Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN1: Thank you so much for the support. PLEASE, PLEASE Leave a review/comment. I actually mean to upload this a few days ago, but I've been distracted with Law School work. Hope you enjoy.
A little while after they left Nate chained to a pole Melia and Charlie are walking thought an overgrown playground in complete silence, honestly, Melia gets the impression that her sister really doesn't want to talk, not since they left Nate cuffed to a pole anyway.
As they walk through the playground Charlie sees an old basketball, and once more she finds herself thinking about something that happened a long time ago,
One Week After the blackout.
Charlie, Melia, Rachel, and Danny were outside the Department of Computer Science at the University of Chicago, while Charlie was bouncing a ball up and down Rachel was checking on Danny in the wagon while she also looked down at Melia who was asleep, against her chest, in the carrier.
"Mommy? Why are we here?" Charlie asked curious.
"Daddy had to get some things from our work." Rachel explained, "He'll be right back." She said, and as she did Charlie lost control of her ball and it rolled away.
"My Ball." Charlie yelled, as she chased her ball, but before it could get too far away a stranger, who clearly wasn't in the best state, put his foot on it, stopping it.
"You like basketball?" The man asked.
"Yes." Charlie answered.
"Me, I, um, I loved the balls, but they probably played their last game, huh?" The man asked and as he did Rachel stood up and stuck out both her arms.
"Charlie, Charlie, come over here." Rachel said, and as she did Charlie turned back around to face her mother, but before she could move the man heled her by her shoulders.
"She's beautiful." The stranger said.
"Charlie, come here." Rachel requested as her worry for her daughter grew.
"Yeah, such a pretty face. I'd hate to have to smash it in." The man threatened, "I'd like your food please, all of it." he requested.
Present Day.
"Damn it." Melia and Charlie both suddenly hear Miles's voice say, "You two are killing me? What are you doing here?" Miles asks.
"We're coming with you." Charlie informs him.
"I told you I would come and find you." Miles tells them.
"Not good enough." Charlie says. "You need to let us come with you." Charlie tells him.
"Look, I get it. You both want your brother. You've been abundantly clear on the subject." Miles tells Charlie.
"No, you don't get it! You need to let me help, okay?" Charlie tells Miles.
"Why?"
"Because it's my fault, Miles!" Charlie tells Miles sounding upset.
"No, it's not Charlie. I told you that." Melia tells her sister.
"What are you talking about?" Miles asks, feeling confused as he looks between the sisters as from everything that they have told him he doesn't know why Charlie would blame herself.
"I took care of Danny and Melia." Charlie reveals, "After my mom died, it was me." Charlie says, "Danny gets these asthma attacks. So, I had to watch him. I wouldn't sleep for more than an hour at a stretch, checking on him, and Melia, ten times every night just to make sure he was still breathing and she was okay. I didn't let either of them out of my sight, ever, until the day that they took Danny, because I was off pouting like some brat." Charlie explains, "And if I was there, maybe I could have stopped them. Maybe my dad would still be alive. Maybe Danny wouldn't be off scared and alone. And if he gets sick, they're not, Miles, I can't sleep. You got to let me help. I can't just sit there and wait." Charlie explains getting more upset with every word.
"You do exactly what I say. Both of you. Is that clear?" Miles asks the pair realising that he is not going to get Charlie to go back and obviously where Charlie goes so does Melia.
"Clear." Charlie and Melia both say.
"Come on." Miles tells both Charlie and Melia, realising he has no hope of getting them to stay behind, and the three of them start to walk once more, heading in the direction that Miles believes they will find Nora.
After a few more hours of walking Charlie, Melia, and Miles are hiding among shrubs watching as a group of people pull along a helicopter with a group of soldiers surrounding them.
"Crazy son of a bitch must actually think he can get the power going." Miles tells Charlie and Melia, who are either side of him, Charlie on his left, Melia on his right.
"Who?" Charlie asks confused.
"General Monroe. And if he does, imagine what he can do with one of those." Miles explains, being able to imagine just how bad that would be.
"I don't understand." Melia admits, "What is it? What does it do?" Melia asks confused not understanding why Miles is looking so worried.
"It's a helicopter." Miles explains, "It flies and it can shoot more bullets faster than anything you've ever seen and it can shoot missiles." Miles explains looking at his daughter.
"Which are?" Melia asks still confused
"Big bombs." Miles answers, and as he does Melia gets an amazed look on her face.
"What'd those prisoners do?" Charlie asks curious.
"Most of them probably just didn't pay their taxes." Miles explains, "That's Nora." Miles explains, pointing to a Latina woman.
"So how are we going to get her?" Melia asks.
"I don't know." Miles answers honestly, and as he does the group watch as one of the prisoners are shot with a high-powered rifle, causing Charlie to have to fight to hold in a scream and Melia to just look shocked, "I might be good with a sword but I've got jack against a rifle like that." Miles admits, wondering just how he is going to pull this off, but he knows he has to.
A few hours later night has come and Charlie, Miles, and Melia are huddled in a group, discussing the only plan that they have.
"Surprise is all we've got." Miles tells the girls "Charlie, I need you to cause a small distraction why I go get Nora." Miles explains.
"What can I do?" Melia asks, wanting to do something.
"Stay hidden." Miles tells her, as while he is trying not to think of her as his daughter he also doesn't want to put her in a situation like this. Honestly, he is having very similar thoughts about, Charlie, but Charlie is older than her sister, and because of that he feels slightly better about getting her to help him, but still not great.
"I can help, Miles." Melia informs him, "I can protect myself, and I can fight." She tells him.
"So, I saw." Miles responds, "But this isn't about how well you can fight this is about your safety. Melia these soldiers are dangerous. They won't care how old you are, they will hurt you." Miles tells her "I need you to stay hidden why I get Nora." He requests.
"Miles, is right Melia." Charlie tells her sister "Stay with our stuff and wait to we get back." Charlie tells her.
"Fine." Melia says, with a sigh, really not happy with the plan because she absolutely hates been treated like she can't do something because of her age.
Seeing the look on Melia's face Miles recognizes it as almost the same look as the look he used to get on his face when Ben told him he couldn't do something because he was, 'too young', which, if his daughter is anything like him, she's going to do the complete opposite to what he asked, but even knowing that he knows he can't dwell on that right now.
"Good, let's go." Miles tells Charlie, "Have your sword ready, just in case." Miles tells Melia, before he and Charlie leave, disappearing from Melia's sight.
From the second Charlie and Miles disappear from her sight Melia can feel herself become worried about her big sister, about a minute after her sister left her sight Melia sees a figure coming towards her and because of that Melia raises her sword, prepared to use it, and keeps it raised until she can clearly see that it is her sister.
"It's up to Uncle Miles now." Charlie tells her, and for a couple of minutes the sisters wait in silence until Miles and Nora show up.
"Come on." Miles tells Charlie and Melia, and once he does they all start running.
A few minutes later Melia, Charlie, Miles, and Nora are hiding in different bushes, watching everything to avoid getting caught.
"Thank you so much. I didn't want to be rescued, Miles. And I sure as hell didn't need to be." Nora tells Miles, clearly annoyed.
"You could have fooled me. You were on a chain gang." Miles tells her.
"On purpose." Nora informs Miles, it being more than clear that she is annoyed with him.
"Why would anyone get arrested on purpose?" Melia ask Charlie quietly, not understanding that, as Charlie shrugs in response as she isn't sure why either.
"Yeah, but wait, what?" Miles asks confused.
"I got arrested on purpose." Nora explains, "Give me some credit. I'm working a job." Nora explains to Miles.
"What job?" Miles asks curious.
"The sniper rifle, I'm stealing the sniper rifle." Nora informs Miles.
"You went through all that trouble for a rifle?" Charlie asks, surprised by that.
"You've got to admit, it's an awesome rifle." Melia tells her sister, as she has never seen a weapon like that and thought it was pretty cool.
"Who they hell are they?" Nora asks Miles, as she looks between Charlie and Melia, feeling confused.
"We're his nieces." Charlie answers, before Miles has a chance.
"You have family?" Nora asks Miles surprised.
"Most people do." Miles answers.
"Yes, the rifle is awesome, but it is also worth it." Nora explains looking at Charlie and Melia, "The Militia controls all the guns. So, a beauty like that on the black market, priceless. I was gonna sneak up, slit the warden's throat, take the gun, but now sneaking's kind of out." Nora explains, giving Miles an annoyed look.
"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" Miles asks.
"You weren't. You were supposed to keep the hell away from me. Remember?" Nora reminds him.
"Things are different now." Miles tells her, knowing that that it is different in more ways than anyone, except maybe Maggie judging by the way he looked at him, knows.
"Like how? Like how, Miles?" Nora asks sceptically, as she doesn't believe that, figures that it is just more of Miles's bullshit.
"Like us." Charlie tells Nora "He's here because of us."
"Meaning?" Nora asks interested.
"The militia took our brother and he's going to get him back." Melia explains.
"Seriously, what's your angle?" Nora asks Miles interested knowing him well enough to know that he usually has one.
"No angle. This is for real, Nora. And I want you to come with us. You owe me." Miles reminds her.
"For that amazing rescue?"
"You know what for." Miles tells Nora as Melia and Charlie exchange looks wondering what Nora owes Miles for.
"Okay. But I'm getting that gun first." Nora informs Miles with a small nod, as she knows that she does know him.
"You're never gonna get close to that rifle, not now." Miles says, "Not without him shooting you with it."
"You want my help? We're getting that gun." Nora informs him.
"It's clear let's go." Miles says looking around.
The next morning Melia, Charlie, Miles, and Nora are in an abandoned house, a place that they got to the night before and hid for the night. Having gotten a little bit of sleep Nora is getting started on making something.
"What are you doing?" Melia asks curious, as she walks over to the older women and stands next to her.
"Making a gun." Nora informs the teenager.
"You can do that?" Melia asks, sounding surprised, as she looks at the materials that Nora has and wondering how she is going to create a gun out of those things.
"With the right materials I can, and I have them." Nora informs her.
"That is so cool." Melia says, looking at what Nora is doing in amazement, finding it beyond cool.
"Yeah, I guess it kind of is." Nora says, being a little amused by Melia's reaction "There it's done." Nora says as she finishes the gun, "It's not exactly a Colt .45 but it'll do." She reveals.
"You're gonna shoot the warden? With that?" Miles asks doubtfully, as he doesn't see her being able to pull that off.
"Yeah, Miles, that's the idea." Nora says with a roll of her eyes.
"That thing only works from a foot away. How are we gonna get close enough?" Miles asks curious.
"We'll sneak up." Nora says.
"In broad daylight? They know what you look like, and they'll kill me on sight." Miles reminds her, telling the complete truth.
"I'll do it." Melia says, causing Miles, Charlie, and Nora to look at her, "A little girl lost in the woods, they won't look at me twice." Melia points out.
"No way." Charlie tells her, "You're not doing it." she says, as there is no way that she is going to let her sister do that.
"Why not, Charlie, Huh? You heard Miles, he can't do it, Nora can't, so I will." Melia tells her sister, it being clear that she is more than willing to do it.
"I like her, I like her a lot." Nora tells Miles as Melia is starting to remind her of herself.
"No, you're not doing it, I won't let you." Charlie informs her sister.
"Let me?" Melia asks annoyed, "News's flash Charlie, I don't need your permission." She tells her sister.
"Yes, you do." Charlie tells her, taking a step towards her, "And I'm not letting you do this." Charlie tells her.
"Then who else is going to? Huh?" Melia asks annoyed "Miles said we need Nora and she's not coming without that gun, so do you have any great ideas about how to get it?" Melia asks her sister.
"Enough!" Miles says annoyed, "You two are making me really glad I didn't have sisters" Miles says ending the glaring match that is going on between the sisters, finally understanding why Bass would complain about his sisters so much when they were growing up, "We don't have time for this." He reveals.
"I'll do it." Charlie informs her sister.
"Forget it. Neither of you are doing it." Miles tells Melia and Charlie, not wanting either of them do it.
"It's a good plan, Miles." Nora tells her old friend "One of them goes in takes care of the warden then you and I sweep up the rest." Nora explains.
"I'm not letting you do this." Charlie says looking at her little sister "I will."
"You can't do this." Miles informs Charlie.
"I appreciate your concern, but if I don't Melia will and I am not letting that happen." Charlie tells Miles.
"No, I mean you who bitched about me killing a man in cold blood can't do this." Miles admits,
"Melia has a better chance of being able to pull this off. You will choke." Miles tells Charlie, hating himself a little for saying what he is saying, but he knows that as horrible as what he is saying is it is also true. From what he has seen in the last two days Melia is less likely to choke than Charlie, and that thought scares the crap out of him, not that he'd ever admit that, because he knows it means his daughter is much close to being like him than he would ever want.
"No, I won't." Charlie tells him "And I am not letting Melia do it, so, it's me."
"You are just going to walk up to some gun and shot him in the face for a rifle. Do you really think you can?" Miles asks Charlie, doubtful that she will.
"Yes, I do." Charlie tells Miles "Because I'm not just doing this so that my little sister doesn't. I'm doing it for the thirty-innocent people down there who are working as slaves." Charlie reveals, "And it's insane to me that neither of you have even mentioned it. What the hell's wrong with you?" She asks Miles and Nora, "What do I have to do?" She asks, looking at Nora.
Half an hour later Charlie is sitting in an open place in the woods, while Miles, Nora, and Melia are hiding nearby in the bushes, watching her.
From where they are Melia, Nora, and Miles watch as Charlie uses the gun Nora made to shoot the warden and get the rifle. Once Charlie has fired the shot Nora and Melia run out from where they are hiding, Miles saying,
"Stay put." To Melia as he goes.
Seconds after Nora and Miles leave the hiding place Melia does too, not caring that she is going against what Miles said.
As soon as they are in the open Nora and Miles start to sword fight with the remaining guards while Melia runs to where he sister is on the ground, with a guard standing over her, trying to kill her, not even thinking about what she is doing Melia stabs the sword into the chest of the solider that is trying to kill her sister, killing him.
"You okay?" Melia asks concerned, pulling her sister up into a hug.
"I'm fine." Charlie tells her sister, as they break apart, "I know you don't like it when I worry about you but you're my little sister and that is never going to change." Charlie informs Melia.
"I know." Melia admits, "But I'm still going to be annoyed by it." she reveals and as she does the two sisters drift into silence.
One Week Post Blackout.
Charlie, Melia, Rachel, and Danny outside Chicago University as a stranger had his hands-on Charlie.
"I'll snap her neck, stay back." The man said.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay." Rachel told her daughter, having done so in an attempt to make her daughter feel better, and as she spoke Ben exited the building and drew the gun, which he pointed at the stranger.
"Let he go." Ben said, as he pointed the gun at the man, who couched down behind Charlie.
"Okay, you sure you want to do that? What if you hit your little girl?" the man asked, and as he did Ben lowered the gun, which made the man let Charlie go.
"Come here, Baby." Rachel told her daughter, and once she did Charlie ran to her mother.
"I'm just hungry." The stranger admitted, as he stated to walk away taking the wagon of food with him.
"Hey! Stop! We need that food." Ben yelled, as he pointed the gun at the stranger, "I can't let you take it! I'll shoot." Ben said, having not sounded all that convincing.
"I don't think you will." The stranger said, as he started to walk away.
"I said stop!" Ben yelled, as he clocked, and the man just continued to walk away, and as he did Ben lowered the gun.
As Ben lowered the gun Rachel took it of her husband, and fires. As the bullet hit him the man ached his back and fell to the ground. Due to the loud noise Melia was woken up, and while she was pretty shaken up by what she did Rachel looks down at her oldest daughter, who is by her side, while trying to comfort her youngest daughter who was against her chest in a carrier, screaming and crying.
Present Day
A little while after the Militia soldiers have been dealt with, and Melia, Nora, Miles, and Charlie have the sniper rifle, Melia is helping Nora patch up the wound she got while Charlie is sitting alone, just watching, until Miles walks over and sits next to her.
"Hey. Okay. I've got to hand it to you. You did good." Miles informs Charlie.
"Did good?" Charlie asks, looking at Miles in shock.
"Yeah. All these people are free because of you." Miles reminds her.
"I killed someone today Miles, so did my fifteen-year-old sister, who is acting like it wasn't a big deal, and maybe for you it's not a big deal, maybe it's just another Monday, or whatever, but it is for me, and I don't understand why it doesn't seem to be to her." Charlie explains.
"You are, very unusual." Miles tells Charlie, surprised by her words.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Charlie asks thinking that he is insulting her.
"It's not an insult Charlie." Miles assures her, "And I think it affected her." Miles admits "Melia told me what happened to her best friend, what happened to her." Miles reveals "It does affect her, I just think she doesn't want to show just how much it does." Miles says looking over to Melia, as the last few days have shown him just how much like him his daughter is and if there is one thing he has mastered over the years it is not showing how much something affects him, and because of that he can recognize the signs of Melia doing the exact same thing.
As Miles looks over at his daughter, and Nora, he spots something on Nora's back, something that makes him both shocked, and angry.
"Son of a bitch." Miles says angrily storming over to Nora and Melia.
"What?" Charlie asks confused as she follows Miles.
"When did you get that?" Miles asks Nora poking her tattoo of the American flag.
"Just relax." Nora tells him, not surprised by Miles's reaction.
"You're not selling that sniper rifle, are you? You're gonna give it away to the resistance." Miles realises.
"Everyone changes, Miles." Nora says, as Melia hands her top, which she puts back on.
"You joined the rebels? You?" Miles asks shocked, as he did not see that coming.
"What do you mean, "rebels"?" Charlie asks confused exchanging a look with her sister who looks just as confused.
"A bunch of deluded, bleeding-heart ..." Miles begins but Nora cuts him off.
"Patriots, trying to bring back the United states." Nora explains.
"Why are you so angry?" Melia asks confused, looking at Miles, "It sounds like a good thing." She adds looking at Miles, being pretty sure that is something she could get on board with.
"Because they will lynch you on the spot for this." Miles explains to his daughter, really hoping she doesn't get any ideas, which from what he has seen seems like a possibility.
"Maybe. Or maybe I'll take out General Monroe first." Nora informs her friend. "Let's go. I want to get this gun to rebel base then we can go get your brother." Nora says looking at the sisters.
Hearing Nora's words both Charlie and Melia nod, stand up, and grab their stuff.
"The base isn't too far from here." Nora informs Miles.
"Well then let's go." Melia says, "The sooner we go see the rebels the sooner we can go get Danny." She says, and once she does both Charlie and Nora nod, and along with Melia they start to walk. As he sees the others go, Miles, who is still annoyed with what Nora has done, grabs his bag and follows.
Far away from where her daughters are, Rachel Matheson, who everyone believes is dead, is in a locked room in Independence Hall, Philadelphia where she is being held prisoner, writing in a locked journal when she hears the door open and General Sebastian 'Bass' Monroe walks into the room.
"Rachel, they treating you well? I told them, anything you want, wine, ice." Bass says.
"Thank you, Bass, what more could I possibly ask for?" Rachel asks, clearly sarcastically.
"It's always nice to see you, Rachel." Bass says, as he sits down opposite Rachel, "It's always nice to see someone who knew me from the old days." He admits.
"You were a womanizing drunk, and I liked you a lot better then." Rachel reveals.
"Everyone did, Miles did, hell, I think even I did." Bass admits.
"Why are you here?" Rachel asks, knowing that it wouldn't mean anything good for her.
"I have some bad news, Rachel." Bass admits, "Ben's dead."
"You're lying." Rachel says, as it wouldn't be the first time
"I wish I was." Monroe says.
"I… I take it you're the one who killed him." Rachel says, getting tears in her eyes.
"Understand me, that is the last thing I ever wanted." Bass says, and as he does Rachel gets up, and stares the other way.
"I'm sorry." Bass says.
"Are we finished here?" Rachel asks, hoping that they are.
"No. there is something else." Bass admits, and once he does Bass stands, and faces Rachel, "I have your son." He reveals, hearing that Rachel tries to stab Bass with a pen, but Bass is too quickly, he easily blocks the move, and holds Rachel in a choke-hold.
"No more games, Rachel." Bass warns, "You want to see your boy again, you're gonna talk, about Ben, about the power, about everything, you understand? Bass asks, clearly meaning everything he is saying and Rachel knows him well enough to know that he is telling the complete truth.