Chapter 2

Miles studied the crudely drawn map in front of him. "Here," he pointed. "Here is where we will attack."

"Miles we can't, there has to be some place else."

"Charlie it's the best place, it will give us an advantage and we need all the help we can get."

"Yeah except there is a little thing called a village filled with innocent people right in the middle. They'll all be killed."

"This is war Charlie, it's called collateral damage."

"Collateral damage! You can't be serious. You can't do this. It's not right. There has to be another way. Maybe we could warn them, evacuate before we attack."

"If we try to evacuate it will tip off the Monroe's men that we are here. We'll loose the element of surprise."

Charlie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So you'd sacrifice a whole town of innocent people to keep your element of surprise?"

"Do you think Monroe would go out of his way to avoid them. No he will mow them down and not think twice about it."

"You are not Monroe. You are better than this."

"That's were you're wrong."

"You can't do this."

"Dammit Charlie what do you want from me."

"I want you to stop being such a coward."

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me, I called you a coward."

Miles and Charlie glared at each other. He had to give the kid some credit, she had balls. Not many people would stand up to him let alone call him a coward. Than again he shouldn't be all that surprised. She had faced countless dangers with a determination that rivaled his own. Some days he didn't know what he wanted to do more, hug her or smack her.

Charlie crossed her arms and continued. "You are taking the easy way out, turning back into the man you were. You keep telling yourself that you need to be this cold hearted ruthless bastard because it's the only way to win. But the truth is, your scared. It's harder to be the man you want to be, the man I know you are inside. You're afraid to believe that it's possible. But I know it is."

"Holy hell Charlie we really have to do something with the rose colored glasses you see me through."

Charlie just glared at him stubbornly, obviously not dropping the subject.

"Charlie if we don't attack there or keep our element of surprise we would loose over half the men." Miles hated seeing the look of disappointment in his nieces eyes. "If there was another option I would take it, but there isn't. These are the cards we were dealt. You're going to have to face the fact that the only way we are going to beat Monroe is to play his game."

"Then it's not worth it. I've lost so much Miles and I'll be damned if I loose you too. If you do this then the uncle who I look up to, the man I've started to think of as my… " Charlie couldn't finish the sentence she knew he didn't want to hear that she thought of him as a surrogate dad. Not yet. "He'll be lost forever."

Miles knew what Charlie was trying to say. Against his better judgment he drew her into a hug. What was it about her that softened his rough edges. He needed those rough edges to go up against the Militia. He knew what was coming, what he needed to do and what he would have to become again. He didn't want Charlie to see that. She was the one damn person in this whole world who thought he was worth a damn, why he didn't know. Maybe, just maybe he could try, for her, for his family, for the girl he thought of as his own.

Charlie pulled back and looked up at him. "You need to believe in yourself Miles. You need to believe you can be the man I know you can be as much as I do. I love you Miles, after dad died you were there for me, you've always been there for me. Now it's time for me to be there for you. But I can only carry you so far. At some point you are going to have to forgive yourself for what you've done."

"I don't know if that's possible, the list of my sins is long and bloody."

"Then don't add to it. We have to at least warn the villagers."

"You really aren't going to drop this are you?"

"My dad always told me I was a stubborn pain in the ass."

Miles rolled his eyes and started pacing around the tent. Dear god he was actually considering it.

Charlie sensed he was changing his mind and smiled.

"I didn't say yes Charlie."

"But you're thinking about it."

"How the hell did Ben put up with you?"

Charlie just shook her head. "He found a way, just like you."

"Ahhhh, your killing me. Fine we'll send a small team in to warn the villagers. We have to keep it quite."

"I'll go."

"Like hell. The chances of you succeeding are somewhere between slim and none. Once Monroe gets wind of the villagers moving out he'll know something's up and we'll have to attack hard and fast and you will be caught in the middle."

"Well then I'll have to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Yes because you have the best track record."

Miles put a small team together and sent them to warn Charlie's precious villagers. At least he convinced her to stay behind.

A scout rode up hard and fast later on that day and by the look on his face he knew it wasn't good news. Miles read the report and shouted some very choice, very colorful words.

"What is it?" Nora asked.

"Tanks. Monroe has god damn tanks and there heading this way. We've run out of time." Miles looked around for his niece. He got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Where's Charlie?"

"She went with the team to evacuate the village."

"She did WHAT?"

Would Charlie ever listen to him? Good god, Monroe was going to level the village and Charlie was there.