As Miles and Charlie approached Willoughby after leaving Bass, the town was rocked by a tremendous explosion that sent a plume of smoke into the air. They raced into town to find the first floor of the old office building that had once housed the post office demolished. Several passersby were wounded in the blast that left two dead. Aaron and his girlfriend Cynthia were two of the injured. Their injuries, luckily, were superficial cuts and bruises with Cynthia suffering a possible concussion.
Miles and Charlie found Gene and Rachel circulating among the wounded. Charlie joined in giving first aid where she could while Miles helped transport the injured to Gene's clinic.
Gene was angry. He knew that Truman was behind the bombing. Later, when things have settled down, he confronts Truman with his suspicion, and he finds himself in trouble.
Gene had been helping the Patriots, sometimes doing things that he found reprehensible. He thought that he was helping the town by cooperating with the Patriots. They promised him vaccines and medicines in return. But the more he saw, the more he realized they had a hidden agenda, and it wasn't a good one. Not caring who was hurt in the crossfire, they had blown up a building with the sole purpose of casting blame on someone else to further their goal of taking over.
The day before the bombing, a strange man, a high-ranking Patriot official, Dr. Horn, rolled into town. On the side of his wagon was the concentric triangle and eye symbol that Bass had seen on the bounty handbills.
Horn is a sickly-looking man, too thin with deep-set eyes that are dark circled, and cold. Very cold, and he was looking for Aaron Pitman.
Three weeks before Bass had come to Willoughby with Charlie, there were some bizarre and wildly unnatural occurrences. It started with the sudden appearance of thousands of swarming fireflies in the trees around Aaron's house. Shortly after the arrival of the fireflies, Aaron was mortally wounded in his home during an attack on Willoughby by the Andover war clan. An attack that they later found out was orchestrated by the Patriots to convince the people of Willoughby of how much the town needed their protection.
Gene was called to treat Aaron, but the huge gaping hole in his chest wasn't survivable. Gene, Rachel, and Aaron's girlfriend Cynthia helplessly watched him die. Two hours later, as Rachel was helping to prepare him for burial, Aaron suddenly sat up, taking a large gasping breath, his eyes wide and frantic. The wound was gone; Aaron had come back to life like a modern-day Lazarus.
After the shock of seeing their friend brought back from the dead, Rachel realized that it must have been her pet project, the nanotech, that had healed him. The very same Nano that had brought about the blackout. What other explanation could there possibly be? This was something that, for obvious reasons, had to be kept quiet.
The following week, Miles was at the rail yard doing reconnaissance of some Patriot activity. He was spotted by two Patriot guards, and as he was about to be captured, the ground started to glow around their feet, and then they burst into flames. At that same instant, Aaron had been about to climb into bed when he collapsed. His eyes rolled and Cynthia was sure that he was having some sort of seizure caused by the trauma of what had happened to him. He was, in fact, having a vision of the attack and capture of Miles. Aaron's immediate reaction was fear for Miles. He unwittingly stopped Miles' capture when he caused the two Patriot soldiers to spontaneously combust. Miles was momentarily stunned, motionless, not believing what he saw. He couldn't understand what was happening. Then he ran.
Miles was telling Rachel about what had happened when a frantic Aaron showed up at their door. He told Rachel and Miles about his dream, his vision.
"Miles, were you at the rail yard last night?" Aaron asks, his voice unsteady.
"Yeah…why? How would you know?"
"I know because I saw you. I saw you in a dream. Did…did two guys burst into flames?"
"Yeah, fucking freaky," Miles says, looking at Rachel. "This is your ex-files shit, isn't it? I hate this shit."
"I think that it's the Nano, but why? I don't know." Rachel answered.
"Rachel, I think that I made it happen," Aaron says, clearly disturbed. "I was afraid for Miles, then they burst into flames."
"We need to keep this quiet," Rachel says.
"Ya think?" Aaron says sarcastically. "What do you think it means?" Aaron asks Rachel. "Why did it save me? Why have I become a fire starter?"
"I think it's because it's your code, Aaron. It thinks of you as a creator."
Truman's orders were to report any unexplained occurrences to Horn, the Patriots Secretary of Science. Two crispy soldiers and Aaron's miraculous recovery definitely qualified, thus bringing Horn to Willoughby. He knew about the nanites from his work with the DOD before the blackout. He knew Rachel Matheson and that she was in town. Now hearing about nanites doing other things, things not related to power, brought him to Willoughby looking to cure his brain cancer. He was convinced that Aaron held the key to that cure.
Gene was angry and confronted Truman about the bombing. Truman sternly reminded Gene of all of the medications and supplies that had been provided. He reminded Gene that he worked for him and that he had better continue playing ball or he would be going after his family.
Then Truman told Gene that he was aware of Aaron's miraculous resurrection and that he had reported it to Horn.
Gene was brought to Horn, who then ordered him to bring in Aaron. Gene refused. With that, Truman reiterated his threat to arrest Charlie and Rachel and him as well. They would be arrested and charged as traitors if Gene didn't cooperate.
"I know about Stu Redman, Gene. He's Miles Matheson. I want him brought in for the bombing of the post office building. You give us Matheson and Pitman, and I'll see to it that your family is left alone. I want them by noon tomorrow." Truman ordered.
Later, at Gene's…
"Things are heating up," Miles says. "This whole bombing thing."
"This guy Horn arrived yesterday. He's high up in the Patriot chain of command. He wants to talk to Rachel, and he wants Aaron. Rachel, he says that he knows you." Gene tells them.
"I know him. He was high up in the DOD when I was there. He was my boss' boss. He knew about our Nano-tech project." Rachel explains.
"What do they want with Aaron?" Charlie asked. She hadn't been aware of Aaron's miraculous recovery.
"It's a long story. Aaron died when the Andover Clan attacked the town. That was before you came back. The Nano-tech saved him," Rachel explained.
"Died? As in Dead? How?" Charlie said incredulously.
"I'm not sure. We had been working on medical applications of the Nano. Guess some version of it worked. And it would appear that the Nano has given Aaron the ability to eliminate his enemies by lighting them on fire."
"Jeez…as if coming back from the dead wasn't freaky enough," Charlie adds.
"There's another thing," Gene says. "Miles, Truman knows who you are, and he's framing you for the post office bombing. Calling you a terrorist. He wants you and Aaron by noon tomorrow, or he's going to arrest Rachel and Charlie… and me."
"Well, that's not going to happen," Miles says. "Looks like we have to move up our timetable," looking at Charlie and Rachel.
"When do we go?" Rachel asks.
"I would say the sooner, the better."
"Where to?" Gene asks.
"We have a safe house near the river about ten miles from here. Well, it's more of a cellar under an old barn."
"If Gene has a noon deadline, then we had better move asap," Miles orders. "Pack what you can. Gene, do you think that you can get out with your wagon?"
"They let me leave to make house calls. I'll tell them I need to see some patients. Jerry Campbell is almost ready to deliver. There's a false bottom in the bed of the wagon. We can stash some supplies there."
"What about Aaron and Cynthia?" Charlie asks.
"I don't know if we have enough time to get them. They are on the other side of town. We can try and come back," Miles answers.
"No! We need to take them now. We can't leave them!" Charlie exclaims. "What if we can't get back?"
"Miles, with Horn here, we can't leave Aaron behind," Rachel says. "The man's dangerous…evil."
Gene interrupts, "I can stop by Aaron and Cynthia's. I'll say that I need her to make a house call. I'll pick them up with the wagon."
"How do we get them past the guards?" Rachel asks.
Gene thinks for a moment. "The wagon's the false bottom. We'll have to for-go the extra supplies…wait, I can just say that I am bringing the Campbell's some things because they're housebound. Aaron can hide in the hidden compartment. It will be a tight fit, but it should work. Cynthia can ride with me as my assistant. If asked, I'll say that Rachel is busy with the patients from the explosion."
Miles is thoughtful… "That could work… Gene, are you sure that you can pull it off?"
"Yeah, should be okay."
"Okay, Gene, you get Aaron and Cynthia and meet us at the old Miller farm. We'll regroup there and then head out."
Gene added some extra crates of food among his medical supplies. Miles, Rachel, and Charlie gathered what they could fit on the horses. Three hours later, they were at the farm waiting for Gene.
As soon as Gene was well beyond the town walls, Aaron was released from his prison, cramped, hot and thirsty. Aaron and Cynthia hugged and got into the back of the wagon for the remainder of the journey.
"Grandpa! You made it!"
"Any problems?" Miles asked.
"It was a little dicey at the gate. They asked more questions than usual, but that was it."
"You're sure you weren't followed."
"I'm sure. I went by the Campbell's just to be safe. If they did follow me, they would have confirmed that I was going where I said."
"Alright, let's get going," Miles said.
Traveling with the wagon over rough terrain made the going a bit slower. They arrived three and a half hours later at the safehouse/camp.
Bass heard them approaching and hid in the tree line until he was sure of who was coming. When the caravan pulled up, Bass came out from the trees, surprised to see Miles return so soon and with the addition of Rachel, Aaron, Cynthia, and Gene.
Gene spotted Bass and was dumbfounded, momentarily speechless. Aaron was taken back as well.
"Yeah, Gramps. I'm alive. Thank you, by the way, for that heartfelt sentiment right before you stuck me with that stuff. That was real nice." Bass understood the anger that many felt toward him, but Gene's words of hate right before he went out really stung.
"How?..."
"I switched the meds, Dad," Rachel explains.
"Why?"
"Because I asked her to," Charlie answers.
"Alright, enough, he's alive. Let's move on." Miles announced. "We need to set up camp. There isn't enough room in the barn's cellar for all of us. Rachel, you, Gene, Charlie, and me, in the cellar. Bass, you, and Aaron set up a camp. There may be room in the barn with the horses. We have one tent."
"Aaron can have the tent if he wants. I'll take the barn or sleep outside, weather permitting." Bass says.
Aaron looks at Bass, surprised that he would be that selfless. "Cynthia and I will take the tent, thanks," Aaron says.
"Good, it's decided then. Let's get settled. Bass, help with the horses?
Thanks for taking the barn, Bass. I didn't think that Aaron would want it." Miles says.
"Yeah, well, it's a lot better than a lot of places that I've slept in lately." Once they finished settling the horses, Base grabbed his things from the cellar and moved them to the barn.
Later that night, sitting around the campfire, Miles confers with Bass about the next step with the Patriots. "We should work on hitting the smaller Patrols, chip away at their numbers," Miles states.
"I agree that these Patriots are a major pain in the ass, but not my problem, Miles; where's my son."
"Bass, we need you here right now. I got some intel that a group of Pats is setting up some type of lab or something in the old Willoughby high school. We need to take it out."
"Again, not my problem, Miles."
"Look, dickhead, we saved your ass. Now I need your help."
Bass looks pissed, then almost apologetic. "When?"
"We go tomorrow."
The raid on the school went well. Bass and Charlie took care of the school's first floor, while Miles and Rachel took the second. Aaron was on standby to help with the lab if they found it.
They wiped out a lab that Rachel said was set up to manufacture biologicals. Along with dismantling the lab, they acquired a sizeable amount of weapons.
This was the first time that Bass and Charlie had partnered in a fight. They found that they worked well together and made a great team. They each seemed to know what the other was going to do. Miles is the only other person he has ever fought with like that. Bass was impressed with her skills, obviously taught to her by Miles.
Three days later:
Miles and Bass were heading back to camp after scoping out the train yard. There was a rumor that the Patriots were keeping people locked in boxcars. People that they deemed unfit or undesirable. The train cars were empty though there were signs that people had been there.
They were talking, almost like old times when Bass slowed and looked at Miles tipping his head towards the brush and the right-hand side of the trail. They had a tail. Miles knows the signal. He kept walking, keeping up a one-sided conversation while Bass came in from behind and flushed them out.
"Alright! Hold it right there!" Bass orders while holding a gun on their two stalkers. Miles doubles back and joins him.
"Wow, Miles, what do you think of this? Mini-Pats. Are they really putting kids in uniform?! They can't be much older than twelve." Bass quips. "Even we weren't that bad."
Miles makes a face at Bass, then shakes his head, "they must be getting desperate. Come on, let's take them back and find out what they know."
Twenty minutes later, they walk into camp, marching their two young Patriots with them.
"Miles? What's this?" Rachel asks.
"Caught them sneaking around. Gonna see if they know anything," Miles responds.
"You're going to interrogate them?" Rachel asks.
"Damn straight," Bass replies. "They must know something about what's going on."
"That's not going to happen," Rachel says, arms crossed as she stands in front of Miles. "They're just children, for God's sake!"
"Children dressed as soldiers and carrying weapons," Bass says. "What? You think they're dressed for Halloween?"
Gene and Charlie have wandered over to hear what's going on.
"Hey, I know these two," Gene announces. "She's Lynda Sander's daughter, and he's Scott Johnson's son. They're good kids. Probably just playing."
"They may have been good kids, but they've obviously drunk from the Kool-Aid fountain. They can't be trusted," Miles points out.
"You're not going near them!" Rachel points at Bass. "Dad and I will talk to them. I'm sure that they don't know anything."
"Really, Miles? What, I can't even interrogate my own prisoners now?"
"Prisoners! They're just children!" Rachel rants. Gene now joins her, and they start to guide the kid soldiers to the shed.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Bass is steaming as he watches Rachel take the young boy by the arm and starts to lead him away. "What' you think you're doing?"
"Dad and I will talk to them, not you! You're not going near them!"
The two kid soldiers are settled in the shed. Gene sits with them while Rachel brings them some stew. Thirty minutes later, Gene and Rachel lead them out of the shed and walk them to the wagon.
"Hey! What's going on here?" Bass steams.
"They're just children; they don't know anything," Rachel says. "Dad and I are bringing them home."
"You can't be serious! They know where we are! They can give away our location!... MILES!" Bass bellows.
Miles and Charlie hurry over to where Bass has confronted Rachel and Gene. Bass is so angry he looks as if he's ready to throttle someone, most likely Rachel.
"What the hell's going on?" Miles asks.
"AARP and your girlfriend from hell are letting them go! Gonna bring them home! What'd you think, Rachel, that they were just out playing soldier?"
"What do you suggest, Bass? What should we do with them?"
"Rach," Miles tries. "They know where we are, how many we are. They'll give away our position."
"So, we'll move. Now get out of my way, Bass!"
"Mom," Charlie tries. "They're right; we can't just let them go."
"What's the answer then, Charlie. Kill them? Are you turning into him?"
"I don't know the answer, but they can't return to their unit. It's just common sense."
Bass is furious and disgusted. He can't believe what's happening. He stomps away, knowing that this is going to come back and bite them in the ass.
While Rachel and Gene went into town to bring the kids home, Miles made ready to break camp.
Gene and Rachel brought the girl home first. Her father thought that she was at some type of summer camp. Lyle was behind his home chopping wood when then walked into his backyard.
"What's going on? Gene? What are you doing here?"
"They were found in the woods, near our camp, sneaking around," Gene replied. "We wanted to bring her home."
"I heard that you Matheson's were paranoid. They are just at a summer camp with the other kids." Lyle explained.
"How many other kids?" Rachel asked.
"All the kids from town over twelve."
"Lyle, here's the thing. She has a number tattooed in her eyelid. She can't seem to tell us about it."
"What? A tattooed number? Kyra, let me see." Lyle looks in her lower lid and reads aloud the number he sees there. Kyra immediately grabs the ax that Lyle was using and bashes him in the head. Then she grabbed the knife that was on Lyle's belt and stabbed herself in the chest. Rachel and Gene are frozen in place, horrified.
While they were preoccupied with Kyra, Tommy took off, heading back to his base camp, as he had been instructed.
Rachel and Gene arrive back at their camp covered in blood. Miles and Charlie saw them coming and ran to meet them. Bass, still angry, watched from his spot near the fire.
"Jesus Christ! Rachel, what happened?" Miles asked.
Gene wasn't able to speak, he kept opening and closing his mouth, but words would come out.
Rachel finally found her voice, and she started to cry. Miles wrapped her in his arms. "It was awful. We brought Kyra home first. Lyle was chopping wood. He told us that she had been at a summer camp run by the Patriots. Dad told him about the tattoo, then Lyle looked at it and read it. Kyra turned, grabbed the ax, and buried it in her father's head. Then, barely taking a breath, she grabbed Lyle's knife from his belt and stabbed herself in the chest."
"Jesus! What happened to the boy?" Miles asked.
"During the commotion, he ran off."
"So…he's still out there… that's just great," Bass growls. "Well, that's it then. We're compromised. We need to get out of here. Well, done, Rachel," Bass said sarcastically, walking away, disgusted.
By morning they were packed up to move to another safe house, a hydroelectric station, just downstream. Miles worried that they were running out of safe houses.
Aaron, Cynthia, and Gene rode in the wagon, flanked by Miles and Rachel. Bass and Charlie brought up the rear, ensuring their tracks were obliterated by dragging branches behind their horses.
One week later:
It was early and the perfect morning. The sun was warm but not hot, and the air was calm and still. Grabbing her crossbow, Charlie decided to go for a hunt. She slipped into the woods.
Bass had been awake for some time when he saw her get up and leave the camp. He didn't like when she went out on her own with all those khaki assholes around. He followed her, careful not to be spotted. She would be pissed if she knew he was there. He knows she can take care of her very stubborn self, but everyone needs someone to cover their back. He would always have hers.
The hunt was successful. Charlie managed to get four rabbits. She had come upon a herd of deer, but she was too far out to be able to get one back to the camp. (Maybe I can come back with Bass.) Taking the rabbits, she moved to the river to field dress them.
She was working near the water's edge with her back to the tree line and was deep in thought, thinking about Bass and her mother.
Bass wasn't the only one following her, and because she was distracted, she didn't hear him approach. His mission was to find and capture a Matheson. Before she could react, he was on top of her, grabbing her from behind with an arm around her neck, knife at her throat. Tommy had been activated and was now a super-soldier, singly focused on his mission.
Miles and Bass had trained her what to do, and she acted instinctively. Her hunting knife still in her hand, she shoved her elbow back hard into his gut at the same time she threw her weight back, knocking him off balance. Charlie rolled and managed to pin him down, then she stabbed him in the gut and in the chest. He was dead.
She sat back hard on her butt just as Bass burst through the trees. She jumped to her feet, still charged up from the fight with the Patriot kid and ready to fight again if there was more trouble.
"Charlie! Are you okay?" Bass bellowed as he raced toward her.
"I'm fine, Bass. And where did you come from?"
"I followed you out of camp… I know…I know… you don't need me or anyone, but it's always a good idea to have someone to watch your back, especially with these khaki bastards around.
That was magnificent, by the way."
"Well, where the hell were you then?" Grabbing her arm where she got sliced in the fight.
"He came from upstream. I didn't see him until he was on top of you. You did good." Bass tells her.
"Thanks, I guess. Hey, isn't this the kid my mother let go?"
"Yeah, it is," he growled. "Come here, let me take a look at your arm."
Charlie slipped her arm from the sleeve of her jacket. "It's fairly superficial. I don't think it'll need stitches. Let me clean and wrap it."
Bass finished with her arm and then helped her finish cleaning the rabbits.
"What should we do with him? Bury him?" Charlie asks, turning to the body of the young Patriot. "He's just a kid; what a shame."
"Yeah, it's sick what they're doing to kids."
Bass stood and picked up the kid in a fireman's carry."
"Bass, what are you doing?"
"He's coming with us for a little show and tell."
By the time they reached their camp, Bass was covered in the kid's blood and looked like something from a horror movie. He walked right up to Rachel. "Bass? What the hell?" Miles asked as Bass dropped the kid's body at Rachel's feet.
"That's the Kool-Aid kid, Miles. Yeah, and he almost got Charlie! Thankfully all she got was a superficial slice across her arm."
Rachel was so fixated on Bass that she didn't notice Charlie. The usual hate spewing from her eyes.
"You just couldn't wait to kill him, could you, you sick bastard! You killed a child!"
"What about your child, Rachel!" Bass bellows.
"That wasn't Bass, that was me," Charlie announces to her mother.
"Charlie?"
"Your precious boy tried to kill me. Had a knife to my throat."
"That's all on you, Rachel, because of your moral high ground. Because of your holier than thou attitude, you almost got Charlie killed." Bass steams. "He's all yours; I'm going to get cleaned up," Bass stalked angrily away, grabbing his pack and heading to the river.
"Charlie…I'm…." Rachel tries.
"Save it, Mom. You're always right, aren't you? Gonna do the right thing, what you think is the right thing even when it's the wrong thing. I didn't like it either, but he was no longer a kid. He was a soldier. Turned by the Patriots, already gone. And Miles, you knew it was wrong to let him go. I can see it in your face, Miles, but Mom has you wrapped up in a bow.
We fight to win, or it's over. We might as well run and hide." Charlie spun on her heels and took off to get her own pack and get cleaned up. Miles knows she's right.
Rachel was momentarily speechless but then called out to her, "Charlie, let Grandpa look at your arm."
"It's fine, Mom. Bass took care of it," she kept on walking.
Rachel stood with Miles, stunned. (Bass?)
Charlie followed Bass to the river, and Rachel watched her go bristling.
Bass had already stripped out of his bloody clothes and was soaking in the river. Standing waist-deep, he was using sand to scrub at the blood on his skin. He had a piece of blanket that he kept for a towel that he was using to try and scrub his back.
Charlie walked up to the river's edge. Bass had heard her and watched as she approached. He watched her watching him. Then she stripped to her underwear. (My God! She is beautiful!)
Charlie is watching him (He's beautiful…) as she admires his muscled torso. She had seen him shirtless, hell she had seen him naked, but this was the first time that she really had seen him.
"Charlotte, should you be here? Not that I'm complaining."
"I need to get clean, too, Bass. And, besides that, it's where I want to be. Thank you for being there."
"I'll always be there for you, Charlotte."
Charlie waded out to him, reached for him, pulled him in close, and kissed him. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her back. He wanted her, all of her, God help him he did, but he's letting Charlie make that call.
Charlie leaned back and looked into his very blue eyes. "Would you like me to scrub your back?"
They got playful after a while, splashing, and dunking. Getting out of the river, Bass quickly grabbed his blanket as he had gone into the water naked. Charlie smiled and turned her back while they both dressed in clean clothes. Then they washed out their bloody ones in the river.
Reaching for his hand, Charlie laced her fingers with his, and they walked back to the camp, stopping just inside the tree line for a last kiss.
"You go first; I'll just hang back a few minutes," Bass offered.
Not wanting to deal with her mother, Charlie agreed.
Bass dropped back further into the woods. He needed a minute to relieve himself after his encounter with Charlie. (God, I've fallen for that girl… I'm a Deadman…Miles is going to kill me…)
Charlie dropped her pack and went to where she had dropped the rabbits for skinning. The hides would come in useful for trade.
Finished, she brought the rabbits to where Aaron and Cynthia have set up roasting spits.
That done, she found a large oak to sit under while she thought about Bass.