A/N: As promised an update as I need to keep the story moving ..lol this is just for this week.. they'll be an update next week and then back to fortnightly updates :-)... Thank you for the reviews and as always ENJOY!
Chapter 7
Amelia held her necklace up and watched as the moonlight lit up the compass dial. She could never sleep with the full moon as it was too bright in the bungalow that and Carter usually snored and did so loudly but tonight he had disappeared after the phoenix soldiers changed shift. She had overheard Alicia asking where he was going and why and all Carter said was that Mira wanted him to go and move one of the many supply stores the sixers had and he'd be back the next afternoon. Then Carter joked that Alicia wouldn't miss him and what followed sounded like a quick kiss before Alicia told him to go and not be eaten by the local wild life.
To which he replied that he loved her too. Amelia of course pretended to be sleeping at the time. She was envious of them even though they had an eventful and not so pretty love story they were still in each other's life. Amelia had no connections to her old life and she missed her family even her mother and her rigid ways. She missed hearing her Mom saying goodnight to her, she hated that she was starting to forget the sound of her mother and her brother's voice. Tears slid down the sides of her face as she dropped the necklace onto her chest and turned to onto her side. She hated not being able to sleep at night as it gave her too much time to reflect on the negative aspects of her present life and everything she was missing out on from her previous life.
It was like an ache in her chest and throat that never went away. Always in the background gnawing and making itself be known. The only times she didn't feel it so intensely was when she was with Alicia and Carter at meal times and when Lucas lightened up and was conversational. She was really in deep with him as she wished they had met in a previous time where they didn't have the dynamic of him being her captor and her his prisoner. In a time where Lucas wasn't so paranoid he would think any feeble attempt she made at flirting or making a move on him wasn't percieved as some ploy or manipulation.
She did smile however as her physics knowledge had improved dramatically being in his company. She remembered complaining to her brother what a failure she felt at the topic and his response had been if a good looking man taught her physics she'd paid attention and be top of her class as she'd want to impress him. How right he was about that. She turned back onto her back as her ribs complained from lying on her side and she gave a quiet sigh wishing sleep would take over her.
The sun was high in the sky when Carter pulled up out in the large empty field before the perimeter fence to Terra Nova colony. He was out far enough the sonic cannons couldn't touch him but visible that he could be spotted. He propped the bike on its stand and pulled himself off the bike and stretched his legs as he waited for his welcoming party to arrive. It had taken all night and all morning to get to the Colony that was including the long hike with the bike out of the camp far enough to make some noise and disappear he was definitely in need a hot shower and a good meal none of which he would get here.
It didn't take long for the welcoming party to arrive and soon Carter was standing face to face with Commander Taylor and his side kick Sheriff Shannon.
"What no cavalry?" Carter asked looking put out in a mocking fashion. He really hated Commander Taylor as the old man looked like he just reeled in a prize fish when he did nothing at all.
"There's only you out here alone" Taylor said which was why he and only Shannon came out. They could dispatch of Carter if needs be.
"That's right, I'm here on my own. I need your help" Carter told him.
"Must have been hard for you to come all the way out here and tell me that" Taylor said with an amused smile but Carter knew better. Taylor was pissed to see him and probably wanted to kill him on the spot. "You don't write, you don't call and now you slither out of the jungle begging for help" Taylor continued.
"I'm not begging I'm asking for your help" Carter corrected.
"And why would I help you?" Taylor asked.
"Because I'm offering you a golden opportunity to be a hero, save Lieutenant Washington and stop your son from opening the portal back to the future" Carter said.
"Lieutenant Washington and my son are dead" Taylor bit out coldly.
"No, they are very much alive and well" Carter said.
"I don't believe you" Taylor said. Carter slowly reached into his back pocket and held his other hand up in surrender as both Taylor and Jim had reached for their side arm out of habit. Carter pulled out a data chip for a plex and held it out to the men.
"Here, on this data chip are photos of your lieutenant from just a day ago. Along with everything you need to know about the sixers, the phoenix soldiers, our camp location, our defences. Everything you need to know and more" Carter told him.
"Really and why after all these months are you freely giving this up?" Taylor asked. Carter took a deep breath and started talking.
He told Taylor and Shannon about the terminus connection that didn't work but left out the information that it was a test run on a different fracture and left out the fact that it fried the terminus making it nonoperational. He did however mention Amelia and said she was the glitch. How she appeared in the badlands in crashed her yellow car into a rover. He said he didn't know the specifics or science of how that happened. He continued to talk of Hooper's prediliction for maiming women and laid it on pretty thick that Hooper was torturing Alicia for kicks until he stepped in for Alicia. He told them how Hooper maimed a female sixer which caused a rift between the group. But Hooper is the power leader as he has more men and guns.
That Hooper promised to cool his distasteful habits but now he was displaying his want to maim and kill Amelia as the girl was taking up space and resources that he knew Alicia would sacrifice herself again for the girl but it would be a waste of two lives. Carter figured an innocent girl dragged through the portal into their problems and suffering for it would imbue some sympathy and action from Taylor to help the sixers along with the want to recover their Lieutenant.
"-Think about it. Control the past and you control the future. If you take out the phoenix soldiers and the sixers surrender you're king of the jungle again. You can fix the terminus or not but you'll no longer have to keep wondering if Lucas is close to bringing an army to your door again." Carter finished.
"You said he had contact with the future" Jim said,
"Yes, a data burst with a letter from General Melina St Claire addressed to you" Carter said pointing to Taylor. Taylor kept a neutral face but he was inwardly surprised Melina St Claire was alive let a lone a general. She had been one of the commanders stationed in Somalia the same time as him. Half her unit had been slaughter and the other half including herself had become captives in russo-chinese psy-ops internment camp for three years. She and only 30 of her soldiers survived half of them commited suicide within the first six months stateside. She had been demoted and put on administrative leave last time he had heard. He never imagined she'd make commander again let alone be promoted to General.
"I hope you didn't read my mail" Taylor drawled.
"No, I'm not interested in your correspondence" Carter said dryly.
"Ok, we'll look over your information and get back to you" Taylor said as he motioned to Jim for them to leave.
"How long will you take?" Carter asked.
"I don't know you have somewhere to be?" Taylor asked.
"I need your answer in the next hour as I have to get back to the camp before they notice I'm missing. Before Hooper knows I left Alicia and Amelia unguarded." Carter said impatiently he felt he was already gone too long. he didn't want to wait around while the others decided whether they'd get off their asses and help.
"If Wash is alive as you say then she can look after herself" Taylor said.
"She's cuffed" Carter said, it was enough to make both men pale as anyone with a history in the military or law knew what being cuffed meant.
"Cuffed as in with a neck cuff? You can't be serious" Jim said as Carter nodded. Jim had run into kids and women of drug dealers who used the cuff to keep their women in line and children to behave. It was cruel to say the least and was against the law.
"No, I just like being dramatic of course I'm serious. If Hooper knows I'm gone he's going to go after Amelia and Alicia will get in his way. It won't end well for anyone" Carter said.
"Stay here and I'll give you an answer in 45 minutes" Taylor said. he and Jim got back into their rover an drove back to the colony.
"I see where Lucas gets his hospitality skills from" Carter mumbled under his breath as he kicked up the stand of the bike and rolled it over to a nearby tree so he'd be in the shade.
"So, you ready for another fun day of calculations?" Alicia asked in a teasing tone as she and Amelia walked to the mess. Amelia gave a sigh as Alicia was always telling her to keep her distance but just like Carter she couldn't help but tease Amelia about it.
"Oh yeah" Amelia said dryly she felt ill from the lack of sleep and crying, the cold weather wasn't helping her less than sunny disposition. They reached the entryway when two soldiers stepped infront of them.
"You can't come in today" One of the soldiers told them.
"Excuse me?" Alicia asked as she had never been barred from the mess before.
"Prisoners are not allowed any rations today due to food shortages" The soldier said.
"That's bullshit" Alicia said angrily.
"Hooper's orders" the other said smugly.
"Of course it is" Alicia said shaking her head as she was glad Carter had the foresight to always stash some MREs for an emergency. Alicia considered this qualifying as an emergency as Carter was out of the settlement, she and Amelia needed their wits about them. Not to be flagging from being hunger and lack of sleep. Alicia was a light sleeper thus she heard every toss and turn Amelia made last night.
"Come on" Alicia said to Amelia as she pulled on the young woman's arm. "We need to be careful today" Alicia said in a low voice.
"When are we ever not careful or not keeping our heads down and our asses out of trouble?" Amelia asked not that she had been looking forward to her half rotten piece of fruit and slightly suspect cup of broth but she was hungry and tired. Tired that extended further than just a lack of sleep.
"Hey, I know you're crabby from little sleep and the meagre meals but I have a bad feeling ok?" Alicia told her.
"Ok, can we go back to our place so I can lie down I'm feeling really unwell" Amelia said as a sickly shiver ran through her it was always a precursor to nausea and the want to vomit. Two things she really hated to experience.
"Sure, we have water and you can have half an MRE pack. We'll have to ration as I have no idea how long the restrictions will be for" Alicia said. Amelia nodded wishing she were as sturdy as Alicia.
"What about you?" Amelia asked.
"I'll be fine. Once Carter is back he'll sort out some food us. You on the other hand need as much food as we can get you right now" Alicia said.
"This feels like a trap" Jim said looking at the intelligence Carter had provided them that was currently being displayed on a large screen in the Command centre. He, Taylor and Guzman had been looking at the screen for the past half an hour.
"No it's having everything single fact you need to plan the perfect attack. We can infiltrate from the tree tops and from below on the ground. A couple snipers to lay down cover fire from here and here" Guzman said pointing at the map "If the sixers are on our side then we can use surprise to our advantage."
"I want the minimum of soldiers on this. All volunteers" Taylor said.
"We are really going to do this?" Jim asked, he was all for saving Alicia is she were alive but it looked like a suicide mission where the sixers and phoenix soldiers would just cut them down before they got near the camp.
"Yes, Carter's right I can't stand not knowing what they are up to if we can resolve the issue and take control of Lucas and the Terminus while eliminating the phoenix soldiers then we should. That way we can final get on with our lives without having to look over our shoulders wondering if my son is going to march another army out of the jungle" Taylor said.
"I would sleep better at night knowing the Phoenix soldiers aren't out there" Guzman said.
"Guzman, I want volunteers. We gear up to leave in half an hour" Taylor told him. Guzman nodded and left the command centre. Jim turned to Taylor and threw his hands up in the air.
"So we are doing this?" Jim asked.
"I am doing this, you can volunteer or stay behind and look after the colony. Your choicebut I have to talk with Malcolm about rigging up a jammer for the cuffs so Hooper can't flick the kill switch" Taylor said as he moved to the gun cabinent to the side of the room. Opening it and strapping on a thigh holster and holtering a gun before looking at the larger guns deciding which one he would take.
"Are you doing this to get your son or Wash?" Jim asked.
"Both" Taylor said as he continued to look at the guns.
"It wasn't your fault we both saw her get shot in the head." Jim said he knew the old man was racked with guilt over Alicia's sacrifice.
"I still should have gone to get her remains" Taylor said.
"You were rebuilding a colony and you have no proof she is alive except Carter's word"
"It doesn't matter. I tell my men we never leave a person behind and if we have to we take their spare tags to give their family and get the body later but I left her behind."
"She sacrificed herself, we gave her a funeral."
"It won't matter to her"
"I just think you shouldn't be running into this so blindly"
"Nothing blind about Carter and the sixers want the phoenix soldiers gone I want the terminus and my son. Getting Wash back is a bonus. So you coming or staying here?" Taylor asked as he pulled a gun off the rack and held out to Jim.
"I'm in. If Wash is alive I owe to her to go as she saved me and my family" Jim said taking the gun.
"What's wrong?" Lucas asked Amelia as she was incredibly pale as she looked down at the plate of food curiously but at least she wasn't shivering anymore. It worried him that just a few days on little food was affecting her so badly. He had dropped by Carter's bungalow when Amelia didn't show up to find Amelia sleeping while Alicia was sitting nearby reading Carter's handheld plex to pass the time.
Alicia explained what happened at the mess that Amelia was unwell from lack of food, the colder temperatures and the fact Amelia was still healing from her injuries. She would eventually adapt but for right now she needed some time and sleep. Lucas nodded in understanding and left them. He came back around lunch with some meagre offerings as he didn't want to raise any unwarranted attention from Hooper. He told Alicia to bring Amelia to his place that way Hooper would get ticked off at him not Alicia or Amelia directly.
Alicia did as asked and he made sure he had a generous serving of dinner that could be shared between three with ease. Alicia took her portion before she was called away by Mira because a Sixer injured himself and needed medical attention. Alicia reluctantly left Lucas and Amelia by themselves.
"The meat is light purple" Amelia said as she had never seen anything like it. She was currently rugged up in two blankets looking down at the meat in the half filled bowl of stew she was so hungry but nauseous at the same time.
"It's Nykoraptor" He told her as he watched her, her honey brown hair was in a messy low bun with several tendrils of hair framing her face. She looked beautiful even though she was ill with dark circles under her eyes. He really had to be careful that he didn't openly stare at her as he knew she found it uncomfortable as she didn't realise or seem to comprehend how beautiful she was. He found it was a very attractive quality along with her lack of ability to lie. Honesty was such a rare commidity, he hoped she never changed as he liked being able to read her like an open book. He reminded himself in another lifetime he would have probably asked her out but not this and was constantly reminding himself of that line.
"Really?" Amelia asked looking up at him.
"Yes now eat, you need the protein and something more than water, fruit and root vegetables" Lucas told her with an amused smile as Amelia picked up the spoon and picked up a piece of meat and ate it.
"Mmm it tastes like crocodile" Amelia commented as she ate another bite. Lucas chuckled before he took a sip of water from his canteen.
"Crocodiles will be their descendants millions of years from now" Lucas commented.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Amelia asked him as she continued eating the meat. Normally she wasn't big on eating meat and ate more vegetables but right now she was craving and thoroughly enjoying the Nykoraptor as it was hitting the spot.
"No, I'm fine"
"Come on, you have to be starving" Amelia said, Lucas picked up the fork that was on the table and stabbed a piece of vegetable and ate it.
"Happy?" Lucas asked as he placed the spare fork on the table.
"Only if you share half with me" Amelia told him as she pushed the plate to the middle of the table. "Eat the Nykoraptor it's really good" she said.
"I'm not a fan of the meat. I prefer baby ankylosaurus or any dinosaur that isn't primarily carnivorous" Lucas informed her.
"Pretty picky for a guy who lives in a tree in the jungle" Amelia commented as she chuckled at the thought one could just go to a restaurant and ordered a dinosaur steak from a menu to their taste preferences.
"I've lived out here long enough to know what I like and don't. So the meat is all yours" he told her.
Hooper watched the 'happy' couple sharing a plate of food from the balcony off a bungalow a few trees away. It annoyed him to no end how Lucas was playing house with the girl and not doing his work. Hooper wanted the young man focussed on his task as he was sick of living in the jungle, sick of this current mission as it was fast becoming a long term mission instead of the short term one that he had signed onto.
It rankled him as Lucas was distracted and probably letting his work slack off in the pursuit of the girl. She was wearing a collar, it wasn't like Lucas had to wine and dine her when he could just take her and get her out of his system and get on with his job.
"Feel better?" Lucas asked after they finished the dinner together, he purposely ate slower so Amelia had more to eat.
"Yes, thank you" she said with a sigh as she sat back in her chair.
"Don't mention it, you have to take care of you. If they continue these restrictions I guess you'll be eating three meals a day with me" Lucas said. Amelia blushed at the thought as this was probably the only time she'd have anything close to a date with a guy, a thought that made her feel pretty messed up as Lucas never showed any inclination that he liked her as anything more than a friend. She didn't really know how to respond. Saying 'That would be awesome as we get to spend more time together' sounded too fan girl for her liking.
"I guess it wouldn't be too bad as I'd get more than a half rotten piece of fruit and water" Amelia said teasingly as she smiled.
"I don't want you falling ill" he said which was the typical shut down of Lucas. At least they were friends she told herself.
"I don't either" Amelia said as she was ready to fall asleep but didn't want to. "It probably didn't help that I didn't sleep well last night" she offerd with a shrug.
"Why were you cold?" he asked.
"No I just tossed and turned, Carter wasn't there chain snoring to block out all the noises of the jungle and my thoughts."
"Thoughts?"
"I just keep thinking about things"
"The calculations?" he asked, Amelia shook her head as calculations were the last thing on her mind yet with Lucas they were priority number one.
"No, I just think about my mom and my brother what I'm missing out on. I don't' want to but I can't help it. This cuff weighs on my neck like this reminder that I'm at rock bottom. I only time I don't feel like I'm wearing this thing or that I'm a prisoner is around you and doing this work." Amelia confessed her cheeks were a healthy shade of red as she looked at him nervously.
Lucas didn't really know how to respond but luckily he was saved from making a fool of himself as a woman cleared her throat. Lucas and Amelia turned and saw Alicia and Mira standing at the entryway.
"Sorry to interrupt but I'm here to collect Amelia. We need to get back to our place before sundown" Alicia said pointing at Amelia.
"Thanks for dinner" Amelia said to Lucas.
"Of course, we'll start fresh in the morning after breakfast" Lucas told Amelia.
"Ok" Amelia said as she pulled off the blanket he had lent her to keep her warm. Lucas tossed the blanket onto the cot and gave a nod to Alicia who left with Amelia before he looked to Mira.
"That looked cosy" Mira commented.
"I assume you are here for a reason" Lucas said as he retook his seat at the table.
"Yes I am" Mira said moving the chair Amelia had been sitting in to a new position so her back was to the entryway.
"I assume you'll come to the point and not draw this out to be a lengthy and painfully cryptic conversation as I'd like to do some work before I retire for the evening" Lucas drawled in a bored tone.
"Hooper wants to play with your girlfriend" Mira said she got the response she had expected as Lucas sat forward in his seat and gave her a cold look.
"Excuse me?" He asked quirking an eyebrow.
"Did I speak to fast for you?" Mira asked sarcastically.
"Why he is getting antsy this time?" Lucas asked changing tactics.
"Because he has a nice view right into here and watches you work or lack there of with the girl" Mira said jutting a thumb in the direction of the entryway.
"He thinks she is a distraction and it's time for her to go" she added.
"When did he tell you this?" Lucas asked.
"Last night"
"Why didn't you come to me immediately?"
"I was busy" Mira said with a minut shrug.
"Doing what?" he asked narrowing his eyes.
"The only thing I knew that will save us all in the long run" Mira told him casually as she knew Lucas was going to blow a fuse in mere seconds.
"What did I say about being cryptic?" Lucas asked feeling his anger rise.
Meanwhile just on the outskirts of the Sixers and Phoenix settlement,
Taylor and his men were slowly making their way through the dense foliage. The sun had set half an hour ago. It had been a long ride out to the middle of the jungle but so far the information Carter had given them was accurate. Taylor kept Carter close to him as he wanted to keep an eye on the man. Guzman had taken three men to set up sniper positions in the discussed areas they designated while Taylor and Jim with their groups moved into their positions to wait for the signal.
In Carter's Bungalow a few trees away from Lucas's
"I feel like I'm going to sick" Amelia said as nausea rolled through her. She had thought a good meal would have made things better but she felt worse.
"Here drink this tea, it'll settle the nausea" Alicia said as she handed Amelia a hot cup that smelt like ginger before disappearing to the other side of the bungalow. Amelia took a tentative sip of the tea when she heard heavy footfalls of soldiers coming into the room.
"Grab the girl" Hooper ordered. Amelia turned around and saw Hooper standing back as two soldiers came towards her. Before she could even put down cup the soldiers grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to her feet the cup of tea spilled onto the floor splashing hot tea on Amelia's legs. Alicia came back into the room hearing the spill and Amelia's cries to see Hooper and his men.
"Hoo-" Alicia made a low keening noise of pain as she dropped to the floor and convulsed as the collar around her neck electrocuted her.
"Stop it you're hurting her" Amelia told him as she pulled on her arms.
"It's the whole point girl" Hooper said as he pressed the button on a clear plastic card, Alicia continued to convulse in pain but gritted her teeth.
"Please stop!" Amelia shouted but Hooper smiled was enjoying himself too much as he told Alicia to scream for her life.
Amelia pulled and twisted against the soldiers holding her. The two men held onto her arms but she managed to wrench her right arm free and punched the soldier to her right in the throat. The soldier joked and stumbled and Amelia used the moves Alicia made her practice and kicked the choking soldier in the chest sending backwards into the railing. It broke and the soldier fell over the side.
She turned to the soldier still holding her arm in a crushing grip and went to punch him only her punch was blocked. She went wide eyed as the soldier smiled down at her as it was a test of strength and she was losing she relaxed her arms which threw him off balance and she used it to her advantage and headbutted him in the face before kneeing him in the groin. The headbutt hadn't been well placed but her knee to his groin had been spot on and hard.
He groaned as he dropped to the ground and she kicked him in the head. The soldier passed out with a groan, Amelia pulled the soldier's side arm and shakily held pointed at Hooper. Her hands shook as adrenalin ran through her. She felt her head swoon and blood trickle down her forehead from where she had been cut by the soldier's teeth from the badly placed headbutt.
"Stop or I'll shoot" Amelia told him but Hooper wither ignored her or was too busy enjoying Alicia's pain as he didn't turn around. So she shot the tree and wood splintered out from the blast. Hooper turned to her as she got his attention, he turned off the collar and Alicia stopped convulsing and looked at Amelia in awe wishing she could shoot Hooper herself.
"Well, Well. Look who got herself a gun" Hooper taunted her, his eyes were wild and his smile feral as he stalked towards her.
"Shoot him" Alicia told Amelia between breaths in a weak voice but Amelia couldn't pull the trigger. Her finger refused to pull the trigger as she was frozen, frightened by the look in Hooper's eyes.
"Yeah shoot me" Hooper said with a laugh before growing serious "You should because I'm going to kill you and it will be slow and painful" He told her but before Amelia could pull the trigger he wrenched the gun from her hand by the barrel and pistol whipped her across the face. She staggered back and clutched her injured side of her face as she tasted blood. Her head swooned from the pain as she straightened up as best as she could.
Hooper laughed as he tossed the gun to the floor. Amelia looked at it and tried to calculate whether she could reach it in time and shoot him. "Go on" he taunted her.
Instead Amelia raised her hands in a standard fighting position knowing that if she went for the gun he'd probably kick her in the head. It was a easy play but Amelia figured if she could kick the gun to Alicia then she could pull the trigger as Amelia was no match for Hooper in a fight. Hooper smiled as he dropped into neutral fighting pose.
"Ok, you want some broken bones. I told you I'd take my time. Come on I let you get in a free-" he didn't finish his sentence as Amelia used her palm and thrusted it up and into his nose. The cartilage in his nose crunched and Hooper crowed in pain as he staggered back clutching his face. Amelia tried to kick the gun across the floor towards Alicia but it fell short just outside of Alicia's reach.
"You broke my nose you bitch!" Hooper told her. Amelia tried to back kick but he caught her leg and punched her. his fist connecting with her left cheek before kicked out her supporting leg and she fell to the ground. She groaned from the pain and loooked over to the unconcious soldier saw the KaBar knife still in it's sheath. She rolled toward's him narrowly missing Hooper's foot as he tried to stomp her and reached the soldier.
She pulled the knife out but it was a misspent manoeuvre as Hooper's foot crushed down on her hand and wrist with such a force it was not hard to miss the noise of bone crunching. A bone chilling scream tore out of her throat as the pain seared through Amelia's nerve endings and body.
TBC~Cya all next week!