Sorry for the accidental pre-release/teaser type thing… I posted it without thinking about it… it was kinda an auto pilot thing. After I went to continue working on the chapter I realized it was already up! So I took it back down so I could finish it the way I wanted it to be. I did make changes to the part that WAS finished, for those of you who already got to read it when I made the mistake, so feel free to re – read it if you so desire.
*long exhale* Now that THAT is over…
Please…
Enjoy!
X.x.X.x
Jason took deep, steady breaths… listening as his father convinced everyone to leave the house. How? He didn't really know, nor did he think he wanted to. All he knew was that Monroe was in the bathroom and Neville was clearing everyone. If he wasn't mistaken it sounded as though Neville gave Monroe some sort of laxative… Jason made a face. Whatever works…
There was a series of knocks along the wall - that was the signal… hopefully.
Being unsure he hesitated, shifting his weight and pacing a few times as he warred with himself with the decision. One, being that he had no idea if he could actually trust his father to be helping him. Two, he had no idea if that was what the signal was supposed to be.
He went to the door slowly, opening it only enough for him to see out the crack between the door and the frame. He saw one of the soldiers run in frantically; spinning in circles around the room like a dog chasing his tale before finally stopping, relaxing as he looked at the counter with a relieved smile, then snatching the hat that had been sitting on the counter and finally running back out. Once he was gone Jason let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and pushed the door the rest of the way open.
The bathroom door was still closed so he figured it was safe to assume that Monroe was still in side. He crept up the stairs as quietly as he could, knife in hand.
"Here," his father said in a hushed tone, his eyes steely as he held his sons gaze. "Take this…" he pressed the hilt of the knife into Jason's hands. "When I give you the signal… you need to run upstairs and help free everyone… I'll take care of Monroe and his men." Neville looked over his shoulder out of paranoia before letting out a long sigh then made eye contact with Jason again."Don't waste time." He finished before standing from his crouched position.
Jason relaxed a bit but a solid punch to his jaw sent his vision into a blur of colors and shapes. "I have to make it sound convincing…" His father shrugged with a sly smirk that told Jason that his father still got some sort of joy out of making him miserable. "Cowboy up." he finished with a wink and Jason blanched, he hadn't heard his father say that since before the black out.
Neville left with a final shout of meaningless words, to keep up appearance, and left Jason sitting in the chair, unbound and knife in hand, to wonder what the hell just happened.
Jason looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody had come back and caught sight of him, a chill running down his spine at the eerie feeling that filled the house, the only sound Jason could hear was the sound of Danny's cries, echoing through the halls. He had heard Charlie screaming over his own cries earlier, as his father 'made it convincing', and he couldn't help but feel rage boil inside him… not at Charlie but their situation. They would never get to be at peace as long as Monroe was still alive. He thought about turning around and going after Monroe while he was at a disadvantage… but that wasn't what he was told to do. He was told to set everyone free and get out while he could.
The door to his right opened and he jumped the figure who stood behind the door, slamming him against the wall with the knife held to the man's throat. His eyes were wild until he saw who it was and he slumped a bit. "Put the knife down, kid." The man said in a hushed tone and then flicked his eyes downward. Jason followed his gaze and rolled his eyes when he saw a revolver pressed into his stomach.
"Didn't realize it was you…" Jason admitted and released Miles from his hold and took a few steps back. "How'd you get free?" He asked as he went to the door and checked to make sure the hall was still clear, he could hear Danny in the next room and couldn't wait to dispatch whoever was causing the boy pain.
"Your dad cut me loose… and gave me a gun." Miles said and tucked the gun into the back of his pants before he walked up behind Jason quietly.
Jason turned to face him again, still expecting him to be by the far wall, nearly jumping out of his skin when he saw Mile's face only inches from him. "He let me out too…" He recovered and Miles nodded.
"Let's just get out of here while he's got the squad distracted…" Miles suggested and Jason nodded silently in agreement then stepped out of the doorway and into the hall. Going to the room directly across the hall, he opened the door slowly and felt the rage from earlier boil within him again as he walked up to where Charlie sat in the center of the room, her head hung limply; chin touching chest and her blond hair creating a curtain around her face.
He knelt in front of her and lifted her head gently, cringing at how tight her gag was. "Charlie…" He called and began to lift his hands to untie the knot behind her head. She gasped and sprang to life, trying to move away from him out of instinct before relaxing and letting out a small, relieved sob which was muffled by the cloth in her mouth.
Once the gag was finally out she began to spout off a bunch of questions, "Jason… are you alright…? Did Neville do this to you?" She asked her gaze on his fresh bruises from Neville's 'convincing'. "How'd you get out? Where's Miles… Where's Danny…?"
"Charlie… take it easy…" He said and held her face in both of his hands, trying to calm her.
Her lip quivered and she diverted her gaze to the side, "Did you know my mother was alive?" She asked, refusing to make eye contact with him.
Jason paused and dropped his hands from her face so he could get to work on her bound ankles before moving for her hands which were still tied behind her back. "I swear to you Charlie… if I had known she was alive or even if I had known what happened to her…" He stopped and looked up at her to emphasize his words, "I would have told you and made it my personal mission to bring her back to you."
A tear slipped down her cheek and he sighed softly before wiping it away with the pad of his thumb but her next words sent his heart pounding. "Kiss me…" She pleaded, unable to move enough to do it herself. Jason didn't need to be told twice and he brought himself up higher, still on his knees in front of her, and pressed his lips to hers. He could feel more tears as they slipped between them but her lips were curved into a smile, he could feel her smile against his own relieved one while they kissed. When they pulled apart it was only a breath away, "Thank you…" She whispered and he pressed his forehead to hers.
Not knowing what to say or do next he simply closed his eyes and nodded against her head before wiping away her fresh tears. "I'm just glad you're okay…" He admitted before finishing his work in cutting her ties at her ankles then moving behind her to free her hands. The moment she was free against his own expectation of her going for the door she turned around and held his face in her hands before kissing him again, her longing for him sent Jason into a frenzy of need for her to be close. He pulled her up to him, pressing their bodies flush but as the heaviness of their location settled on his conscious he was forced to pull away from her. "We should save that for later…" He said in a rough voice, trying to control his fired* senses.
She nodded and blushed as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Yeah…" She nodded again and Jason felt a pang of regret but they needed to escape otherwise there wouldn't be a later.
X.x.X.x
Miles opened the door to Danny's 'holding room' quietly, his heart rate was through the roof as he watched Danny get belted in the stomach for what he figured was the hundredth time by now. Danny caught a glimpse of him, his blue eyes pleading and desperate before he pinched them closed as another whip of the belt was inflicted on the boy's stomach.
Holstering his revolver he took a few long strides over to the soldier, whose back was turned to him as he beat on the youngest Matheson, his gait smooth and efficient with practiced ease. When he was close enough he grabbed the man's head in both of his hands and twisted abruptly to the side, letting the body fall to the ground as though it was worth nothing more than a bag of dirt.
Nobody hurt his family.
Nobody got between him and his objective.
The dead man had made the mistake of doing both.
Danny was gasping for air, his head tilted back and to the side. "What took you so long…" He said in a dry tone and Miles looked at him in mild surprise at his humor after such a beating.
"I'm here, aren't I?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and the same tone as Danny.
Danny shrugged and lolled his head to hold it up right, watching as Miles fished around in the soldier's pocket. When he found what he was looking for a small smile twisted his lips before he moved to cut Danny loose, handing the boy the weapon when he was freed. "Let's go get your Mom…" He said but as he turned around he was surprised to see both Rachel and Nora standing beside Charlie and Jason. "Never mind, then…. Let's go." He said and moved between all the people who had congregated in the hall, stopping in front of Nora.
"I'm okay…" She answered his unspoken question and Miles nodded, somewhat satisfied with her answer. He hesitated before turning away from her, wanting to say so much more than he felt he could at this point. A problem he always seemed to have with her, there was always something 'more important' to do than 'talk about feelings'. A decision he was certain he would regret one of these times.
"Okay," he turned to Jason and pulled him out of the group of people, holding him by the collar of his shirt. "You two, get them out of here." He turned to look at Nora who stood on his right, "Work together…" He looked to the rest of the Matheson's who stood close together, though Charlie's hand gripped Jason's arm. "Stick together… and whatever you hear in here. Don't come back."
"Miles..!" Charlie gasped and stepped closer to her uncle, a man she had come to trust and respect as much as her own father… possibly even more. "No…" She shook her head in protest.
"Charlie, will you listen to me for once? Just once… just do as I say." He begged her, his voice was rough but his eyes were pleading with her as they stared at one another.
The young woman nodded after a long hesitation, letting out a shuddering breath as she replied. "Okay…"
"Good," He nodded once and looked between all the different faces, he stopped when he saw Nora and didn't look away even as he spoke to Jason. "Go, take them down this way." He pointed down the hall, away from the way they came. "There's window with a ledge under it from the wraparound porch, jump down from there and make a break for the woods… keep running, Charlie knows of a place you can hide out until I come get you. If I'm not there by sundown… just leave." He paused to take a breath, "Charlie… no buts." He said, his eyes were still on Nora but he knew his niece better than she thought and he knew she had been about to argue with him… again.
After a beat they all began to carry out his orders, but not before Charlie could press a quick kiss on his cheek; an interaction between them that hadn't happened before now and the shock of the contact made Miles' eyes go wide for a brief moment.
They left in a single file line; Jason followed by Charlie then Danny and Rachel. He waited until they were out of the hall before he pulled Nora in close and pressed his lips to hers. "One of these days I'll get to say those things…"
Nora looked at him confused, "What?"
"One of these days there won't be anything 'more important'. If it was up to me… it would only be about you… nothing is more important to me than you." He said gruffly.
"Miles…" She breathed but was cut off when he pressed his lips to hers again, this time it was more passionate and meaningful. "Miles, what?" She breathed, when they pulled away, but he just shook his head, one arm around her waist to hold her close while the other hand rested on the base of her neck.
"Go, help them find Andy's house… I'll meet you there."
"No, I'm staying."
"Nora, I don't have time to argue… go." She didn't move. "Now…" He said in a final voice.
"You can't just say something like that and expect to walk away." She argued and he growled.
"Nora... please…" he held her face in both his hands now. "Please, listen to me when I say this… we will talk about it when I get back. Just go… take care of my family." He took a deep breath, "I need you to protect them… I trust you." He said urgently before pushing her in that direction, dropping his hands to her shoulders.
She drew her lips into a thin line before cupping his face in her hand, "You better not be late…" She warned and he smiled and nodded.
"I won't… now go." She took one last look at him before running down the hall in the direction everyone else had escaped through, when she looked back one last time… he was already gone.
X.x.X.x
Charlie watched as Nora ran across the field and followed them into the woods. "What are you doing here… I thought you were going to help Miles!" She nearly screamed.
"He wouldn't let me stay."
"Unless he picked you up and threw you out the window… you could have stayed…" Charlie peered through the wall of trees and bushes, "He's all alone in there!" She started towards the house but Jason quickly grabbed her from around the waist and pulled her into his chest. "Let me go! He needs someone to watch his back!"
"Charlie!" Jason tried to grab her attention even as she fought against his grip. "He knows what he's doing!" She continued to struggle against his hold on her and he growled internally, "Charlie!" He spun her around in his arms so they were facing one another.
Charlie's eyes darted around the woods, going between the defeated expression from Nora, the shocked look from her mother and the somber one of her brother who stood directly beside the older Matheson. "We can't just let him fight Monroe by himself…" Charlie whispered, finally looking back up at the man she loved. "He'll get himself killed… I'd never forgive myself if he died when I could have done something to help." Over the months of staying in their town Miles had continued to train her with the help of Nora, Jason, and Michael, another ex military man. Charlie was just as good in hand to hand as Jason was… at the least.
"Charlie…" Nora started, drawing everyone's attention to her. "He'll make it out… I'm giving him 10 minutes before I run in there. I promise he'll make it out, one way or another." Charlie blinked before nodding.
Finally calmed from her previous outburst Charlie slumped into Jason's chest, finding comfort in his secure embrace. She had always found him the most comforting, even in the worst situations. Jason dipped his head so that his cheek was against the top of her hair, closing his eyes as he relished their first, real moment together since she had been taken.
Charlie listened to his heartbeat and hummed, closing her eyes and taking deep, calming breaths. She felt on edge about the next 10 minutes but she had to be confident that she would see him come out of the house, alive.
X.x.X.x
Miles stood in the kitchen, his eyes on the bathroom door that was in clear sight of where he was standing. The counter was about a foot to the left of the hallway opening and the bathroom was on the left side of the hall two doors in from the kitchen, so standing in the right place at the counter gave a clear view of the bathroom entrance.
He twirled the gun from hand to hand, feeling the weight of the revolver and getting used to the flaws and perfections of the weapon. He took a moment to look out the kitchen window that sat above the kitchen sink to his right, he could see the dark clouds moving back in and vaguely wished that he still had the weather channel to refer to, curious about all the stormy weather they've been experiencing. He wondered what the chances were that it was a hurricane, with how windy it had been the night before and the consistent downpour of rain.
Movement from the bathroom brought his mind back to the current situation and he steeled himself, prepared to face his former best friend and partner. The seconds ticked on but Miles felt it was more like an eternity and finally the door open and Monroe stepped out, book in hand, still flipping through the torn pages. Miles didn't move, just watched Monroe as he walked through the hall with his nose in a toilet paper book. Finally Monroe looked up, surprised when nobody had run up to him with some sort of report or complaint, then realized why a moment later when the entire kitchen was cleared out aside from Miles Matheson.
Snapping the book closed Monroe leaned against the corner where the hall and kitchen wall met, "Miles Matheson…" He said with a thoughtful smirk, "It's been too long…"
Miles gave him a cold glare though his features were void of any emotion. "Not long enough…?" He played along with the cliché 'arch nemesis formalities'. Monroe smiled a bit his eyes drooping as he relaxed in response but Miles continued, "You gotta stop with this power hungry bull shit."
Monroe stood upright, his eyes wide in animated surprise. "bull shit…?" he started and tossed the book on the table as he cross the kitchen, uncomfortably relaxed as he passed by Miles. "This is what you started… this is what the militia was made to do…" He continued as he paced the length of the kitchen island counter, stopping on the opposite end of Miles and planting his hands on the top of the marble surface to brace himself.
Miles scowled, "You know that's not true." He said, his mind going back to the real reason, the images of brutally murdered families and innocent people flashing through his mind. "The militia was meant to bring order back… not break it further."
"Broken? You think that this nation is broken?" Monroe asked in shock, his eyes wide but his features complacent.
"It's in constant civil war!" Miles pointed out, his voice harsh and eyes icy. "The differences between the militia and the resistance… then there are those who don't want either and they are fighting both. Yes, it's broken!"
"So what do you want me to do? Stop leading the miltia…? That would be like," He looked up as he thought of a way to put it, "Like, breaking something that's already 'broken'" he air quoted.
"You're not gettin' it Bass…" He mumbled.
"Do not call me that!" Monroe shouted, "You don't deserve to call me that." He pointed at him menacingly.
"All I did was leave, I never did anything to make you-"
"Make me what, Matheson?!"
"To make you-" Miles stopped and looked at the front door when he heard talking outside followed by footsteps. He shook his head, frustrated as he looked back at Monroe. "Stop searching for power you can't have… not when the nation is torn apart like this. If you want things to go right… you gotta be better than a dictator." He took one last look at the door before backing back up into the hallway. "You can fix this, Bass… make it right." He finished, his words heavy with desperation.
Monroe watched him leave and when his captain finally stepped into the kitchen with news of the family's execution Monroe remained silent then pulled the paper with the drawing of the pendant on it and stared at it. When Captain Pratt finished his report the rest of the squad had also rejoined in the large farm house kitchen, Neville included. Soon after Pratt went to make his rounds to check all the rooms, that were supposed to be occupied by their multiple prisoners, returning with a horrified expression. "Sir! All the prisoners!" He was breathing heavily, "They're gone!"
Casually, Monroe looked up from his paper and blinked once, then in a monotone voice he simply said; "Well… go find them…"
X.x.X.x
