Sup you beautiful people you! I have been so incredibly happy with you guys for the reviews and the follow/favorites it's made my week so much better and trust me I have needed good news this week. I had the horrible misfortune to have my computer crash on me and erase a lot of my documents for stories. I'm using my sisters laptop right now and I am so incredibly sad. Even worse one of the documents happened to be this story so i'm glad I had put this chapter in my doc manager beforehand. However I lost quite a bit of progress on this story, but I'm not giving up and working hard to replace the lost chapters! Love you all for your support!
Disclaimer: I do not own Red Dawn.
I didn't stay, I followed my dad's orders. I picked up my guns and knife took the guns from the soldiers plus their ammo. I loaded it all into my dad's truck along with the rest of the stuff he packed. I even loaded up my bike into the back. It wasn't broken, a bit banged up yeah but not broken. I used some of the medical supplies to patch up my side, I bit down on a belt while sewing up my side. It hurt like a bitch but i'm no good to myself bleeding out.
I made my way through the forest staying off the main roads. I didn't want to chance running into any soldiers. When I finally came to the road that led to the Eckert's cabin it was dark. I didn't risk the headlights in case anyone was watching. I stopped the car a little ways away and notched and with my quiver on my back I notched an arrow in my bow proceeding forward on foot.
When I finally reached the cabin I was surprised to see lights on inside. I didn't see any cars however so I don't know how many people could be inside, or if they are friendlies or enemies. I stay in the trees using them as cover and going round to the other side of the house. I see shadows in a few of the windows. I wonder for a second if Jed could have had the same idea as my dad. If so it could just be the Eckert boys inside. But to be sure…
I moved back to the front of the house and took aim right at the front door. I pulled the string back ignoring the jab in my side. I release the arrow and it imbeds itself into the door with a solid thud. I crouch down in the bushes making sure i'm not visible. Nothing happens for a minute until finally I see the door slowly open and a rifle poke it's way out. It looks like an enemy rifle but then the face behind the rifle reveals itself and to my relief it's Jed.
I don't go out right away though in case I startled him and he shot me. I waited until he saw the arrow and when that look of recognition crossed his face he practically dropped his rifle.
"Haven!" He yells out into the darkness. I hear a shuffle come from inside and then Matt's face comes out behind his brother's. I'm crying i'm so happy to see them.
"Jed!" I call standing up and walking out. Seeing me he actually does drop his rifle as he rushes out and picks me up squeezing me hard making the pain in my side flare but I ignore it happy to be in safe arms. He holds the back of my head rubbing my hair in that calming way he always did when I was little.
When he finally sets me down i'm immediately wrapped in Matt's familiar hold. I bury my face into his shirt and take calm breaths basking in his familiarity. He let's me go eventually too and I stand back from them and laugh a little. Matt and Jed laugh too. Then I see more figures coming outside from the house. I see Toni and watch as she breaks down seeing me and runs over to give me a hug too. Then I see Danny and Pet a boy I don't know, a girl and boy I don't know but judging from their similarities they're probably brother and sister. Finally I see Daryl and Robert come out. I wait to see if anyone else comes out and my face falls even more.
"What about Erica? Your Dad?" I ask Matty. Tears come to his eyes at that and I give him a quick hug of my own. I wipe the tears from my face and take a deep breath. I can't keep falling apart like this. My dad trained me for this, I need to keep a level head which means no more breaking down. And just like that I put up my mask.
"Are you with your dad?" Jed asks me. I stare him in his eyes. I remember the shot and flinch internally my mask slipping for a fraction of a second. Jed looks concerned but doesn't say anything.
"He didn't make it." I deadpan. My friends who know how close I was to my dad try to come forward to comfort me but I step out of range.
"I have a truck. Supplies. I need to go get it." I say and turn to go. Jed's voice stops me though.
"I'll come with you shouldn't go off alone." He says and I turn around.
"No. Not you." He freezes at my words and I realize that I may have said it a lot harsher than I meant to. I take another deep breath and soften my voice. "You're the only one who knows how to use that rifle. Stay here. I'll take care of myself." I curls my nails into my palm at the familiar words my dad had said only a few hours ago.
"I'll go." I look up to the house with everyone else at Robert who is standing solemn in the doorway. "No one should be alone and you're right he needs to stay." I don't show emotion but nod my head at the compromise. Another reason I didn't want Jed to come with is because he'd ask questions. He would want to know what happened to me and my dad and I can't deal with that right now.
"Come on then." I say. Jed seems to want to say more but I give him a warning look and he keeps it to himself giving me a we'll talk later look. Robert hurries down from the porch and I walk ahead of him keeping my eyes peeled for any movement. We've been walking for a couple minutes when Robert finally say something.
"Here." He says. I turn and see him holding out the arrow that I had lodged in the door. I stop walking and take it from him placing it in my quiver. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and look at him. I had wanted to be friends with him before, we were nice to each other and joked sometimes in the halls of school when we managed to be at our lockers at the same time. How could that have only been yesterday? How could the world I know change so drastically in 24 hours? Now here I am, Haven Conners and I can't think of anything witty or sarcastic to say to the boy who unlodged my arrow from a door just to return it to me.
"Thanks." I say after a minute realizing I hadn't said anything in a while. Then I turn back and keep walking. Robert keeps following me and we're silent the rest of the time to the car. When we finally get to where I parked I I hop into the drivers side and cringe when I realize that since the cab light is on both the car and I must look a bloody mess.
I had lost quite a bit of blood and most of it had gotten onto the leather seats while I was trying to stitch myself up. The there is me. Pale from exhaustion, fear, sadness, bloodloss. Blood splattered on my face, taking the knife out of that man eyes brought an entirely different kind of kickback. My clothes are completely stained in the stuff and my hair is almost out of it's ponytail with wisps hanging in my eyes. I feel my cheeks heat, despite the situation I can still feel embarrassed by my appearance.
Robert though doesn't say anything. He looks at the blood and me but doesn't say anything, just gets in and shuts the door. I drive down the dirt road and cringe every time we hit a big bump making my side hurt.A particularly big bump sends my head spinning from the pain and I realize just how exhausted I am. We're only halfway back to the house but I have to stop the car. Robert looks over at me concern written all over his face.
"Would you mind driving? I would very much like to pass out now." Now that sounded a bit more like me. Robert didn't hesitate in getting out and coming over to my side. I undid my seatbelt and turned to step out but my side gave another jolt of pain making spots dance on my vision.
"Jesus Christ." I breathe out before I fall. I can feel a pair of hands grab me before my mind goes black.
When I wake up I feel light shining on my face and for one blisfull second I think that maybe it was all just a nightmare. But then a throbbing in my sides brings me crashing down to cold hard reality. I try to sit up and wincing I manage. I look down and see that i'm laying on the couch in the Eckert's cabin while everyone else is asleep on the floor. I throw the blnkets off myself and stand up even though my limbs protest I tip toe past the sleeping bodies and over to the bathroom.
I close the door and flip on the light. Looking in the mirror I can see that someone must have washed my face at least since there isn't any blood or dirt from my crash. I see my jacket is gone and tentatively I roll up my shirt to see a much neater and cleaner version of my crude patch job. Jed must have changed the stitches while I was out.
I let my shirt go and feel inside my pockets only to find all of them empty. Son of a bitch! He took all my weapons and ammo. I walk out of the bathroom my anger blotting out the pain somewhat and walk outside the front door where I just know he'll be. And sure enough there he is sitting on the porch steps keeping watch.
"Give me back my guns Jed." I say. He turns but doesn't stand.
"Not until you're healed." I scoff at that.
"You're not the boss of me Jed. Those are my weapons and I suggest you hand em' over before I do something I probably won't regret later." He chuckles. The bastard chuckles.
"I could take you down so easily right now it wouldn't even be fun." I clench my fists angry mainly because he's right and also because he's making me feel like a little kid whose toy was taken away.
"So what then? You and I both know that i'm the best marksman. I might not have gone through your fancy marine training but i've been doing this my whole life. My dad pushed me past my limits. Hell this isn't even the first time i've been shot." He snapped his head up at that.
"Your dad shot you?" He asks incredulous.
"Yeah. So I knew what to expect if i'm staring down the barrel of a gun." He had shot my arm then I made it look like a accident with a kitchen knife which is a lot harder and messier than you would think.
"Look you may be a better shot than me but until you're healed you can't really do any good. It was just a flesh wound. You'll be fine in a couple weeks, i've seen how fast you heal."He stands up now and turns to face me. I had crossed my arms and was leaning against the post glaring at the ground. I had only vaguely heard his last comment. Thinking about my dad brought back too many memories. One in particular kept ringing through my head on a loop.
"Haven?" I look up at my name the stony expression placed back on my face.
"Fine. But I at least get my bow and one knife. I need to be able to protect myself." Jed hesitated but something in my face must have made him realize this was about more than just weapons because he took the compromise.
We walked back inside and I breathed a sigh of relief that he still wasn't yet pushing about what happened. I sat down in one of the chairs as Jed went over to Matty. He kicked him waking him up.
"That asshole Pete and his buddy took off with all our food. I need you guys to take anything we can use, put it in the truck and hide it in the woods. And that prick knows where we are so keep your eyes peeled." Jed said. Everyone was awake by this point listening intently to Jed. "Matty you're with me. While we're gone Haven's in charge." He took my bow and quiver out of a cupboard along with one of my knives and gave them to me.
"No offense to Haven but shouldn't someone more qualified be in charge." Julia asks. Jed smiles at me.
"You take this one. Come on Matty." Jed and Matty left and immediately all eyes turned to me. I leaned back casually in my chair.
"Since the age of 5 I have been trained in hand to hand combat, archery, firearms, fencing, and, tracking. I can disassemble and reassemble a pistol in under two minutes, I know how to make almost every type of bomb, i'm a professional at poisons, I can hack into almost everything, I pick locks, and I hunt." By this point they were all openly gaping at me. "But I understand if you want someone more qualified. Feel free to take charge if you think you can do a better job than me." With that I stand up and grab my emergency bag from next to the couch.
"I'd start loading the truck. You never know when we might run out of time." Then I walk into the bathroom.
So that last bit might have just been me bragging about my character but I couldn't help it I just love her too much! Once again sorry if I don't update as soon as I would like trying to re-write lost chapters. Hopefully they will turn out just as good as the first time! Wish me good luck!
Lot's of Love, Sky Austen