Day of Reckoning (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 2)

by Michelle Lynn

  “No.” Brent is shaking as he gets to his feet. He gives each of us a long look and then stalks from the room.

  “Shit!” Lucas says.

  “What just happened?” I ask. Officer Mills leans against the wall, closes her eyes, and sighs before answering.

  “Damn, I forgot about Kim.”

  “Kim was Brent’s girl,” Lucas explains to me. “She was a defector from Floridaland. After being in the British military, she came here with big ideas and was very vocal when she disagreed with something,” he pauses, “she was sent out on a repair mission to one of the windmills. It was routine and should have been safe. She never came back. People have different theories as to what happened.”

  “No one ever bothered to find out?” I demand.

  “How?” Officer Mills asks. “Jonathan had just come and he was already a bit crazy. People were scared of him. Plus, we are soldiers. We do as we’re told.”

  Chapter 55: Gabby

  As soon as I get the hang of it, I can hit almost anything at a distance. We train all day, every day. It’s nice to be outdoors but it’s been getting really cold. We’ve all been issued uniform jackets but they only provide minimal protection from the chill of the winds.

  Today I am grateful when we are told to head inside for a nosh. My hands are cramped and hurting and my face is burnt from the wind.

  I walk into the cafeteria with Shay and scan the room for Jeremy. He is sitting with a nerdy looking guy. They look up when we walk over and Jeremy’s companion stops talking abruptly and shifts his eyes away nervously.

  “Are you okay?” Jeremy asks me.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” I snap.

  “Your face is all red.”

  “We’ve just come inside,” I explain as I take a seat.

  “Oh.” He doesn’t say anything more; instead, we sit in awkward silence. Things have been like this between us for a while now. He says that I’m not the same person that he met in the camps and I think he’s being an unfair git. The silence continues until Lee and Drew sit down.

  “Hey guys,” Drew says while Lee turns to the frazzled kid in glasses. “Conner, what’s brewing in the labs these days?” Jeremy gives Conner a curiously sharp look before Lee explains what he means. “There’s a rumor floating around that you guys are cooking up something good that might affect the farming output.”

  Conner nervously scratches his arms and doesn’t take his eyes off the table as he stammers, “I’m not working on it personally. They have me on,” he pauses, “something else.”

  “So it’s true then?” Lee badgers.

  “Well, yes. It’s almost done.”

  “That’s awesome!” Lee’s eyes light up.

  “I don’t understand what’s so great about all of this,” I say.

  “We’ll be able to grow certain foods that don’t traditionally do well in this climate,” Lee explains excitedly.” I still don’t see why he’s so excited, it’s not like it’s some great weapon. I don't remember ever seeing Lee this excited. I guess this is Lee’s job though. He was assigned to the resources division that keep this place running. He is still a soldier, not a scientist, but now he has done so well that he has a seat at the table whenever there is an important meeting called in command. It’s amazing how quickly people can rise through the ranks here. They reward good work. I watch as Lee talks to Conner. He uses his hands and his facial expressions are priceless.

  Lee is a rare breed in this compound. He is not a radical supporter like me or unaware of what’s truly going on like Drew. He is practical, a pragmatist. He knows what we are planning for Texas but he also believes that we have no other choice if we are to survive. His entire job here is making sure that this compound is able to keep going. I, on the other hand, believe that the people in Texas deserve what’s coming to them. I saw some awful things and I want revenge. I don’t want the rebels to coexist with these people; I want our rebel group to exist instead of them.

  I walk back to the dormitories with Drew. I haven’t been around him much lately because, frankly, I’ve been avoiding him. He is worried about Dawn. He’s not only worried because her patrol has yet to return, but also because she is against everything we are trying to accomplish here. Drew is afraid that the rebel leaders won’t let her stay here for much longer. I’ve thought about that too but I think it may be best if she leaves. She is my sister and I still love her but this is not her fight. I need to be a part of this but she doesn’t.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” Drew asks for the millionth time in the last week.

  “I’m sure she is,” I sigh.

  “I hope so.”

  I can’t take this any longer. “What the hell happened to you Drew?” I spit.

  “Huh?” he says, barely listening to me.

  “What happened to the guy I used to date who didn’t care about anything; the guy who dated multiple women and got away with it; the guy who was smooth and dangerous?”

  “We’ve all changed Gab,” he responds stubbornly.

  “Not for the worse. You've become a right prat.”

  “Who says it’s for the worse?” he says dangerously. “You? The girl who now hates her own sister; the very same sister that is only in this godforsaken place because she came for you?”

  I feel like he just slapped me in the face. “She made the decision to come here. I didn’t ask her to.”

  “You didn’t have to.” He turns into our room but I don’t follow him. I lean my back against the wall and slide to the floor. I wish everything could just be simple again. The only thing I had to worry about in London was keeping myself and Dawn alive. It wasn’t so complicated. Food. Shelter. Done.

  I look up to find Jeremy leaning in the doorway. “You okay?” he asks.

  “Why do you care?” I say, my tone warning him to leave me alone.

  “I care Gabby. I always care.” He sighs. I look at him and our eyes meet. I don’t recognize the look on his face. It is not love but it is not anger either. There is pity in his eyes. A sudden rage breaks free.

  “Go away,” I yell.

  “No.” He shrugs and takes a seat next to me.

  “I don’t want your pity,” I snap.

  “Who says you have it?” he responds. “I don’t agree with what you believe or what you are going to do. Maybe I don’t think you deserve my pity.” Anger turns to confusion and back again.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that Dawn is right,” he answers.

  “About what?” I ask.

  “You can still be saved from yourself.” I choose not to respond to his idiocy immediately because he has basically just said that he’s taking Dawn’s side. “When she gets back, you should listen to what she has to say.”

  “Does everything have to be about her?” I scream. “My perfect little sister.” I shoot to my feet and stomp into our room, slamming the door in his face.

  Chapter 56: Dawn

  I’m just following orders.

  Those words roll through my head on repeat as I open my eyes. Whose orders was he following?

  My mother?

  Could she have ordered her own daughter’s death? Or was it Jonathan?

  I am not some brain dead rebel. I am not loyal to the cause. I will not follow orders blindly. That doesn’t sit well with rebel command.

  Everyone has been wondering how I got assigned to a patrol right out of the trials. That’s it. I was put here to die.

  The boat rocks back and forth. I feel sick and the pain in my shoulder is almost too much to bear.

  “How you feeling?” Lucas asks as he comes in and sets a bowl of food beside my bed. Just the smell of it is too much. There is no way I could eat anything right now anyway.

  “Like I was shot,” I answer finally. He laughs at that before digging into the food he brought for me. He leaves me the stale bread to nibble on.

  “Captain says we’ll be there soon,” he tells me. I struggle to sit up and get out of
bed. “No you don’t.” Lucas pauses to take another bite. “We’re supposed to stay out of sight until the captain can get permission for us to enter Cincinnati.” He helps me lay back once more.

  “That sounds sketchy.” I hesitate.

  “It’ll be fine. The Americans keep a strict watch on any strangers in their territory.” He shrugs. “Cincinnati is the only American town that has survived longer than a few decades, so they must be doing something right. Every other time the Americans have tried to unite and settle it hasn't ended well.”

  Brent and Officer Mills come in to wait with us. It is hours before Captain Collins tells us that we have been cleared to enter the town. He sent for a medic to transfer me to the clinic. A young woman shows up with two men in tow. Pain sears through me as I am slowly lifted onto the stretcher. I clench my teeth to keep from screaming.

  I am carried up onto the deck where a uniformed man waits for us. He does not speak as he pats us down in a thorough security check. He removes any knives or guns he finds and places them in a bucket. Lucas tries to protest but one look from the security guard and he shuts up.

  “Let him have all your weapons,” Captain Collins says. “He’ll leave them on the boat. Strangers cannot carry weapons once they leave the docks.”

  The guard finishes his weapons search and escorts us off the boat. After seeing the docks in Texas, I expected much more from this port. Ours is the only boat here and it’s a good thing because there’s only two slips and a few small fishing vessels anchored nearby.

  I fade in and out of consciousness as we move through town and the next thing I know, I am waking up inside a large tent filled with cots. There are a few other patients nearby and the nurses hurry between them. I shield my eyes as the tent flap is pushed aside and sunlight pours in behind the doctor.

  The first thing I see is Doctor Darren Cole. Panic turns my veins to ice and I squeeze my eyes shut. When I open them seconds later, Doctor Cole is nowhere in sight. I breathe a sigh of relief as the doctor steps closer. He is young and his expression serious as he looks at me.

  Good,” he says, “you’re awake. How are you feeling?” I try to speak but only gibberish comes out. “I’ll take that as good news.” He chuckles and his resulting smile lights up his face. “I gave you a strong pain killer.” Now that he says that, I realize that the pain of the last few days in gone. A question forms in my mind but then dissipates before I can get it out. My head is swimming.

  “I had to reopen the wound to clean it properly,” the doc explains. “Whoever fixed it did a hack job on the stitches but he saved your life.” I am able to manage a nod.

  “What are you doing Ryan?” The voice comes from behind him and his face reddens as he turns.

  “We were only chatting,” he explains.

  “After what I gave her, I doubt she’s up for much conversation. Why don’t you go get her some water?” He turns to me, excusing Ryan. “I am sorry about that. My assistant likes to play doctor.” I try to smile but my face feels numb. “I assume he told you everything that you need to know. I am Doctor Murray if you have any questions.” He leaves and I doze off again.

  Chapter 57: Dawn

  I wake with a much clearer head. It must be late because only a few candles illuminate the darkness. Two beds away from me, a man starts screaming in pain. Two nurses hold him down as a third tries to dress a wound. I am so focused on that man that I don’t notice Ryan until he sits on the end of my bed.

  “He was part of a force that was keeping the freedom fighters from our borders,” he explains. “They were attacked last night.”

  “So, you’re not a doctor,” I accuse.

  “I’m training to be one but, yeah, right now I’m just a medic’s assistant.” He pauses, “so, Dawn, how’d you get shot.” He leans forward eagerly.

  “How do you know my name?” He grabs a folder that is clipped onto the end of my bed and opens it.

  “Dawn. Last name not known.” He reads. “Nationality, British. Affiliation, rebel.”

  “I get it,” I snap. “You can stop now.” He shrugs and sets it down.

  “So, you think you can get up?”

  “I don’t know, why?”

  “I’m supposed to bring you to Chief Smith. Your friends are already there.”

  “Let’s go then,” I say quickly, trying to sit up.

  “Do you want meds first?”

  “Definitely not,” I say. “I want a clear head.”

  “Okay then.” A nurse brings over a wheelchair and Ryan lifts me into it. I hold on as he pushes me away from the tent. The moon is nowhere to be seen tonight so we are in complete darkness. With every bump, the wheelchair jostles me and I groan.

  We pass by wooden houses with lanterns in the windows but I can’t see much else. Lucas is waiting outside of a small cottage.

  “Thank you for bringing her,” he says to Ryan, expecting him to turn around and leave. Instead, he walks straight through the front door without knocking. Lucas and I share a look before following him in.

  Officer Mills and Brent are already warming themselves by the fire. Ryan is in the kitchen with a pair of women; one older and one very young who are eying us suspiciously. The older woman serves us tea but does not say a word. After a while of intense silence, a tall man ducks through the doorway. The imposing figure walks straight towards us and collapses into a nearby chair. His long, gray hair is tied back and his beard is braided but it’s his eyes that set him apart. They are piercing as he focuses on each of us in turn.

  Ryan sits on the arm of my wheelchair and chews loudly on a piece of bread. “Hey dad,” he says cheerfully. He shuts up when his father’s gaze lands on him.

  “My horse is tied up outside. He needs rubbed down, taken to the stables, and fed,” the grim-faced man says.

  “Yes, sir.” Ryan hurries away and I suddenly feel less comfortable.

  “I am Chief Smith,” the big man states. “You are rebels and I know why you are here.”

  “We brought you a letter from Jonathan Clarke.” Officer Mills hands him an envelope.

  “I know what it says.” He throws the letter into the fire, unopened. “The answer is no.”

  “Chief Smith…” Officer Mills pleads but he holds up a hand to stop her.

  “The rebels will attack Texas soon. That is inevitable. This I know.” He pauses, “I also know that the ranks of the freedom fighters are surging. They are attacking my borders and I am losing men in droves. I also know that my rule here is tenuous. I have power hungry neighbors breathing down my neck. I was put into this role. I did not take it and most think that I did not earn it. Foreign powers are not trusted here so I cannot help you.”

  “Chief Smith,” Lucas says, “if the Texan troops are able to be pulled from the Mexican front and our forces attack Texas alone, it could be disastrous.”

  “Young man that is not my problem. You forget that we rely on Texas for trade.”

  “You rely on smugglers,” I say under my breath. They all heard me.

  “You forget yourself girl,” the chief says dangerously. “Our trade is completely legitimate. No smuggler would be allowed in our ports.”

  “With all due respect, sir, that’s bull shite.” His eyes narrow in response to my tone. The throbbing pain in my arm is making me angry. “We came here on a smuggler’s ship.”

  “I will have him arrested.”

  “Another will just show up.” I meet his gaze. “I spent months in Texas. Their greatest flaw is that they believe they are the master race. The point is, they don't believe in trade, they believe in taking. They want land, resources, and to bend everyone to their way of thinking. I know, I was there, and they are willing to kill everyone that gets in the way of their new order. If they defeat us, you may be next.” The chief leans back and scratches his head. I have just challenged something that he feels strongly about.

  “It is late,” he says finally. “You may leave.”

  Lucas pushes me outside with Off
icer Mills and Brent in tow. The crisp air feels good after that stuffy cabin.

  “You did good in there Nolan,” Officer Mills says as they help me into my bed back at the clinic.

  “Thanks.” I manage a small smile. I don't know what exactly I accomplished. Things could get even worse if the Americans did choose to come to the rebel's aid. How many in Texas would die then?

  Chapter 58: Dawn

  We’re leaving tomorrow whether we’ve convinced the chief to help us or not. Captain Collins sent us a message that he can’t wait any longer. He needs to get back to St. Louis, the smugglers port in Texas.

  Lucas is wheeling me through the village even though I woke up this morning feeling weaker. I am supposed to be on the mend. I am grumpy and didn’t even want to leave my bed but Lucas made me. He thinks the fresh air will do me some good. The nurse didn’t agree but Lucas ignored her objections.

  We move through the market watching goods change hands. I keep an eye out for Corey. He told me that he was headed here when he left the compound but I have seen no sign of him or Matty. I asked Ryan about them. He said that they probably never made it here or else he would have heard about two Texans in town. I am scared for them. Where are they if not here?

  Americans glare at us as they rush about. Everyone seems to be in a hurry. It is a busy place. Lucas weaves us around stalls and through the crowd of people until our path takes us away from the bustle. We end up at a stream that has branched off from the river. Fishermen cast nets and some wade into the glassy water.

  “Dawn!” I look around to find the source of my name and see Ryan on the opposite bank, waving furiously. He jumps into the water with a small splash and wades towards us. The other fishermen give him disgusted looks. I assume he’s just scared away a lot of the fish.

  “Shouldn’t you be at the clinic or something?” I ask.

  “Probably.” He shrugs. “But then I couldn’t fish.” He wrings out the bottom of his shirt and grins. “You guys up for some grub? I’m starving.”