Chapter 10
December 2003
Frank sat on his porch looking out into the perimeter fencing. It was Christmas and the sounds of the residents inside filled his ears. Frank allowed a warm smile to form.
Never thought I'd be so happy to hear Christmas carols he thought.
He wanted to join in but for the time being he waited. Regina and her team were outside the wire. She didn't say much before she left, just that her and the team had to take care of something. She gave him a kiss, a warm and lasting hug, and another, more passionate kiss before leaving him. That was three days ago.
In the months since Connor's broadcast that sent an unrivaled surge of hope through the homestead, Regina and Frank grew closer and closer. They spent time alone, just staring at one another, laughing and holding each other. Frank never thought he would experience this again; love. His throat dried up each time he looked into her deep blue eyes. His head would spin when she embraced him. She was so strong in front of the residents and her men, but with Frank, she was vulnerable and passionate.
They finally shared his bed the night before. It was a night of passion and desire for the two of them. Laying there as the sounds of the wind battered the house, bundled up in his arms, Regina spoke the words she had been aching to say for weeks: "I love you, Frank."
He hated Skynet for what it brought to the world, but thanked it for what it brought to him.
A deep chill ran down Frank's spine. The cold was all-penetrating; unnatural for South Texas. He sat on the porch bench, covered in three layers of clothing. The evening air was crisp and the wind was steady. His leg began to throb. The wound was healing nicely; the amount of packing gauze growing less and less as the weeks progressed. He still walked with a gimp but at least it was under his own power. The cold did nothing for the pain. The colder it was, the sorer the wound became. A hefty flurry of snow began to fall, blanketing the frozen ground in a thin layer of white.
Snow in Texas…I'll be damned…
Frank lifted the mug in his hand to his lips and drank down a large gulp of warm coffee. It was flavored with the last remains of the home's sugar and cinnamon; a treat for the holidays.
His anxiety was rising, each moment that passed where he didn't see his newfound love driving through the fencing was a moment of pure torment. He desperately wanted to go with her. He felt useless in his present state.
What's more was Shawn was missing her and Miller terribly. Before they left Miller would spend his free time away from patrols and work duties playing with the boy. Shawn would chase Miller with his new Lego pistol, screaming "BANG BANG" and Miller dodged the imaginary bullets until he was finally felled by the boy's uncanny accuracy. This outcome always caused Shawn to jump with the joy of victory.
Regina took her promise to Frank very seriously. She regimented four hours each day to sit with Shawn and teach him how to read and write. After only two and a half months Shawn was writing his full name and his father's. He was beginning to read full sentences, count to one hundred, add, and subtract.
"He's such a sharp boy" Regina was fond of saying after each lesson.
Frank was infinitely proud of his son's progress, relieved that the child wouldn't be relegated to the intellect of a half-mad survivalist. His son would need more than just skill with a weapon to survive this new world.
Frank's attention was suddenly snapped to from the thoughts of his mind. The low hum of his truck's engine could be heard in the distance. He wretched himself to his feet grimacing through the discomfort, limping to the rail he grasped the wood in a vice grip. Soon lights could be seen coating the fence line in their glow. The truck quickly sped around the corner, turning into the main driveway.
Frank's heart leapt with elation, a wide grin flashing as the pickup approached. Shifty and Williams were in the bed, their rifles pivoting in all directions. The truck came to a halt next to the porch and the two Airmen in the back hopped out. Regina and Miller exited the front cabin, Regina beaming at Frank.
"Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed as she quickly strode up the porch steps, wrapping her arms around her lover, kissing him on the cheek. She looked exhausted and dirty but Frank could have cared less. He blocked out all around him and took her in his arms.
"I'm so glad you're back" Frank whispered into her ear as he clutched her tightly. "Me too" she replied, relishing the moment.
They separated as the remaining soldiers came up the steps. "Where did you go?" Frank asked, looking at the tired specimens. Regina looked up at him as she led him to the truck, "Foraging" she said.
Looking in the backseat and bed of the truck Frank could see boxes of all shapes and sizes, most with military markings. "We went back to Camp Stanley and Camp Bullis. We gathered some rifles and ammo, not much, only five rifles were operational" said Regina proudly, adding "Skynet didn't want anything left behind for survivors to use."
Frank was stunned. He couldn't believe she had done this; he was astounded, proud, elated, and angry all at once. "Now I see why you didn't tell me what you were doing" he said to her with a serious gaze. She shrugged her shoulders and smirked, "Of course, I knew you would throw a shit-fit" she chuckled, opening the passenger door.
He didn't know whether to chide her or kiss her.
Now I KNOW I'm in love he thought to himself.
"Now we can start training some of these people, get them ready to fight" she said while she and her men started pulling boxes from the truck. Frank couldn't argue there, she had been consumed by the idea of fighting back against Skynet ever since Connor's broadcast, Frank as well. She had touched on the idea of going back to those military installations and gathering what they could, but he figured she would wait until he was healed.
"Run into any trouble?" Frank asked as he leaned in to help, grabbing a box labeled "Ammo."
She handed a long box to Shifty, "Not at the camps, we did run into a T1 in Boerne, but we laid low and it didn't spot us" she said.
Frank limped up the stairs with the ammo box in his hands, setting it down at the door. "What were you doing in Boerne?" he asked curiously. "We found so few rifles at the camps that I decided it would be worth checking the sporting goods stores in town. It paid off, we found a few civilian AR's and some large-bore hunting rifles" she said, clearly proud of herself.
"Any survivors?" Frank asked with concern. Regina paused, placing a hand on her hip while the other pulled locks of hair from her face. With a sigh she answered "Yes, not many, but yes. We told them who we were, where to find us if they wanted shelter and a chance to fight Skynet."
"How did they take that?" asked Frank as he carefully walked back down the porch steps to grab another ammo box. "Most of them thought I was crazy, they don't even know the T1 is there," she paused as she reached into the truck after Frank to grab a box. "But they will soon enough" she finished in a grave tone.
"Let's hope not too soon, right?" said Frank, resting his hand on the back of her neck; her sweet spot. Regina's mood shifted back to excitement as she handed the last box of ammo to Williams. "Before I forget, I managed to grab Shawn a Christmas present!" she beamed, an almost child-like excitement flaring on her face. She reached into the back set and pulled out a box. Inside was a toy airsoft rifle made to look like an M4. In her other hand she had a mega-sized container of pellets for it. Frank grinned big, touched by her gesture. "Do you think he'll like it?" she asked. Frank leaned in and gave her a long and loving kiss. "He'll go nuts!" he exclaimed. His hands rested on her hips as she set the box and container back in the truck. "You're amazing, you know that?" Frank added, looking deep into her eyes.
"Mi amore, I know!" she said with a laugh. Frank's knees almost buckled. He loved it when she said told him she loved him, but when she said it in Spanish…
"Get a room, Sergeant" said Shifty sarcastically as he walked by carrying three boxes atop the other. Regina stuck her tongue out as he walked past, causing Frank to laugh. He looked at the boxes Shifty carried, bigger than the others, and asked "What's in those?"
"Books for Shawn; textbooks, the classics, history, math, science, anything I could get. We hit up the public library in Boerne. Better to use them for learning than tinder, I figured" Regina answered.
Frank was still awash in disbelief. "How did I get so lucky, huh Sergeant?" he asked, looking down on his new love with a sneaky grin. "Oh, I just have a thing for crazy hillbillies that get wounded by robots" Regina answered with a grin. They both laughed and kissed, embracing each other in the cold and snow of the post-apocalyptic world.
"Let's go inside" said Frank. Regina nodded as they broke their hold, she grabbed Shawn's present and slowly helped Frank up the porch steps. Frank held the door open as Regina stepped through and he then followed.
Inside the house was warm and filled with the sounds of carols and chatter. It was softly lit with the glow of numerous candles, bathing the house in a multitude of aromas. Miller, Shifty, and Williams were finishing moving all their new supplies into the back room of the house. The living room was buzzing with residents, all gathered around their crudely decorated tanenbaum. It was really a cedar tree they had cut down and covered with homemade ornaments. They drank coffee and sang carols, smiles lit up every face. They wanted to light a fire in the fireplace but Frank strictly forbade it; a plume of smoke would certainly attract unwanted attention. They were already accepting a calculated risk being awake after nightfall.
Travers sat on the stairs with a group of teenagers while they talked of Christmases past, the occasional smile disrupting his usual reserve.
In the kitchen Jimbo was preparing dinner: fresh deer steaks. Frank and Regina walked through the kitchen, the aroma of fresh meat blanketing their senses. "Mmm, smells good, Jimbo" remarked Frank as he walked by. "Bagged it myself this morning, it'll be a nice change of pace from baked beans" Jimbo quipped. Frank couldn't have agreed more.
The couple walked into the back room that served as Frank's hobby shop before the war, where Miller, Shifty, and Williams sat opening their spoils atop Frank's old work bench.
"What's the word, boys?" asked Regina, standing behind the men. "Everything's kosher here, Sergeant" replied Williams as he pulled one of the hunting rifles from the store from its box. He pulled back the bolt, examining the chamber.
Regina motioned Frank over to stand next to her. She reached over and pulled a rifle from the bench. She handed it to Frank, which he grabbed by the fore end, cradling it in his arms. "Sig 556 Tactical Carbine. It fires 5.56NATO rounds, semi-automatic, gas-piston driven, and the mags have a thirty-round capacity" remarked Williams as he looked back at Frank's stoic expression.
Frank nodded as he looked down at the rifle in his hands. He slowly gripped the hilt of the weapon, holding it properly as he had seen Regina do with hers, feeling the weight while his eyes traced every detail. He inhaled and exhaled deeply.
"You good?" asked Regina, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Mhm," Frank responded with a nod, "I just haven't held a gun since Shawn was born."
"Well get used to it, sir, we're going to be doing it a lot more" added Shifty as he pulled the receiver back on one of the M16's they salvaged.
Frank set the rifle back on the bench. He looked at Regina and forced a smile. Suddenly the prospect of engaging those machines, like the one that nearly killed him and his son, became very real and he began to feel…fear. He tried to hide it; he didn't want Regina to think him cowardly, especially after he had told her that he was behind whatever she wanted to do. She looked back at him, recognizing the look in his eyes that said he was off elsewhere, lost in thought.
The soft sound of small feet stepping on wood floor filled the room as Shawn scurried in. His mouth was full with deer meat and his face screamed with curiosity. All the adults looked down at him and smiled. Frank welcomed the distraction and knelt down to hug his son. Shawn rushed forward and grabbed his father around the neck, the sounds of his teeth grinding meat reverberated in Frank's ear.
"Did Mr. Jimbo give you a sample, buddy?" asked Frank. Shawn pulled away and nodded his little head as he swallowed the meat. Regina knelt down, facing the boy. "I have a surprise for you" she said giddily. Shawn's face lit up and he began to rock back and forth on his heels. "What, what, what?" he asked expectantly.
Regina turned around and grabbed the airsoft toy from a stool behind her and held it in front of the boy, a massive grin splashed across her face.
"Oh wow!" exclaimed Shawn, reaching out and grasping the box. "Merry Christmas, Shawn" said Regina.
"What do you say?" said Frank, leveling his head with his son's starry expression. "Thank you, Miss Regina" recited the boy as he dropped to his bottom and began to tear the box asunder.
"You are very welcome" said Regina as she tussled his shaggy hair. ", my little soldier."
"Good job, Sergeant, give him something real to shoot me with" said Miller with a snarky smirk.
Regina turned her head and with a sly grin said "Can it, Miller."
Frank could not believe the mood throughout the house. It seemed as if for this day, this holy day, they could forget about the world around them. Skynet, Terminators, HK's, all of it could be set aside. He silently thanked God for this brief but much needed reprieve.
"Alright, guys, that's enough for tonight. It's Christmas, get out of here" said Regina as she forcefully pushed each soldier out of the room. Shawn stood with his brand new airsoft M4 held aloft, pointing the muzzle in all directions. "Miller!" he screamed, a toddler's battle cry, as he ran after the young soldier. Miller smiled and bounded through the kitchen, enticing the child into a game. Williams and Shifty shook their heads, suppressing laughs as they walked into the living room.
Frank and Regina stayed, holding each other by the hips, side by side.
"It's different, but it still feels like Christmas" remarked Frank, looking at Regina.
"I used to spend the holidays at my Dia's. She would make tamales and the whole family would exchange gifts. My papa would get so drunk…" she trailed off with a laugh.
"This is my first Christmas with Shawn since the divorce" Frank said flatly. Regina held him tight, attempting to smother him with comfort. "We'll make it one to remember" she said as she leaned up and kissed him.
They walked back into the living room, socializing and swapping stories with the others. Jimbo joined in, his girth creating a wide berth for him to move and tell his tales. He implored the group to sing carols and soon everyone in the living room was enthralled in "Silent Night."
Williams stood on the front porch, smoking a cigarette in the cold, basking in his own personal treasure from their excursion. He exhaled a large wisp of smoke, the warm air from his breath hitting the frigid night air. Through the haze he could see a faint gleam and blinking lights directly ahead of him. He squinted his eyes and stepped forward.
His eyes grew wide and his heart flew into his throat as he threw the half-finished cigarette to the ground. Frantically he spun around and flung the front door open, running into the living room.
With a panicked expression he shouted "HK INCOMING!"
The room froze, the singing abruptly ended and everyone's stomach sunk collectively. The air instantly became tense. Regina snapped into action feeling Frank's hand squeeze hers.
"Everyone douse the candles, get upstairs and get away from the windows. Move it, NOW!" she ordered.
The whole room became a blur of movement as each person blew out a candle and rushed up the stairs; it was ten seconds of controlled madness. Frank immediately limped as fast as he could to the other side of the house where Shawn and Miller executed their game. He hurriedly scooped up his son in his arms and took off for the stairs, Miller in tow having heard the shout.
Regina stood at the foot of the stairs as everyone filed up, waving them along in the complete darkness of the house.
Miller was bounding up the steps when the sound of the HK's turbo fans could be heard outside. Regina knew they wouldn't make it up the stairs. She grabbed Frank by the arm and rushed him into the hobby room. There was one window back there and she rushed her man and his son to lay down under it. She lay up against the wall next to the window and looking to Frank, held a finger to her lips. Frank held Shawn tight against his chest, gently running his hand through the boy's hair, trying to keep him calm as he felt Shawn's heartbeat surpass his own.
From the front of the house a search light could be seen piercing the windows. It was dead silent, the only sound coming from the HK hovering just outside the house. The sound drew closer as the machine began to circle around to the back, its light scanning the inside as it went.
Frank could feel Shawn's little hands grip his new toy rifle. If it wasn't so frightening, it would have been cute.
On Christmas of all fucking days he thought, cursing Skynet for disrupting their fleeting moment of peace and joy.
The sound of the turbo fans peaked as the HK hovered just outside their window. Its light screamed through the window's blinds. It would change direction from left to right as the machine pivoted. Regina fought to hold back a curse as she saw the rifles sitting atop the work bench. She prayed that the machine wouldn't notice.
Each passing moment the machine spent in the window felt like an eternity. Regina's eyes locked with Frank's, her expression showing him true fear for the first time. Frank's gaze never faltered and he did not blink.
Finally the machine banked to the right and continued its search. A small sigh of relief exited both Frank and Regina.
She looked to Frank and mouthed the words "Don't move." He nodded and they both stayed where they were.
The machine could be heard above them, no doubt systematically searching the upstairs as well. For ten tense minutes it circled the upstairs. Finally, Frank and Regina could hear the dull roar of the HK's turbo fans as it sped off from whence it came.
The sound of steps on the stairs echoed through the house. A dark figure emerged in the doorway of the hobby room. "We're clear, Sergeant. Do we bug out? What are your orders?" asked the clearly ruffled voice of Williams.
"Negative, Airman, we hold. Tell everyone to stay upstairs, light and noise discipline. That thing is more than likely waiting for us to slip" she said with her composure collected.
"Roger that, Sergeant" replied Williams as he returned back down the hallway.
Regina crawled over to Frank and Shawn and wrapped her arms around them, holding them tight. She could feel Shawn sobbing against her chest. "Shhh its okay, Shawn. It's gone now, okay?" she said to the terrified child.
Frank held Shawn as he quickly followed Regina down the hallway, crouched down just in case. They made their way up the stairs as Jimbo was lumbering down.
"I ordered everyone to stay upstairs, Jimbo" hissed Regina, pressing her hand to Jimbo's wide chest.
"Ah knock that shit off" he said, swiping her hand away, "it's fuckin' Christmas and come Hell or high water these people are going to get their damn Christmas dinner!" he exclaimed. His jowls shook as she spat his response and his back was straight.
He had an odd way of displaying it, but his intentions were pure and sincere. Regina begrudgingly nodded and let Jimbo pass. After all, warm meat would be good for the morale after this sudden distraction. He plodded down the steps, grumbling his annoyance with the machine's crashing of their party. "Goddamn…hunk of junk…no good, Holiday-spoiling…Godless…" he rambled on.
Frank and Regina reached the top of the stairs to find everyone sitting next to one another along the walls of the hallway. They all wore the look of sheer terror. After months of living an existence free of the presence of Skynet, the evil system had finally come knocking on their door.
The couple, with Shawn, took up spots next to their brethren as Jimbo returned with a two plates full with strips of grilled deer meat. He distributed each piece to a member of the group and they all sat and ate in silence. It was a stark contrast to the previous mood. No stories were told, no laughs were to be heard, and no smiles were to be seen. All that was heard was the sound of dozens of scared survivors chewing their precious holiday meal.
Regina broke the silence and ordered "Hit the racks, everyone."
The group sullenly rose and filed out to their sleeping quarters while Frank carried a sleeping Shawn to his bedroom. Miller shared the room; he sat on his mat and chambered his rifle, his nerves obviously on edge. He gave Frank a quick nod as he laid Shawn in his bed as if to say "I've got him."
Frank retired to his bedroom where Regina waited. In the darkness they stripped and climbed into bed. Holding her close under the covers he whispered "Well, he'll certainly remember this Christmas."
Regina sighed as her hand gripped his. "I knew this was going to happen, I just hoped it wouldn't happen this soon" she said.
Frank sighed and asked the question that had been eating at him since he held the rifle in his hands. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Do what?" she asked, turning over to face him, a look of confusion on her face.
"Fight Skynet" he said dryly.
"After tonight, don't you?" she replied, slightly shocked at his question.
"I don't know, Regina. I'm just…" he trailed off, shame coursing through him.
"You're afraid" she said, finishing his thought. He looked her in the eye and nodded meekly, unable to say the words to this woman. She placed a hand on his cheek and his eyes closed.
"I almost died the last time I tangled with one of those things and I don't want Shawn growing up without a father. I still hear the screams from those people…" he said, fighting to keep the tremble out of his voice, "…and I don't want to lose you" he finished, opening his eyes to reveal them welling up.
Regina felt tears of her own forming as she leaned in to kiss Frank.
"You won't lose me, Frank. I don't think any less of you for being scared, I'm scared too. Scared or not, we have to fight…for Shawn, for all of our loved ones that Skynet killed, all of them. Shawn deserves a better world and we can give him that, but we have to fight for it. Think about what Connor said. We can beat it, Frank, it's not impossible." she said, cupping Frank's face in her hand.
"You're a brave man, Frank. I've seen it. I love you, more than you'll ever know" she said, pressing her forehead against his, a single tear streaming down her cheek.
Frank fought back his tears, "I love you, Regina" he said as he embraced her in a passionate kiss. He pulled back and looked at her, a fire of passion and determination burning behind his eyes. "Teach me everything you know and show me what I have to do. I'll follow you anywhere, to Hell and back" he declared, the love of this woman filling him with insurmountable courage. He gently wiped the tear from her cheek with his thumb as she looked at him adoringly.
That night they lay together, wrapped in the throes of passion and the hope of a brighter future. Brought together by disaster but bonded by fate.