Rebel.
A Revolution fic Bass Monroe, Charlie Matheson. Miles Matheson. Charloe. Blackout AU.
Denver, Colorado, 2027. The blackout didn't happen in 2012 because the weapon failed, killing most of the Nanotech project team although the Matheson's escaped and continued their work. When Charlie found out what they were doing and tried to warn people, everything changed and she was a fugitive, running to the only person left who might be on her side, her Uncle Miles.
AN: Thank you all so much for all the encouraging comments and likes, I'm so glad you liked this story and Lemon, I'm especially glad you liked it enough to ask for more! J Thanks again to the wonderful LoveForTheStory for her feedback, you are amazing, Love.
Hope you folks like this bit…
Chapter 2
Chicago, the night of the Blackout.
The planes were falling from the sky like huge, dying birds, crashing to the ground and tearing the night apart until the city was alight with explosions, fire, smoke and frantic, echoing screams. The shrieks of tortured metal from crashing cars and trucks burst from all around and the smell of spilt fuel, burning rubber and worse things hung in the air like a foul, acrid perfume. There were people shouting and crying somewhere along the road and in an eerie accompaniment, dogs everywhere were barking and howling as though their hearts were broken.
From where Charlie and Bass were standing in the shelter of Miles' porch away from the city, it felt like Armageddon.
Charlie's cheeks were wet with tears and her voice sounded hoarse, shocked, even to her own ears. 'Are you sure Miles said he was driving?' The possibility that he could be in one of those planes was making her chest so tight she couldn't seem to get her breath.
Bass was standing just behind her, tall, broad, steady, his presence the only thing keeping her from screaming because this was the worst thing she'd ever seen.
He put his hand on her shoulder. 'Yeah, I'm sure, now take a deep breath, we'll work out what to do next once this is over.'
Over? How could this ever be over... She shivered, everything felt strange, unreal, cold and he was warm, his body real and vibrant close to hers, the tattoo on the inside of his left arm stark black against smooth moonlit skin. It was better than looking at what was happening outside so she reached out, touched it, her eyes darting up to his. 'This stands for Monroe and Matheson, doesn't it. Miles told me about it.' She frowned. 'He'll be ok, won't he?'
He leaned towards her, his eyes burning blue, little reflected flames dancing in them and his lips very close to hers. 'Charlie, take it easy. I know you're in shock but I need you to focus. We might have to move fast if anything comes too close, ok?' He took a hip flask from his jacket pocket with his other hand and held it out. 'Here, drink. It'll help.'
She blinked, watching his lips move, the way his scruff caught the light, how she wished he'd… Was she in shock? Was that what it was? She was aching to get closer to him, for him to hold her, to make her feel something better than all this death. She looked up and found his eyes.
Everything seemed to stop, as though the two of them were in a space apart from everything happening outside.
Then something exploded nearby and the loud, whirring shrieks of flying debris jerked her awake. She blinked, sucked in a breath, took the flask from his hand and took a long swallow. The silver metal was cool on her lips as the whiskey burned in her throat, bringing feeling back, making her feel something closer to herself. She gave the flask back, ran the back of her other hand across her mouth and glanced up at him, embarrassed. 'Thanks. Sorry for being such an idiot.' Shit. She'd jumped his bones like he was a juicy steak and she was starving. He didn't look upset or weird about it though, in fact he had a kind of tender, thoughtful look on his face.
He put the flask back in his pocket then wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close. 'Hey, it's ok, I get it. But Miles is a big boy, he can take care of himself and he absolutely hates flying, remember?' He glanced down at her, 'the chump gets airsick when he climbs a ladder, we have to carry him onto the plane every time we go on tour.' But he frowned, looking out at the red lit, angry sky. 'He'll be ok.'
She leaned in close, her arm fitting around his waist as though it belonged there and managed a small smile. He was worried too, she could feel the tension in his body, hear it in his voice even over the noise outside. Her smile disappeared. 'I know, but if I'd waited one more day, he'd have been here already, not out there in this.' She turned to watch the world go to hell, glad of his arm around her, the warm, solid strength of him because right now she'd take all the help she could get. 'It's all my fault Bass. If I hadn't found out and started shooting my mouth off, the DoD might not have done this. They knew what could happen if they set off the nanotech before it was fixed because my dad would've told them. He told Miles he was sorry, didn't he?
He nodded but didn't look convinced. 'Yeah, maybe. But he could've just been saying sorry your mom's such a bitch.' He let her go and took her shoulders in strong hands, turning her round to face him. 'Charlie. Read my lips. This is not your fault.' He blew out a breath and shrugged, an eyebrow lifting when he saw the question and doubt in her eyes. 'Ok… maybe your folks should've burned everything before letting the DoD have any of this stuff, so yeah, it's on them too, and yeah, maybe you could've been a bit more discreet about telling people. But someone in the DoD did it, and what I really want to know is why.'
She stared up at him, 'what do you mean?'
There was another crash somewhere close outside, almost in the backyard and they both jumped.
His fingers tightened on her shoulders and he leaned closer, his face tight, tense and edged in flickering red-tinged, moonlight, eyes shadowed and blown to black. 'You say the DoD had to know there were problems with the tech so I want to know why the fuck they'd take the chance of something like this shit happening to their own country.' He stabbed a long finger towards the burning city, 'The war's bad, yeah, but the peace talks have been going ok, there's even been talk of a ceasefire, so why the rush? Why do it at all unless the bastards actually want the world to fall apart?'
She frowned, 'that's crazy. They'd be in the same boat as everyone else.'
'Maybe, maybe not.' His voice was urgent, harsh. 'They've had fifteen years to get ready and they've got a town full of the best scientists in the country working for them, including your mom and dad. Who knows what resources they've got.' His eyes narrowed. 'And as for what they did to you? Think about it, Charlie, even if you had found someone who'd listen to a story as crazy as yours, without more hard proof than a kill switch and your mom's science project journals, all you've got is another wackjob conspiracy theory.'
Without thinking, her hand went up to the pendant, her fingers curling around it, almost protective. Her dad had said he was sorry and she believed him. She didn't want to think about her mom right now, but Danny? She wished she'd been able to explain things to Danny before leaving. Now there was a chance she'd never see him again.
Bass pointed outside again. 'We don't know how much of the country is blacked out, or how much of the whole fucking world come to that. This could be happening everywhere. We don't know a damn thing, Charlie. There's no net, no phones, no transport, nothing's working. If the power stays off, we're back to the fucking dark ages as of now. Hell, maybe there's no government left either, the conference finished yesterday and the president was supposed to be flying back home tonight along with half the fucking cabinet.'
Charlie's eyes widened, horrified. 'Was she?'
He nodded, grim. 'Yeah, it was on the news feed this afternoon. They'd just finished up and everyone was headed home. Good timing huh? That's one fucking good reason for doing it right there. Those bastards could've wiped out half the world's leaders with one fucking move. Shit.' He was vibrating with anger, frustration, then he stopped, running a hand through his hair, sucking in a long, long breath.
Charlie watched as he pulled himself back, the soldier taking over.
His voice was quiet now, certain. 'People out there are going to sit and wait for someone to come and fix things for one day maybe, maybe two, but the longer this thing keeps going? Its gonna get bad. Very, very bad.' He started pacing up and down the small space, restless, his eyes following her as he moved, his hands curled into fists. 'Just wait till the looting starts, the fighting when people get scared and hungry and sick from bad water and no sanitation. Wait till they see their kids start dying and can't do anything about it. Wait till they're ready to do anything to survive. Believe me they'll fall in line for the first person who promises a solution. I've seen it.'
She was watching him, knew he was telling the truth. It was there in his eyes. 'And you think that's going to be someone from the DoD?'
He nodded. 'Yes, I do. You leaving might have sped things up a little, that's all. Although they obviously didn't want you making any noise and maybe spooking the wrong people before they were ready.' His eyes were hard, shadowed, 'this is a win win situation for them, Charlie. If it had worked like it was supposed to, they'd be heroes, and if it went wrong they'd still win because they'd be the only ones with any idea what was going on. The only ones prepared.' His finger stabbed towards the floor, and he came closer, eyes hard, 'and your folks just spent the last fifteen years making sure they could do it without frying everyone on the planet.'
Charlie wanted to throw up, she was angry, hurt, even though she knew he was right. 'My parents didn't mean for this to happen, Bass. You've seen my mom's notes, they tried to tell them it wasn't ready.' She took the pendant off and held it up, 'and they made these just in case. They're the back-up plan, a way of controlling the nanotech away from the lab. There's twelve of them I think. But this one is my dad's. He and this computer genius friend of his Aaron were working on it together, and I don't think the DoD or even my mom knows everything that's on it. I do know it's got a bigger range than the others though.' Her fingers tightened on the small oval, and she looked up at him, wanting him to understand. 'It's special.'
He glanced at it, impatient. 'Ok, so your dad's got a bigger pendant than everyone else. The powers already off, what does it matter?'
She flicked the tiny control at the wider end with her thumb. There was a noise like a computer start up, and a small power light came on in the centre. At the same time, the hall light behind them went on and the music came on, 'Dirty deeds' this time, she recognised the riff. A half second later the street light down the road flickered and lit up.
Bass stared, his eyes intent, curious now. 'It works both ways? I'm impressed.'
She nodded and took a deep, steadying breath, 'I thought it would, wasn't totally sure until now though.' She flicked it off, glancing up at him as the lights went out and the music stopped again. 'In case they can use it to track us.'
He smiled, grim, approving. 'Always knew you were smart as well as cute, Charlie.'
She gave him a look but tried to hide how much it meant to hear him say that, because even in all this chaos and destruction the fact that he'd thought of her at all sent shivers running down to her toes. She let the pendant fall, the metal cool on the heated skin between her breasts, then straightened up and focused on the moment. 'So, what do we do now?'
The air was fill with clouds of dark, acrid smoke and there was a wide, dusky red ring around the moon. The falling planes seemed to have stopped though, and except for the odd explosion and the crackle and snap of flames near and far there was an eerie, waiting quiet. The street was empty of people, probably inside their homes or some shelter, trying to stay safe, trying their phones, lighting candles, telling stories to their kids and waiting for the power to come on again like it did after every other blackout. Waiting for sirens, for the police and ambulances, for the fire trucks to go help the fallen. Good citizens waiting for things to go back to normal, for someone to light the way.
Even the dogs had stopped howling.
Bass stared down at her, the rust coloured moonlight turning his eyes to deep violet wells that she could drown in. 'Miles said to wait for him here, and unless the power comes back on it'll take him a while to get here depending on where he ended up. So first we need to do an inventory of what we've got, work out what we need and get some supplies in.' He glanced outside then back at her. 'We'll need weapons too, for when things get ugly. Miles has a locker in the basement, I'll check it out later.'
She nodded, 'I'll look at what food and other supplies we've got.' She hesitated, then looked up, 'maybe we should go get him?'
He looked back at her and shook his head. 'Nah, this is Miles… We'd never find him. He'll stay with the car until he's sure the power isn't going on again, then he'll get here any way he can, as fast as he can.'
'So, we're on our own till he gets here?'
'Better off that way, Charlie. This is the DoD we're dealing with remember? We don't know how many of them are involved, hell, they could have people everywhere, even here. We can't trust the cops or the military.' He took her shoulders again, his eyes such an intense blue they seemed to shimmer. 'I know the guys in my unit, and I trust them, but they're a thousand miles away so I vote we wait for Miles, get prepared and keep our eyes and ears open for anyone coming after you and that thing.' He nodded at the pendant, 'because sooner or later they'll figure out that you came here and come after it. I guarantee that.'
She stared back for a long moment. 'You don't think the power will come back on again do you?'
He shrugged. 'I hope I'm wrong, Charlie. If I am and it was an accident, then maybe your folks'll work out a way to fix it.' His eyes narrowed, 'but if I'm right and by the way the DoD treated you I think I am, then they'll want the power off for as long as possible, get people desperate enough and scared enough so they can just waltz in and be the solution.' He let go of her, reaching up to brush his hair back from his face, the dust in the air making his eyes glow. 'Now, it sounds like its stopped raining planes so let's go have a look around, see if we can help out.'
She nodded, glad at the thought of doing something constructive. 'Yeah. Ok. Miles has a couple of bikes in the back, it'll be a whole lot quicker than walking. I'll go get them.' She turned and took a step outside into the night, her hair blown into a tangle by the wind and backlit to blood red by the fires.
There was a sound high above them. 'Shit. Charlie wait…' Bass grabbed her arm and yanked her back inside as something screamed over their heads and crashed to earth a couple of houses away, sending shards of tumbling, flaming wreckage flying into the trees and cars along the road. One big piece whirled through the front fence, gouged deep trenches into the lawn then bounced off again just missing the porch. He held an arm up, blocking the way out. 'We can get the bikes later. Right now? We stay here.'
She straightened up, brushing her arms and ass off where she'd fallen against the dusty wall, irritated that he'd thought she needed protecting and embarrassed because she did. She had to admit she was impressed though. He'd moved faster than anyone she'd ever seen. 'You think?'
He looked down at her and lifted an eyebrow. 'Yeah. I think.
She slanted a glance up at him. As well as being totally hot and her secret wet dream, he looked every inch a capable, absolutely in control of things marine which wasn't a bad thing at all considering the situation. If she had to be trapped in the middle of the apocalypse, at least it was with Bass Monroe. If things had fallen apart while she was still hitching rides across the map, it would've been a problem. One dickbrain in particular had only stopped trying to grope her after she showed him the pointy end of her knife.
She sent Bass a warning glare anyway. 'I can take care of myself, Bass. So don't think you can order me around like one of your troops, ok?'
His eyes stayed on hers, a very male appreciation gleaming in the blue, his scruff almost hiding a hint of a smile. 'Wouldn't dream of it.'
…..
Somewhere outside of Denver, Colorado.
The big black Oshkosh LATV purred down a steeply curving mountain road, its powerful electric engine making light work of the gradient, the pendant that powered it winking from a mount in the centre of the dash. Three other identical vehicles followed in a glossy, sinister convoy that curved like a fast moving snake down the mountain. All four ATV's had the same discreet eye in a triangle decal on the doors, all were bristling with state of the art weapons and tech.
The driver of the first vehicle flicked the autopilot on then slanted his gaze to the rear vision mirror and the passenger riding in the back seat. 'May I ask where we're headed, sir?'
Randall Flynn snapped his tablet shut, settled back into the comfortable, soft leather and poured himself a shot of a rare, boutique single malt, sipping with obvious appreciation. 'You may, Major Strausser.' He smiled as he gazed out the reinforced window, his eyes following an eagle soaring high over the valley below them. 'We're going to Chicago.'
…
AN: Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it J This story has me lying awake at nights planning the next bit so I'm hoping to have the next chapter ready to go sometime soon. Oh, and there will be Charloe soon too… Hope to see you there, cheers, Magpie.
