Chapter 48: Gabby
I open my eyes and have no clue where I am until I feel the rocking. I hate boats. I look around and see three boys watching me. Matty realizes I’m awake and comes closer.
“Antonio, Henry, she’s awake!” he says excitedly. “I’ll go find Dawn!”
He runs off while the other two stay staring.
“Dawn told us to stay here until you woke up,” Captain Collin’s son, Henry, explains. “You’re in the Captain’s quarters.”
That’s why I don’t recognize this place. I’ve been on this ship enough by now to recognize every other part.
Dawn comes rushing in with the Captain on her heels. She sits on the bed and looks at me for a moment before asking, “How do you feel?”
“I think I’m okay,” I say, feeling a lot better than I did.
“We’re on a boat,” she explains as if I wouldn’t be able to tell.
“In my quarters,” the Captain intercedes roughly, obviously none too happy about the situation.
“How long have I been out?” I ask.
“You’ve been in and out for a few days,” Dawn explains. “Do you remember what happened?”
“Of course I do,” I snap. “I’m not some dumb prat.”
“I’ve missed you sis,” she says, laughing, and then adds, “we’re heading to Vicksburg.”
“Why the hell are we going there?” I say as I sit up a little too fast and fall back.
“Dad says that the Capitol is the best place to plan our next move,” she says.
“Dad?” I say. “How is the General?”
It all comes rushing in…the images of dragging my father through the burning compound and my mother dying right beside me.
“He’ll be okay,” Dawn answers. “He’s worse off than you, but he pushed the Captain to give you his quarters so you didn’t have to be below deck with everyone else.”
I nod and she takes my hand and says, “you got him out.”
“Miranda…” I stammer, my voice thickening.
“She’s dead,” Dawn says quietly.
“I know,” I say, looking away. “I saw it.”
The look on Miranda’s face as she was shot. Her body falling to the ground. That’s something I’ll never forget. The tears blur my vision and I suddenly need to get out of this bed. I need air.
“Move,” I suddenly snap at Dawn, yanking my hand from hers.
She steps back and I scramble out of bed and toward the door. Dawn knows me well enough not to stop me, but she does follow closely.
I run out of the room and don’t stop until I’m at the side of the boat, gripping the rail. The fresh air allows me to breathe more easily.
Dawn gives me a minute before joining me at the rail.
“What happened down there?” she asks. “To our…” She stops herself. “To mom.”
“Jonathan happened. He shot her.” I say, looking away. “She died in front of me.”
As Dawn’s hand reaches for my shoulder, we are suddenly interrupted.
“Now that she’s gotten some of her strength back, can I have my damn room?” Captain Collins asks loudly. “A captain needs to get away from you crazy folks.”
Without looking, I spin away from both of them and head below deck. I need to see the General. His bunk has been curtained off to give him the privacy to heal. One of the medics tells me I can go talk to him, but my feet won’t move. Someone pulls back the curtain to change his bandages and I see him. He still looks pretty bad, but he is awake.
Between all the people rushing about, the General looks up and our eyes meet. I wasn’t sure if he would remember everything that happened, but it is clear now that he does. Our connection is cut off when the curtain closes once again.
Chapter 49: Dawn
My sister stares into the distance with vacant eyes and I can’t seem to reach her. My father is fighting for his life, my mother is dead, and I have turned into a mass murderer. So many people died because of what we did in that control room. I’m tired of the fighting; tired of the killing and I haven’t a clue when or if this will all be over. I just want to sleep in. I want to read. I want to just hang out with my boyfriend and my sister. I want to fish with Ryan, if he’s even still alive. I want this all to end.
I am staring into the dark water when Lee joins me.
“Dawn,” he says, greeting me.
“Hi Lee,” I say quietly.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Do you believe in Heaven, Lee?” He doesn’t answer right away so I look at him.
“I don’t know,” he says honestly.
“Your family at the caves did,” I say.
“I want to believe in it all,” he says, his voice low. “I want to believe in something better than this but I guess it’s kind of messed up to believe only when you need to.”
“I don’t think it is,” I reply softly. “Drew believes in it without question. I guess I’m jealous of that.”
“Me too. Sam never had any doubts and I was always envious,” he says.
“If Heaven is somewhere out there, that’s where Sam is,” I say, smiling slightly.
“Knowing my brother, he’s probably hunting with the same people that shot him in those woods,” he says with a laugh.
“If they can stand his constant yakking,” I say as I laugh too, and it feels good.
“They won’t mind,” he answers, “because it’s Sam.”
“Yeah,” I say as I sit down and lean back. Lee does the same. “He’s up there worrying about me and laughing at you for falling in love with Gabby.” I elbow him and he looks surprised. “You need a god to help you with that one. I don’t know if Gabby can love anyone the way you want her to. She doesn’t even love herself,” I say.
“Yeah, I know,” he says, sighing.
He’s silent for a minute before saying, “if there is a Heaven, we’re probably going to see Sam real soon. I don’t see us all getting out of this. The way things have been going...”
“I know,” I say, cutting him off.
My heart can’t take much more of this loss.
Lee reaches out to me and then quietly leaves me to my thoughts as I watch the thousand stars winking in and out of the nighttime sky.
Chapter 50 : The General
“General Nolan,” Adrian Cole says, greeting me at the docks.
I lean on one of my soldiers as we walk off the ship.
“Have your soldiers follow mine to the barracks,” he says.
I am relieved to see Adrian’s cart pull up. Most of my strength was left back at the burning base.
“We’ve fixed up a nice room for you and an office in the government building,” Adrian informs me as we make our way to his office.
“Are you briefed on what has happened?” I ask.
“Yes sir, the outbreak and the uprising at base are tragic events. We were lucky that Vicksburg was untouched by the disease,” he answers.
“Lucky is an understatement,” I say. “Should we wait for your advisers?”
“No,” he says. “I don’t trust a single one of them. We’ll proceed without their assistance.”
“Okay,” I say.
Smart kid, not trusting those that were around when his aunt was running things.
Our cart passes signs everywhere of people just trying to survive. The streets are crowded with people and I’ve only seen one soldier policing the crowds. Tia Cole’s curfew is a thing of the past. It’s hard not to notice some of the burned-out buildings that were destroyed during the Rebel attack. It shames me to see the distrust in the eyes of the Texan citizens. Before, this city always felt like a prison. Now, there are parts of the wall that have yet to be rebuilt and disorder everywhere I look.
“Now, tell me why the labs were unavailable to create a vaccine,” I say. “We had no medicinal help from your city.”
“We’ve had our own bits of uprising here,” he explains. “I believe you know Allison and the trouble she brings.”
/> “Damn that woman!” I curse. “The Rebel cause is almost dead because of her.”
“So, what do you need from us?” Adrian asks calmly.
“No one knows this yet, but I am sending a mission into Moreno controlled Mexico,” I respond.
“Are you mad?” Adrian asks angrily. “With all due respect, sir, that’s a suicide mission and you damn well know it.”
“Mr. Cole, I have been told that you are aware that Joseph Kearn and your late aunt and uncle created a biological weapon right here in this city. Kearn must be stopped. A lot of lives are at risk here. You know that England is coming. The people are fleeing a dying land. We think that Kearn can unleash death and destruction on all of them. We know how the Morenos feel about the English. They won’t want ships of them landing in Floridaland or anywhere else.”
“I know, you’re right General,” he says, “I just can’t wrap my head around sending people into that part of Mexico. If they are caught then it’s game over.”
“Mr. Cole,” I say, trying to keep my anger at bay, “you don’t think they will stop at the English, do you? They will come for Texas too.”
“How sure are you that Kearn is with the Morenos?” he asks.
“He’s there.”
Chapter 51: Gabby
I never thought I would be back here. So much has happened in this city. I walk by the government building where I once perched on the roof as a sniper ordered to take out civilians. My feet take me to the familiar spot where I watched the labs, and everyone inside, burn.
I am surprised to find that I’m not the only one here in the middle of the night. Adrian sees me walk up beside him but doesn’t move. The last time I was in Vicksburg, I learned that Adrian spends quite a few sleepless nights here. He sees the labs as his greatest failure. His citizens, including his best friend Landon, died here.
“Hi,” I say tentatively, not sure how much he still hates me.
It’s been a while, but stealing his key card to help destroy the labs and kill the people inside is not exactly something you get over.
“Hi Gabby,” he responds quietly. “I knew you’d be here tonight.”
“How?” I ask.
“Do you really think the General’s daughter isn’t being watched?” he asks.
I want to be mad, but I’m just relieved he isn’t avoiding me. After a drawn out silence, I can’t take it anymore.
“I’m sorry, okay?” I say.
“Sorry for what?” he snaps, turning toward me.
“What do you want to hear? How much I regret my part in that night? How Landon is never far from my thoughts?” I pause. “Do you want me to tell you that it haunts me? Because it does and I deserve it. I deserve all of it ...”
“Gabby, you were one of the only people I trusted. You and Lee. Your betrayal left me on my own with no one to trust,” he says, grabbing my shoulders and twisting me to face the scorched building. “All of this, well, this was going to happen with or without you. We are all caught up in something we can’t really control.”
Maybe I misjudged him. I know what his family did to him, and how much he has sacrificed. The General trusted him. Lee trusted him. And I betrayed him by stealing his key card to help Allison set the lab building on fire.
“We were friends, weren’t we?” I ask.
“Yes, we were,” he says sadly before walking away.
I don’t move as I listen to his footsteps echo through the empty streets. I stay there, staring at the ruins. I can’t get over everything that’s happened, but I can try to live with it. I can try not to let the dead cloud every thought. When I see my sister coming toward me, sunrise at her back, it all becomes a bit easier. She doesn’t know everything that happened here. She doesn’t look at me like I’m wounded. She just smiles and it reminds me of happier times. In London, things were never easy for us but we had each other. I’ve missed that.
I loop my arm through hers as we head to get some food. Two spots in the mess have been saved for us. Shay is there. So are Lee and Jeremy and Drew. These are our people. I sit across from Lee and his eyes immediately tell me that he’s been remembering things too. This city is where things changed between us. He was there for me when I needed it. I love Lee. I’ve known that for a while. In another life we could’ve even been happy together, but we are at war and we might not both come out of this alive.
Before I get a chance to eat much, a Texan soldier arrives at our table to tell us that the General would like to see me and Dawn immediately.
The soldier leads us to the government building and up the stairs to a large office.
“Come on in,” the General says. “Take a seat wherever you like.”
He is writing something at his desk and doesn’t look up as we sink into a plush leather couch. The silence is deafening.
“Stop fidgeting,” Dawn whispers as she grabs my hand to still it.
Finally, the General stops what he is doing and focuses on us.
“Good morning soldiers,” he says.
I almost laugh at the formality.
“Good morning, dad,” Dawn retorts.
A smile cuts across his face.
“Why are we here?” I ask.
Dawn pinches me as she always does when she thinks I’m being rude or insubordinate. The General doesn’t seem to mind.
“You are here because our work is not finished,” he begins. “You’re both familiar with the name Joseph Kearn?”
“He’s the one who built the biological weapon with Adrian’s aunt and uncle and took it to Mexico,” I answer.
“He is doing so with the help of the Moreno cartel. They control a large portion of Mexico along the coast. There is a small town there named Los Condenados,” he explains.
“That’s where we think Kearn is now, right?” I ask.
“Yes,” the General continues. “Moreno controlled territory is dangerous. They don’t appreciate outsiders on their land.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” Adrian says as he enters the room. “Really? You’re sending them?”
“Listen Adrian,” I say angrily, getting to my feet.
“Sit down, Gabby,” he demands, cutting me off. “You have no idea what’s going on.”
“Sending us where?” Dawn asks.
That’s the question that I probably should have asked as well.
“I hadn’t gotten to that yet,” the General says. “But, yes, Adrian, you may come in and join us,” he says in a way that tells me he’s irritated.
That’s never good.
Adrian perches on the arm of the couch with his arms crossed over his chest and his face stern.
“You want us to go into Moreno territory,” I say when it finally comes to me. “You’re sending us to Mexico.”
“Why us?” Dawn asks.
“Because,” the General says, tilting his head to the side, “you are the only people I can trust.”
Chapter 52: Dawn
“General, you have more experienced soldiers that you could send,” Adrian says. “Gabby and Dawn aren’t even officers. They’re too young and too weak.”
“That’s rubbish!” Gabby argues. “I am not weak!”
“Gabby this isn’t the time for stupid heroics,” Adrian says, refusing to wilt under Gabby’s glare. “This is the time for logic and extensive planning. This is what officers are trained for.”
“You’re wrong, Adrian,” the General states. “None of those officers were able to do a thing about the traitors at the Rebel base. These girls saved us all, and it wasn’t logic that they used. It was spontaneity, and out-of-the-box thinking. My officers are trained to do the opposite. You didn’t see it, Adrian. These girls, my girls, they beat Jonathan Clarke.”
And suddenly he sounds like a proud father. Gabby rolls her eyes. Her sarcasm is her favorite defense against actually feeling something, and I would hit her if I wasn’t so scared.
“So, let me get this straight,” Gabby says, “you want us to get into the most
heavily guarded territory on this side of the planet. What happens if we get caught?”
“You can’t,” my father answers.
I might be seeing things, but his eyes look sad. I don’t for a second think he will actually shed a tear, but he isn’t okay with this. I don’t see how we can do better than the officers. We’re just a couple squaddies.
“Think about this, General,” Adrian pleads, “It’s too risky.”
“I don’t know what else to do, and I sure as hell don’t know who to trust anymore,” my father replies as he fidgets nervously. I can see his injuries are still taking a toll on him. Every movement comes with a wince of pain.
“This is our best option and I believe you can do it,” he says directing his words to us, rather than Adrian. He musters all the strength he can to stand and come closer. “I have watched you girls pull off amazing things. Dawn, you broke Gabby out of a heavily secured slave camp. You met Americans along the way that trusted you when their culture tells them not to trust anyone. Then you were shot and, once again, gained the trust of people, this time in Cincinnati, when it took me years to prove myself to them. You amazed me again when you went to the Wastelands and came back to tell us about it. The way that people trust you, and genuinely like you, is your greatest asset.”
He pauses and looks to Gabby. “Gabby you’ve been on Kearn’s trail for a while now and haven’t given up. You are resilient and, yes, brave to the point of stupidity sometimes. That’s why I need you. That’s why our people need you. That’s why I have to send you when everything inside of me is telling me not to. Everything is at stake.”
Even Gabby doesn’t have a response to that. Suddenly, we are no longer sitting in front of the General. It’s our father, the man who abandoned us to save us; a man who is giving his life and asking his flesh and blood to do the same.
“I’ll do it,” I say softly.
My father stares at me.
“I can’t order you to do this,” he says. “This kind of mission has to be volunteer only.”
Eve of Tomorrow (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 3) Page 14
