Bass clutched his field glasses so hard that he swore he heard the glass cracking. What the hell had they done to her? They had her tied up crucifixion style on a cross in the middle of an open courtyard. Her feet were barely touching the ground. He didn't know how bad she was hurt but even from this distance, he could tell it wasn't good.
"Is she alive?" Miles asked in a low voice beside him.
Bass looked through the binoculars again. He tried to overlook the blood and bruises and focused in on her chest, trying to detect the tell tell rise and fall, but he was too far away. He couldn't tell if she was breathing.
"Bass!" Miles hissed. Bass turned to look at his friend. "Is. She. Still. Alive?" Miles asked again, not even bothering to hide the anguish and desperation in his voice.
"I don't know, brother, I don't know." Bass whispered as he handed Miles the glasses.
Miles snatched them up and focused in on the courtyard. Bass sunk down to the ground and buried his head in his hands. God help him if she was dead. He honestly didn't think he would survive it, didn't even want to try. He screwed his eyes shut. She was so damns till. She was never that still, not even in sleep. If she was dead he was going to slaughter every living thing in that place. Hell who was he kidding, he'd slaughter them for just daring to touch her.
"She moved!" Miles exclaimed.
Bass shot up and stood next to Miles. "Are you sure?" he asked with hope in his voice.
"Hell yeah I'm sure. She's alive!" Miles relief nearly crushed him.
Miles looked over at Bass and they both came to silent understanding. In unison they both checked their weapons and started to move out. They didn't need to voice a plan. With years of fighting together between them, they really didn't need words they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. They were going in hard and fast.
"How many do you think are down there?" Bass asked as he calmly checked his ammo.
Miles gave him a pointed look. "Does it matter?"
"Not a damn bit." He growled as he slammed the magazine into place.
For once Miles wasn't going to fight the big dark pit of death that he had associated with his and Bass's Militia days together. Today he was glad that people died when they were together. Tonight he was going to become the monster he was back then. No he thought to himself, not like I was, that was business, this is personal. He was about to make his Militia days look like a Boy Scout picnic.
"Bass." Miles said as stopped at the edge of the camp. "No survivors."
Bass nodded, "I wasn't planning on leaving any."
They split up, each preparing to unleash their own special brand of hell.
Charlie was floating, or was it swinging, she couldn't tell. Swinging? Why the hell was she swinging? Charlie jerked, rolled and landed on her back on the hard ground. The sound of a child's laughter made her open her eyes and sit up. Wait, she could sit up, she could move. There was no pain. She took a deep breath and looked around at her surroundings. Where the hell was she?
A curly headed little girl ran up to her and threw her arms around Charlie's neck. "Daddy look, Mommy fell out of the hammock again."
Charlie put her hands on the child's face and looked at Bass's eyes staring back at her.
"Yes she did Mag Pie. Your mom can hit a target with a cross bow from the back of runaway wagon, but put that woman in a hammock and she falls every time." Bass said walking up with a brown haired toddler in his arms.
Charlie was utterly confused. Was she dead? Was this heaven? The little girl in her arms felt so damn real. Charlie hugged her tightly and smelled the top of her head. She even smelled real.
Bass put the little boy down and he tried to walk on wobbly legs toward Charlie. But he just couldn't quite figure it out, fell on his butt and let out a frustrated growl. Charlie couldn't help but giggle, that's how she imagined Bass was as a child.
"Now calm down Danny, you've almost got it." Bass encouraged.
Charlie fought back tears. Danny, the boy's name was Danny. The little girl reached up to touch Charlie's cheek. "Mommy are you hurt? You're crying."
"No I'm fine, don't worry about it." Charlie answered.
The little girl did not look convinced. But before she could push Charlie further Bass intervened.
"Maggie, why don't you take your brother down to the garden and help grandma pick some strawberries."
Maggie squealed and took the toddler's hand, half helping, half dragging him away. Bass stared after the children a huge smile forming on his face. It was one of those smiles she saw so rarely. God he was beautiful when he smiled. She couldn't help but stare at him.
"What are you staring at Mrs. Monroe?" Bass asked sitting down on the hammock. He reached out and easily lifted her up into it with him.
"You Mr. Monroe, just you." Charlie sighed as snuggled in close. This felt so nice. It felt normal. She could stay here forever and be happy. She didn't care if it was real or not.
"Promise me you will fight," Bass said as he kissed the top of her head.
"Fight for what?" Charlie asked.
"For this, for our happy place." He said as he stroked her face.
"I promise Bass, I promise." Charlie replied as she closed her eyes and dozed.
She heard someone yelling off in the distance and she could smell smoke. Charlie couldn't open her eyes and she couldn't breathe. It felt like a ton of rocks were sitting on her chest. But through the haze and pain she heard a familiar voice.
"Come on baby wake up! Wake up Charlie!" Bass yelled as he held her face in her hands. Then he lowered his voice "Please honey wake up. I don't know what I'm going to do if you don't wake up."
When Charlie didn't respond Bass tried yelling again. "Dammit Charlie you are not a quitter. Now you fight or I swear to god I'll kick your ass."
Charlie began to stir, and slowly ever so slowly she opened her beautiful blue eyes. Bass's knees buckled with relief.
"You came for me?" Charlie croaked out.
"I will always come for you." Bass whispered as he lightly kissed her. Then he started working on her bonds.
"Where's Miles?" Charlie slurred.
"He's here sweetheart, he's bringing a wagon."
Charlie was able to focus long enough to see the carnage around her. Death and blood where everywhere.
"You've been busy." Charlie winced as Bass freed one of her arms from the cross.
"I went easy on them believe me." Bass growled as Miles came blazing up with wagon, relief plain on his face. He launched himself off the wagon and held her close while Bass finished cutting her down.
"Hey kid," he whispered in her ear. "How you doing?"
"I've been better," Charlie bit out. Then she cried out in pain as they finally cut her free.
"What, what is it?" They both asked at once.
"My ribs, I can't, I can't breathe"
Miles didn't like the way she looked at all. She was covered in cuts and bruises, her shoulder was obviously dislocated and she was pale and struggling to breath. He didn't even want to think about any internal injuries she might have.
"We have to get her to Gene and now."
They started to gingerly put her in the wagon. "Wait!" she yelled out.
"What, what is it kid?"
"The rest of the prisoners, you have to free them."
Bass rolled his eyes, "We don't have time for this Charlotte."
"Make time Sebastian." Charlie growled. Then she looked at Miles. "Dad, please."
"Fine!" Miles growled and started walking toward the cages.
Movement caught Bass's eye. A big hulking man walked out of the smoke. He heard Charlie gasp. He turned to her with a question in his eyes.
"That's big Eddie, he's one of the ones who did this to me."
Bass's vision went red. "Wait here Charlie," he growled as he shoved a gun into her hands. "I'll be right back."
Charlie nodded and watched Bass walk up to big Eddie. He put his gun down and drew his swords. In a few quick movements Eddie was on the ground. Bass was about to deal the death blow when another figure emerged from the shadows gun raised at Bass's head. A figure Charlie knew well, the boss.
A quick and painless death was too good for this asshole, good thing this would be neither. He raised his sword when a shot rang out close to him. He looked up to see Charlie barely standing, weaving on her feet, gun raised. He then turned and saw a man with a gun in his hand fall backwards dead. Hot damn even half dead on her feet she was still deadly. Damn he loved this woman.
He turned back to see Charlie's legs buckle and she face planted on the hard ground.
Miles heard the shot and saw Charlie fall and he thought the worst. He shot the lock off one of the cage doors, handed the first man out his gun. The prisoner looked at him, confused.
"Get them out and run you idiot." Then he ran back toward Charlie, just as Bass lifted her up and started to put her in the wagon.
"Is she hit?" Miles asked as he crawled in the back and held on to her, trying to keep her as still as possible.
"No she took out one of the guys who was sneaking up behind me."
"That's my girl." Miles said as he stroked her hair, then he noticed she was damn near blue. His hands drifted down to her neck trying to find a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found one, it was week and thready, but it was there.
"Bass," He yelled out. "We got to move and now". They flew out of the camp. He looked back and saw some of the other prisoners take off, others just standing still staring after them. Part of him wondered just who the hell they were and why it was so important to Charlie to free them.