by Eric Vall
Eric Vall
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Chapter 1
I woke late in the morning the next day. It had to be nearly ten o’clock by the time I got up, and the sun was high in the sky as I stepped out of the tent and took in the fresh air around me.
I took a deep breath and savored the feeling of victory. We hadn’t won the war yet, but we’d won a battle last night, and I still felt that bit of adrenaline rushing through me.
We’d managed to take out the entirety of the NK soldiers in the area, steal one of their ships, and scored a huge amount of plasma. It was a victory if I ever saw one. Not to mention, I’d been promoted. The Naval Captain in charge of the camp we were at gave me his position after he saw what the girls and I had been able to accomplish in the few days we’d been here.
I hadn’t exactly been surprised to see him step down, but I figured he would give his position to one of his Lieutenants, not a Ranger he just met. Then again, his reasoning for doing so was solid. Everyone under him had been complacent here, but the girls and I had shown up and taken charge. We’d managed to take out the forces these guys had been dealing with for months in just a few days.
I walked over to the fire and found my girls all sitting around it.
Paige, the beautiful brunette, had her Korean translation book set on her lap, and she slumped forward on her seat so the text was just inches from her face. Her thick rimmed glasses were at the edge of her nose, and as she read she absentmindedly pushed them back up with her right index finger. She had on an oversized gray sweater and dark-blue skinny jeans along with her hiking boots. Even in lounge clothes, she was absolutely adorable. Her thick chestnut-brown hair was pulled up into its usual messy bun, and a few flyaway strands hung down around her face.
The brunette was our expert navigator and resident encyclopedia. She knew a little about everything, but her speciality was getting us from one place to another. I wasn’t a bad navigator by any means, but Paige had proven herself to be quite good, so I let her take the lead.
Anna sat next to Paige on the makeshift wooden bench, and my second in command’s long red hair hung loosely around her face and shoulders, which was a nice change of pace compared to the thick braid it was usually in. She had on black athletic pants, sneakers, and a dark-green jogging sweater that complimented her green eyes beautifully.
When the redhead saw me, she looked up and flashed me a lopsided grin. Anna was the most determined of all the girls. I think it came from her time playing sports where she was often the captain of the team. She didn’t like to lose at all, and she refused to accept defeat. The beautiful woman had proven herself to be a natural born leader, which was one of the main reasons she was second in charge.
Bailey sat on the other side of Anna. The blonde hippie girl had a sketchbook in her lap, and she was working on drawing something. I didn’t think I’d ever really seen her draw, but it didn’t surprise me, since she was the artistic type. Of all the girls, she was the absolute sweetest. She’d even been a vegan before the EMP hit, and she’d had practically no choice but to eat meat in order to sustain herself. I knew she hadn’t liked the idea at first, but she seemed to have grown accustomed to it. I think killing the animals herself helped her to realize there was no spite or anger, and we tried to cause as little suffering to the animals as possible, even though we needed their meat to survive. The hunt also gave her the opportunity to thank the animal properly for feeding her.
She’d grown so much in the short time I’d known her, and I was so proud of her and all she’d accomplished. Not only was she still the same kind and loving person she’d been before the EMP hit, even with all the bullshit she’d gone through, but her battle skills were off the charts. The petite blonde was our resident sniper, and she was damn good at her job. She could take out whoever she wanted, and all she needed was one bullet. I’d known good snipers before, but Bailey was great, and though I wish I could say I helped, I didn’t do much. The beautiful blonde came by it naturally.
Bailey noticed me then and looked up to smile at me with her plump, pink lips. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was partially hidden under a gray beanie, and she had on a black T-shirt, light-blue ripped up skinny jeans, and her green Chuck Taylors. Her gray-blue eyes were more blue than gray with the reflection of the sky in them, and her pale cheeks were stained a slight pink, but whether it was from the fire in front of her or some sort of embarrassment, I couldn’t be sure.
I looked around for a second then, and I realized I was missing someone.
“Where’s Tara?” I asked.
“She went to get some supplies to start breakfast,” Bailey explained.
“How long have you all been up?” I asked.
“Only a few minutes,” Anna answered. “We figured we’d let you sleep in, but that didn’t seem to last long.”
“I appreciate the thought,” I chuckled, then I thought for a second. “I should go help Tara.”
“No need,” I heard the platinum-blonde’s voice from behind me, and I turned to see her with a small box of things in her arms.
The platinum-blonde looked as beautiful as always. She was basically a supermodel, and with her family’s connections, I was honestly surprised that hadn’t been the route she’d gone. She definitely fit the part when it came to looks.
She had long platinum-blonde hair down to her mid back, beautiful almond shaped light-brown eyes, a small, delicate nose, and plump red lips. She had high cheekbones, and a small, pointed chin that just made her look that much more uniquely beautiful. The platinum-blonde wore a black tank top that showed off her ample cleavage, a pair of light-blue denim shorts, and her hiking boots.
Not only was Tara absolutely stunning, but she was the best girl for stealth operations. She moved quickly and quietly, and she was great with hand to hand combat.
At the moment, though, all I could see was the fact that she was pregnant with my child. I was more excited than I’d ever been for anything in my life, and I couldn’t wait to start our family together. However, at the moment we were still in a war, and I had no idea when it would be over. I had tried to convince her not to fight, but there was no arguing with Tara. She wasn’t going to do anything she didn’t want to, she’d made that abundantly clear the first time I met her.
Still, I could do what I could to try and make sure she didn’t push herself too hard.
“Let me get that for you,” I told her as I reached for the box.
“I got it,” she assured me, and she quickly jerked the box to the side so I couldn’t get a hold of it. “I’m pregnant, not useless.”
“I never said you were useless.” I frowned.
“I know,” she chuckled. “And I know you never would. But I still want to feel like I can do things.”
“We didn’t get much of a chance last night to talk after you told us,” Bailey said with an eager smile. “How do you feel?”
“She’s been puking like crazy,” Anna snickered. “I’m guessing not too great.”
“Oh.” Bailey frowned. “Right.”
“As gross as Anna’s phrasing was,” Tara said, and she glared at the redhead, “she’s right. I don’t feel one-hundred percent like normal. I’m a little queasy all the time.”
“We brought fresh ginger with us,” Paige
reminded her.
“I know.” Tara nodded. “I’ve been sucking on it, like, all the time. I feel like my mouth is permanently ginger flavored. But that only helps so much.”
“I’m sorry,” Bailey said with a frown. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
“Not really.” Tara shrugged. “Thanks, though, Bails.”
“I gotta say, I am liking this new, nicer Tara,” Anna teased. “Where’s she been hiding this whole time?”
“Behind my bitchiness.” The platinum-blonde flashed her a cocky grin.
“Do you feel hot yet?” Bailey asked. “My mom always got super hot when she was pregnant.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty warm,” Tara laughed and gestured to her shorts. It wasn’t a particularly cold day, but it was cold enough that all the other girls were in pants. It was still fall, after all.
“Oh, yeah,” Bailey chuckled. “I guess I didn’t really notice.”
“I’m fine, guys, seriously,” Tara said, and she looked at me pointedly.
She understood how concerned I was, and I appreciated her trying to reassure me, but it did nothing to quell my overwhelming desire to keep her safe and away from danger. Something primal in me had been triggered, and I knew I couldn’t allow her to be harmed in any way. I’d kill anybody who tried, and that wasn’t a promise, it was simply a fact. I had no regard for anybody’s intentions anymore. If someone tried to harm Tara and my child, they’d get a bullet to the brain, no questions asked.
“You promised you’d let us know if you needed a rest,” I reminded her. “Just remember that.”
“I know, I know.” She rolled her eyes at me.
“Soooo,” Anna said with a playful grin, and I knew whatever she was about to say wasn’t going to be nice. “How are you feeling about giving birth without any sort of pain relief?”
Tara had previously stated how she would never want to give birth without the epidural. She felt it was far too painful, and she’d even gone so far as to say that any woman who gave birth without one was basically spitting in the face of science. She felt there was no reason to give birth without one when the option was there to have a much less painful delivery.
“Eh, women have been doing it for centuries.” The platinum-blonde shrugged, and Anna’s eyes widened incredulously.
“Wasn’t expecting that,” the redhead muttered with a laugh.
“I’m proud of you,” Bailey told Tara. “You seem like you’re doing so well with this.”
“I’m trying,” Tara said, and she started to pour oatmeal into the pot of boiling water on the fire. “I feel a little weird, but I always wanted kids. And I especially wanted Tav’s kids. He’s the only guy I’ve ever dated who didn’t turn out to be a total douchebag.”
“Is what we do technically dating?” I teased with a raised eyebrow.
“Mmmm,” Tara said, and her perfectly shaped eyebrows pinched together as she thought. “I’ll get back to you on--”
Tara’s face went pale, and she leaned forward slightly.
“Tara!” Paige exclaimed, and she put her hand on the platinum-blonde’s shoulder. “Oh, my god, are you okay?”
“I’m fi--” Tara started, but then she covered her mouth with her hand, stood up, and ran into the woods.
“You think she was going to say she’s fine?” Anna laughed.
“Sounded like it,” Paige agreed, but she stared after her friend with concern. “Her morning sickness is no joke. Poor thing.”
“You know she’s been a monster to us for, like, ever, right?” Anna joked.
“She’s Tara,” Paige said with an eye roll. “Of course, she’s a monster.”
“Oh, come on,” I laughed. “Monster seems a bit harsh.”
“Before you got here I’m not even sure she knew my name,” Anna chuckled. “She just called me ‘the redhead’ half the time.”
“It’s true.” Paige nodded.
“Be nice,” Bailey chastised them softly. “She really doesn’t feel well.”
“I know,” Anna sighed, and she looked in the direction Tara had taken off. “She said we couldn’t do anything to help, but you have experience with this, right, Bail? Can you think of anything?”
“The ginger really is her best bet, unfortunately.” Bailey frowned. “Ginger Ale is the best, but I don’t think we have any of that just laying around.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Paige sighed. “I do feel bad for her. I hate being sick.”
“It’s probably my least favorite thing ever,” Bailey said, and her face pulled into a grimace, and she took a deep breath. “Just talking about it…”
The blonde sniper blanched, took another deep breath, and pulled herself together.
“You cool?” Anna laughed as she looked at her friend with wide eyes.
“Yeah, sorry,” Bailey chuckled. “Just thinking about getting sick makes me feel queasy. I had the flu like every year as a kid, and I always threw up a bunch. So gross.”
“Well, the least we can do is finish cooking breakfast,” Anna said as she picked up the pot Tara had abandoned.
“That’s nice of you,” I told the redhead.
“It’s only because I’m starving,” she teased.
“Actually, making sure Tara eats will be a big help,” Bailey said. “It’s counterintuitive, but she’ll feel better if she gets some food in her.”
“No, that makes sense.” Paige nodded. “At least from a medical standpoint.”
Tara trudged out of the woods then, and she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand as she walked back over to the fire.
“You bitches shit talking?” she joked, but some of her usual luster was lost in how pale she looked.
“Not at all.” Paige chuckled.
“Ugh, I’m sick of this,” Tara said with an eye roll. “This morning grossness better end soon.”
“It’s actually a good sign,” Paige said with a reassuring smile. “It means the baby is growing well.”
“It has plenty of time to grow.” Tara shook her head. “It can slow down for a little while.”
“Dang,” Bailey said with a smile. “I just realized you won’t be able to know if it’s a boy or girl.”
I smiled as the girls talked about the baby. Just hearing them bring it up made me feel happier than I’d felt in a long time, and I was generally a happy person, so that was saying something.
It was a strange world now, and bringing a baby into it would mean having to do things a lot differently than I’d ever imagined, but I was okay with that. My child would know how to care for themselves, how to protect themselves, and they’d know just how much I loved them.
“Tav?” Bailey asked, and her voice brought me back to their conversation.
“What?” I asked.
“Which do you want?” the blonde chuckled. “Boy or girl?”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” I said, and I smiled at Tara. “I’ll love our baby regardless.”
“I want a boy,” Tara said matter of factly. “A little mini Tav.”
“Oh, my gosh, so cute,” Bailey gushed. “We can put him in little khaki pants with a tight T-shirt.”
I looked down at my outfit.
“Do I wear this a lot?” I asked.
“All the time.” Anna nodded.
“How much longer until breakfast is ready?” Paige asked suddenly.
“A few minutes, I think,” Anna answered. “Why?”
“Tav,” Paige said, and she looked right at me. “We should check out the map and see if we can figure out where the Boston troops are.”
“Good idea,” I agreed.
Paige pulled a map from the bag next to her and walked around the fire to come sit by me. She laid the map out on our legs and started to point to different areas.
“They probably would have taken the interstate,” she said.
“I would think so.” I nodded. “That seems like the fastest route.”
“If they left a couple days after us, then they’re like
ly here,” Paige said with a point about five-hundred miles or so north of us on the map.
“You’re right,” I said, and I pursed my lips. “If we can catch them before they get past us, maybe we can funnel them over to us and take them out that way.”
“You don’t think they’re on their way here?” Anna asked. “For the pincer attack?”
“I believe they are,” I said. “But they’re probably going to try and make contact with the ships. Technically, the crews on the ships should have been able to take out the small resistance here already.”
“I guess that’s a fair point.” Bailey frowned. “They probably won’t stop unless they have to.”
“Right,” I agreed. “They’re going to want to get down to Georgia as soon as possible.”
“So, what’s our plan?” Paige asked.
“We should check out the area,” I suggested. “If we find a good area, then we can figure out an ambush attack strategy for the Boston troops.”
“I like that idea,” Anna agreed. “We can head out after breakfast.”
“Speaking of,” Tara said, and she nodded to where Anna stirred the oatmeal. “Thank you for taking over, but that looks pretty plain. Did you season it at all?”
“It’s oatmeal, how are you supposed to season it?” Anna asked.
“Scoot over, Sporty With No Spice,” Tara sighed, and she moved closer to the redhead and used her butt to push Anna further over so she could get to the pot.
Once Tara had seasoned our breakfast, then I woke everyone up and gathered them around the fire. It had been a late night, and some of the civilians were definitely feeling it. I could tell there were a couple hungover groups in the crowd, but nobody complained about getting up, so I couldn’t be too hard on them.
It didn’t take long for me to eat the oatmeal Tara had made for breakfast, and afterward I headed back to the tent to get ready for the day while the girls finished eating.
I pulled off my khaki shorts and yanked on some dark denim jeans, then I laced up my hiking boots and grabbed a black zip up hoodie from my bag. It was chilly out, and I knew I needed to bring something to keep warm.
