Jericho -:- Homecoming

Summary: Post Series (Un-aired ending). Having started the Second American Civil War and rescued Hawkins from Loomer Ridge Prison with Chavez, Jake will do anything to return home to Jericho, dead or alive.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's Note: A same-day update! Don't get used to it :P

Chapter Two -:- A Good Escape

Jericho, Kansas

"Jake!"

Gale Green shot up in bed, breathing heavily, eyes scanning the room wildly to ease her disorientation. She managed to calm down long enough to try and figure out what had woken her. She couldn't remember what she had been dreaming about, but all she knew now was that she felt so strongly that her son was in trouble. She could've sworn she heard him say sorry as if he were right next to her.

She untangled herself from the bedding and scrambled to the window, as if she would look out and see Jake on the front lawn. She opened the latch and leaned out into the cool night, scanning everything for some sign of her son. Then she saw something. At first she had thought it had been smoke from a chimney, but then she realised that somewhere on the horizon, something was churning out smoke. Somehow she knew that was where Jake was.

There came a knock from her door, but she couldn't tear herself away from the window. After a moment it clicked open. "Mom? Are you alright?"

"Eric, look, look!" Gale urged, staring out still. Eric did as he was told and came and stood beside her, trying to see what she saw. "There, that pillar of smoke, where is that?"

"I-I don't know, maybe five, ten miles out of town, why?"Eric looked down at his mother, concerned. He had moved back in after Jake had disappeared, not wanting to leave her alone.

"It's Jake. We have to go..."

"Wait, wait mom, how do you know?" he gently grasped her shoulders, stopping her from running off in the great hurry she was in.

Gale stopped, trying to apply logic to the feeling in her gut, to put into words how she knew, but she couldn't. She was just so sure. "I-I I just know. I have to go."

"But, mom, there's no gas in the truck. That's at least an hour's walk and its cold out. Can't this wait till morning? I'll borrow the Sherriff cruiser and drive you out then." Eric tried to reason, but knew he wasn't getting through.

"But Jake needs me now! This can't wait. I'm going!" Gale grabbed a jumper from the end of her bed and pulled it over her pjs.

Eric thought of trying to stop her again, but knew it was useless. "Fine, okay mom, but I'm coming with you."

Twenty Miles Outside Jericho, Neutral Soil

"Sir! Sir! Look!"

Major Hardy glanced up at where one of his subordinates was pointing. He caught sight of the tail end of a plane disappearing from view. He leaned out of the window of the truck to get a better look, just as the plane was eaten by a mass of tall trees. Even from their distance he could hear the crash as the metal structure smashed into the ground. He climbed back into the truck. "How far?"

"I'd say about five miles Sir, maybe more. We'll be on them in twenty minutes," replied the driver in a foreign accent.

The Major couldn't believe his luck. He had been wondering how he was going to bring down a plane, and the target had gone and done it for him. "All we have to do is identify what's left of them, and strike them off the blacklist."

The driver smiled and punched the gas, sending up sparks of dirt as they sped towards the crash site.

Crash Site, Twelve Miles Outside Jericho

When Hawkins came to, he had no idea how much time had passed. He blinked in the dark, assessing his condition and the situation. He undid the seatbelt that had saved his life, although he could already feel a bruise forming from the impact. A protruding tree branch impaled the seat next to him on the right, evidence of how close he had been to far more fatal injuries. He turned to his left, shaking Chavez's shoulder, unable to see in the small glow of the stars.

"Chavez?" Hawkins reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, using it as a torch as he checked Chavez. His old friend had a head wound that didn't seem too serious, and was otherwise unhurt. Pure luck had saved them both with minimal injury. Hawkins shined the phone over the back of the seat, shocked to see that the plane had broken in half just behind where they were seated. The middle of the plane was facing skyward, their section planted at a 50° angle, nose first into the mud. "Oh my God..."

He unbuckled Chavez's belt, then climbed down to the door. With effort, due to the buckling of the plane, he managed to wrench it open. He then went back to Chavez and hauled the man outside; laying him on what was left of the field before going back into the wreck.

"Jake?" Hawkins called as he navigated his way down into the cockpit, clinging to whatever was available to stay upright. Once inside the tiny space he realised it had gotten even smaller. The nose of the plane had been crushed like a tin can on impact and the walls of the cabin buckled into folds. By the light of the phone, Hawkins could just make out a figure slumped over the controls. "Jake?"

He wasn't expecting a response but even so he still found himself calling out repetitively. For an intense moment, Hawkins felt extreme guilt, hating himself for dragging Jake into his war. He was ready to die for his country, but there was no reason for Jake too as well. He made his way up to the seat, bracing his feet on the dash so he could use his hand to check for a pulse. "Oh, thank God."

Hawkins breathed a sigh of relief before jumping back to logic, assessing the best way to get Jake out. He unbuckled the belt, thankful that none of their restraints had been stuck or badly damaged. Checking that Jake wasn't attached to anything else, he hooked his arms round his chest from behind and yanked him out of the seat and onto the floor. Getting him out of the plane was interesting, but Hawkins managed it.

By the time he was out in the cold air, Chavez was coming round. Dazed, it took him a moment to remember what had happened. Then he saw Jake and was wide awake. "How can I help?"

"There should be a first aid kit in there somewhere, go find it, but be careful," Hawkins ordered. He then turned his attention back to Jake, deciding on the best course of action. His right leg was broken in several places though his left seemed unscathed. Glass protruded from his left arm as well smaller shards across his face and chest. There was a lot of blood on his face from the head wound along his hairline as well as the cuts. He needed help. "Chavez? You find it?"

"Yeah! I'm coming out!" A few moments later Chavez managed to climb out the wreckage, a first aid bag slung over a shoulder. He dropped to his knees beside Hawkins and passed it over. "Is that really gonna be enough?"

"Let's hope so."

Jericho, Kansas

Gale Green marched down the road, leaving the street lights of the town behind. Two steps behind, Eric followed, two parts worried, one part hopeful, that what his mother was so certain of was true. If she was right, and Jake was out there, Eric wondered what condition he was in. The smoke was visible ten miles out; it had to have been a pretty big crash. Was his brother even still alive? But then again, what if his mother was wrong and Jake wasn't there, how he would he console her when her son is missing again?

"He's there."

Eric glanced at the back of his mother's head, surprised by the sudden noise. They kept walking a bit longer in silence, the first sign of dawn lighting the horizon. "Mom...what if..."

"There is no 'what if' Eric. You're worried that he won't be there and I'll have some sort of breakdown right?" Gale interrupted a little harshly. Eric was taken aback but how spot on her intuition was. "It's not gonna happen. I know that he's there, and that he needs us. We're gonna bring your brother home."

"I hope your right."

Crash Site

"They're not here Sir."

"What?"

"They're not..."

"I heard what you said. Get nine of the men and pair off, scout the area for signs of where they went. Davis!" Major Hardy yelled at another soldier while the other scampered off. "Search this wreck again, I wanna know what the hell happened. Now."

"Yes sir!"

Major Hardy pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. So much for 'luck' giving him an 'easy' mission. They hadn't had to shoot down the plane, but now the fugitives were on the loose, God knows how far they had gone by now. He glanced at the horizon to see the first light of dawn and he glanced at his watch, 5am. He was on 34 hours without sleep and he could feel himself getting irritated. When he found the fugitives he wasn't sure he'd be able to do the 'captured alive' bit.

"Sir," Davis returned from the wreck, an empty first aid bag in his hands. "We found this sir, surrounded by a lot of blood. At least one of them is pretty badly hurt, they wouldn't have gotten far."

"Good, get the trucks ready to roll, I want to be moving as soon as I know which way."

Davis saluted and headed off towards the truck, shouting orders to the others. Fifteen minutes passed before the scouting party returned with news that they had found a blood trail that led to the road and in the direction of Jericho.

"That's not very smart. New Bern's closer and would offer them diplomatic asylum. Why are they heading to Jericho?" Major Hardy asked no one in particular.

"Maybe they're not local sir and don't realise they're going the wrong way," one of the men suggested with a few nods from the others.

"Maybe..." Major Hardy straightened his shoulders and raised his voice. "Let's move out!"

Highway, Ten Miles outside Jericho

"Do you reckon they followed us out here?" Chavez asked as he scoured the area for signs of movement. He was lthe ookout as they travelled along the road in the open, a rifle they'd scavenged from the plane in his hands. Hawkins had Jake slung over his shoulders in an efficient fireman's carry, a hand gun in the waist of his jeans just in case.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Hawkins replied. "We didn't get any company while in the air, but they were probably tracking us. Jericho may be neutral, but this state is sided with the EUS. There'd be a lot of hassle and consequences if they were to follow us in here." He double checked a spot in the distance. "But that don't mean they wouldn't try anyway."

Chavez nodded, walking backwards for a few paces as he checked behind them. "We know there are a lot of EUS troops in New Bern, which is closer, it would'a been smarter to go that way."

"That's as may be, but I for one, wanna go home and see my wife and kids, and I know Jake's been wanting to go back ever since we left. At this stage, we've done our job. Now we do what we want." Hawkins said decisively, focused on the destination.

They walked another mile in complete silence, permanently scanning the surrounding area for signs of anything and everything. The sun was slightly higher in the sky, lightening the way slightly, however it was a slow rise for an Autumn morning and Hawkins pegged it to be about six am. Fields of tall grass surrounded them on either side, working for and against them. It blocked some of their view, however it would provide decent cover if push came to shove.

"I got headlights."

"Where?" Hawkins asked, looking where Chavez was pointing. "Less than half-mile. Have we been spotted?" The convoy of trucks suddenly sped up. "Damnnit, take cover in the grass. Try not to leave a path."

They ran pretty deep into the 5 ft tall stalks before Hawkins came to a stop where the ground dipped slightly into a trough. "We're too visible, take cover there!"

Chavez did as he was told and jumped down into the crevice. He then helped Jake off of Hawkins's shoulders and laid him against the slope before taking up a sniper position, the rifle scope to his eye. Hawkins dropped to a crouch next to them. "I can't see a damn thing. They know where we left the road, they'll find us in minutes!"

Hawkins thought over their options rapidly, aware of the sound of trucks coming to a stop and doors slamming not far off. The leader was already giving orders. If it were just the two of them, they could get away quickly and quietly without conflict, but that meant leaving Jake, something Hawkins wasn't willing to do after he had come and broken him out of prison. But then again, if they tried to run with Jake they'd all get caught and probably shot. His logical mind conflicted with his slowly developing sense of loyalty. "If we split up and draw fire from two directions they might think there's more of us and retreat."

"Might? Our best chance is to run. I hate to say this, I really do, but there's not much chance of Jake making it even if your plan does work...we have to leave him," Chavez explained, genuinely sorry. "If we don't, we're all dead."

"Then...you sh-should...go..."

Both Hawkins and Chavez looked at Jake in complete surprise. Badly injured, he looked disorientated and dazed; however he knew exactly what he was saying. "How f-far..."

"Eight or nine miles," Hawkins answered, knowing what Jake was getting at.

"I w-won't walk th-that...b-but if they dr-drive..."Jake winced as he tried hard to stay conscious and talk despite the rather dramatic amount of blood loss. "They'll take me h-home..."

"He's right, Jericho is the closest neutral soil. They'll take him there for medical attention if they want us alive," Chavez realised, looking through the scope as he tried to pick up where the soldiers were and how close.

"And if they don't?" Hawkins asked as Jake continued staying conscious, slightly easier now that he had said his piece.

Chavez nodded in the direction of the trucks. "None of them looked refrigerated to me. There's no way they're carrying a body back to Cheyenne. They'll take him to Jericho to be...buried." Chavez looked away from Jake, feeling guilty for saying what was logically true. The sound of soldiers was getting closer. "If we don't leave right now, we'll be caught anyway. Hawkins, we gotta go."

Hawkins nodded, still conflicted but his decision made. He pulled the hand gun from his jeans and placed it in Jake's hand. He looked his rescuer right in the eye and promised "We'll come and get you. I ain't leaving you anymore than you left me."

Jake nodded, holding the pistol tight. "G-go then..."

Without another word, Chavez and Hawkins slipped silently away, leaving Jake alone to face the soldiers as they surrounded him.