Chapter one - The survival lesson
I woke up on the grass in a tent. My wrists and ankles hurt a bit and I could feel some metal on them. The tent served as a supply store and a cell by what I could see. I tried to remember what happened before and realized that the horse under me was shut and I felt down from it. What about the others? And better... What now? I have to escape. I ran some scenario threw my head but non was suitable. I have to wait and see who comes. There was still a big possibility that who ever comes will recognize me. Than I am already as good as dead. I knew they searched me but I had to try so I reached in my panties. There should have been a hairpin. It was there so I quickly removed it and started to work on the cuffs. There was a click and my left wrist was freed. I focused on the right one but I stopped as I heard someone coming. The hairpin went back to its place and so did the cuffs.
"You should have told me right away that you cached another one of them." A young male sad angrily.
Other one answered. "I'm sorry, sir. But the others were supposed to be old, only that Matheson girl should be young and this one clearly isn't her. She's not blond, but she is dangerous." That one he got right.
They entered the tent so I pretended I was still knocked out. "She should be up by now. Send doctor in. I wont to question her."
"Yes captain." Well, hell! His voice was far too young for a captain. On the other hand that meant he won't recognize me. I was lucky. Also the dirt on my face should help me go unnoticed. If they found out who I am they'd double the guards.
Sad captain made his way to me and took my wrist. He counted to ten and sighted. "Don't pretend anymore. You are awake." His tone was harsh.
"I am sorry. Me and my friends just got caught in the fight your men had with the Mathesons just up the river. We only wonted to get out of the fight, we had nothing to do with." I tried to sound just as innocent as I could.
"Yes, that can be." He sad and make a step closer to me than necessary. "But I don't buy it."
Damn! I saw him in the face now and I recognized him. Chris! All alarms in my mind went on. "What happened to my friends?" I piped. I had to use another approach. He mustn't recognize me"
"Funny think you asked. The chines was shut and the other guy is in the interrogation tent." If it was funny he sad it with less that no humor.
"I can help you to get Charlotte." I new it was risky but it was better than nothing. If he just walked out right now I could free myself and flee. He'd be getting no one.
"Well, lets hear your plan how to get her. Whit Miles and the others around her that is so easy that a random passerby will know the easiest quick and unstoppable way." He was right and I knew it.
"Take me to the river and you'll see." I sad. Maybe if he thought I was some naive little girl he'd believe that I was really just passing by.
"And you'd try to escape. I don't think so." He stood up and walked out on me. Well serves him right. As he left me I undone my shackles and cuffs and was just about to leave when the doctor came in so I acted as if I fell asleep. He came to me and with a wet handkerchief cleaned my face. Than I jumped him. "She's trying to escape!" I quickly grabbed him in a head-lock. The guards already stepped in.
"Move and he's dead." I barked out. "Now drop your weapons and do five steps back." I made it out of the tent with them ten steps in front of me and the doctor still in the lock.
"Shoot her! Don't mind the doctor." I heard some lieutenant shout. Damn!
"I wont her alive!" I instantly knew who's command was that one even if I didn't seen him approaching. He saw me. He knew. There was just one shut that ran threw my and I had to let go of the doctor. He didn't wait and made sure to get as far as possible so I tried to run. The shoulder hurt but I had my legs. I heard someone running after me and in a sec he grabbed me by the bleeding shoulder. It hurt as hell so I had to stop. The pain was too strong. He grabbed my arms and forced me to the dirt. Now that his hand was no longer on my wound I tried to fight him off but he set upon me. "Bring the cuffs and shekels. Chris barked. He didn't let go till he personally tied me up.
"Get of me Christopher!" I shouted at him. I could hear the unbelieving comments from his soldiers. Usually no one spoke to him as that and in front of his men. For them I was a fool.
He jerked me up from the ground. He was pouting a bit. "I'll send you a doctor. That is, if he is willing to treat you, Lorraine." He sad angrily, I turned my head to him as we made our way half-way to the tent. "Fuck you!" I knew I have overdone it but I couldn't help it.
He jerked me to face him and his hand went over to my panties and he took out my hairpin. "I'll be taking this." I used my head and with all the force I could have used I smashed my forehead in his as he automatically broth his hand to his forehead I jumped on his back and tried to strangle him with the cuffs. Some of his men jumped in to help him get me off him and after few seconds they succeeded. He was coughing by then. They quickly took me to the tent and made sure someone would be witching even inside. He even made sure it would be a woman.
I waited for an half an hour till the doctor finally arrived. He wasn't happy to help me but orders were orders and we didn't talk to each other. After he left Chris joined me. He looked calmer now. "Damn it Lori. Why did you join them? I get that Miles and Nora are your parents but they tried to kill father and destroy what they created together." He was upset.
"They say that uncle Bass already destroyed it. Even your mom says that!" I tried to sound indifferent. "I don't really know what all of them have done in the last four years and I only know what we were doing with your mom. We were out of Republic. I joined just to have my parents back." Well so much for no emotions. Now I was shouting.
"So you were with mom? You know, I didn't saw my mom for the last four years. And you where wit her all that time... But I can't let you go now, but neither will I let someone kill you. You are more valuer alive." He was sad. He thought Auntie was dead. There was also some jealousy mixed in. I was with her and he... He walked over to me.
"So you can exchange me for dad? No way Chris! I'd rather die!" I shouted at him. By this time he sent the female soldier out of the tent. Even so there would be people who can hear us.
"I'm sorry Lori. It's as it is." He coped my cheek.
"Don't touch me!" There were times when I had a huge crash on him but right now my family was at the stack. I bit him.
He jerked his hand back. "I wish there was another way." He sighted.
"JJ sad you become second Bass but it doesn't seem so." I sad softly as I tried to woo him. He was now resembling whom I remembered him to be.
"JJ? When have you seen him? He died a couple of weeks ago." He was sad about that.
"No, he is OK." Well, maybe I shouldn't say that to him but I never liked to see him sad, or lye to him. I was felling back to being the person from before last four years.
"Is he? Than major Nevile will have to explain his actions." He sad without any emotion.
That wasn't good but still I was in a deeper shit right now than to think about wellbeing of JJ's dad. I never liked the man. "Can you untie me? It hurts." I tried to catch him off-guard.
"Sorry love. You just shown all of thous lazy-asses out there why you are so dangerous. I won't allow any male in hear except from myself." He tracked my cheek with his fingers.
This time I didn't protest. It'd be fore nothing. "Pleas let me go. I don't wont father and uncle Bass fighting. I just wont to be beck in Philly like in the old days." I sad softly. Well if you think you are so much more immune to me then your male soldiers just watch. I let few tears run down my cheeks. "And I don't wont father with whole regiment come hear and destroy this camp. They won't have mercy. You know how overprotective he can be."
He came closer to me. "You know you turned out to be a real beauty." He leaned in and kissed me.
That was my signal to try and take his knife. In that part I succeeded but just in that. I quickly hid the thing. Even the woman soldier will eventually have to go to bed. But he would have known if I stopped in the moment to act my part. I gave him his kiss back. "Can we at least have a normal food an some clean clothes? I promise I won't try anything on you." I gave him a small smile. I never broke a promise I gave him so he should understand. He nodded and ordered for a hot bath and some clothes. The woman soldier replaced him while I cleaned myself. After that we went to his tent. The food was good and we did some small-talk about Auntie Conny and our lives in the past four years.
After the food I newer got this far with anyone else before. At least I knew him and had a crush on him since I was six. We made it to his bad while kissing ant than all the way to the finish. I newer felt anything so nice. He was gentle and careful. I told him it'd be my first time and he took care of me. Than he left me to sleep there for the night and when he gently woke me up the next morning we went to the wagon. So all for nothing. The knife lay in the cell. He made his way to me as I set on the wagon and he pointedly placed his knife where it belonged. "It seems I lost it yesterday." Bastard! He was one step ahead of me all the time. I made a grimace. "We will go two miles down the road and than we take the train." He told me.
My hart sunk. He was taking me to Philly. If there wasn't a miracle or an ambush before we got on the train than I was doomed. My cuffs were again in their place and so were the shekels. I gave him the sad puppy-dog eyes. "Pleas don't."
"I'm sorry Lori." He sighted. His soldiers were hanging on each word we exchanged and watching us as hawks so I chose to end the conversation. We were silent for the whole ride to the train-station till we boarded the train. Chris made sure to have me on his eyes all the time. It meant I couldn't escape on my own but also that non of his soldiers got any funny ideas how to spent the ride. I decided to take a short nap as I was in no mood for talking to him. He tricked me. There was no one beside him who could do it. Also I was sure that his head still hurt from the fight we had while I tried to escape.
I was woke by an explosion somewhere ahead of us and the train started slowing down. "Get up. We have to get of the train." He sad to me dangerously. I knew he had to do his job. And hear I thought he wasn't his dad. I tried to slow him down. Closer to the explosion we got off bigger the chance to be freed. But he grabbed me and jerked me out of train. As I felt I tried to protect my had. I jumped to my feats and tried to run to the place the explosion came from. He fallowed me. He was just behind me. The shekels didn't allow me to run fast. "Sorry love. You are going with me." He turned me to the direction we came from. "Lets go."
"Mom! Dad! Hear!" I shouted and made a point of walking slowly. I won't let him get me to Philly.
"Hell!" He picked me up bridal stile and walked fast in the previous direction. I started struggling just to stop him or slow him down. Someone was bound to notice us. "Lori!" He barked. He pushed me closer to himself so I couldn't move. "I promise. I won't let father or his men touch you but I can only do it for you if we are in Philly." He as well as I newer broke a single promise between us.
"He'll use me to catch and kill everyone." I hopelessly huffed in his chest. That was the think I feared more than to be his prisoner.
He stopped and put me on the ground. "You are right." He sighted. There was a mental war in his head about what to do. I saw that it made him pain to let go of me.
I heard someone shouting my name and saw mom and JJ running to us. "Pleas go. I don't know what they'd do."
"Take care of your self. See you later." He winked at me and ran for it. I stood there and stared after him.
Mom and JJ cached up with me. "I'm on him." JJ wanted to fallow Chris.
"Don't." I sad softly. "He let me go."
JJ looked at me questionably and mom sighted. "Lets get out of hear. We have to go beck to the camp." I nodded and fallowed them.
"Lori." Father saw me first of the others as we joined them. The fight by the place of explosion ended already. I ran to him and hugged him. "You made us varied."
"Sorry daddy." I spoke in a little voice.
He held me at the length of his arms. "Are you OK. honey? Had they done anything to you?"
"I'm OK." I gave him a reassuring smile.
"She was with Chris." Mom exclaimed.
"And stopped me when I wonted to go after him."JJ had to add. Just great. I rolled my eyes.
"I knew you were once friends Lori but he is with the Militia." Father rosed his voice.
"So were you!" I snapped. "You know why he let me go? Because Bass could use me to catch you and kill you. If he was what you think he is then by now I'd be in Philly."
"We already know that not everyone in Militia is bad." Charley exclaimed. If she knew how easily she made me mad she'd stop. Just shut up.
"Lorraine." He totally ignored Charley witch made me feel warmer. I was his daughter. I metered. Not her. His voice was dangerous and on the edge.
"You know you lost the right to control my life when you left me four years ago! I was nice to you when you reappeared because I missed you. Now it seams I shouldn't!" I know I was overdoing it.
Everyone looked at me dumbstruck. "Lori stop it." Auntie came out of nowhere and put a hand on my shoulder. I winced and she quickly released me. It was the one with the wound after the bullet. "Look Miles you three should talk but not now and hear. You have to talk privately. Now lets go back to the camp. She needs to be checked up. She's just too much like you." No one tried to oppose her. I felt some eyes on me but didn't care. My shoulder hurt again. It reopened when I jumped from the train. We fallowed Auntie in silence.
I set on an examination table as the rebel doctor took care of me. My parents and Auntie were behind the door. A could hear them argue.
"She has your views Miles. She can take care of herself and make her own decisions. I rosed her for you. She's not that eleven years old child you left in my care." I heard as my Auntie sad calmly.
"She's my child Conny. I can't help it how I see her. She'd always be my baby-girl." Father sighted. "Sorry but her view of Chris makes me worry. He was under Bass' influence for the last four years."
"He is still my son and I tough him batter than you give me credit for. Just look at her. I did the same for her. It was your idea I should hide with her." Auntie suddenly sounded angry.
"Stop it both of you. If I didn't know better I could swore that you are both in the kindergarten." Mom hit the nail on the head.
"Nora! Our child is just a teenager with no real experiences and was out there in the Militia camp as a prisoner and now has the Stockholm syndrome." I just rolled my eyes.
Mom laughed it off. "You know Miles you are acting now just like her. I'm not happy about her view of Christopher but there is a chance that she is right. You hadn't seen him in years."
"Thanks Nora. I think you should calm down Miles."
"No, I can't. You hadn't seen Bass recently. If you had..."
I couldn't listen any more so after the doctor was done I left threw the other door and avoided them.
Main-time in Philly.
Chris stood in his father's office. He just got a fine lecture on what and how he should have done and he would still have his prisoner. "But I have one good valuable information. Mom's alive and with them."
Sebastian Monroe clenched his fists. "Now is she?" His instability kicking in.
"Lorraine let it slip. So is lieutenant Nevile." At least direct it at someone else.
"Sand me Tom. We'll speak up later." Chris left his father in his office and went to find major Nevile. At least Sebastian's mind wasn't set upon Lori for now. If she won't do anything stupid he'll remember her matter when he'd be much calmer.