A/N: One more chapter to go! It's an ambitious story and I promised big things, and so I'm doing the best I can to deliver. I really hope I delivered. Please let me know if it translated. Sheila
Esperanza
Chapter 10
Abby felt shaky as Vance's men escorted her to his house. She was in the fatigues that Admiral McGee's people had given to her, but she felt as if she was naked. The habit and its flowing robes had protected her; it had wrapped her in the safety of God's presence. Still, she steeled herself so she would be focused for the enormous task before her.
The admiral's men had gotten her as close to Vance's place as possible without risking a skirmish, and while it was only 10 a.m., there was little time to waste before Jarvis' attack. The pants felt odd on her legs as she bounded up the steps and screamed for Vance. The former director was already at the door as she stumbled past him.
"What happened, Sister?!"
She looked around wildly. "Where are Fornell and Jackie?"
He led her out to the patio where they sat deep in conversation. Fornell jumped to his feet. "Where's Jethro? What do you know?"
She ran a hand over the stubble on her naked head. "Jarvis will attack Esperanza at dusk today! Gibbs was with me. We saw Tim." She stopped and bent over, breathing hard.
Jackie was there, rubbing her back. "Take it slow, Abby. What happened?"
She straightened up. "The admiral has broken with Jarvis. He's taken supplies, people, and he's turned them over to Gibbs."
Vance smiled. "That ol' bastard followed through."
"What?!" Fornell frowned.
"I met with him in secret about three months ago. He told me he was planning something like this, but I thought it was a trap. I got out of there and resisted further attempts at contact. Had no expectations of that bastard."
"Could've mentioned it."
"You were pre-occupied, Tobias. You had refugees to save."
"What do you mean he gave them to Jethro? And where is Tim!?" Jackie demanded.
"Jethro has three hundred troops under his command. He's looking to set them up thirty miles south of Esperanza. He's hoping to stop Jarvis there. He needs you on the road now. He doesn't have time to communicate with Tony and Ziva. He needs you to liaise with them."
Fornell paced. "Okay. Damn, we don't have much time."
"Tim!" Jackie shook Abby. "Where's Tim?"
"He's dying," she whispered as she shuddered in Jackie's grip. "They almost beat him to death. The admiral has him, but he can't be moved. Gibbs had to leave him. It was horrible."
"No!" Jackie cried.
Fornell slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, whispering in her ear. "Esperanza has to be everything now. We don't have time for distractions."
She looked at him for a long moment and nodded. She turned to Leon. "Can you help my community?"
He nodded slowly. "We do guerilla warfare and we do it well. I don't have a large force, but we can menace their advance. I have some ideas, but right now, you and Tobias need to be the road. You have a lot of work to do."
"You're coming with us, Abby."
She shook her head. The idea of reuniting with so many people from her old life paralyzed her.
"You don't have a choice. You're a target now. Jarvis will consider you a traitor. You can't stay here."
She seemed unable to respond.
"I'm going to need your help." Fornell grabbed her arm and pulled her into the house, adrenaline fueling a newfound strength within him.
Jackie turned to Vance. "This is good-bye, Leon. I can hope that we meet again, but I know that Esperanza isn't for you. You'll never accept the tedium of small town life. You've always been a bit of a rogue at heart."
He stroked her cheek softly. "My love for you is the deepest I've ever experienced. It's etched in my soul forever."
She took his hand and gripped it tightly. "Sometimes, love is not enough."
"Tobias is a good man, but it's hard to resist an urge to punch him into next week."
"Don't you dare! He's just back on his feet. Give him a month and it'll be a fair fight."
"Is he right for you?"
She cocked her head. "It's not what I felt with you, but it has the potential to be just as good. Leon, focus on what's happening for you. You're going to be a father again, and that's such a blessing. You need to know that our children don't begrudge you this new chapter."
His eyes searched hers. "Do you think they see us?"
"It doesn't cost anything to believe. And in my heart, I feel that they are near. I suspect they understand what's happening to us better than we do."
He pulled her to him tightly. "I have so many regrets."
She shook her head and whispered in his neck. "Your regrets are too heavy. Look to the future. The world needs a Robin Hood right now and you better not disappoint."
She pulled away. "I have to go now. Take care, Leon."
The urgency of the day was clear, but he couldn't deny himself a few minutes to accommodate the tears that slid down his cheeks as she disappeared inside the house.
…
A Marine Captain named Vicks drove him out to a staging area in an old county park about twenty miles north of D.C. Gibbs shook his head at the resources the admiral had amassed. There were supply trucks, fuel trucks, and at least twenty jeeps. Solders in combat gear were everywhere. Gibbs turned to Vicks. "How much do they know?"
"The admiral cherry picked soldiers who were dissatisfied with the Emerald City. Almost all of them have stories of friends or family that disappeared without a trace or they've had to participate in missions that left them with a bad taste in their mouth."
Gibbs nodded. "Gather them. I need to speak to the group before we do anything."
Vicks nodded and trotted off, shouting orders in all directions. Gibbs climbed onto the hood of a supply truck and waited until the soldiers were surrounding him. He raised a hand and waited until there was silence. It took a moment to survey the group. He had only one chance to get this right. "Soldiers, my name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and you are now under my command. Our mission today is to protect the community of Esperanza, a community none of you personally know. The payoff is that if you protect it, you become part of it."
He paused for a moment but noted only silence. "Esperanza is a simple place. We work hard and share everything, and while everyone has enough, no one has too much. I don't know if that sounds like much of a prize to you or not, but it means everything to us. If that doesn't work for you, you can leave. I'll give you an hour to clear the area. After that you'll be considered an enemy combatant. Any questions?"
A heavily muscled man at the front of the crowd shouted. "How do we know you're not another Jarvis?"
"You don't. I can only tell you this. Jarvis wants what we have. He'll always want what's not his. It's how he's built. You're only as good as what you can bring to him. If you get sick or injured, you're abandoned. I'm a former Marine sergeant. I don't know how to abandon people. In Esperanza, we live as one and we'll die as one."
The muscled man turned to his comrades. "That's good enough for me! Uh-rah!"
"Uh-rah!" The screams resounded everywhere. Gibbs nodded and slid off the truck. He turned to Vicks. "Let's put these people in vehicles. I know a place to set up a defense about sixty miles north of here."
…
Tony was sitting in the town hall with his team looking over the town's defense when a runner came bursting in. "Troops heading in this direction! One of the scout jeeps just rolled in."
Tony stood. "How far away?"
The panicked kid took a deep breath. "40 miles north of D.C. Scout says they were moving at about 30 miles per hour."
Tony turned to his group. "Today's the day. Sound the alarm. I want all the children at the meeting spot in twenty minutes. All team leaders meet back here in 30 minutes. Go!"
He jumped off the stage and ran down the street. He barreled through the door of the house, "Ziva!"
He was greeted with silence. He ran through the living room and pulled bedroom doors open. He found all of them in Amala's nursery. Nadine was playing blocks with Amala while Emily and Ziva sat on the floor against the wall and watched. They looked up in alarm at Tony. He took a deep breath. "They're coming."
Ziva scrambled to her feet. "How long?"
"It could be two, maybe three hours."
She pulled Amala up from the floor and hugged her tightly. "Alright, we have to get moving."
Nadine could feel the tension around her, and she started bawling. Tony picked her up and rocked her. "It's okay, Dini. It's okay."
Emily stayed on the floor, her arms around her middle. "I can't do this."
"Yes, you can, Emily. You can do this. You can lead the children out of here."
She shook her head. "Don't make me."
Ziva reached for her hand and pulled her up. "We need you, Em. The kids need you. You're the strongest one."
"I'm scared."
"We're all scared, honey."
Tony lifted her chin. "You can do this, Emily. You're smart and strong and brave."
Tears ran down her cheeks, but finally she nodded. "Okay."
Tony pressed his face to Amala's head and breathed in her essence. Finally, he kissed her softly. "We'll see you soon, my beautiful baby girl."
Then he stepped away, blinking hard. "I gotta' get back to the town hall."
Ziva nodded. "I'll help Emily get the girls ready and then I'll meet you there."
…
Tim opened his eyes and saw his father sitting in a chair next to the window, wearing a simple white dress shirt and a pair of pants. He listened for a moment, but there was none of the noise he'd heard earlier in the apartment. "Dad?"
The admiral turned to him and smiled. "Gibbs told me you weren't going to give up."
"Where is everyone?"
"They're with your…Gibbs. I even sent the nurse. Figured they would need her more than you and I would."
Tim grunted. "What if I don't die?"
The admiral sighed. "I've been praying all day just for that. I haven't had much of a relationship with hope in recent years, but your…he's filled with it. I figured it was time to take a lesson from him."
"You can hardly say his name, Dad. The idea I fell in love with a man is that foreign to you."
"I guess so?"
"It's real, Dad."
"Yeah, I could see it in his eyes. I believe he would die for you."
"That's who he is. His intensity and drive is a good match for me. It's hard to explain. We care about the same things, and so much of our love is grounded in mutual respect and admiration. Plus, the intimacy is better than I ever imagined it could be."
The admiral winced. "You had to tell me that."
"I'm in my final hours. I'll say whatever I want."
"I just thought you liked girls."
"Get over it already, Dad."
"I guess I'm going to have to."
"Can Esperanza be saved? It means so very much to me."
"If Gibbs is half the leader I think he is, then there's a real chance for your little town."
Tim rolled his head from side to side. "My whole body hurt so much earlier. Now, I don't feel anything."
"I turned up your morphine drip."
Tim lifted his head and scowled. "Don't help me leave this world! Jethro taught me to always fight. I promised him I wouldn't give up. What the hell are you doing?!"
The admiral got up and fussed with the IV. "I was trying to help you be more comfortable."
"Giving up is the wrong thing to do. I can see you sitting there waiting for me to die so you can go out and fall on your sword. Knock it off!"
"You got a lot of kick in you for a guy hopped up on morphine."
"You don't give me any choice. With you ready to jump out the window, I'm on my own here. Come on now. I need you to get your head back in the game."
He smiled. "I used to say that to you when you were a kid."
"I know. And as you remember, sports analogies were generally lost on me."
"Well, if I had known then that you were gay-"
"I was not gay when I was a kid! This is not about men. It's about Jethro- it's complicated."
"We just don't know how to have an easy conversation, do we Timothy?"
He shook his head and then started groaning. Admiral McGee got up. "You okay? Tell me you're okay."
Tim winced. "I'm not okay, Dad. I'm dying."
"You need more morphine."
Tim waved him away from the IV. "Leave it alone. I'm not giving up."
Admiral McGee sat on the bed, resting his hand lightly on his son's torso. "Please Tim, I don't want you to suffer."
Tim gripped his hand. "Just sit with me, Dad. I don't care if we fight. Just stay with me."
"I won't leave you, Timothy. Being with you is only thing that matters to me now…my sweet boy." The admiral did nothing to hide the moisture in his eyes.
…
Fornell paced by the side of the road. He, Jackie, and Abby were waiting at the spot he and Jethro had discussed as a good place for a defense. He was worried that things had gone wrong, and Jethro hadn't gotten the resources Admiral McGee had promised. He knew Jarvis had enough armor to cut through the weapons Esperanza had access to. The community wouldn't give up easily, but Fornell pictured weeks of fighting, and that meant the body count was going to be high.
He heard the sounds of vehicles and herded Jackie and Abby behind trees. Around the corner came supply trucks, jeeps, and troops. Fornell let out a cry of relief when they stopped and Gibbs jumped out of the lead vehicle with a Marine Captain in tow.
"Jethro!" He strode toward him and enveloped him in a hug.
"Hey Tobias! This is Captain Vicks."
"I'm glad you brought friends."
Gibbs pointed at a ridge near the highway. "I'm putting fifty soldiers up there, and another seventy-five in the meadow to the left. I positioned approximately one hundred about half a mile back. The rest are going to dig in about half a mile north of here. Vance is going to disrupt them in the rear. We have to hit them hard. Retreat is not our goal. We need to decimate as many as possible so there's no opportunity to regroup."
"What do you need from me?"
"Vicks is going to go back and command the troops at the front. I'm going to be coordinating things here, and I need you to coordinate the group that's digging in."
"I have no combat experience."
"You'll have a lieutenant and two sergeants at your disposal. They don't know the area like you do. Plus, you've been engaging in combat the last two years; you're just doing it without uniforms. We also need to get word back to Tony and Ziva. We need at least 200 Esperanzans up here with us. It will help these soldiers understand that the community is fighting alongside them."
Tobias nodded. "I'll send Jackie and Abby back to Esperanza with your orders."
Gibbs turned and left with Vicks. Tobias noted his stiff demeanor. It was military, necessary to get through this crisis, but he knew his friend's heart must be hurting deeply.
…
Fornell pushed Jackie and Abby toward the jeep. "You need to get to Tony as soon as possible."
Jackie resisted. "You should come with us, Tobias. Emily needs to know that you're safe."
"I have a duty here."
She shook her head. "You need to think for a moment…I should stay."
Fornell frowned at her and then turned to Abby. "Get in the jeep. Jackie will be with you in a minute."
He pulled her a few feet away. "What's going on?"
She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I want to fight. It's my community, and unlike you, I don't have family to grieve for me. For once, we need to think about the children."
"Hey Jackie." He lifted her chin. "You got more family than anybody I know. What's wrong with you?"
She rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "I'm scared, Tobias. Esperanza means so much to me. And…so do you. It's not supposed to happen this quickly. I thought we would find love eventually…but I think it found me a little sooner than I'd anticipated."
He pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's okay. I'm no fool. I know a treasure when I see one. I'm going to be okay and not just for Emily. I'm coming back for you. I've been unlucky in love so long…I'm not letting this go for anything. You hear?"
She nodded, blinking wildly. "I'm acting like a girl."
He cupped her face, pushing away tears with his thumb. "You're perfect, Jackie. You're absolutely perfect."
"Stay safe." She said as she pulled away and jumped into the jeep. He watched as they sped off, and only then realized that he was holding one hand over his pounding heart.
…
Abby's knees felt so weak that she had to hold on to the jeep to stay upright after Tony finished his bear hug. With the news that Gibbs was alive and needed him to move troops down the road, DiNozzo went running off to gather his people. Abby looked around and spotted Ziva. The Israeli woman approached slowly. When she got to Abby, she wrapped her arms around her gently. For a few minutes, the two women just held each other. Then Ziva pulled back and stroked her stubbly head. "We don't have time for your story right now, but when the time comes, I want to hear everything."
Abby nodded, unable to trust her voice.
"I love you from a place deep in my heart, little sister. I'm so grateful that you've come home."
Abby swallowed. "I need to help."
"Follow this street until the intersection and then take a right. There is a school building with a hospital space on the first floor. You're needed there." Ziva pulled her face down and kissed her forehead. "Seeing you again is a gift from God. I can feel it."
Then she disappeared. Abby let go of the vehicle and started walking down the street. It looked completely old world, almost as if a pandemic had never occurred. People ran frantically in all directions, and while she could feel the fear around her, the town itself felt safe. She still wished for her habit, but she didn't feel as exposed as she had before. She reached the school and climbed the steps, following people as they moved in and out of the gymnasium. There were cots everywhere, and supplies were lined up on tables along the walls. Someone rushed by her and Abby grabbed her arm. "I'm here to help. Who do I talk to?"
The woman pointed at the old man checking the supply of drugs, and Abby's heart burst. She wrapped her arms around her middle and the tears fell. At first her voice was weak, "Ducky."
Nothing happened. The chaos continued and she tried again, "Ducky."
"Ducky!" She called, certain that her legs were about to fail her. He straightened up and blinked and then he turned and saw her standing in the middle of the room. He adjusted his glasses and a hand went to his mouth. Then she felt arms around her shoulders and she screamed. Dr. Jimmy Palmer pulled her to him. "It's okay, Abby. It's just Jimmy."
She shook so much that she knew he must be the only thing holding her up, and she clung to him tightly. The only responses she could manage were staccato sobs. He walked her over to Ducky who gathered her in his arms and rocked her. It took minutes before she could hiccup out words. "I thought…I knew who I was. I don't know…who am I supposed to be? What does God want? It used to be…so clear. Has he left me?"
The two men looked at each other in confusion. Then Ducky lifted her face. "God is with you, Abby. He or she or whatever you believe is in your heart. That's what you once told me and I believe it."
"I've been…stripped of everything that kept me safe. How can I do his work…without my identity?"
"What has he called you to do?" He asked her softly.
"To serve those who are hurt and abandoned."
"Just as you were."
Abby couldn't respond to the truth of it.
He patted her head. "No one is forgotten in Esperanza, but we can put you to work with the injured, my dear. I think God would be quite pleased with that."
She nodded and tried to rise, but she fell back. Jimmy looked at Ducky. "Look how pale she is. She needs food and water before she does anything."
He trotted off while Ducky rested her head on his shoulder. "You just rest for a bit. We'll have plenty of work for you when the time comes."
"Am I home, Ducky?"
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "You certainly are, my dear Abigail."
….
"Get off me, Tony!" Gibbs wrestled with him.
Tony disengaged from hugging a reluctant Gibbs, but his smile was wide. "First, Abby climbs out of a jeep, and then we find you alive. This is shaping up to be the right kind of day."
"This is going to be a very hard day with what's coming."
"I think this is good luck, Boss. I really think it is."
"I'm not your damn boss anymore, DiNozzo!"
Tony shook his head at Ziva, grinning. "Well, that shoots the imposter theory. It's Gibbs, all right."
She took Gibbs' hand. "Abby said that Tim was alive when you last saw him."
He shook his head. "Don't."
"We can hope," she insisted.
"You didn't see him. Don't do that to yourself."
"Tell me."
He shook his head. "No. Here comes Vicks and Fornell. We're planning strategy now. That's all."
The deep sadness in his eyes sobered Tony. "Okay, we're ready."
Gibbs leaned over a map. "We're set up in three checkpoints, each a half mile apart. Vicks, you and DiNozzo, will be in that first wave. Don't engage heavily. We want troops to get past you. We want them to think that we don't have much to throw at them. Ziva and I will be here at the second checkpoint with the most armor. We'll hit them hard, and then when they retreat, DiNozzo and Vicks will destroy them. Tobias, you are our last defense. If they somehow get past us, you're the only barrier keeping them out of Esperanza."
Fornell studied the map. "I'd like to be closer to the action."
Gibbs shook his head. "If any those trucks get past us, I need to trust that someone will take them out. That person is you. Our job is to destroy Jarvis' people. Your job is to protect Esperanza."
"Got it."
Gibbs looked at everyone in the group. "We'll only be able to communicate by runners, and that's not going to be enough. We're going to have to anticipate each other's actions. If Jarvis' people get past me, it will be over my dead body. They can not have my town."
Everyone nodded silently as words seemed inadequate.
….
Vance crouched behind trees with some of his people. Jarvis' people were on the move earlier than expected, probably in response to Admiral McGee's defection. Vance's approach to the trucks that rolled by was similar to what lions did on the Serengeti. They culled the weakest from the herd, surrounded them, and ran them into the ground. Vance waited for the last vehicle in each wave, and then his people shot out the tires. Vehicles careened off the road and into the ditches. Then his people pounced on the occupants. So far, they'd liberated a supply truck and a munitions vehicle. The trucks were cleaned out and supplies hidden, and only the burning hull of a truck was left in its wake. The day was shaping up quite nicely. Vance planned to scavenge stray vehicles until this was over. He hoped his actions would ease the pressure for Gibbs' troops ahead.
…..
Admiral McGee raised his head from the bed where it was resting against Tim's hip, blinking as he cleared the sleep from his eyes. The heat and humidity of a D.C. summer evening was upon him, and his face was wet and sticky. His eyes immediately went to his son's face, but he could tell nothing. Tim was pale and quiet. He leaned his cheek against his son's mouth, and relief flooded through him as he felt a gentle intake of breath. He looked up and saw that the IV and plasma needed to be changed. The bags that were left were unrefrigerated, but he had to take a risk with it. With skills he hadn't used since his days in Vietnam, he deftly changed the bags, checking to make sure that Tim's line flowed cleanly.
He got up and his stiff muscles screamed. The front of his dress shirt was wet with sweat, but he had nothing else to wear. It had never occurred to me that he would still be alive. He thought that Tim would've been gone by now, and he would've headed back to the Emerald City for a final showdown with Jarvis. The most satisfying end would be a bullet between Jarvis' eyes before he himself was killed. He doubted he would get that far, but there was nowhere else left for him to go. He had no desire for survival after the death of his son.
It was amazing, really. They'd spent so many years fighting and he'd put so much energy into the idea that his son was a disappointment that he truly hadn't understood how much he still cared for Timothy until he saw him beaten in the floor of his cell. All of those years of anger had dissolved in a single moment. It was the sight of his son near death, and it was the idea that saving him would be the redemption he'd so desperately sought through his relationship with Sister Michael.
The admiral moved into the kitchen and checked the cupboards. He'd ordered his people to take all of the food and water. He hadn't imagined he'd need any. The cupboards were as bare as he'd expected. Then he opened the unplugged refrigerator and smiled when he found a half empty bottle of water. He pulled it out and downed the warm liquid. In the back of the dark refrigerator there were two granola bars. He suspected they were quite old, but in this moment, food was food. He peeled open one of them, and chewed it despite the tough, musty flavor. He put the other one in his pocket for later.
He went back into his son's room, but Tim was still unconscious. It occurred to him that there was no one around to notice how he looked so he pulled the dress shirt out of his pants, and unbuttoned the top buttons. It was freeing. He rarely allowed himself to be less than an admiral even in his off moments, though he wasn't sure he'd had any of those since the pandemic.
He remembered there was still a pail of water in the bathroom and he found a washcloth. He wet it thoroughly and went back into Tim's room. Gently, he mopped Tim's forehead and face. Then, much as he had done when Tim was a toddler, he washed his neck, chest, and arms. Tim had such smooth skin that he was easily reminded of those early days with his son when there were no regrets, only a deep, easy love. He smiled a little as his tortured mind allowed him the memories of the sweet boy with the green eyes and the deep willingness to please him.
…..
Tony was literally twitching as the first trucks rolled by. Captain Vicks only allowed a few guns to fire. Tony understood the strategy, but he wanted nothing more than to destroy any entity that threatened his home. Not attacking with all they had was difficult. One of Vicks' men gave him an impromptu lesson on how to use a hand grenade, and as the trucks rolled by, he waited for the last of them, a neat pile of grenades at his side.
The grenades should've been resting with someone else. Tony was a commander not a soldier, but he felt incapable of sitting back. A shout echoed down the line and he tensed, grabbing one of the grenades in his hand. The last wave of trucks was moving by, and Vicks gave the word. Tony and several others leapt out of ditches and lobbed the grenades onto the trucks. Explosions erupted everywhere. He barely made it back to the high grass as car parts flew through the air. Tony crawled back to his spot, and grabbed another grenade. He waited a moment for the dust to settle and looked up. Five trucks were stopped in the road. Machine gun fire sounded from inside vehicles as well from Vicks' troops in the forest.
Tony watched Jarvis' soldiers succumb to the attack, but then his eye caught a soldier in the back of one of the vehicles pull out something that looked like a rocket launcher. Without hesitating, he ran forward again with another grenade. It wasn't going to be an easy throw as he had a bad angle on the truck. He moved sideways as he closed in, steadying his arm as gunfire erupted around him. Then he lobbed it carefully. He turned and headed for the ditch again, but his foot got caught in a mangled wheel well and he fell. He barely hit the ground when he felt himself lifted into the air by the deafening explosion.
…..
Gibbs' and Ziva's groups fought through the night with the bulk of Jarvis' forces. Gibbs himself led two skirmishes into the heart of the embattled troops. He showed little caution, but returned from both fights unscathed. It was as if he was living a charmed existence. His soldiers remarked on his good luck, and he was tempted to tell them that it was wasted on him. The minute he'd left Tim in that D.C. apartment with his father was the minute he'd stopped imagining any kind of a future.
Several times that night, he saw the beautiful, petite Ziva in perilous situations and it took everything in him not to order her back. She was a brave and effective fighter, and she inspired her group to fight hard, but it scared him to think Esperanza could lose someone with her spirit.
Twice during the night, a truck got past them, and Gibbs was only comforted when he saw and heard the explosions from Fornell's group holding the road into Esperanza. He'd been right to leave Fornell with that responsibility. No one was a smarter or more ruthless strategist than the grizzled FBI agent.
Gibbs tried to be everywhere that night. He directed the battle, he led teams into the fight, and he supervised getting the wounded onto trucks heading back to Esperanza. They used old supply trucks as makeshift ambulances, and were able to transport up to ten people at a time. He was surprised when Jackie showed as one of the ambulance drivers, and a surge of anger rose in him. She was essential to the future of Esperanza. She was a natural leader and politician. He'd hoped to keep her safe, but when he caught her eye, she gave him a look of pure defiance, and he knew an argument would be wasted on her.
Exhaustion was something his body wouldn't recognize, and he didn't slow for a single moment as he moved from one responsibility to the next. There was no fear or anxiety that victory would be denied them. He was unwilling to entertain the possibility. If it meant they fought to the last man, it was worth doing in order to protect a way of life that still honored humanity.
…
Tony woke to a strange buzzing sound. He felt weightless as if he was floating underwater. His vision was blurry, and he shook his head to clear it and was hit by a wave of tremendous pain. He howled and struggled to sit up. Hands were on his shoulders pulling him back down, but he was stronger and he pushed them away. He staggered to his feet and tried to orient himself, but there was clearly something very wrong with his vision. Then a familiar voice sounded in his ear. "Tony, sit down please. You're badly hurt."
"Cassie?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Let me help you sit."
"What's going on? Where's the fight?"
"It's north of us with Gibbs' group right now. Vicks and his people have built a barricade with the destroyed vehicles. When they retreat, we'll engage them again here."
"They haven't pushed past Gibbs?" Tony said as he looked around the wooded area. Only a full moon gave the forest any definition at this time of night.
"Honestly, I don't know what's happening. We can hear the fighting, and Vicks sent a runner an hour ago, but we haven't heard anything. From the proximity of the sounds, I would say that the fight is still with Gibbs."
He swayed slightly as he continued to struggle with his peripheral vision. "Do we still have grenades? I need to get back in that ditch and get ready for those bastards."
Cassie leaned over and took his hand. "Tony, touch your face."
He looked at her oddly for a moment and then felt touched his face gingerly. He discovered bandages wrapped tightly around much of his face. "This is why it's hard to see. You've bandaged over one eye."
She turned his face toward hers. "Tony, your right eye is gone. Your bandages are soaked in blood from cuts on the right side of your face."
He frowned and touched the bandages again. There was a strange depression in his right eye socket, and panic flooded his gut.
"The ambulances can't reach us until this is over. You need to lie down so you don't lose any more blood."
He stared at her for a moment as he took it all in. Then he leaned on her as he pulled himself to his feet again. "I don't need two eyes to see, and clearly my legs work so you and I need to get back to work."
"Tony!"
"If we don't stop them, Cassie, it won't matter how many eyes I have. Let's find some grenades and a few rifles and we'll dig in somewhere."
She searched his face for a moment and nodded slowly. "I'll do whatever you want, Tony."
…..
The sun had risen at least an hour when Jarvis' troops beat a retreat. Gibbs sagged against a jeep when the gunfire finally stopped. With the sun came evidence of the devastation. There were bodies of Esperanzans and soldiers he'd known for only hours littering the ground around the bodies of Jarvis' people. The moans of wounded sounded all around him. Their resources were limited. The ambulances would take his people first. Jarvis' people wouldn't be treated until every single one of his was out of harm's way. It was ruthless, but there was little room in his heart for compassion for his enemies just now.
He knew that the retreating troops would be hitting Vicks' and Tony's groups in a few moments, and he hoped that they were still holding strong. He had anticipated the retreat, and had asked Fornell to send one of his groups forward help push them into the trap Vicks and Tony had waiting for them. His own people were zombies after a night of fighting.
Tobias waved at him as his jeep passed him. Gibbs could barely raise his arm in a return greeting. He knew Fornell's people would push them hard, and destroy whatever was left of Jarvis' invasion and he felt nothing but satisfaction at the thought of it.
He desperately wanted to sit down somewhere and lean his head against a tree. He didn't need food or water. He just needed to close his eyes for a few moments, but the groans of his injured people reminded him of the work still to be done. He limped toward a woman named Ramona with a hole in her gut and knelt down. "Hey, it's okay. Help is coming. Just hold my hand, Ramona."
Her eyes were filled with fear, and she gripped his hand tightly as he raised his head and yelled, "Medic!"
…..
What was left of Jarvis' troops saw the barricade and hit it hard with everything they had left. Tony had no strength left to attack with grenades so he stayed in the ditch and hit them with rifle fire. The first trucks moved the barricade enough for two trucks to get through, but that was it. Vicks' troops descended on the rest like vultures as they threw everything they had. The three trucks tried to retreat to Gibbs' position, but Fornell was there. Tony watched dispassionately as Jarvis' people were cut down without mercy when they tried to flee their burning vehicles. He kept up his gunfire until nothing in the road was left moving.
He pulled himself to his feet, feeling lightheaded. The pounding in his head had become profound. He looked around for Cassie, but she'd disappeared. Slowly, he climbed onto the road. Trucks were still burning and bodies lay everywhere. He stepped carefully as he struggled to compensate without the use of one eye. A man rose up in a jeep in front of him and aimed, but Tony couldn't muster up a reaction. Then a shot rang out and the man fell forward.
Fornell came trotting up to him. "Tony! What the hell are you doing!?"
He turned his head awkwardly to him. "Is it over yet?"
He nodded wearily. "Yeah. We won. Looks like you took some serious shrapnel."
Tony nodded but said nothing. The details of it didn't seem worth noting.
"Those bandages are soaked through and you look like you're ready to drop. Let me get you into the jeep."
Tony resisted. "Lots of people are hurt worse than I am."
"We got ambulances coming for all that. Esperanza's sheriff is going to ride back to town in style."
Tony shook his head and moaned at the sharp pain that erupted. "I should stay and help."
"Get in the jeep, Tony. I'm going to take you home."
That inspired a crooked smile. "Our kids can come home now."
"Yeah," Fornell said as he pushed Tony into the jeep. "Let's go home and see our kids."
…..
The admiral checked his pulse again. It was beating steadily. Excitement surged through him. The longer he stayed alive, the more likely it was that he was going to recover. The old man even allowed himself a moment to imagine going to Esperanza with Timothy. He'd do hard labor, anything they asked, as long as he was given a chance to see his son's creation.
He'd finished the last granola bar, and it was time to think about how to scrounge up more food. He'd venture out, trade his gun for food, and then the two of them would wait for Gibbs together.
"Dad?"
The admiral smiled. "You made it another 24 hours. I don't think anything is going to stop you now."
Tim looked at him sleepily. "Do you know anything about Esperanza?"
"No, but I think your man, Gibbs, is going to come out on top."
He smiled. "You're starting to get comfortable with his name."
"I'm just comfortable with you again, like when you were a boy. As far as I'm concerned, you can love whomever you want. I feel happy for the first time in a really long time."
"You'll come home with me."
Admiral McGee took his hand. "If you'll take me."
"Jethro will make you work for it, but it will be worth it."
The admiral nodded. "I should go out and find some food for both of us-"
The sound of screeching tires rose up to their open window. The admiral hurried over and looked out. His stomach dropped as he recognized the men getting out of the truck. He turned and looked around the room.
"What's going on, Dad?"
Too many of his people knew about this apartment. He should've been surprised they lasted this long without discovery. He pulled the IV's off their stands and tucked them in next to Tim. Then he looked down at his son. "We have only a minute or two. They're coming to get me."
"No." Tim shook his head.
"Shhh! Listen, you are the future. I am the past. This is the way it was always meant to happen. I'm okay with it. I'm going to pull the sheet over your head, and you're going to stop moving."
"No."
"Don't fight with me, Tim!" His heart raced as he heard boots on the stairs. "You live! Please! Do that for me!"
Tim got teary.
"Close your eyes. Breathe as lightly as possible."
"Dad."
There was pounding on the door. McGee hurried into the bathroom and pulled the pail he used for urine into the room. He spilled some of it under the bed. "It has to smell like death in here."
"We'll fight," Tim murmured.
McGee slid the pail under the bed and stood up, leaning over his son. He kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Please live, my beautiful boy. Please do that for me."
Then he pulled the sheet over Tim's face. At the same moment, the door crashed in, and footsteps exploded all over the living room. The emotion in him was real, and he let tears fall as he leaned over his son's body. The door to the room burst open, and he looked up, eyes red and shiny.
"We found him, President Jarvis!"
McGee stood slowly and faced the armed men. It was useless to say anything. Steps sounded and then Jarvis appeared in the doorway. He looked at Admiral McGee, shaking his head. "Hiding like a coward. I thought better of you."
"How did your invasion go?"
Jarvis chortled. "Sabotaged from the first moment to the last. You oversaw the deaths of almost 400 of my troops."
"You didn't deserve Esperanza."
Jarvis looked at the covered body. "Stinks in here. How long did he last?"
Admiral McGee closed his eyes. "He died a few hours ago."
"He was a weak man."
"He was your superior in every way, Jarvis."
"If I had the time I needed, I would make you scream for days. You deserve that, but I know Gibbs. He's going to come for me so I need to be on my way."
"I'm fighting you, Jarvis, but let's take this downstairs."
"No." Jarvis turned to the men flanking him. "Kill him."
The admiral knew that it was the end of the road, and his last movements focused on being as far away from his son as possible when the gunfire began. He was halfway across the room when a stream of bullets ripped across his chest.
….
One more chapter….