Chapter Six
"Hi there." Hank Raeburn was ready with an easy grin and bright eyes. "I was hoping to see you again." His handsome face dazzled her for a moment, she could almost forget her bad mood, the confusion as a crowd gathered somewhere behind his back.
Soldier blinked. "What's going on?"
"The official word is being given to the civilians." He said glancing back at the crowd. "Evac begins tomorrow at 0800."
She gritted her teeth.
"You want to come? The Major General gives a great pitch. They'll be naming the new colony Eden Two."
She lifted angry eyes to his face, she wasn't mad at him, as Graham said, they were just grunts, they did what they were told, like all good soldiers. Hank didn't seem to notice her glare. "The Major may seem like an asshole but he's basically a good guy." He said. "This is really for the best for all of you."
"I don't believe that." She said glancing up at him and then away. Frustrated with the whole situation. Angry, sad, and thinking of the dead: her mother soaked through with blood, the city undulating in the darkness, the feel of fresh blood on her hands, the warmth of it on her face. She shuddered.
"Look, I know this must be tough."
"Do you?" She challenged capturing his clear grey eyes.
"My home was destroyed. I watched my parents' die, they were trapped in our burning home. If it weren't for the Major General and Lord Descouedres I'd be fried too." She knew the name Descouedres, he was an immortal Lord of the Night, The Saint, he had founded safe colonies, magic protected bubbles where those who chose to live in peace could co-exist. He had emerged in the US but had moved over other continents helping to protect the innocent, the vulnerable.
"I didn't mean that." She said. "I'm sorry, everyone's had it tough."
"No problem." He said with that easy grin. "You should think about getting on the convoy, Soldier."
"What about Eden?" She asked. "What about London?"
"The city is gone, girl."
She shook her head. "I don't believe that." Her mother had died for this city. She could feel the phantom of her mother's blood on her cheek, faintly warm. "You don't know anything about it." She whispered.
He grasped her hand and she startled but did not pull away, his hand was warm and large and hers was swallowed by the comfort of his touch. He held her hand whilst they stood on the fringe of the crowd, all the colonists had come to listen to Major General Keller's rhetoric.
She was numb, barely able to comprehend his words, her heart was thumping rapid and painful in her chest and her knees felt like jelly. The air around her seemed to become static charged and she could see wisps of her hair start to rise skyward.
"Holy shit." She heard Raeburn mutter and pull his hand from hers, he was cradling his wrist from where it had touched her cuff, his skin burnt, she looked up at him with hollow eyes.
"Sorry." She murmured and walked dazedly away and the sound of clapping and cheering erupted behind her.
Alan found Soldier standing in the atrium among the candy hues of peony and peaseblossom flowers. "What are you doing here?" She seemed startled as if she hadn't heard him approach, her eyes shot to his, her expression was grave and eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Hiding?"
She shrugged.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Sarge?" Her voice was husky.
"No one has elected to stay but you, Sol." Alan murmured. He watched her hands clench into fists and slowly unclench, she turned her face away from him and he heard a sigh pass her lips. "You will have no purpose out there now."
"I can't go." She whispered.
He grasped her sleeve and pulled her to face him. "You can."
She shook her head, hair sliding over her cheeks, her eyes large aqueous pools as they angled up to meet his face. "You don't understand."
"Explain it to me then." He said fiercely and watched as her lips moved as if trying to form words but finding none she gave a shrug. "Help me understand, Sol."
"People have died trying to keep our community safe." Her voice was barely above a whisper as if she were trying to contain herself and the full force of her fury.
He grasped her arm. "By going with them we are keeping our community safe, safer than it could ever be here in Britain."
"What was the point of their sacrifice if we're just going to leave?"
"They would rather we be truly free." He slowly removed his grasp from her arm, fingers trailing over her sleeve. "She would rather you be safe, Sol."
She dropped her head to hide her eyes and the new tears that gathered. "I can't leave, Alan."
"I want you to change your mind."
Soldier's dark head moved from side to side. No.
Alan straightened his back, his shoulder squaring as he withdrew emotionally and then physically as well. "I have a briefing."
"Okay, Sarge." She gave a nod and turned away from him, back to the comfort of the silence and the flora.
Alan marched toward the conference rooms, he tried to push the great ball of sadness that had gathered in his throat. When he arrived he found the others already ensconced in their seats, Magda sitting stiff backed, Grant slouching beside her and two of the leadership Gareth Redhead and Peter Greyson looking soberly up at him.
"You're late." Gareth said with a dark brow arched.
"I know. Shall we begin?" He asked and took a seat at the top of the table.
Gareth turned sparkling blue eyes on each face in turn. "We're here to discuss the dr-"
"Soldier." Alan interjected.
"Yes, Soldier Dominick." Gareth continued unperturbed. "She is the only one who has expressed an interest in remaining behind."
"Yes, sir." Alan confirmed.
"She cannot stay." Magda said. "She will not be safe."
"It's her decision." Grant's voice was soft and sad.
"What's the report on her hardware?" Peter asked.
Grant's eyes flicked to Alan's as he spoke. "She's starting to reject the latest implant; her healing capabilities are increasing at a higher rate than previous observations."
"Do you know why?" Alan asked.
He spread his hands. "No, I can only theorise."
"And the…protection?" Gareth asked turning to Magda.
"They are still intact." Magda said raising her chin high in the air. "The strongest Practitioners of our generation have ensured the cuffs will remain unbroken."
Gareth nodded. "And everything else is…stable?"
"Yes, sir." Grant nodded.
"Then I see no need for further discussion."
"But who will repair the wards?" Magda asked half rising from her seat.
"There will be no need of them. Not out there." Gareth said coolly. "As long as we're safe in Eden Two there is no need for us to concern ourselves with it."
"She will be so much meat out there." Magda said.
"That is her decision." Peter said, his voice soft but unconcerned.
"I don't like it, not one bit." She muttered.
"Me either." Alan said his voice husky from too much thought and not enough talk.
"There is something bad coming, the seers all say so." Magda said chair scraping as she got to her feet, staring boldly into his face. "We should all leave together. All of us."
Peter reached across the table to pat Magda's arm in a gesture of sympathy but it was a hollow gesture and though he spoke softly he bore no sympathy for Soldier Dominick nor those that cared about her. "It is out of our hands, she doesn't know the truth and she never needs to."
"Then you're condemning her." Magda said in disgust snatching her arm out of his reach.
"She has made her choice, like any free citizen and she has chosen to go her own way." Gareth said.
"And what happens if he gets hold of her?" Magda asked.
"She's skilled enough to evade capture." Alan said.
"A fool's hope." Magda sat back down, her features flushed with passion. Alan shared her doubt, one soldier in a city of beasts had little chance of survival and fewer chances of evading capture.
"You could command her to leave." Grant said eyes on Gareth and Peter and they shared a look between them.
"No." Alan said when the two men didn't respond. "She wouldn't listen to them. She won't even listen to me."
"Then let me spell her-" Magda began.
"No." Alan interjected. "No we won't use any more magic against her."
"She has a point." Grant said, a hopeful glean in his voice. "It would be as if she had made the decision herself and she would never need to know of it."
"No." Alan said firmly.
"I think this discussion is over. Soldier Dominick will be excluded from the Eden Two register. She will be known as a Colony deserter." Gareth said. "I'll inform the Major General."
Alan's hands trembled with rage and he balled them into tight fists. Gareth and Peter were the first to leave and when they did Grant leaned forward in his chair, his lips parting as if he were going to speak but he seemed to decide against it and slumped back in his chair shaking his head from side to side. "Let's just say our goodbyes then, eh?"
"I think he likes you." Lily murmured nodding toward Hank Raeburn.
"He's a sweet kid." Soldier said distractedly.
Lily squeezed her arm. "It's not easy to find something real in this world." She said softly, speaking from experience. "If you get the chance, Sol, take it and don't let it go."
Soldier nodded, she appreciated Lily's words but she didn't comprehend them, when she glanced at Hank she didn't feel anything of what Lily spoke about; maybe she was incapable of love in that way: she couldn't conceive of herself with a family.
A small blur came running across the green and Soldier was almost taken down by Persephone who clung tightly to her leg, smothering her tears against Soldier's hip. "Won't you come with us?" Persephone asked her large brown eyes glassy and tears wetting her round caramel cheeks.
Soldier shook her head, no. "I can't, Seph."
"Where will you go? Who will protect you?" The tears began to fall faster now.
"Don't worry about me, cadet." She said and knelt to embrace her little friend, laying her lips against the girl's soft round cheek. "I can take care of myself. And you must take care of your mum, okay?"
Persephone nodded and ran to cling to her mother who picked her up and held her tight. Lily muttered 'thank you' to Soldier before walking away to comfort her child. Soldier watched them for some time before Alan joined her fresh from his debriefing, he didn't speak at first, staring with her at Lily and her daughter.
"You can still have a life, Sol." Alan said softly and glanced at Private Raeburn who raised a hand to wave at them both from a distance. "Children."
"For the goddess' sake." She hissed under her breath, sick of hearing it, sick of them dangling the American soldier in front of her as if he were ever a temptation. She had never dreamt of having a family of her own, someone to love and protect her, to raise children with the tenacity of Persephone Jones…she was a soldier first and foremost and she understood that that life was not meant to be hers. What man would put up with her anyway?
Alan grasped her by the arms and pulled her into his chest, she was startled but clung to him, knowing it was the last time she would see him, the last time she would touch him, smell him. She breathed him deeply, the comforting scent of a soldier, his body still muscled and strong.
"They've closed down your access to the grid." Alan said softly into her ear. "There's a backdoor that will give you temporary access to the data files, maps and danger spots, you'll have a ten minute window max before PDA watchers shut you down, understand?"
"Thank you." She said and as she pulled back he tucked a data card into her hand.
"I want you to come with us do you hear me, Soldier?"
"Yes, sir." She said tears prickling behind her eyes.
He turned away to hide the gloss of tears on his own eyes.
Grant waved at her from a distance and was ushered inside a vehicle by some PDA army goon.
She would miss them, these strange people that made up her friends, her family. She watched their backs as they moved into the square tanks that would deliver them to the coast. She watched and waited until they were all packed away, row by row on the green lawns, surrounded and shepherded by the American soldiers.
She turned to see a four by four pulling up and saw the Major General through the window; he glared down at her from where he sat. She pulled up her hood over her forehead and stuck up her two fingers as a parting gesture. "Arsehole." She muttered and turned her back on the cars, heading inside the deserted corridors of the newly abandoned Eden Colony.
Miss S
