.”

  My hands were still shaking and I almost dropped it. I did manage to slide it halfway down her left hand ring finger before I pulled her close and kissed her. “You’ve made me beyond happy. Thank you.”

  She pushed it the rest of the way on and twined her fingers with mine. We walked down the trail a little ways.

  “What do you want for a ceremony? We know Edgar can officiate, and you can order a dress or whatever other stuff you want, but we’ll have to do it here in order for Sam to be part of it,” I said.

  “Sam, Hattie, and I can come up with something. You just talk to Edgar and find out if he can still do it all legally with us not showing up in person,” Peyton replied.

  I started to answer her when a shrill alarm began to blare across the whole compound. We both turned and raced back to the house. I went out towards the front and she went inside to check on Sam.

  Didn’t it figure? I finally propose to the woman of my dreams, and all hell breaks loose.

  I got out front and found Z, Cutter, and Kane already out there and armed. Kane tossed me an M4A1. I checked it for myself as we started to jog towards the gates. Kane had a device in hand that looked like a slightly larger smartphone and he seemed to be focused on what the readout showed.

  “What’s that?” I asked him as I got up beside him.

  “Tracking location of the alarm sensor that was triggered. Looks like it was at the gate and a bit further down, but all in range of the gate,” Kane replied.


  We all picked up speed and once the gate came into view, we slowed and split up. A battered pickup sat outside the gate, the engine off. One person stood outside the gate, hands lifted up overhead to show they were unarmed. Cutter called Edgar on the radio and the alarm cut off, the silence enough to make my ears ring.

  Kane glanced over at me. “You’re up, boss.”

  I nodded to him and approached, the rifle relaxed in my grip. As I approached, I realized the figure was a woman with very short hair. Behind her, three more figures stood in the back of the truck.

  “Hello there. Can I help you with something?” I called out.

  “Doc Thorpe sent us. Are you Jericho?” she called back.

  “I am,” I replied as I got within a couple of feet of her. “What’s the word?”

  “Fantasia,” she said and I gestured to Kane, hand over my head, to open the gate.

  Only those Dr. Thorpe considered safe would have one of the two passwords. He told us we might be getting more, but I was still going to be cautious.

  ~Come check the truck for explosives, please.~ I sent to Kane as I stepped a pace closer still after the gate was opened.

  “Leave the truck there for the moment. One of mine will check it out,” I said.

  “Make it quick, if you can. One of mine is in the bed in back, injured,” she replied. “I’m Lana. Kevin, Dino, Sinjin, and Marissa are with me. Dino is in the bed. He took a couple when we were escaping and now he’s got a fever.”

  “Understood,” I replied. “This is Kane, he’ll take a look.”

  Kane gave her a nod and moved to look over the truck before he gave me a thumbs up.

  “Alright, I’ll get in back and ride up with you. We’ve got a med suite and a doctor that can take a look at your man here. We’re also going to ask that you all get your trackers removed before you settle in. Freya can do it fast and relatively painlessly.”

  “Not a problem. We brought a few supplies. Marissa is a nurse and has been doing her best with what we’ve got, but-”

  Marissa interrupted Lana with, “But one of the bullets is too far in to get out without surgical tools and I think that’s the main problem.”

  I got on the radio and transmitted the information to Freya while everyone loaded up. Kane stood by the gate as we drove through, then stayed to watch as the gate closed. Once that was secured, the rest followed up the road to the house.

  Freya and Peyton came out with a gurney to take care of Dino and I jumped out to help with the transfer. He didn’t look good to my untrained eye and Freya’s sense of urgency confirmed my so-called diagnosis. Once he was on the way to the clinic with Marissa in tow, I asked the other three to join me inside. We got them set up with some clothes, showers, and a meal while the team downstairs worked on Dino. About three hours went by before Freya came upstairs to fill us in.

  Hattie handed her a cup of coffee as Freya sank down onto a stool at the island.

  “He’s going to be fine. The bullet had been causing the infection. Once I got it out and cleaned out the wound, I stitched him up, got him blood and antibiotics…” Freya took a sip of coffee and sighed. “He’ll be out of it for a couple of days, but he’s going to be fine. Give me a few minutes to have this coffee and I’ll get the rest of your trackers out. Marissa’s already been taken care of. She’s showered and wearing scrubs and staying beside Dino for now.”

  “Where are you folks coming from?” I asked as I sipped my own coffee.

  “The facility outside of Ogden, Kansas. We’re it. The place was blown sky high, but we were out on a mission. We came back to a crater. A friend of Doc Thorpe’s had been keeping watch for any of us and gave us the information on how to get ahold of the doctor. He told us to come up here, so we did. He said you’d have room for us,” Lana said, and I could see that she was afraid to hope that it was true.

  “There’s plenty of room. There are cottages out behind the house, spread out into the forest. They’re really nice. From what I understand, there is a one bedroom left and several two or three bedroom places. Edgar can show you what’s available and how to go about getting whatever you need. We have orders made online delivered to a storage unit down the mountain, then we go pick the stuff up. Keeps our presence up here less public,” I told her. I could see the tension ease in her shoulders and she looked at the others from her group. Kevin looked to be about thirty and reminded me of Cutter, while Sinjin was maybe twenty and the youngest one of us, the modified ones, I’d ever seen.

  Lana pointed to Sinjin. “You and Kevin take a two bedroom cottage to share. I’ll take the one bedroom and we’ll need a two bedroom for Dino and Marissa.”

  Everyone nodded and Edgar went to a cabinet and took out keys. “Come with me and I’ll show you what we’ve got and you can pick. Each one has a few things to get you through until you can order what you need.”

  Lana paused near me as they all headed out and gave me a tight smile. “Thank you. Give me a day or so to get my people settled and I’m happy to step in wherever you need me.”

  I patted her shoulder. “Go get settled. We’ll talk later and figure out what everyone’s specialties are and where they want to pitch in.”

  Another nod and she stepped out of the room.

  Freya let out a soft sigh. “Thanks. I just need a break before I cut anyone else. Dino’s doing okay, but it’s shaky. The infection spread fast and they came a long way. He’s been down for a few days. I didn’t want to lay it out for them like that in case they took it as an accusation.”

  “I get it. Give it a couple of hours, then maybe take a kit and go house to house? I’ll want to make sure they have radios and such, too, so one of us can go with you.”

  “Sounds good. I’m going to check on my patient and catch a nap,” Freya replied and headed downstairs.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Several days went by. Dino had a rough go of it, but he was finally well enough to sit up and eat. Things seemed to be finding a pace of normalcy and the new crew fit in fairly well with the rest of us. My issue was with Sinjin. St. John was his pre-death first name and he had always gone by Sinjin. Once they were out of the Facility, he refused to answer to his team name. He was nineteen, with all of the attitude and yet none of the arrogance. I guess getting blown up knocked a lot of that out of a kid. No, my issues weren’t with his work or anything – the issues involved Samantha. The minute Sam had laid eyes on him, the world stopped turning unless he was in her orbit. He seemed just as taken by her.

  Sam was only a couple of months away from eighteen and Sinjin was only a few away from nineteen, so it wasn’t the age difference. It was the experience difference. He’d been to war and she’d grown up in a mansion.

  None of that seemed to matter to them. Peyton and I decided we had to sit down with them and have a talk. Yeah, I wasn’t too convinced I could do this whole parenting about sex thing. The only thing I had going for me was that I’d once been a horny young soldier and I could relate to Sinjin. Peyton? She thinks she can relate to Sam enough to get through to them.

  The four of us settled in the library and locked the door for privacy. Two wing chairs faced a matching leather sofa with a low table between. A tray of coffee and soft drinks had been left for us by Hattie, probably to make it seem less like a visit to the commander’s office and more like a casual chat. No, it wasn’t working for me either.

  Peyton and I each took a wing chair as the couple had settled on the sofa, Sam holding one of Sinjin’s hands in hers. They made a picture, those two. Sam’s auburn hair and hazel eyes and Sinjin’s blond hair and bright green eyes with cat pupils like mine.

  To my surprise, Sinjin spoke first. “Sir, ma’am, if I may. I know you’re worried about Sam and I being together. She’s not eighteen yet and I’m…different. But I love her and I won’t let anything harm her. I’m not doing more than kissing her and I won’t until she’s over eighteen and tells me she’s ready.”

  Sam blushed crimson and kept her eyes on his
face as he spoke.

  “I knew the moment I saw Samantha that she was the one for me. I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.”

  Sam took a breath and looked across the table at us. “I know you’re only talking to us because you’re worried about me. There’s been a lot of changes and chaos, and most people would need time to adjust or process all of this. I’ve been a politician’s kid my whole life and I’ve had to adjust to things most people never face. This was just another set of circumstances. I’m clear on what I want. I want you two to be my parents, and I want to be with Sinjin. I’m not ready to have sex yet, but I am ready to learn how to be his partner. Will you let us explore this and see where it goes?”

  Peyton looked at me and I shrugged. “I’m new at this parent shit, Pey. You know this. But they sound pretty clear headed and focused to me. They’re not doing stupid shit and they understand the situation we’re in better than some of the adults.” I turned to Sinjin. “Son, I’ll tell you this once, and only once. You’ve been through things that Samantha won’t understand, and she’s had life experiences that you won’t understand. But if you’re both willing to work together, then I’m willing to let you try. Just know that if you hurt my daughter, I’ll be less than pleased with you.”

  I watched the young man’s Adam’s apple bounce as he gulped at my words. It took all of my self control to not snicker right then.

  Peyton looked at them both and sighed. “You’re both very young. Sam is my daughter and has been for a long time now. I’m here for you both to talk to or whatever, but please – be careful. Be patient. Don’t rush into anything, okay?”

  They both nodded and Peyton rose to reach for Sam. They stepped around the table to hug as I got up and shook the boy’s hand. “We’ll leave you two here to talk for a bit. Just remember, we don’t need a flood of babies while we’re still dealing with threats and danger. Affie’s already expecting. Keep your pants on, for all our sakes, okay?”