Miranda stops me on my way there. “Gabby!” she says cheerfully. “I was just looking for you.”
“Why?” I ask suspiciously. My mother has proven time and again that she wants nothing to do with me.
“I was wondering if we might have a word.”
“Okay,” I say, unsure of where this is going. She leads me down the hall and into an empty room.
“So,” she begins, “I hear that you are one of our most promising shots.”
“I can hit a target,” I shrug.
“Good,” she responds. “You are being reassigned.”
“What? Already?” I want to jump for joy, but not in front of her.
“Would you rather continue at your current post?” she asks.
“No,” I say quickly. “What is my new assignment?”
“You are to be trained as a sniper.”
“Really?” I grin.
“Yes, we will have need of many snipers in Texas.” She stands suddenly and walks to the door. As she passes me, she hands me an envelope with my new orders and then she is gone. I am so excited that I can’t even be upset about my mother’s coldness towards me. I have long since written her off. I run down the hall, wanting to share my excitement. I stop completely when I realize that I have no one to tell right now; no one that would care anyway.
Chapter 51: Gabby
The beauty of being a sniper is that we train outside. There isn’t a training room that can provide us with the long distance shooting that we need. Today is the first day that there even is a squad of snipers because they never wanted to risk having soldiers train outside, in the open. They put us together specifically for the assault on Texas. Some of the people here have been a part of the rebels for years. I am the newest. We keep our eyes open and our guns at the ready as we walk towards the nearby tree line for some cover. When anyone is outside the compound, they have to be careful to look for ambushes or just groups of Texans out on patrol. We stop as soon as we reach the patch of woods and turn towards the sergeant.
“Soldiers, I am Sergeant Lincoln,” he says as we salute. I am surprised at the accent in his voice. He isn’t British. He’s the first American officer that I’ve met. “You have been selected for a specialized task. Snipers will play a very important role. We don’t have the numbers to overwhelm the Texans but we will have the training.” He drops the duffel bag he was carrying on the ground. He unzips one and pulls out a rifle. “This is a sniper rifle,” he explains. “Come and take one.”
As soon as the gun is in my grasp, I run my hand down the length of it. It is much longer and heavier than anything I have shot before. The grip is almost too big for my hand. I peer through the scope and my heart begins to race as the excitement builds. I’ll bet this thing is so much more accurate than the rifles in the shooting range.
We practice taking apart the gun and putting it together for the next hour before the sergeant instructs us in how to rest the gun on the ground and take aim. I feel weird shooting from so low.
“This is going to be great!” the girl next to me says. I smile at her in agreement and she continues, “You’re Dawn’s sister, right?”
“I prefer to say that she’s my sister, on days that I actually admit it,” I respond.
“I like you,” she says, laughing. “I’m Shay.”
“Gabby,” I say. “How do you know Dawn?”
“I used to live in the same caves as Lee,” she states. “Your sister is a piece of work isn’t she?”
“You have no idea,” I say softly.
“I don’t get what Drew sees in her,” Shay whispers.
“He loves her,” I say plainly. “Although you wouldn’t guess that these days. They’re not even together.”
“I noticed that,” she says. “He still walks around like a lovesick puppy though.”
“Soldiers!” Sergeant Lincoln barks. “Can anyone tell me why we are not using guided ammunition?”
“Sir yes sir,” a man in the back responds. “The Texans have developed jamming technology.”
“Good, soldier Harmon,” the sergeant says. “You are correct. They are now able to block our guided missiles. This means that we will have to rely on our aim to hit the targets. This is a much more difficult and old fashioned way to fight and we only have a limited amount of time to train. This is why you were chosen. Each of you has excelled in the shooting range. Let’s see how well that translates to an open battlefield.”
“Sir?” a man beside me says.
“There is no need for all this sir business,” Sergeant Lincoln says. “Out here, I am a rebel just like all of you. Call me Linc.”
“Okay, can I ask a question?” the man says.
“Of course Greene, ask away,” Linc responds.
“If the Texans have the jammer, wouldn’t they also have guided ammunition?” Greene asks. “How are we supposed to compete with that if we can’t use it ourselves?”
“Good question.” Linc scratches his head. “We’ve recently had a rebel agent bring us the specs of the jammer from Texas. Our technicians are working on it now. We will begin this fight on even footing, I assure you.”
He must mean Allison. I know she was bringing back some blueprints to some of the buildings in the capitol but this is so much bigger than that.
Linc orders us to grab our guns and follow him. He takes us to where he has painted targets on trees in the distance. “We will practice until you can hit the center of the target with every shot,” he explains. “Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 52: Dawn
We’ve been in the same place for two days now and the boys are getting restless. They are bored of their cards and we found snakes in our camp last night. It’s time to go. It doesn’t help that it’s been raining for the past twenty-four hours. The ground has turned to mud and my boots are like suction cups as I pull them free every few steps.
The rebel uniform only provides minimal protection against the cold that finds its way into my bones. Each night, the fire thaws my limbs but it does not warm me. I am staring into the flames when Officer Mills takes a seat beside me. Everyone calls her Mills except for me. Leaving the respectful title of officer from her name is only one of the things they pull to try to show her who’s in charge. Nothing seems to bother her, or at least, she’s very good at hiding it. I try to stay away from most of the group because they do the same shite to me. It’s a good ole boys club for sure.
During the day, I hang out in my tent to stay out of the rain and away from the others and at night I don’t join in the conversation. Tonight is no different. Finding dry firewood was difficult so we had to make do. The flames are little more than glowing ashes on the ground; not large enough to cook on. We ate a cold dinner and then most people went straight to sleep. I try to escape this place and shut my eyes but as zonked as I am, no sleep will come.
It’s a strange feeling, to have my body ache with exhaustion and at the same time, not be able to quiet my mind.
“You should get some sleep,” Officer Mills says quietly.
“You should too, Officer Mills,” I respond. Neither of us moves as we soak in the stillness. The silence is punctuated by the occasional popping of sparks from the dying fire.
“These parts used to be full of animals,” she sighs. “Have you noticed that we haven’t seen many around?”
“Yeah.” My voice is a whisper so as not the wake the others. “What happened to them?
“They were hunted almost to extinction when the rebels and the Americans moved into the area. Before people found a way to alter the crops, the animals were a main source of food,” she explains. “There are rumors that if you were to go out west, you’d see tons of them. Bears, lions, wolves, all of them.”
“It’s kind of sad,” I say as an image of the bear that almost killed me comes to mind. That seems like a lifetime ago. Sam with his crossbow. Me with my twisted ankle.
“It is.” Officer Mills brings me back to the present. “I just hope we don
’t hunt people to extinction.” Her face is hidden in the darkness but I can sense a sadness in her hunched shoulders and quiet voice. I grab onto the tiny string of hope she has just given me. Maybe there are more people that feel the same way that I do about this coming war. Maybe the rebels can still be saved from themselves.
“Tomorrow’s another long day,” Officer Mills states. “The boat might come. We should get some rest.” She gets to her feet and we stomp out the rest of the fire. I hope we get moving soon because the sooner we get there, the sooner we get back and I can figure out what to do next.
Chapter 53: Dawn
“Hey Nolan, wait up!” Lucas yells as he jogs towards me. I stop my search for usable firewood and turn. “Mills wants us to stay together today,” he explains. “We need to be ready if the boat comes.” I sigh and follow him back.
Around midday I start digging through our stores. It’s my turn to make lunch and we were not planning on having to wait this long for a ship. Our food has to last us until it gets here. I guess it’s spuds again. I set them to boil and lean against my pack on the ground. The sun streams through the leafy overgrowth and I close my eyes as the rays warm my face.
“Everyone, get down!” Officer Mills yells suddenly. My eyes pop open and I see a flash in the bushes nearby. I hear the shot before I see anyone else. Suddenly, my surroundings erupt in chaos. I don’t have time to think before I engage and realize that I am unarmed, having set my rifle down to cook. Shite!
Everyone is shouting as more and more attackers show up. I throw the boiling pot at the first one who runs at me and he screams in agony.
I jab another attacker in the ribs as he brings his fist down to meet my jaw. I stumble backwards as he smashes his elbow into my chest. I scream in pain and kick him in the shins. He falls to the ground and then King is there. He shoots my attacker in the head and then moves along without so much as a glance at me. I look at the bare chested dead man. The eagle tattooed across his chest. Freedom fighters. I stumble backwards as I remember the man who tried to kill me when I first got to the colonies. Drew saved me. Images of the ruins and the bones in the dirt flash through my mind.
“King, Brent, Hipps!” Officer Mills yells. “Help Schmidt! Nolan, Lucas to me!” I look around and Schmidt has fallen to the ground with a leg wound. He still has his gun in his hands but he cannot get up. Officer Mills is fighting more than one attacker. I jump into the mix and claw at the face of a large woman. She pulls out a knife and I back away. She slashes through the air, trying to catch me. I duck and she barely misses. The move makes her momentarily lose her balance and I see my opening. I run. I am not proud of it but I’ve never claimed to be brave. I weave in and out of the fight until I reach the place where I left my gun laying on the ground. As soon as I pick it up, the woman stops chasing me. She cocks her head and stares while still holding the knife, ready to plunge it into my flesh.
“Breathe in. Breathe out,” Jeremy’s voice says in my mind. My finger shakes as I pull the trigger. The bullet flies wide. I try again but I can’t still my hands enough to aim. She starts at me again but before she can come any closer, King shoots her twice in the chest. I try to stand as the fight dies down around me but I am grabbed from behind and thrown back down. I hit my head as I fall and am too dizzy to get back up. I use my arms to roll onto my back and am confronted with the barrel of a rebel issued rifle. My eyes shift upwards to where Soldier King still stands.
“Get up,” he orders. I do as I’m told.
“What are you doing?” I say, my voice shaking.
“I’m following orders,” he responds. “Turn around.”
“Please, don’t do this.”
“Shut up and turn around!” he screams. I close my eyes and turn.
“King!” Officer Mills yells, running towards us. I hear a scuffle right before a bullet tears into my skin.
Chapter 54: Dawn
The pain shooting up my arm wakes me. I groan as my eyes pop open and the light pouring through the open window almost blinds me. There is a wooden roof overhead and I am suddenly very aware that I don’t know where I am. I try to roll out of bed but fail.
“Don’t tax yourself,” Officer Mills says as she steps into the room.
“Officer Mills?” I say tentatively.
“I told you to call me Grace,” she says.
“Where am I?”
“On a ship.”
“What happened?”
“You were shot,” she answers bluntly, looking towards the door as Brent and Lucas walk in.
“Glad to see you awake!” Lucas smiles.
“How long have I been out?” I ask.
“Two days,” Grace responds. “The captain has some medic training but he had never treated a gunshot wound. He removed the bullet and sewed you up. It isn’t the prettiest stitch job but it’ll keep you alive. We’ll have an American doc look at it when we get there.”
“It would have been worse,” Lucas explains, “if Grace hadn’t gotten to you in time.”
“Or if this boat hadn’t shown up when it did,” Officer Mills says.
“What about the fight?” I ask, suddenly remembering all of the freedom fighters coming at us. The three of them look to each other, reluctant to speak.
“We took care of them,” Lucas says. “But no one else made it.”
A lump forms in my throat as I think of the team. I barely knew most of them. I didn’t like any of them. I didn’t want them dead.
“I still don’t get why the freedom fighters were there,” Officer Mills says pensively. “They usually stay clear of rebel territory. It's sort of an unspoken rule.”
“We found signs of them,” I say, suddenly remembering what Corey said. “On our way from Texas to the rebel compound.”
“They’re growing bolder,” Lucas says absently.
“Why did they attack us?” I ask.
“Probably for any food and supplies that we had,” Officer Mills answers. “Freedom fighters only live from one day to the next. They don't farm. They don't settle. They take what they need. Our patrols have been having increasing problems with them but not usually that close to the river. They have an irrational fear of water.”
The door bangs open and the captain walks in.
“How’s the patient?” he asks. I recognize his voice.
“Captain Collins?” I ask weakly.
“It would seem, Miss Nolan, that you are my precious cargo yet again.” He flashes me a crooked smile.
“Shouldn’t you be in jail?”
“Oh, that.” He scratches his beard. “That fellow, the soldier, wasn’t very insistent upon it. He even told me that I didn’t have to go back to Vicksburg if I didn’t want to. A few of my men had taken it upon themselves to change his mind, you see. Of course, they have quite slippery hands and that man was a bit too heavy to be dangling over the side of a boat.”
“I get the picture.” I stop him before he paints a more graphic image.
“No need to get testy,” the captain says. “If I was in jail, who would have come to pick you all up? There are only two other boats coming through here this month. I would think you’d rather ride north with me than old Baker. Sobriety is a rarity among his men and you ladies might not like the drunken sailors too much. Captain Slater will be coming through with a big load but he doesn’t care much for your lot.”
“Our lot?” Officer Mills says through clenched teeth.
“You know,” the captain begins, “rebels, fighters, ruffians. I’ve been helping you folk for years and let’s be honest, you’re all the same. Peace bores you, which works because, in your minds, you are superior to everyone else. You want control in the colonies and will stomp out those who resist as quickly as possible. The Texans and British slavers are the same. Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with that. I tend to play all sides equally so that I never lose. I don’t really care who owns what land or resources so long as I always have a hot meal and a solid boat.” He finishes changing my band
age in silence.
Officer Mills looks furious. Lucas has a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down, or maybe he’s holding her back. I don’t know.
“I think you’d better leave,” I whisper to the captain.
“Good idea.” He winks at me and then disappears through the door.
“How could he say those things?” Officer Mills breathes.
“Because they’re true.” I didn’t think I had spoken loud enough to be heard but the three of them turn to me.
“Soldier Nolan, what did you just say?” Officer Mills’ formality towards me warns me to shut up. Maybe the pain is clouding my judgment because I answer her.
“I said that it’s true,” I reiterate. “Officer Mills, you yourself told me that you were worried about how many people were going to die. We shouldn’t be killing each other; the land does enough of that for us. We should be standing together to survive.”
“You have only been here for a short time. You don’t know anything about the rebels.” Mills paces the room and Lucas and Brent are suspiciously quiet.
“I know enough for them to want to kill me.”
“What are you talking about?” Mills snaps. I take a minute to gather my thoughts because I’m not sure I should be telling them this.
“King was ordered to kill me,” I say slowly.
“That’s ridiculous,” Officer Mills says harshly.
“That’s right. It's rubbish,” I concur. “King told me he was only following orders.”
“Who would ever order your death?” Lucas speaks up.
“Jonathan,” I say quickly. “Or Miranda. I don’t know.
Mills is shaking her head furiously. “Think about it,” Lucas says to her. “Why was she put on our patrol right out of her trials? She’s certainly not the first person from the compound to disappear. This time, they just decided to make it seem legit.”
Day of Reckoning (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 2) Page 14
