“We have boats too,” Raf responds, sounding irritated. “Gabby, can I talk to you alone?”
“Fat chance,” Jeremy says.
Lee uses his body to say pretty much the same thing. He towers over Raf, and I have to squeeze between them. I place a hand on Lee’s chest to tell him to back off.
“You can talk to me on the way to the Rebel base,” I say. “There’s something big going on there.”
“How do you know this guy, Gabby?” Lee asks as he pulls me away.
“Not now, Lee,” I say as I break free and find Linc. He’s the only officer here.
“We need to get moving,” Linc says.
“We will, I just don’t know how we get into base once we get there. The ramp operator is probably compromised and we don’t want anyone to know we’re there,” I say.
“I can get us in,” he promises. “Let’s go.”
He’s one of the few officers I trust so I follow him. Raf stays close to me as we move quickly. It’s not far from the river to base but we have to be careful. Allison could have more patrols out here.
“We couldn’t afford to lose another Rebel contact,” Raf says. “We need you to go into Mexico.”
“I can’t think about this right now,” I say. My only care at the moment is stopping whatever is happening at base.
“If another cartel was caught on Moreno land, it’d spark a civil war,” he continues, not listening to me. “We need the Rebels.”
“Rafael,” I snap, “Not now!”
He finally shuts up and allows me to concentrate on getting into base. We stop before we reach the clearing and Linc searches for something at the base of a large rock.
“What are we doing here?” I ask him.
“The base stretches out here. We are above it as we speak,” he says as he gets to his knees and begins to dig.
A few of his men help him until they reveal a rusted metal door with a long chain on top. Linc lifts the chain and we all grab on and begin to pull. At first, nothing seems to be happening but we keep pulling with all of our strength. Finally, the door begins to open, revealing some kind of empty box.
“Here we go,” Linc says.
Chapter 41: Dawn
There are traitors patrolling every hallway. We are stuck. We were able to get this far without having to split up but we need to find others that are trapped. There have got to be more Rebel soldiers that are not involved in this. There have to be. We’ve found a few, both alive and dead. These traitors seem to have no problem killing the people who were their friends and allies.
“We’re near the Rebel Tech labs,” I say. “We should hide out in there for a bit.”
“How do you know where the labs are?” Grace asks. “Soldiers aren’t supposed to go there.”
“Does it really matter right now?” I ask.
“Not really,” she says. “So, how do we get there?”
“When we leave this room, we need to go left and get down that hallway without being seen. There is a door marked CLASSIFIED at the end. That’s the records room,” I explain. “Go inside and wait for me.”
“Where are you going?” Grace asks, worried.
“Drew and I are going to make sure you all can get there,” I say as I look to Drew and he nods.
“Be careful,” Grace says.
I open the door and look around the corner. “It’s clear,” I say as Drew and I slip out to the right. “You’ll know when to go.”
We leg it to the generator room. The labs use most of the energy, so I know it’s near here. I’ve never actually seen it but I remember hearing the dull hum that I’m hearing now. It gets louder until we reach a door marked GENERATORS. Easy enough. I turn the knob but the door is locked.
“We need to get in there,” I say urgently.
“None of these doors are very strong. They’re old and falling apart,” Drew says as he looks up and down before suddenly throwing his body into the door.
I hear wood splinter, but the door stays shut. He repeats it three times before the door finally bursts open. We hurry inside.
The massive machine takes up most of the small room. “My God,” Drew says before turning to me. “You’re the one with the plan. What now?”
My head is spinning and I can’t seem to form the words.
“Dawn!” Drew has to yell to be heard. “What’s the plan?”
I snap back to reality.
“It’s a generator,” I yell above the noise. “And not a very advanced one. There has to be a gas tank here somewhere.”
I search the machine until I find the small tank. It is almost empty but it will do. I show Drew.
“Like I said, this thing is pretty old school,” I say.
“How do we ignite it?” he asks.
“We don’t have matches so there’s only one way,” I say.
When I stop speaking, he looks at me like I’m nuts.
“It’ll be okay,” I assure him. “There isn’t much gas in there anyway.”
The two of us back into the hall and are immediately spotted. Two traitors run towards us as I aim my gun at the gas tank and pull the trigger.
The explosion throws us into the wall and the generator room erupts into flames. The fire alarm screeches for just a second before it cuts off. The hall lights go dark and we can only see each other by the light of the flames. We’ve just cut power to the entire base. I take off running but am tripped by one of the soldiers as he gets to his feet. I kick my foot into his groin. The force sends him into the wall and I scramble to my feet as I knee him in the gut. He doubles over and I hit him over the head with my rifle. He falls to the ground.
“Drew!” I yell.
“I’m here Dawn,” Drew says, taking my hand as we start to run.
I can’t see him, but at least I can feel him. I run my free hand along the wall to count the doors as we move.
“It’s here!” I yell and pull him through a door to our right.
“Grace!” I yell once we’re inside.
“We’re here,” she responds as I try to catch my breath.
In the darkness, I can’t see their faces but I can feel their fear.
“Follow me,” I say, leading them into the labs, relieved to see that there are dim lights near the ground. Leave it to the techs to have backups.
We weren’t the only ones who have come here to hide out. There are people everywhere. I look toward the familiar desk and see a messy haired boy crumpled on the floor.
“Connor,” I whisper as I rush towards him, my whole body protesting as I lower myself to the ground.
“Hi Dawn,” he says weakly.
“Are you hurt?” I ask.
“I think so,” he says, his words ragged as they pass his lips and he struggles to breathe.
“Stay with me Connor,” I yell as his eyelids droop closed.
That’s when I notice the blood. He is covered in it. I search him for the source and find a bullet wound in his leg. He’s lost too much.
“Get me something to tie on his leg,” I say.
Drew takes off his belt and hands it to me. Connor doesn’t move as I tie it as tight as I can. He is beyond feeling pain. I put my hand under Connor’s chin and lift his head to look at me. “Do not die on me, Connor. Do you hear me? Keep your eyes open. You do not die today.”
Chapter 42: Gabby
Our way into Rebel base is a crank lift. Linc says it was built a long time ago in case of emergencies; in case anyone needed to make a quick exit. It’s only been used a handful of times.
“Where in the compound does it come out?” Jeremy asks.
“Near the tech labs,” Linc answers. “Only three at a time can fit. When you get to the bottom, slip through the nearest door and wait for the rest of us.” Linc motions us forward, saying, “Lee, Jeremy, and Gabby go first. Take the lift, assess the situation and report back in 20 minutes.”
We climb in and the lift starts to move. It drops suddenly and I grab onto Lee.
“Sh
ite,” I say, squeezing his arm as he works the crank.
Steady now, we prepare for what could be waiting for us. I grab the wall when the entire thing begins to shake as something explodes below. A wave of hot air rushes up towards us, making it hard to breathe. I cover my mouth when the smoke follows, but there’s no going back.
We reach the bottom with a loud thump. As soon as we’re off, they begin to pull it up again. A fire rages nearby, providing the only light in a dark and smoldering hall. I trip and fall over a body lying in a pool of blood. Lee pulls me to my feet.
“What the hell happened here?” I ask.
Suddenly the lab doors open and we are staring at two men with rifles.
“We’ve got some traitors here!” one of them yells.
Thinking quickly, I lower my weapon.
“That’s rubbish! We are not traitors!” I practically scream. “Don’t you dare call me a traitor. I am General Nolan’s daughter and you will let me in.”
I rarely drop my father’s name, but I need these guards to stand down.
“Gabby?” I hear her voice call and push my way past the guns.
“Dawn!” I yell.
She stands and runs towards me, the look on her face a mixture of relief and disbelief. I hug her tightly and feel her shake as she tries not to cry.
“What are you doing here?” she asks with a watery voice.
Lee steps forward. “Allison’s people were keeping us hostage at the river,” he explains.
“We knew something big was going down,” Jeremy chimes in when he finally joins us.
“Did you send a signal up to Linc?” I ask him.
He nods and a few minutes pass before Raf and Linc come barreling in, guns pointed.
“We’re okay,” I yell to Linc. His serious gaze scans the room slowly before he relaxes and lowers his gun. “What’s the situation like,” I ask my sister.
“There are a lot of them Gabs,” she says. “Allison and Jonathan Clarke are trying to take the base.”
“Do we know where they’re basing their operations?” Linc asks.
“The officer’s wing,” Officer Mills answers.
“Are most of the officers compromised then?” he asks matter-of-factly.
“No,” she answers. “There aren’t many officers stationed at base right now. The few there were are either dead or imprisoned. Most of the traitors are low level soldiers. We have some injured here that we need to help before doing anything else.”
Linc follows her to survey the room and check on the injured.
“Where have you been?” Dawn asks me. I put an arm around her, not wanting to let go.
“Texas,” I finally answer her.
She looks at me, expecting more. I’ll tell her about it later.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I say.
“Was the explosion you guys?” Lee asks.
“Yea,” Drew answers. “We needed a diversion.”
“When did you get back to base?” I ask Dawn quietly.
“A while ago,” she answers. “I have so much to tell you about what we found out in the Wastelands.”
“We’ll have time,” I assure her.
She looks at me with wide-eyed fear and I squeeze her tighter against my side. I allow myself one more moment of my reunion with my sister before we have to figure out a way out of this mess.
Chapter 43 : The General
The lights are off, but I know Miranda is sitting next to me in our cell because she won’t shut the hell up.
“We need to get out of here,” she keeps saying.
“Don’t you think I know that?” I snap.
“Well, what are you doing about it?” she retorts.
We heard an explosion and then the power went off. That probably means someone blew the generator. I doubt Allison would have done it. She wants the compound and everything in it. She wouldn’t destroy its power source. There must be people still fighting for our side. Thank God.
Allison has never spent much time at the base so she knows nothing about it. That is to our advantage. By now, Jonathan Clarke is probably running the show. I always knew there were quite a few soldiers that were loyal to him but I could never prove it. The officers and rankers still loyal to me continue to arrive unarmed, unfortunately. But outside we can hear the sounds of resistance.
Who is leading it? I wonder. Dawn is still out there and she knows this compound better than anyone. She’s smart. She’ll be able to figure everything out if she makes it to the control room.
I welcomed Allison to the compound with open arms not so long ago. I never thought she’d go this far. We fought about the relocation. We fought about an end to the fighting. I assumed that was as far as her disobedience went. As much as she detested the Coles, Allison bought in to all that shite about the Mexicans. If she had her way, the Rebels would march into Mexico and wipe them out. Only, she knows nothing about Mexico. We would be the ones losing everything. We are not strong enough.
“Miranda, we need to focus on the future,” I whisper. “The first boat from England could arrive within months. Those are the people we should be protecting when we get out of this.”
“Do you really think these Rebels, who have never set foot in England, are going to risk their lives for an invasion force?” she asks. “To them, they are just another group of foreigners. To them, they are just the slavers in Floridaland. That is why they are fighting back now.”
The door opens and Jonathan Clarke enters, his face ghoulishly illuminated by a flashlight. I can make out Allison standing behind him. It’s obvious who is in charge now. Soldiers press themselves into the walls as Jonathan steps up to me.
“Get on your feet, General,” he commands.
I do as he says, not once taking my eyes from his. He grabs me by the shirt and steers me out the door. I am taken to my office, which Jonathan has now claimed as his own. There are candles around the room, giving me a glimpse of the people that have betrayed me. I knew some of the soldiers were still loyal to Jonathan and kept a close eye on them, but it obviously wasn’t enough.
I am shoved into a chair. Jonathan swings his leg over the corner of my desk and sits down.
“How the tables have turned, my old friend,” he says, his eyes wild.
“You were once my savior, Nolan. You took me from your slave camp and sent me here. I used to revere you,” he says with a laugh. “And then, my trusted friend became my jailor.”
“People always seem to die around you, Jonathan,” I growl.
“Shut up!” he yells. “I did not say you could speak. You care nothing for your soldiers. You only care for power.”
“That is not true!” I yell back and he slaps me across the face with his gun.
“You were my interrogator once. Now, you will give me answers,” he says.
He stands and starts to pace as I feel warm blood trickle down the side of my face.
Jonathan stops moving and leans in close to me.
“Where are your people hiding?” he asks with a growl.
Before I get the chance to answer, he punches me. I do my best to hide the pain as my lip splits and I taste the metallic flavor of blood as it fills my mouth.
“That was for the lie you were about to tell me. You see, I think you know where they are and you were about to tell me that you don’t. Don’t lie to me, General,” he spits out my rank like it’s a curse.
“I don’t know,” I say.
Jonathan hits me in the ribs and I bend forward, trying to breathe while choking out the blood. Jonathan grabs my hair and lifts my head to look at him.
“Fine. Let’s go for what I really want to know,” he says before he lets go and I use all my strength to hold my head up. I have been around enough people like him to know that their pleasure is in seeing your weakness.
“Where are the English refugees coming ashore?” he asks.
“They’re your people,” I wheeze. “Why do you want to stop them?”
“I’m
the one asking questions,” he snaps, but then he goes on a mad rant, answering my question.
“This is our land,” he says, his voice getting louder as he speaks. “In England, we lived in hiding, constantly fearing for our lives. And when we were no longer good enough for even their slums, we were sent to work as slaves.”
He licks his lips and snarls at me.
“The government has been overthrown,” I say, trying to reason with a mad man. “These are the refugees.”
“It is our land!” he screams. “Our food. Our resources. They cannot take it away from us!”
He jumps to his feet and kicks the chair out from under me. Still tied to the chair, I crash to the floor and lay in agony as Jonathan kicks me again and again. When he finally stops, I can barely move.
“You see that?” Jonathan asks as he bends down to look in my eyes. “The great General is dying.”
He turns to his men, saying, “take him back to the cell and do try to keep him alive, for now.”
Two soldiers untie me and drag me to my feet. I hang like a limp noodle between them and they return me to my cell.
Chapter 44: Dawn
I am surrounded by cooks and clerks, not soldiers. These people shouldn't be here. Then again, neither should I. I was so relieved when Gabby came and took charge. She’s over in the corner, making plans with the few officers that are with us.
I’m sitting on the ground with Connor’s head in my lap. His breathing is labored. Connor is going to die here and the rest of us may not be far behind. I hold his hand in mine.
“How’s he doing?” Jeremy asks as he takes a seat next to us and runs a hand through Connor’s hair.
I look up into Jeremy’s eyes. Only Jeremy would understand what it feels like to lose Connor. He is good in a place where no one is good anymore. He is kind. He is braver than most of us. He put his arse on the line to sabotage many of the bombs that would have destroyed the Texan capitol. He is like the awkward little brother that you can’t help but love.
“He’s not going to make it, Jeremy,” I say as I look at him, knowing he feels the same way I do.
The evil in this world keeps winning and sometimes it seems like the good people are buggered before they even begin to fight. It’s all rubbish. As if confirming that thought, Connor suddenly breathes deeply before his body just goes limp. I feel for a pulse but I know it’s no use. He lost too much blood. I look at Jeremy and the sight of the tears on his cheeks guts me and I can’t hold mine in any longer. I’m full on bawling when Gabby walks towards us.
Eve of Tomorrow (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 3) Page 12
