"Chapter 20 - Injuries and Recoveries /
"The gunshot was enough to draw the attention of other agents, they came running over, James managed to get to his feet and started to limp away, Jack saw this and yelped as he got to his feet, he'd been shot in his front leg. Carrie managed to disarm James, and Jack – despite the pain managed to trip James up again, they took over and began to administer first aid to James. Stark came over and saw the scene, he saw Jack was injured "We need to evacuate the camp sir, this is spreading, we're only a few miles from the camp, they're bound to have heard those gunshots." Carrie said. Stark nodded and headed towards the camp.
Jack managed to pull himself to his three good feet, unaware that there were more assailants waiting, MI9 was outnumbered. He found himself at surrounded and at gunpoint. He looked for a weak point, using all of the training he had from both the wild and from MI9, suddenly one of the masked assailants fell to the ground dropping his gun, the others turned, but there was no one there, Jack saw an opportunity and knocked two of the men to the ground. Oscar dropped to the ground holding a taser, he'd been aiming from the tree, "what the hell happened to you?" he asked, forgetting Jack couldn't talk when in wolf form. Between them they managed to knock out the circle of assailants and disarm them. Oscar pulled off a balaclava from one of them, "Kids?" he said, then he remembered they'd caught James, Kerry and Kyle, these had to be CHERUB agents too. Jack flopped to the floor, dizzy and exhausted, "Jack? Jack?" Oscar said as he shook the wolf, "Stay with me buddy." He strapped the CHERUBs together so they couldn't untie themselves, and picked up the wolf, put him over his shoulder and started to make his way to the cabin.
"This is MI9!" Stark shouted as he entered the campsite, Mr Flatley, Mrs King and Mr Jeffries came out of their tents, "Who are you what is the meaning of this!" Mrs King shouted, the shouting drew the teens out of their tents, "MI9" Stark said flashing his badge, "We need to evacuate you now" "What on earth for?" Mr Jeffries asked, "You're in danger, you have to leave, a routine training exercise turned into an ambush, head to the village, leave the tents up, we'll reimburse you" Mr Flatley nodded and started to gather the students and began heading to the village, "Where's Rose, Carrie, Oscar, and Jack?" he asked, Stark stepped in, "we found them in the toilets, we've taken them to our safe house, no need to worry, they're okay." Mr Flatley nodded, and they headed quickly to the village. "What do you think happened?" Maddy asked Rhydian and Jana, "They said there were more, I hope they're okay.
"Oscar had managed to carry Jack to the cabin, they past through a lot of the fighting, they were still outnumbered, it was meant to be a simple retrieve and deliver mission, there was only three other agents there, but the assailants kept growing in numbers. They'd sent out the distress signal, but they weren't hopeful, they were an hour from the city, they didn't know if help would masked assailants made their way to the cabin, Jack was still trying to fight, although it was taking all of his energy, he had to protect Oscar. The door was kicked down and Jack threw himself from the sofa onto the person who had just come through the door, he bit down hard on their hand and they dropped the gun, Oscar rushed in and picked it up. He pulled the mask off, and was shocked, their would-be assailant was a little girl, she could be no more than 12 years old. Jack felt guilty, but when he thought about it, she was about to put another bullet in him.
To everyone's surprise, the back up had arrived, and they had brought fire power, it was no longer a one-sided fight. Carrie and Rose geared up with the rest of the agents, "What's happened to Oscar and Jack?" Rose asked, "Jack got shot, I don't know about Oscar" Rose nodded as she strapped Carrie into the bullet proof vest. They were about to move from the van when Jack and Oscar appeared, Jack was limping, he was still bleeding, he was running on adrenaline and both he and Oscar didn't know how he was still walking. "Jack, get in the van, you're not going back out there" Oscar said, Jack shook his head. "Fine, lets go"
The four of them had twenty men behind them, Jack limped at the front, he stopped a few meters from the van, there were four of them up ahead, they creeped silently forward, "MI9 put your weapons down" the kids were hesitant, but Jack growled and they put the weapons down and pulled off their balaclavas, "If we're the first team out, I swear I don't want to run laps" one of the girls said, "Wait what did you just say?" Rose asked, Jack looked at Rose, she let him go on with Carrie and the rest of the team, Frank had just caught up to Rose and Oscar and had just missed Carrie and Jack. "How is everyone? I had to take a minibus to you know who." Frank said, "Jack's shot, but he's carrying on, won't stop, we're fine." Oscar said, he turned back to the girl, "I didn't know Jack was here?" The girl said, "You know Jack?" Rose asked, the girl nodded, "Yeah he's like the coolest grey shirt, we were in basic training with him, its only simulated ammunition though, he'll walk it off soon." Oscar grabbed the gun and shot at the tree, the bullet went straight through, "Does that look like simulated ammunition to you?" he shouted, the girls looked scared, "and we're not CHERUB, we're MI9." "We thought this was another training exercise, they dragged us out of class, blindfolded us and put us in the van, they always do it, they choose a group they think are slacking off, we have to keep these eggs safe for 12 hours, the team who keeps the most eggs safe wins, we thought you were going to smash our eggs." Another girl said. Rose escorted the girls back to the van, they were scared, they didn't realise that this wasn't a training mission at all, they were just doing what they were told. "How many were brought here?" Rose asked as she put them in one of the vans, "all the grey and navy shirt girls, that's what we were told" one of them replied. Rose shut the van door and walked back to Frank and Oscar.
Frank and Oscar were mid conversation when Rose arrived back, "That's why they were so aggressive, they think its just simulated ammunition, someone switched it out before they got the firearms." Frank said, "It's bad news, as far as those four are aware, there's all the grey and navy shirt girls here, that's easily over 120 people" Frank nodded and hooked up his comms, "This is agent London, retreat, I repeat retreat, there's too many, meet back at the vans." He said. "Let's hope they heard" Oscar said as they headed back to the van./
Luckily for the others, they did hear the retreat order, and in small groups they returned back to the van, "There!" Oscar shouted, they were just waiting for Carrie and Jack to get back, Oscar had spotted them coming through the trees, but something was wrong, Jack was limping, but he was carrying Carrie on his back Frank, Rose, Oscar and Stark ran over to help, Jack couldn't walk anymore and fell to the ground. Oscar and Stark picked up Carrie and put her in the van, she'd been wounded in the stomach, Oscar stayed with her applying pressure and the van sped off to the nearest hospital. Frank picked Jack up and put him in another van, "Call the Smiths" he told Rose as they jumped in the van. The van sped off back to Stoneybridge. Frank applied pressure to Jacks leg before noticing he was bleeding from his back, paws, and face too, his left eye had a large slash going across it, and there was a piece of metal sticking out of his paws and back. "The Smiths are rushing one of their contacts to their house, he'll be okay Frank." Rose said as she sat down, "Looks like shrapnel," She said, she called Oscar, "How's Carrie?" she asked, "She's stable, Jack?" Oscar said, Rose had put the phone on loudspeaker, "Bad, is Carrie's wound definitely a gun shot, Jack's practically covered in shrapnel?" Frank asked tearfully, Oscar paused for a moment, then his voice came through the phone, "No, there's one piece of metal sticking out her stomach, nothing else, maybe an improvised explosive?" he suggested. The line went dead, Frank and Rose were worried, then Oscar called back, "Signal drop, sorry, we're arriving at the hospital. Keep each other updated?" "Yeah, good luck" Rose said.
Frank kept pressure on Jacks leg and face, and two hours later they arrived back in Stoneybridge, they pulled up at The Smith's house, everyone was there, Maddy, her parents, Rhydian, Jana, Ceri, Shannon and Tom. They all came out of the house when they heard the van pull up outside, Frank and Rose opened the van from inside, Frank lifted Jack out of the van, "Go inside," Daniel Smith said to the kids, he was the tallest and could see over Frank and Rose's shoulders, all of them except Daniel, Emma, and Ceri went inside, the kids rushed to Maddy's room to see what was going on out of the window. Frank stumbled, Daniel rushed forwards to help him and he took Jack off him, Emma and Ceri helped Frank to his feet, and they went inside. Rose spoke to the driver of the van, and he left, Rose joined the four adults in the kitchen, Daniel was still holding Jack, Emma and Ceri were sitting Frank down on the sofa, "Kid," Daniel said, Rose went over to him, "Grab that blanket and clear the table" Rose nodded, she moved all of the empty plates from the table and ran to grab the blanket from Ceri, and placed it on the table. Daniel put Jack down on the table and sniffed the air, "Madeline, stay upstairs" He said without looking at the staircase, Rose looked up the staircase and the teens were sat at the top. They came down the stairs, "we're going out" Rhydian said as the door closed, Emma sighed, "Eolas" "What's Eolas?" Rose asked as she sat next to Frank, "They can see things, things that are happening now if they focus in, its more complicated than that, but I don't know how to explain it" "Can't hide anything from a Wolfblood I guess" Rose said. Emma laughed half-heartedly before going over to Daniel and Jack. "What happened?" "We were ambushed" Frank said staring into space, "he took a bullet taking down one guy, we don't know what happened after that, another agent is currently in surgery with similar injuries, we're thinking improvised explosive, we'll know more when she comes round." Rose said. Ceri sat down next to Frank, she put her arm around him, "He'll be okay, he was a good fighter in the pack, he'll pull through.
Three hours later Carrie was out of surgery and was starting to come round, Oscar, Stark and the Head of MI9 had been at her bedside the whole time. "Oscar?" She said as she opened her eyes, Oscar grabbed her hand, "I'm here Carrie, so's Stark and The Boss." "Jack?" She asked weakly, "We don't know" Stark said. "It's my fault" she said, Oscar grabbed some tissues from the bedside table and dabbed her tears away, "they put mines down, we got separated from the other agents, a group of them rushed us and pushed us towards the mine they'd just put down." She sniffed, "I stood on it, it was pressure triggered to go off when I stepped off it. The group turned on Jack then they disappeared, Jack heard the mine click when I stepped on it, he pushed me off it. He saved me. Oh god its all my fault."
The Smith's doctor was operating on Jack in the kitchen, Frank and Rose were waiting in the living room with Emma and Ceri, Daniel came in occasionally to give them updates. They sat in silence and jumped when Rose's phone rang, it was Oscar, she looked and Frank who nodded, she answered and put it on speaker, as she did, the other teenagers came into the living room. "Rose?" Oscar asked, "Yeah I'm here, so is Frank. As are Maddy, her parents, Jana and her mum, Rhydian, Shannon and Tom" She replied, "Full house then?" Stark said in the background. "They know, we keep their secret, they keep ours – been that way for over a year." Frank said, "Except Shannon and Tom" Oscar said, Rose looked at Shannon and Tom, they smiled and nodded and went outside, they couldn't go into the kitchen, because Daniel had barred anyone from going in, so they had to wait outside the house, they didn't mind, they were interested, but they knew how hard it was for Maddy and Rhydian to let them into their secret, they knew they would know eventually, but now wasn't the time, their friends was at deaths door in the kitchen.
"Carrie?" Frank asked, "she okay, she's sleeping, came round from the surgery about half an hour ago, she'll make a full recovery. Jack?" Oscar asked, "still under" Frank replied. "Carrie confirmed it, they put mines down, she was forced onto one, it was pressure triggered to go off as she stepped off it. Jack took her down, took most of the of damage. Will he make it?" Oscar wanted to know. Frank put his head in his hands, Rose looked uncertain, "Rose? Frank?" Oscar said as the phone was silent, "Hi, umm, Daniel Smith here, it's touch and go at the moment" Daniel said, there was a knock at the front door, and Tom and Shannon were waiving violently through the window, everyone in the living room was confused, Maddy's phone buzzed, "oh no, Jeffries" She said reading Tom's text, "I'll go" Rose said looking at Frank.
"Mr Jeffries?" She asked as she stepped outside with Maddy, she had just finished putting her hair up and her glasses on, she had thrown on Ceri's coat to hide her MI9 uniform, "Ah Rose, you're okay, I was just worried when the police moved us out and they had you, Carrie, Oscar and Jack, are they here too?" their form tutor asked, Maddy looked at Rose, "no, they've gone into the city." She lied, "How did you know I was here?" Rose asked worriedly, "I didn't, I was just making the rounds, checking in on everyone – scary stuff. I'm guessing Jana and Rhydian are inside?" Mr Jeffries replied, upon hearing their names, Jana and Rhydian came out the front door, "Hi sir" Jana said. Mr Jeffries nodded, "good, good, I've decided to give you the day off tomorrow, we weren't expected back till late anyway – can you pass the message onto the other three" Rose nodded and went inside with Jana, Maddy and Rhydian, Shannon and Tom were unsure if they could go in, but Rose stuck her head out of the door "Give us two minutes?" she asked them, they nodded. Daniel and Rose dragged Frank into the bathroom, Daniel fetched some of his clothes for Frank to wear, and Maddy found something out for Rose to wear, Rose stuffed her and Frank's uniforms into her rucksack and let Shannon and Tom into the house
Carrie had been moved out of intensive care and onto a general ward, the Head of MI9 was organising her a transfer to MI9's own hospital because there was more security, it was likely she would be moved in the morning, but for the meantime, Stark had found two agents to be stationed outside her door. Jack had come out of surgery, the doctor the Smith's had found had done a good job, but only time would tell. Frank thanked that doctor as he left, and Daniel carefully moved Jack into the spare room. The operation had been done whilst he was still in wolf form, Jack didn't have enough strength to transform back, they all hoped that he would transform back as the anaesthetic wore off. Emma took Shannon and Tom home later that evening, she offered to take Frank home, but he wanted to stay with Jack, Rose walked with Jana and Ceri into the village, she said goodbye to them as Stella pulled up, she wanted to know what happened on the way home, as she was in a meeting when the call for back up came in.
Frank sat in a chair at the side of Jack's bed, there was a gentle knock at the door, Frank looked as Maddy and Rhydian popped their heads round the door, "hey" Maddy said gently, "Can we come in" Frank rubbed his eyes and nodded, "he's always been a fighter – fight for what right" Rhydian said, "What was he like?" Frank asked, "When he was with you guys? The wild?" Rhydian smiled and sat on the floor, Maddy joined him and rested against his shoulder, "he was the one that I never thought would go tame, him Meinir, Jana, Aran, those four were the big dogs, Alric, Jana's father, he was the alpha, Jana was next in line to take over the pack, she wanted to rule with Jack, but he didn't want to lead, eventually she ended up with Aran, and Jack with Meinir. They were strong together, then Jana came here and Jack and Meinir developed this hatred for humans because they'd tainted her. He was always a fighter, a hunter, him and Jana were the only ones that could use Ansin –" Rhydian stopped as he saw Frank's face, "Give them an item and they can tell you the history, kind of like seeing into the past, some wolfbloods can, some can't, luck of the draw I guess. They were also the best at Eolas." Frank smiled, "I never knew any of this, why wouldn't he say?" Frank said looking at the wolf in the bed, "Trusting someone with the secret is hard enough, its hard to wrap your head around Eolas and Ansin too" Maddy said standing up, she tugged at Rhydians jumper, he too got up and they left Frank alone with Jack.
The morning came and Jack had transformed back into a human overnight, but he was still out cold, Emma stuck her head in the room offering Frank some breakfast, "You need to eat love, have a shower, you've been in the wars too." Frank shook his head, Emma put her hand on Frank's shoulder, "he's fighting through," she said, "how can you tell?" Frank asked, Emma smiled and held Jack's hand, "he's human again." She started to leave the room, but Frank called her back, "What if I'm not good enough for him?" he asked, Emma came back into the room, "every parent feels like that sometimes" she said, "but I'm not like you, I don't know what to do, you're two, they were telling me about Eolas and Ansin, I didn't know that was possible. I pluck him from the wild, from his friends, and throw him into high stakes situations, and then this happens." Frank put his head in his hands, Emma tried to comfort him, "hey, Frank, listen, you have done a good job, he's a good boy, he's settled, he's got good morals, he saved your other agent, took the blast himself. You understand him, he's one of you, MI9. And hey, for wolfy stuff, you can always come to us, he's always welcome to join our pack." Frank nodded, "Frank?" Jack said weakly, "are you crying?" he asked, Frank laughed, "You're awake" "I'll leave you two alone, I'll bring breakfast up, let the others know – I'll ask Madeline to call your Rose." Emma said as she left the room. "How's Carrie?" Jack asked, "She's good thanks to you, you idiot why did you do that?" Frank asked, Jack laughed weakly, "I couldn't let her die Frank, I knew I was quick enough to get her away from the mine," Frank ruffled his hair, he didn't know what to say, he was so happy Jack was awake. "I love you dad" Jack muttered, Frank began crying again, he had always wanted kids, he had just never been able to settle down because of the job, now he finally had the family he wanted, and he couldn't be happier.