Chapter 11

"Why aren't you at the bridge?"

Eric adjusted the load in his hands as he turned to see his brother coming into the station followed by Hawkins, Jimmy and Gray. There was also one very angry looking Sari and he could tell right away that it wasn't good as Sari said, "Because somebody decided on a 'brilliant' idea that is a bad one."

Jake glared at Sari. He had been hearing it all the way back. He looked back at his brother and said, "We need to talk."

Eric motioned towards the office. He could tell that it was a conversation that was not going to have agreement on either side. He listened as Jake gave the account of what happened at the bridge. When he got to the part about Jake's idea to blow up the bridge, he could understand why Sari was not in a good mood. He looked at her as she stood there with a glare that was the equivalent of getting the mom glare and was equally scary. He said, "No way. We're not doing it."

"Think about it: with the bridge gone, we can't be overrun," Jake countered trying to get his brother to see his side of things.

"Until Ravenwood turns around and comes at us from another direction," Eric pointed out.

"Not to mention that we'd be cutting off people from town," Sari pointed out. "We'd be leaving them to the wolves."

"But not before passing New Bern or some other town," Gray shouted, "Better them than us."

"Oh really?" Sari raised her brow at Gray. She moved to stand toe to toe with the man. "So, we're going to be like everyone else? What about the Richmonds and the others that live within the town limits of Jericho but on the other side of that bridge?" She pointed towards the window to drive the point home. "Is it the same quota for them?"

"And what good are you going to do?" Gray glared at Sari as he countered her, "Seems to me that they weren't much in a talking mood."

"Not after someone got too nervous and popped off a shotgun round," she replied smoothly. "And weren't you the one not so long ago that wanted to grab a gun and hunt Mitch Cafferty down like a dog?" She had lowered her voice as she finished her last sentence.

"I agree with Jake," Hawkins interrupted, "That it is the best choice. We can then focus our manpower and resources on securing the other roads." He tried to keep his voice down to keep the peace.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Eric said as he shook his head.

"And I can't believe you are considering doing this. This is not the answer," Sari added as she made a gesture. "If we destroy that bridge, it is gone forever. Do you think we can do without it?"

"And what about the farms on the other side… access to the food for the winter," Eric added. He was surprised that Sari wasn't going along with Jake on this one. He remembered her always going along when they were kids. Now she was… At least he had some support for this.

"There are farms closer to town," Gray pointed out.

"And what about what I said before? The homes that are going to be isolated?" Sari countered back. She didn't like to fight but she was willing to get into one if only to punch out Gray Anderson. She looked at Jake, "JJ, that means Stanley will be cut off."

"Then they'll have to come over." Jake looked at Sari wondering why she was fighting him on this. She had to know that this was the only way to go.

"Look there has to be a better way," Eric said.

"Ravenwood is coming back right now. We've got no time," Gray pointed out, "What do you suggest?"

"We can get more men," Eric answered, "Pull them off the outposts if we have to."

Jake knew that Sari was in favor of this proposition. She had to know that it was going to get people killed. "Eric, if you send more men out there, you're going to get more men killed."

Sari crossed her arms over her chest. She knew that was the risk. The men they had were used to shooting animals. Shooting at a person was a whole lot different and it was asking a lot of them. She believed though that when a person defended their home because it is their right, they had a fighting chance even if they were outnumbered and outgunned. She glanced over at Eric and he returned the look with a nod. She gave one in return and said, "Bill, lock up the explosives."

"What the…?"

"Nothing happens to that bridge," Eric said in support. He gave a firm look at his brother to make it clear. "We can face them with whatever we can muster."

Jake couldn't believe what was happening. He let his brother pass him but spoke when Sari started to pass, "How can you… Sari!"

Eric turned and reiterated that the answer was no. Sari paused though and turned to look at Jake and everyone else in the room. She knew that Jake was probably seeing this as a betrayal of sorts, but she was going to hold fast to this one. She uncrossed her arms and dropped them to hang at her sides. "We're going to hold the bridge. Gather whoever is left and have them meet here."

Jake watched her leave the room. His lips twitched in anger. Was she really going to fight him on this one? After all the crap they had gotten into and she went along with him them. What made this so different? It felt like a betrayal and yet… She really had changed from the girl he left behind, and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing. There was nothing left to do but to have Jimmy and the others start making preparations.

Sari felt like hitting something, but she had to keep her cool. She had a feeling that she and Jake would butt heads. It had been happening ever since the whole thing with Mitch and Jonah and now this. She was not the little girl that he protected from the town anymore. She had a mind and ideas and knew how to make things work. The whole thing hurt and made her angry. Taking a deep breath, she went to help Bill lock up the explosives.

Bill knew the situation was serious and he sort of agreed with Jake and Gray, but he couldn't disregard what his boss was telling him to do. And yet he couldn't help but think that maybe she might have the right idea, but Jake made a point too. No one wanted to die in a fight, and it looked like it was going to come down to that. Sighing, he reached for the keys to unlock the case that he was going to store the explosives in.

At that moment, Sari came in with a box of explosives and set them on the table. Bill glanced at her as he opened the locker and stepped aside so she could put it in. He had to ask, "Sari… is this really the best choice?"

Sari finished moving the box to make room for the other. She took a breath and looked at Bill. "I am not going to let innocent flounder because of a situation we have been placed in." She glanced over towards the door to make sure that there was no one there. She then leaned in and said in a low tone, "Blowing up the bridge is a bad idea. It's letting them set the tone. In my experience, if you are in an impossible situation, do not let the enemy set the tone. You set it, even if it doesn't make sense at the time."

Bill looked at Sari as she grabbed a box to lock up. He watched as he moved what he needed. "Do you have a plan, Sari?"

Sari straightened up and stared at the wall, putting her hands on her hips. She took a couple of breaths and realized she was still not happy with the division that was occurring. Even with that disappointment, she was still thinking about an idea. It was one that she would have to get Eric on board with since he was the one that was in favor of standing up to Ravenwood. She looked at Bill. "Stand and fight."

"You… you know that not everyone has your experience. The most anyone shot at was a turkey or something," Bill gestured, looking a little scared at what she was suggesting.

"I know, Bill. Unfortunately, it is the best choice. Not the only, but the best. The best in that it makes sure that all of Jericho is secure."

"And you have an idea." Bill had been studying her and realized she had some idea of what to do. He frowned slightly, "And you know that Gray will throw a fit."

"Gray thinks first and asks questions later," Sari spat back. "He almost made a drastic mistake when he tried to shoot Mitch Cafferty in the middle of a public street." She finished putting the explosives in and gestured for Bill to lock them. "You want to know more about what I did while I was away?"

"It's crossed my mind," Bill asked as he locked the cabinet. "But I get it if you don't. And what you know has helped."

Sari nodded. She knew that this was not the time to let fear run the show. She stepped closer and put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "The things I did… This is a picnic, but the events are the same. Just different players. The thing we have going by standing up and fighting is that we have what Ravenwood doesn't have. People defending their homes. Over there I saw men outnumbered and outgunned and they were fighting to defend their home. That is something more powerful than a mercenary, fighting for an ideal. The will to live and be free… It's a powerful thing."

"And you really think we can pull this off?"

"I'm not going to lie. There is a huge risk. You said it, everyone's said it, our people are not soldiers, but we have the homefield advantage." She looked around and sighed as she added, "And the ability to make a deal with the devil. Better the devil you know than you don't." She looked at Bill and asked, "Can I count on you to back me up, Bill?"

Bill looked at her. She had changed from the girl he knew when they were in school. The woman before him was a leader. She took charge and showed others how to do the same. She cared about a greater good and tried her best to explain it to others. Its what made people readily cooperate with the new guidelines to keep Jericho as normal as possible, but also a safe as could be made. He nodded, "You're the boss, Sari. You haven't done anything that would result in removal of duty."

Sari nodded as she patted Bill on the shoulder. She looked towards the door. She knew Jake and Gray. Hawkins she wasn't completely sure of, but she could guess where he stood. It was going to come to a head, and she sensed that Bill would easily cave. He was scared. They all were. She looked back at him and said, "I then trust that you will make the right decision when the time comes."

Patting Bill on the shoulder, she turned and left. She had to get to Eric and relay her plan. She only prayed that he would be willing to listen. Most everyone else didn't seem to take her seriously when she admitted to seeing the same thing when she was in Afghanistan. She passed Jimmy in the lobby and said, "I hope you know how to stand, Jimmy."

It was subtle, but clear. Sari didn't pause to take in the reaction. She didn't have much time. She looked in the likely places for Eric around town since he was the deputy mayor. She came across Hawkins toting what looked like fertilizer and she raised her brow. She could have stopped it, but she needed to find Eric. Eric could handle his brother and the others.

She found Eric as he was rounding up people willing to put a stand at the bridge. "Eric!"

Eric turned to see Sari jogging towards him. "What is it, Sari?"

Sari took a breath and spoke, "I know how we can get the numbers needed to make a stand."

Eric stared at his brother's friend. She was staring at him with an expression that said she was serious. He knew that he shouldn't have doubted her in the beginning. He had seen it when she defended them in Rogue River. She was not the kind of person to bullshit them. "Talk to me."

"Okay. Hear me out before saying anything. Your word." Sari tapped Eric on the shoulder. She needed that guarantee from him before she said anything.

Eric thought it was a strange request but realized why she said it. He took a sharp intake of air and it came out like a hiss. Time was of the essence and he knew that he couldn't get hung up in a pissing match. "Alright. I promise. Tell me your plan."

Sari looked at Eric and shifted on her feet. She took a breath, "How about…"

~0~0~0~0~

Jake knew that blowing the bridge was the best bet. They could reinforce Jericho against Ravenwood and force them to find another way that would take them miles out of their way. He hated agreeing with Gray in that it was better them than Jericho and he was doing what he had told Hawkins; that everything he did was to protect his family.

And Sari and Ryan?

Jake had looked after Sari for a long time. The only time that stopped was when he left Jericho. He left her alone and that ended up with her leaving. It occurred to him that by leaving her alone, it forced her to gain a sense of independence. She had to otherwise she wouldn't have gone on to do what she did. Now he was seeing the result of that. She was capable of doing a lot, making decisions and know when she was in over her head. He knew she was always capable of it. He just always did it for her.

Jake knew when he was defeated and let it go, instead diverting his energy to arming and positioning people. He didn't understand Sari's reluctance and the stand she took against him surprised him. It surprised everyone in the room. Yet, he knew better than to disregard any input she had based on her experiences. It seemed that the deputies learned that during the time she took over in her current job and stood by her even though he could see that they thought she was in the wrong this time. When he saw Gray and Hawkins talking about fertilizer, dawned on Jake that they were going to blow up the bridge anyway.

As far as Jake saw it, it was in violation of a directive given by the leading deputy/sheriff of the town. It was undermining Sari's authority. Yet, this wasn't a time to be squeamish about the law. He didn't say that he was in, even when Gray told him that there was no shame because he had loyalty to his brother. He could tell that it was going down no matter what, unless Sari showed up with a major show of force. The best he could do was warn the families on the other side of the bridge what was going down and to move into town. It was why he found himself standing outside the Richmond farm, trying to explain and getting looks of bewilderment and upset.

"You're going to blow up the bridge?" Mimi was looking at Jake as if he had lost his mind.

"The Millers will be here in an hour. They got their old Nova working. You can ride with them." Jake turned towards Jake and Bonnie.

Stanley knew the situation was dire. He had a bad feeling when Ravenwood drove up to his house and he trusted Jake. Even though events drove Jake away for five years, they were still friends. They had been through a lot together and there was no reason to doubt Jake or his word. He gestured at Bonnie, "Go pack your bag."

"No."

Stanley narrowed his eyes at the defiance Bonnie was showing. He signed as he spoke, "Don't argue with me. When that car gets here, you're going to be in it. Now go."

"And what about you?" Mimi stood there as she watched the scene unfold with Jake. She didn't like being stuck there, but she was grateful for the help and hospitality that Stanley gave her despite the fact that she had been there for the IRS.

"I'm staying."

Jake gritted his teeth at that. "Don't be stupid Stanley. They're coming back."

"I'll hold them off. I did it before."

Jake knew that Stanley was a stubborn ass. They all were at the best of times. With Stanley, it seemed to come at the worst of times. It was admirable that he was willing to stand up for what he believed in, but now was not the time. He gave a reality check shove on his friend, "Look, it's not going to be a couple of guys this time." He didn't want to go into it, but he had to make it clear, 'They left a pile of bodies in Rogue River. You want to wind up like that?"

Both were so absorbed into their discussion, that they forgot that Mimi was there. She had been listening and she could see the implications. She tried, "Stanley, please don't get yourself killed for a house."

Stanley looked at Jake and then at Mimi. They just didn't get it. They didn't know what was at stake if he were to leave and leave the place to the wolves. He approached Mimi, trying not to get too emotional. He was just tried of trying to explain himself to a woman who didn't seem to know what was important in life. In a controlled tone, he replied, "Hey, my grandfather built this house from the ground up." He gestured at the house, "And that room you've been sleeping in… That was my dad's room when he was a kid. They put that in your audit file?" He glared at Mimi and turned back towards Jake. "I'm not about to give it up without a fight."

Jake made a slight face as Stanley walked away to prepare. He could see his friend's point. There wasn't a man in town that would leave for that reason, but he knew what Ravenwood was capable of. He lost a lot when he was over in Afghanistan. He'd be damned if he was going to lose his friends and family here. He tried again, "If we had guardsmen, people who were trained… We could take a stand, but we don't. Once we blow that bridge, everyone who's on this side of it is on their own."

Stanley heard Jake's words. He knew that they were right. He knew that if he continued to stay, he would be all alone here. Logically, it was right to leave, but he couldn't. He wasn't about to leave a place that held memories, a life, a family… everything that made him and Bonnie who they were was there. He wasn't about to leave it behind so readily. He nodded in acknowledgement to Jake's words and turned to look at his friend and replied, "Okay. So, go warn people. You're wasting time here. I doubt Sari would."

Stanley threw that last bit about Sari in Jake's face. He knew that Jake would respond to that. Jake had always looked out for her and Stanley suspected that his friend's feelings extended deeper than that even though he had been with Emily for a time. He left Jake to go and start shoring up his house. He was going to stay and fight if he had to.

Jake watched as Stanley walked away. It wasn't like his friend to throw Sari and what she would do in his teeth, but he got the message loud and clear. Stanley wasn't going anywhere and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to let his friend do what he had to do. Sighing, he left the Richmond place to go warn the other families. He didn't have much time to do it in.

In the meantime, Stanley worked on protecting his property. He was well aware that he was probably doing the stupidest thing ever, and he had done some pretty stupid things, but this was his home. He was going to protect it no matter what. He would do what he could. He got the feeling that if Sari were there, she would be in agreement with him. She would understand what he was feeling what things meant to him.

He was working on the windows when the Millers drove up in their Nova. Seeing them out the window, he turned towards Bonnie and signed while speaking, "They're here. Get your stuff."

"I'm not leaving. This is my home, too," Bonnie protested.

Stanley wanted to curse the fact that there was such a thing as stubborn little sisters as he turned to respond, "Bonnie, it is not safe for you here."

"I'm not afraid."

"Bonnie, don't argue with me."

Bonnie was close to pleading and begging, "We'll be okay if we stay together."

"Stanley?"

Mimi had come down the stairs and Bonnie wasn't going to pretend in anything. She rolled her eyes and left. Mimi was well aware that Bonnie didn't like her. It was one of the few sticking points to her staying there. She ignored the look and approached Stanley, "She's not going?"

"I can't force her."

"You're risking her life… and yours." Mimi saw the logic of leaving. She couldn't understand why Stanley was being stubborn about this. "I don't get it, Stanley." She tracked the man as he moved throughout the house.

"Because it's not your family," Stanley snapped, "Bonnie grew up in this house. We both did." He turned to look at Mimi and explain, "This house is her only connection to a mother and father she barely even remembers."

Mimi still didn't get all of it even though she was getting a hint of it. She thought Stanley was being an idiot for not seeing it. She replied, "That's funny. I you were that connection."

Stanley was at a loss for words. He didn't have anything to say to that as she wished him luck to head out with the Millers. He made a slight face as he thought about it some more. Definitely Sari would have pointed that out to him. She would have pointed out that the house was what it is and that yes it held memories, but he was the one thing that was a living representative of his parents. She would have been eloquent in her language, but he would have gotten the message.

Looking out the window, he watched as Mimi left with the Millers. He leaned against the window and thought about things. He still believed that he was in the right, but he could also see the other side of things. He shook his head as he thought about it.

Always sticking with the obvious, right, Stanley?

Stanley felt his lip curl in a smile as he recalled a conversation he had with Sari. He muttered, "It's the right thing to do."

And I get that. It's one of the reasons why I like you. You see the obvious and don't waste time running in a circle like a dog chasing its tail. You see what needs to be done and do it.

Stanley remembered that and how he thought she was calling him a dog. He remembered how he reacted, and she still smiled at him, like she was amused. She then pointed at him and said that he was making her point right there. It had him red with embarrassment, but he was also lucky in that Jake didn't get the urge to beat him up.

It's not a bad thing Stanley. Loyalty to principles is a hard thing to come by. Sometimes though, you just need to step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

"And that's why you're the sheriff, Sari," Stanley muttered as he turned away from the window. It was on his mind as he went about, finishing shoring up the house.

A/N: To blow up a bridge or not to blow up a bridge? Stay tuned for more Forces Banding Together...