Risk [risk] noun;
- exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance
- Insurance
Lucas woke from the same damn nightmare he had every night since Somalia.
He once woke to the world in fits of terror, outrage or just breaking out into uncontrollable sobbing, but after suffering from the same images over the course of a decade, he was as calm as could be. He knew outright he couldn't call what went on in his mind nightmares.
No. This was the reality he had to live with. The painful reality of his mother's gruesome and unjustified death.
He shifted his body to check on his prisoner.
Skye slept on her stomach in the back of the jeep, Lucas's jacket draped over her bare back, though seeing that it was her blood embedded in the clothing, he considered it her property now. Lucas continued to survey the young woman from the driver's seat longer than he should have.
A part of him pitied the young woman and the wounds her body now bore. Perhaps she would find the same respect for her scars as he saw in his. Evidence that she was a survivor in every sense of the word. Both of them came close to death, attacks delivered from the worst this God forsaken rock had to offer. He'd argue that he was thriving where most would just roll over and die, and if he knew her at all, he ventured to say she would continue to live just as well.
Of course, if he got his way, Skye would have never been placed in that situation. Never would have been kidnapped. Hell, there was even the possibility she wouldn't even be born. He doubted that his interference with the events of Somalia in August of 2138 would alter her life, but who knew. Maybe the philosophers on that Butterfly Effect were correct. Only time would tell and it was his mission to change it.
Skye began to stir, her face twisting, displaying obvious pain.
"Good morning princess, so nice of you to rejoin the world of the living." Lucas teased.
Sky wanted nothing more than to roll away from his gaze, but the tender flesh on her back made her hesitate moving in general. At the very least, she could tell that the scabs were beginning to form. Pushing herself up from prone, she knelt in the back of the jeep looking at their surroundings.
"You never told me where we are going."
Lucas chuckled turning his body to the steering wheel.
"If you must know. We are going to find my father. I imagine he's not too far from here now." He said casting a glance over his shoulder to catch her in a state of shock. "I need him to stay out of my plans, so best way to get him to stand down is to hand you back."
Skye found this tactic hard to believe. She found it even harder for Commander Taylor to just let bygones be bygones as well. If Lucas was willing to walk right into his father's hands, she wouldn't stop him- not unless it put the colony at risk.
"What's the catch?" Skye asked making the man shrug.
"No catch. He takes you back and leaves me the hell alone. What's not to get?" He asked in reply, but Skye knew that smile he wore all too well. The same grin he wore that came with all of his threats.
"That portal is working again. I can't let you destroy my home. Our home." Skye said lifting up her chin, Lucas threw his head back in laughter.
"And let me guess, you're going to stop me?"
"If I have to, yes." Skye said in a hushed tone, but Lucas was no longer smiling. She was serious, and he had two bullet holes in his chest that prevented him from betting against her now.
"I should have let that thing eat you-" Lucas muttered starting up the engine. Skye remained in the back, hardly mortified by his response.
"And I should have aimed for your head." Skye shot back, earning a cold glare from Lucas, their eyes locking momentarily until Lucas broke the line of sight.
"Easy there, Bucket. Keep that attitude up, and I might just keep you along for the ride…" He tested before putting his foot to the pedal and steered towards the direction of the colony.
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Mira slammed her palms down upon a makeshift desk, glaring across at the Phoenix soldier, practically seething.
"What do you mean they're gone?" She asked in a hiss. What was once a mess hall upon a naval ship now served as an open area for the Sixers and mercenary team, the room filled with most of the remaining survivors. Barnes stood across from Mira, wearing a black eye now.
"I mean gone- They left last night." Barnes repeated, glares and scowls were presented to him by his peers. "The prisoner escaped, so Dr. Taylor went after her."
"If he is dead, you do realize that we are essentially stuck here for good. In order to get that portal up, we need the calculations to ensure the portal is lined up correctly and-"
"He already wrote down the calculations!"
"And tell us, Private," a higher ranking soldier called out from the crowd. "Where are those calculations?" Barnes hesitated now.
"… The girl took them." Groans echoed in the room now. Mira knew she should have ended that two faced little bitch when she had the chance.
"Do you have any idea where they could have gone off too?" Mira asked looking up to the nervous man. "What direction we can start searching?"
Barnes nodded frantically.
"The prisoner made a slit in the back of the tent. She was heading west I believe!"
Obviously she was heading back for the colony, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Lucas went after her over 12 hours ago, and while the Badlands seemed endless, they weren't. If he caught up to her by means of a vehicle, it meant he should have been back by now. A wide array of possibilities were open now, only most of them had the same result.
Most likely the pair of them were dead and the rest of them were stuck on this rock, forever.
Mira reached for her knife, ready to stab someone when Hooper entered the room. Aside from Lucas and herself, Lieutenant Hooper was one of the foremost respected, or at least feared leaders of the two conjoined groups. He nodded in her direction and she stilled her hand.
Moving across the room, he drew her in close to whisper.
"The President wants to speak to you."
Mira could hardly believe her ears. She didn't even know who was president now, but she didn't give a damn if any person with a title wanted her as an audience. The only person she wanted to speak to was Lucas to ask him if he lost his mind. Given the predicament however, she had no room to object.
Following Hooper to the bridge of the ship, Mira moved to the arch and picked up the communications device.
"You wanted to speak to me, Mr. President?" Mira asked coldly, expecting to hear the voice of an old bitter man.
"I miss you mommy." Came the voice of a young girl, no older than eight. Mira's walls came crashing down around her and she could hardly stand on her own.
"Sienna? Baby?" She asked, tears flowing freely as she gripped the communication device as if her life depended on it.
"When are you coming home mommy?" the voice asked in pure innocence.
"Soon baby, real soon. I miss you too pumpkin. Can you tell me how old you are? Are they taking care of you?" Mira asked using the side of the arch as support. "Talk to me sweetie."
"I assure you, Miss Jackson, your daughter is well. For the time being at least." Came the voice of an unfamiliar male now. Her heart wrenched at the sudden arrival and departure of the only thing she cared for.
"Put my daughter back on, I want to hear it from her." Mira growled, triggering a laugh from the other end.
"And people wonder why more women aren't in elected offices." Replied the President. "I'm sorry Miss Jackson, but you haven't earned the privilege of phone time with your child. We expected you to have had taken the colony years ago- but no matter. I have a new task for you and your bandits."
Mira wiped the tears from her eyes in anger, watching Hooper closely who looked over the room with little interest. Whatever news she was getting, he had already been informed.
"What can I do for you, Mr. President?"
"The Lieutenant informed me of the situation at hand. It seems that the man my constituents have invested in is unfit to see our project to the end. What I am asking you is a difficult task and-"
"If you want me to kill him, consider him a dead man already." She swore she could hear a smile crack on the other side of the line after she spoke.
"Well, hopefully it won't come to that, but that may be our only choice. We need the calculations, as I am sure you are already aware. Lucas Taylor is far more valuable to us alive, but he is no longer considered a viable member of our project. Return him to your possession by any means necessary."
"And if he becomes combative? Lucas Taylor is his father's son in many respects."
"Well, Miss Jackson, I have lost all respect for the pair of them." Came President Byers. "If you are unable to control the man, do what you must, As long as we have the calculation to lock in our time rift with yours, we'll consider that a success."
Mira noted that while Lucas may have written down the formula to connect the portal, it is still better to keep the source alive.
"I'll make sure our Doctor is restrained this time around." Mira stated, flashing a glance at Hooper who was now surveying her with the same steady glance.
"Excellent to hear. I look forward to hearing of your progress. Our engineers should have the arch way operational in as little as five days. Do have him back before then."
Mira opened her mouth to respond, but the link was severed, she suspected on purpose.
"We're to bring him back. Just him, is that understood?" Hooper asked watching Mira who could only smile.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Mira whispered setting down the communication device. She noticed that she was still shaking. Hearing her daughter- she was unsure if it was a motivation tactic or used to instill fear. Both most likely.
"I did a look over on the equipment, and I have reason to suspect that Dr. Taylor may have a radio on him. It's not turned on just yet, but I have my men listening for him.
"If he does, I can tell you he is most likely planning a suicide mission against his father." Mira muttered moving away from the arch. "So, question is, your team or mine?"
Hooper scratched at his freshly shaven jaw line. "Well- That is entirely his call. I expect he'll request my men- so I doubt he'd expect yours to ensnare him." Mira could only smile at Hooper's suggestion.
"If we are lucky, maybe we can take both the Taylor's down." Mira pondered by the LT shook his head. "It isn't worth the risk. Lucas Taylor is our only objective. Besides, it's not like his old man is fond of him these days."
Mira gave a nod. He was right and it was for the best. Grab Lucas and get out of dodge before anyone else could intervene. If things went as they should, she could see her daughter in a week. That was not something she would allow to lose again.
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…
Lucas came to a stop on the outskirts of the desert. Opening the glove compartment, Lucas pulled out a pair of binoculars and peered into the scopes. The coast looked clear, but for all he knew, his father and his men could be barreling out of the trees any given moment.
Setting the binoculars on the dash, Lucas cast a glance back to Skye, trying to figure out what would buy him the most time. Digging around the glove box again, he pulled out a hand radio, which he kept the turned off to spare both his patience and ears. He figured by now, Mira was most likely pissed to learn that he was roaming the Badlands this close to victory.
Hell, the whole camp must be ready to burn him at this point.
Skye stayed in back, quiet since they both spoke their regrets of not letting each other die. He preferred the silence. When he captured his father's camp and took Jim Shannon as a captive, the man got under his skin, nearly in his head with the interview questions he was pulling up.
Who would have thought that the sheriff of Terra Nova really was what the make or break of the entire plot. The whole clan of Shannon's really. The mother, the two young females weren't much of a concern at this point, but the boy was more trouble than he was worth.
Skye was a lot like him in many ways. Smart, sneaky, or just cunning really, but she was good at isolating herself, and the fact that she was putting her neck on the line for the Shannon boy not once but twice ate at him.
"You like that kid, don't you?" Lucas asked peering into the rear view mirror to hold eye contact with Skye who was startled by the break of silence. "What's his name, Joe?"
"Josh," Skye corrected, "and no. We're just friends."
Lucas shook his head with a grin turning his attention ahead of him.
"I think you're lying Bucket, if you didn't care for him at some capacity, we wouldn't be here right now." He stated as the jeep began to drive underneath the cover of some trees. Skye scoffed at the remark.
"I did it because Josh has been through enough. His girlfriend was killed when your friends showed up to take over the colony."
"I don't have any friends," Lucas said plainly.
"Gee, I wonder why that is." Skye's voice was thick with sarcasm, which drew Lucas's eyes upon the rearview mirror again briefly, but he kept his temper in check. Picking up the radio he turned it on and onto the right frequency.
"Hooper, are you there?" Clearly Hooper and his men were hovering over the communications table because he got an instant response.
"Dr. Taylor, where are you? We've receive word that the time table has been moved up a day, maybe closer if nothing gets out of hand back in our time."
Lucas felt a genuine smile creep along his face. Guess he got through to the president after all.
"That is good news. I'm not far off from where the sixer camp was once, going to make a trade with my father. The girl for some peace and quiet. For now anyway."
Lucas could feel the tension even in the radio silence.
"Sir, I don't think that is a good idea- your father might not let you go."
"Maybe I won't let him go." Lucas retorted, but there was no selling the LT here.
"Sir, what are your coordinates. We can arrange a meeting with your father and deliver the girl back without risking your wellbeing."
"I'm touched Hooper, really, but there is no need. I know my father better than anyone. He wouldn't dare risk bringing anyone else if I threaten her life." His eyes shooting to the rearview mirror and catching those blue eyes which betrayed her emotions every time.
"Sir, with all due respect, we can't risk it. At least tell us your coordinates so we can provide security nearby."
Lucas thought in silence. He was aware how important he was to a great deal of people, but it was unusual for anyone to question him more than once. The circumstances however played a larger role in the persistence of Lieutenant Hooper.
"As soon as I set up a deal with my father, I will reach out to you. It's about a six hour drive so I'd start now." He stated before turning off his radio.
Skye stared at Lucas who's focus was on what laid ahead of him.
"I thought that com links were dead past the last guard post." Skye whispered.
"They are, but that naval ship and the college dropout changed all that." Lucas replied looking over his shoulder. "Are you ready to see our old man?"
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Commander Taylor surveyed over his men as the soldiers began to pack up the camp. With plenty of rest and a firm battle plan to go off of, the military man felt confident that they would succeed in over taking the sixer and Phoenix camp. They would drive in under the cover of night, surround whatever make shift camp they set up and extract Skye.
"Make sure we fill up our water containers to the brim, Shannon, there is no telling when the next source of water will come our way." Ordered the commander to Josh who was now clad in the same uniform as the rest of them now, spare sets were always close at hand, though with the gate way closed, using the material for anything other than as a uniform was out of the question.
Josh sighed moving to the back of one of the vehicles, dragging out one of the water coolers. "You know, when I raised my hand, I thought I was going to be holding post, security and that stuff." Mumbled the fresh recruit which made Taylor smile.
"Making sure your comrades are hydrated is a very important job, Josh. Everyone works, everyone pulls their weight, and everyone contributes. Don't forget that." He stated eyeing the boy who headed for the stream nearby when sounds of static filled the air, catching everyone's attention.
Taylor's first thoughts were that a meteor shower was passing overhead, interfering with the electric systems, but the sky was crystal clear.
Then his voice broke into the dazed crowd.
"I know you're out here old man, pick up the radio and talk to your only son!" Came Lucas's voice loud and clear.
"Or anybody really, I just have a proposition for the whole lot of you. It's not up for negotiation, but it's a pretty sweet deal- If everyone packs up and leaves right now except for my father, I will return the girl and we can all get on with our lives- well. All of us except my father of course."
Hardly anybody moved, too jarred to consider answering the commander's son. All eyes were on Taylor now as Lucas's voice continued to flare out from each of the vehicle radio systems.
"I know I can be a little intimidating, so how about I turn this over to someone who is a little more trust worthy. Well- slightly, given that she was a bit of a spy for a while." The radio went silent for a moment before a female voice came on over the radio waves.
"Commander Taylor?" Skye asked, her voice unsteady, making Taylor question her wellbeing. He made a step forward, but paused once Skye began speak again.
"The Arch is almost functional- forget about me! Take out the camp, it's-" Then the connection cut out.
A veil of uncertainty came over the militia now.
The portal wasn't closed off. Terra Nova was still at risk from 2149, and they had not even a quarter of their military force to stop it.