Chapter 8
Hearing movement outside, Carolyn put her hand gently over the mouth of the toddler in Greg's lap and shushed the one next to him as she watched someone moving in the shadows. The frightened children held their breath, holding onto each other tightly as a flashlight suddenly lit up the darkness, shining on Carolyn and the children.
"Widow Fry?"
"Amos?"
"Yes, ma'am. I was sent to fetch you and the children."
"Oh, thank God."
Standing, Carolyn managed to get everyone on their feet ready to start back. Putting Greg in the lead again, Carolyn kept pace with Amos who had a child on each hand.
Keeping her voice low she asked, "What happened? Where's Riddick."
"I don't know, ma'am. Just know that I was sent after all of y'all. There's not a whole lot of us left."
"That bad?"
Amos nodded his head. "Over half were trapped in the hall when it was hit. No way for them to get out. Burned alive."
"Oh, God."
"Others were killed in the attack. I had instructions to get you and the youngsters on board their transports, along with all the supplies we can manage from the houses left standing and then hightail it to their ship. We're getting off this trash heap, Widow Fry."
With Grayson asleep on her shoulder Carolyn slowed for a moment looking over at Amos. "Why don't you call me Carolyn?"
The younger man blushed and bobbed his head. "Yes ma'am, Carolyn, I mean."
Carolyn called out for the children to stop as they neared the back of the settlement. She could see fires still burning around the settlement. It appeared as though her house had escaped unscathed.
"Children, I want you to go inside my house." Carolyn handed Grayson back over to Greg. "Help Amanda get Grayson and Sara in the crib." The young man nodded earnestly listening to her instructions. "Amanda can you get them both changed into clean clothes and dry diapers?"
"Yes, ma'am," the little girl answered. "Good girl," Carolyn told her. "After that I want you to put your blanket on the floor and put all the clothes you can find into the middle of the blanket ok?"
"Ok."
"Greg, I want you to grab the wood basket and empty it and then go in the kitchen and fill it with any food or herbs you can find." She waited until the boy answered and then looking to Amos for the all clear ushered the children back into her home not wanting them to see anything that might upset them more than they already were. A tugging on her pant's leg got her attention. "What is it Charlie?" she asked bending down to his level.
"I want my Mommy." He answered his little lip quivering as tears streaked down his face.
Carolyn held the child to her. "I know you do sweetheart and I'm going to do my best to find her for you." She wiped his cheeks and sent him into the house.
"I'll go get the transport and drive it over if you wouldn't mind going through some of these houses that are still standing?"
"Of course, Amos. I'll prop open the door of any house I'm in so you'll know where I'm at."
"Yes, ma'am. I'll be back shortly."
Carolyn nodded as she looked at the destruction surrounding her. Shaking herself, she headed over to the house next to hers starting in the kitchen gathering any food she could find. Moving into the bedroom that she knew belonged to Henry, Carolyn started gathering the boy's clothes, throwing them down on the bed using the blanket as a suitcase just like she had instructed Amanda.
Hearing a rustling behind her, Carolyn turned only to have a hand wrap around her throat. It belonged to a man she'd never seen before. He was obviously injured as a large blood stain covered the side of his shirt. Unless of course it wasn't his, she thought.
"Well, what do we have here?" he asked closing the gap between them.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I think it would be pretty obvious what I wanted, Princess."
Carolyn, without blinking an eye, took the gun that was still dangling in her hand and pulled the trigger, blood spraying across her and the room.
Amos came skidding to a halt inside the house just as Carolyn shut the bedroom door behind her. "Are you ok, Ma'am?"
Silently handing the gun to him she led the way out of the house.
"It's time to go children. Amos is going to help us all into this machine right here and we're going to go for a ride."
"To see our mom's and dad's?" Charlie asked.
"Hopefully." Carolyn told him as she took Grayson from Greg and wrapped an arm around the boy who was being forced to grow up to quickly.
Arriving at the ship, Amos hustled them on board toward what was left of their community. Out of the dozen children less than half were reunited with their parents. Laying a sleeping Grayson and Sara down on an empty bed, Carolyn did her best to console a sobbing Amanda and grief dazed Greg. Amos was doing what he could with little Charlie, while Cerella helped with the others, getting them settled in the cramped crew quarters.
Helping with the injured, Carolyn missed the moment that Grayson slid out of the bed he'd been sharing with three orphaned children. Not seeing his mother, he wandered down an empty hallway.
Riddick was busy consulting on their course with one of the settlers when the man tapped his shoulder and pointed to the hatchway. Riddick looked down to see Grayson at the entrance. "Daddy!" the little boy smiled, holding his arms out to be picked up. Breaking out in a matching grin Riddick brought the boy to his chest, listening to him talk as he threw his arms around his neck. Patting the child's back he heard a voice he had thought he might not hear again.
Carolyn looked over at the bunk she had placed the children in only to discover Grayson missing. Frantically searching the crew quarters she ran down the nearest hallway calling his name, coming to a stop as she rounded a corner coming face to face with Riddick holding a happily jabbering Grayson in his arms. A smile broke out across her face.
"You're alive."
He made his way to her, lifting her chin up, looking at the bloody handprint on her throat. "Sounds like there's a story there."
She nodded.
"Maybe if I stick around I'll hear the truth of it."
"Maybe." she said with a smile.
The End.