Fire From The Sky | Book 12 | Embers

by Reed, N. C.

  The training schedule had been upped as well, security personnel working harder than ever to be in the proper shape both mentally and physically should another massed attack ever reach them. Jose Juarez, Greg Holloway and Sean Gleason were harsh task masters, running the participants through seemingly endless drills and trials to strength body and mind as well as skills and ability.

  The wounded slowly returned to duty, forced to essentially start over in some cases after languishing in bed or rehab, out of action for far too long.

  -

  “C’mon, Mavis, you can make it!”

  “Stop…calling…me…Mavis…dammit!” Amanda Lowery grunted out as she struggled through her pushups. “I…hate you…so…much!”

  “Aww, sweetie, you don’t hate me!” Kim Powers chuckled as she did her own workout right beside her friend. “I’m basically your physical therapist, you know!”

  “Ano…ther…good reason…to really…hate you,” Amanda gasped out as she neared the end. “Oh, thank God,” she groaned as she finished, collapsing on the ground.

  “Now, see there?” Kim laughed. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? You just got to apply yourself, that’s all!”

  “You are so lucky that I’m almost dead here,” Amanda gasped, chest heaving as she forced air into her lungs. “If I wasn’t, I would definitely kill you.”

  Amanda had slowly been getting her conditioning back for the last three weeks. She was still a bit sore, but Jaylyn had assured her that she was cleared for a full workout, so Amanda had been giving it all she had. She was very close to being able to requalify thanks to Kim’s incessant ‘help’. Amanda would die screaming before she admitted it, but if not for Kim pushing her, she would have already quit.

  “You’re very close to getting back, though,” Kim lay on her back, also gasping. She had done almost twice as many pushups as Amanda so that she didn’t look as if she had quit on her friend.

  “I know,” Amanda nodded as she struggled to sit up. “And despite hating you, I appreciate the help. I promise,” she held a hand up as if swearing an oath.

  “That’s so sweet!” Kim smiled, still on the ground.

  “I got to get some water,” Amanda groaned as she got to her feet. “Thatcher was very insistent that I stay hydrated.”

  “Are you done for today, then?” Kim asked, rising to her feet as well and brushing off her clothing.

  “I think so,” Amanda nodded. “I’ve pushed myself about as hard as I dare to, I think. I do not want to go backward, even if it takes me a little longer to get back.”

  “I understand,” Kim nodded. “Are you working out with Xavier at all?”

  “No,” Amanda scowled a bit at that. “He’s helping someone else right now.”

  -

  “Well done, Miss Tillman!” Xavier applauded as he came to his feet. Leanne had just succeeded in throwing him for the first time. First time without him allowing it, that is.

  “Thanks!” the teen beamed at him. “Promise you didn’t let me, right?” she looked at him carefully.

  “I promise you faithfully that you did that all on your own, my dear little honey badger,” Xavier smiled at her. “Well done, indeed. And with that success, I think it’s time we called it a day, don’t you? I suspect you have other matters you wish to devote your time to, do you not?”

  “Yes, I do,” Leanne nodded, biting her lower lip slightly. Heath was getting his ‘final’ checkup today. Final meaning the one that would clear him to start working out so he could get back into shape. He would have to submit to daily checkups for the first week, and at least weekly checks until he was completely cleared. Assuming he made it through the examination today.

  “Do tell young Mister Kelly that I wish him well,” Xavier smiled. Leanne’s face reddened slightly at that, but not nearly like it once had.

  “I will,” she smiled at him as she gathered her things. “Thanks.”

  -

  “How is that?” Kaitlin asked as she gently pulled Heath’s left arm straight out from his shoulder. “Any pain?”

  “You know there is,” Heath told her quietly. “I imagine it will hurt from now on, in fact.”

  “Be that as it may,” Kaitlin said patiently, “I have to ask as I go. Help me to help you, Heath, okay?”

  “It hurts along my upper arm, in the triceps area, and down through my elbow and maybe a little lower ever so often.”

  “Better,” Kait smiled lowering his arm. “Now, you do it yourself. Let me see how well you do.”

  Heath slowly but steadily raised his left arm until it was straight once more, exactly like she had done. He grunted once but didn’t grimace in pain as she had expected.

  “Don’t hide the pain, Heath,” she warned.

  “How can I hide the pain when you know almost every move that I make hurts?” Heath demanded, though respectfully.

  “Point,” she decided not to argue with him. “Run through the strengthening exercises for me and let me see how you do.”

  Heath was holding both arms out straight, making small circles in the air when Leanne arrived. It reminded her of P.E. class back in high school. She thought about school for only a second before putting it from her mind. She had looked forward to being challenged at university, but that was not going to happen anymore. Thinking on it was not helpful.

  “Hey, you’ve got an audience,” Kaitlin teased him slightly. “Okay, that’s good, Heath. Go ahead and lower your arms. I think you’re good to go, bud. We’ll have to see what Doctor Thatcher says, of course.”

  “Of course,” Heath snorted. He started to put his shirt on but then realized it was useless since Thatcher would just tell him to take it off so she could see his scars. As if his thinking of her had summoned her, Thatcher chose that moment to walk in.

  “Morning all!” she smiled as she took the chart Kaitlin offered her. In this case, chart meant tablet since that saved on paper. The twins had secured hundreds of tablets and smart phones in order to be able to use them as map holders, dictionaries, even schoolbooks.

  And medical charts.

  “Looks good,” Jaylyn nodded as she perused Kaitlin’s information. “What do you have to say, Heath?” she asked. “How confident are you that your arm is back to one hundred percent?”

  “I don’t expect it to ever be one hundred percent again, ma’am,” Heath replied at once. “I expect to have trouble with it for the rest of my life. And to hurt like the devil when it comes on to rain.”

  “Very likely, I’m afraid,” Jaylyn nodded, impressed that Heath had not tried to ‘snow’ her by assuring her he was completely fine and ready to go. “Especially the weather sensitivity. Lift your arm for me,” she ordered suddenly. Heath raised his arm for her, grimacing slightly as he did.

  “Don’t hide the pain, Heath,” she warned. Heath snorted at that, shaking his head.

  “Do they teach you to say that in medical school?” he asked the two women. Kaitlin laughed softly as Jaylyn gave him a mock glare while moving to his hand.

  “We need to know if you’re hurting, Heath,” she admonished gently. “I’m going to push down on your arm. You need to work against me. If the pain increases, or if it hurts in a way that it doesn’t right now, I want to know about it right away. Ready? Here we go,” she added when he nodded. She slowly began to push down on his hand, trying to force his arm down. Heath managed to hold against her, though he did show the strain on his face as well as in his trembling arm.

  “That’s enough,” Jaylyn said finally, satisfied. “Any pain that would be different or worse than you’ve been feeling? Any new pains at all?”

  “No, ma’am,” Heath replied after considering the question for a moment. “It’s just pain that I already had, that’s all.”

  “Good,” she nodded slowly, looking again at the tablet. “I think we can release you to begin working out, Heath, with a couple of admonishments. First, I want to know at once if there is any new pain at all. I don’t care how simple or slight,
if it’s a pain you’re not used to, I want to know it. I mean right away, too. Get me?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Heath nodded, slipping his shirt on. “What else?”

  “I want you to go slow for the first week to ten days, and I want to see you here for a checkup at the end of the workday. Every day, Heath, at least for those ten days. That is not negotiable, either. I need to be able to monitor your progress. We need to ensure that you aren’t overdoing it. I know you want it all back, and you’ll get it. It just takes time, that’s all.”

  “I can do that,” Heath promised with a nod. “I’m patient enough to know I can’t just start out where I was. I’ll get there when I get there.”

  “Good attitude,” Jaylyn smiled. “With that, I think it’s safe to release you into the custody of this pretty young woman, here,” Jaylyn smiled at Leanne, who blushed.

  “That sounds good,” Heath smiled slightly, winking at Leanne, which made her smile brightly.

  “Okay, you two,” Kaitlin laughed. “Play footsie somewhere besides here. Shoo. Go.”

  “Thank you both for everything,” Heath told the two women. “I appreciate it very much. I thought…I thought at first, I was going to lose my arm, or at least lose the use of it. Thank you for saving it. I wouldn’t be much use without it.”

  “Fan of history, Mister Kelly?” Jaylyn asked suddenly, studying him.

  “Depends on the history, I guess,” Heath shrugged. “Why?”

  “Horatio Lord Nelson was an Englishman,” Jaylyn commented. “Had a somewhat storied career, including a failed landing action that cost him his right arm. He was right-handed. He spent the next several years at sea, rising to the rank of Admiral and doing great damage to the French and the Spanish fleets before being killed in action whilst leading the English fleet to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. All that with one arm, mind you,” she raised her eyebrows slightly.

  “Moral of the story, Mister Kelly,” Jaylyn finished, “is not to count yourself out so quickly. Nelson actually had his damaged arm amputated as quickly as possible and then returned to the bridge and continued leading his ships. Just something to think about. Have a good day, you two,” she smiled suddenly and then was gone, Kaitlin following.

  “How ‘bout that,” Heath looked at Leanne.

  “How ‘bout that, for real,” Leanne smiled, then immediately embraced him. “I’m so glad for you,” she beamed up at him.

  “Thanks, sweetie,” Heath grinned at her. “I’m hungry. Wanna take me to lunch, Miss Tillman?”

  “I would be delighted, Mister Kelly.”

  -

  Not everyone had recovered so well.

  Keely Irvine had held on for two weeks in her shallow coma before succumbing to her injuries, bringing the death toll to nine. Her death had, in some ways, been harder, coming as it did so many days after the battle. Perhaps, some thought, because she alone had died on that day.

  Matt Kenny had been slow to recover, Jaylyn deducing that his heart and lungs had been bruised by the round his vest had stopped. Kenny had suffered in silence, however, grateful that the damage wasn’t worse. He would heal and that was a gift.

  Not all damage was physical, either. Beau Abramson had never recovered from Zayne Parris’ death, and from the horror of removing his friend’s helmet. He had met with Beverly several times, but the only thing she could get out of him other than his nightmares about his friend dying over and over was anger at Carrie Jarret for not ‘helping’ Parris. Tandi Maseo had assured Abramson that there was no help for his friend. Dead could not be treated and that was a fact.

  Jarret had expected that attitude and had simply ignored it. She had done her job and done it well, she had been assured. That was good enough for her. She felt bad for Abramson losing his friend, but not guilty. She had warned him to keep down.

  Several others had gradually come forth over the weeks after the battle, coming either to Beverly Jackson or else searching out a veteran of other battles to talk. Some sought absolution for killing other humans, a few looked for answers as to why someone right beside them had been killed or wounded while they, themselves, were unharmed. A couple just wanted to talk about their experience on the battlefield. Talking it out sometimes seemed to help.

  Abramson was eventually relieved of any security responsibilities and given other work. Clay and the other leaders encouraged their people to go out of their way to continue engaging the young man, and not treating him as weak or lacking in some way. Combat was not for everyone, and losing a friend was a shock to the system no matter when or how it happened.

  Some, however, came into their own once the battle had joined.

  Heather Patton had practically roared like the proverbial lion as she fought along the eastern line. The story of her having to be pulled into the mule even as she kept shooting had swept through the more experienced commandos and earned their respect. The addition of her rummaging through her dead team leader’s pockets for the detonator to the Claymore mine left behind them, then setting it off to curtail any pursuit, had also caught the attention of several people, Clay and Jose both among them.

  Her arm, while not broken nearly as bad as Heath’s had been, had still required six weeks to get a clean bill of health from Jaylyn Thatcher. Members of what was now being referred to as the ‘first team’, including both Clay and Jose as well as Greg Holloway, began to visit her almost daily for training sessions in tactics and information, preparing her for bigger things once she was cleared to return to action.

  Once she was returned to duty, both she and Carrie Jarret found themselves with an invite to try the wrought iron tough training of the Skull and Bones. Both young women were eager to prove themselves and were working hard to prepare for the difficult course, which would begin when Heath Kelly was able to participate. Amanda had looked upon them with a quiet jealousy, wishing she could join them. Xavier had observed her watching them one day as he ‘helped’ her in place of Kim Powers.

  -

  “My dear Amanda,” his voice was gentle and serious. “I see you following Miss Patton and Miss Jarret with rapt attention as they train. Could it be that you also wish to be added to our ranks?”

  “Maybe,” Amanda replied sullenly, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Why? Is that so bad? Or wrong?” she almost challenged.

  “In absolutely no way,” Xavier replied seriously. “Indeed, you have the same fire they do, and the same mental toughness. You will have to convince Bossman that your equipment lapse was a one-time only event, however, before he would allow you to follow them. He will not tolerate that kind of foolishness among us.” He paused, looking at her carefully.

  “You also need to understand the risks of wearing the Skull and Bones, Amanda,” his voice was suddenly very serious. “We take missions away from this fair haven of ours, you know. Missions that invariably require nasty actions fought in dark and in silence. The risks are high enough for men, but for women it will be somewhat increased, given the nature of the people we often encounter. If you would join us, you must be prepared for that.”

  For once Amanda didn’t reply with a snarky comment, sensing that Xavier was imparting serious and good advice to her. She considered his words for some time before nodding slowly.

  “I get it,” she replied. “I do. But the same thing could have happened here, too,” she pointed out. “What if that group had overrun a position I was in? Would they have killed me? Or tried to take me with them? And into what from there? Life itself is a risk these days, X. Seems to me that the better trained I am, the tougher I am, the better off I’ll be. Right?”

  She was shocked to see a broad smile bloom across Xavier’s face. Perhaps the first true smile she had ever seen from him.

  “Well put, Amanda,” he nodded. “Very well put, indeed. If you wish to make the attempt, then Zachary and I will assist you in preparing. But remember what I said about Bossman; you will have to convince him.”

  “I’ll work hard to do just that,” sh
e promised. “And thanks, Xavier.”

  He froze for a second at her use of his actual name, something almost no one did. At first, she feared that she had done something wrong, but then he had smiled again, somewhat softer this time, and nodded once more.

  “You are most welcome, Amanda.”

  -

  “We have to start making some changes,” Clay mused as he lay on a blanket, hands behind his head while he stared at the ceiling above him.

  “What kind of changes?” Lainie asked him, rising on one elbow and resting her head in her hand. It was a rare quiet moment for the two of them.

  “Start easing toward some sense of normalcy,” he replied. “We’ll plant soon, and that will include a lot more acreage for gardens this year. Not to mention other crops that people may find useful. We can start trading some. We’ve got a surplus of captured guns and ammo. Stuff we’d never use I mean. We can open a store with all that stuff. We’d need to figure out what we’d want to trade for everything. Stuff we need, you know. Maybe make a list of what we want and what we’ll pay or trade for it.”

  “Pay?” Lainie asked. “With what?”

  “Gold, silver, maybe even brass or copper, that kind of stuff,” Clay shrugged. “Leon had a lot of silver dollars, and I’ve still got some gold coins. We could start a bank,” he rose from where he was laying to mirror her stance.

  “A bank, huh?” Lainie raised an eyebrow at him. “And do what with it?”

  “I have no idea.”

  -

  “Well, start by paying people for the work they do on the farm, I guess,” Leon scratched his jaw absently. He was starting to shave, and it left his skin itching. He figured it would only get worse. “Not for the gardens and stuff. That’s work they’re doing for themselves. If we plant a truck patch garden, we can pay people for that, I guess, but then we own the produce and are free to trade it away. That kind of stuff.”