Ben woke the next morning to someone shaking his shoulders. He was vaguely aware of someone talking to his while shaking him. He opened his eyes to find the room dimly lit. He blinked again to see his father leaning over him. "Dad?"
"Weaver wants to see you." Tom answered.
Ben sat up and yawned, not that he was tired it was just a habit that even the harness couldn't break. Hal and his dad were already awake, getting read as well. Matt was still asleep on the cot beside him. The kid could sleep through anything, literally. Ben sat up and grabbed the closest shirt he could find. He slipped it on over his needles and grabbed his shoes. Ben quickly tied them and rose from his cot. He found his coat on the couch. He grabbed his coat and walked out of the quarters.
"About time."
Ben jumped and looked down at the ground. Jaden was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Her jacket was laid out on her lap. She wore her shoulder less top, finally clean of Skitter guts. Her rifle was in her hands. She looked up, obviously trying not to laugh at Ben's jumpiness. Hal, however, found it absolutely hilarious.
"Stop doing that." Ben said.
Jaden stood up. "Then stay on your guard."
"What're you doing here, anyways?" Ben asked.
"Weavers wants to see us." Jaden said.
"Yeah, I know." Ben replied.
Jaden jerked her head. "So let's go then."
Ben walked alongside Jaden down the hall to Weaver's office. "Weaver ever called you in this early before?"
"Yep."
"What for?"
"A run. A big one too." Jaden answered.
"Think we got a run?"
"It's a guarantee." She answered.
Weaver's door was open, as it often was. The two walked into the office. Weaver was standing at the large table, looking over maps and lists. He didn't make contact as they entered.
"Captain." Jaden said.
"You two are making a rung." Weaver said, getting to the point.
"Inventory?"
"Everything." Weaver answered. "In two days, the 2nd Mass is meeting up with the other resistance and waging an attack against the structure. We need supplies. Medicine, food, ammunition, everything you can scrounge, bring it in."
Jaden's brows rose.
"Problem?" Weaver asked.
"What's our distance?"
"All of Acton."
"Return time?" Ben asked.
"Tomorrow night." Weaver answered. "You leave once we're through. Any questions?"
"No sir."
"Then get going."
Jaden and Ben turned and left Weaver in his office. They walked toward the supply room for their equipment.
"This is a big run." Ben said.
"Full assault against that structure in Boston, and you're worried about the run?" Jaden asked.
"It's the lesser of the two I wanted to address." Ben replied. He loaded his pack with a few MRE's. "I'm thinking a zigzag route through Acton for pick up and straight through for return."
"You read my mind." Jaden said. She loaded extra clips and slung up her supply bags over her back. She unclipped her shoulder holster and tossed it to Ben. "We can't spare any rifles, but you're going armed."
"Jaden-"
"I have another gun, Ben. Shut up and soldier up." Jaden ordered.
Ben removed his jacket and quickly slung up the holster. It was easier to do what Jaden said than argue with her. He was learning that fast. He slipped his jacket on again and grabbed his bags. "You ready?"
Jaden slung her rifle over her shoulder. "Are you?"
"Just try to keep up." Ben replied.
"Oh, competitive are we? I'll remember this when you eat my dust today Mason." Jaden said.
Nightfall found the two teenagers bunkered in an abandoned office building, just on the edge of Acton. Jaden was on guard. She lay beneath a window with her rifle set beside her. Ben sat just a few feet from her. The entire day of scavenging for supplies had turned up with only two full bags of supplies with four more bags each remaining. The map and the two bags of supplies were set between them. Ben held the small flashlight above the map, just enough so anything outside would not be able to see it.
Jaden shook her head and sighed. "This is the worst haul I have ever pulled. We've gone through the entire city faster than expected with only filling two bags. But without any other shops, houses, of buildings to scrounge through, we'll just be wasting our time tomorrow."
Ben leaned over the map. "What about Carlisle? It's about six miles from Acton."
"Weavers ordered us to stay in Acton."
"Acton doesn't have the supplies we need, you said it yourself. Carlisle is only an hour run from here, we could easily gather enough supplies from there and make it back to the school by tomorrow night."
Jaden looked up from the map and Ben. "When did you start disobeying orders?"
Ben shrugged. "I learned everything from you."
"Funny." Jaden said. She closed her journal with the map inside. "Okay, pack it up, we're running to Carlisle."
Ben slipped his canteen inside his personal pack. He stood up and slung both supply packs over his back before Jaden could say anything.
Jaden stood up and slung her rifle over her back. "You think you can handle both packs?"
"Think you can keep up?" Ben replied.
Jaden's eyes narrowed at Ben. "You're going to eat your words and my dust, Mason."
"Then you better prove it, JJ." Ben replied.
Jaden peeked out the window and looked back at Ben. "Clear."
They slipped out of the building, hugging close to the wall. Jaden led the way with Ben close behind her. Without a word between them, they moved silently through the last few blocks of the city. Ben managed to keep the bags from banging too much against his back, keeping the noise to a minimal. Once they cleared the town, they ran. With both fully stuffed bags, Ben had no problem keeping up with Jaden. They followed the highway, but kept off the main road, keeping to the forest line.
Carlisle came into view and they slipped into the trees completely. They used the trees as cover to enter the city. They came out at a park no less, wild and miss kept as the remainder of the world was. They ducked beneath one of the play structures that remained. Ben pulled the bags from his back and set them on the ground. Jaden slung her rifle to the front of her and dropped her pack. She fished out her leather journal and removed the map from within it. Ben pulled out his light and turned it on.
"Okay, we're going to have to be care. We haven't had any recon of this town. Any one of these places could be a trap." Jaden said.
"Then let's take the smaller shops closest to use, avoid any major threats." Ben suggested.
Jaden nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Ben killed his light and picked up the bags. Jaden packed away the map and journal. They emerged from the park and moved down the street. They stayed in the shadow of the building, moving through the streets. Jaden scoped out the streets, searching for skitters and mechs. She signaled to Ben, who ran across the street. Jaden slung her rifle and ran behind him. Ben kept watch as Jaden made her way to the corner. Jaden kept hold of her rifle as she jogged across the street. She ducked around the building and knelt on the ground.
"There's a shop just around the corner from us." Jaden said. "I caught a glimpse through the building."
"We can take the alley." Ben replied.
Jaden stood up and led the way. They hung close to the building shadows. Ben was only feet behind Jaden on the sidewalk. They found the shop just down the street from them, a small pharmacy on the corner of the street. The window was shattered in, but the shelves were still stocked enough. Jaden ran up the steps and entered the pharmacy slowly. Ben entered behind her. Jaden made a quick sweep over the pharmacy before pulling off one of her empty bags. She passed it to Ben and walked back onto the steps.
Ben quickly moved through the shelves of the pharmacy, grabbing anything that the group could use. He pulled bandages, wraps, band aids, antiseptics and shoved them all into the bag. He hopped the counter in the back and search through the prescriptions. Bottles or Percocet, oxycodone, antibiotics, were stuffed in the bags. He even managed to find sterile syringes for insulin use, but figured Anne could use them anyways. Ben pulled them out and loaded them. It was unbelievable that they'd found an untouched pharmacy. He slung his pack back on his shoulder and headed to the door.
"How'd we do?" Jaden whispered.
"Full bag." Ben answered.
Jaden smiled. "That's what I love to hear."
"Where next?"
"We'll keep moving east, we're bound to run into another food source." Jaden answered. She stepped down and started walking.
Ben adjusted the three full packs and followed after her. They moved in silence down the sidewalk. The empty town was quiet, like most of the cities were now, but there was a strangeness about the silence, that it could end any second. A mech or skitter could appear and start firing at them. Neither said it, but both knew it could happen.
They came to an three way intersection and stopped. Carlisle was a small town, but its main intersection was fairly large. It was a good sixty yards from one street to the other, and next to no cover. There was a single car in the interception, about four yards from them. If anything was down the street, it could easily pick them off.
Jaden knelt down and sighed. "This isn't good."
"Can we go around? Find a more secluded way?" Ben asked.
Jaden shook her head. "No, even if we crossed sideways, we'd be exposed, with no cover. We're going to have to cross here."
Ben adjusted the bags on his back. "You got me covered?"
Jaden peeked her gun around the corner. A quick sweep revealed a ghost town street. "Yep. Go."
Ben sprinted across the opened intersection. He ducked behind the front of the car and paused. He glanced back to Jaden. Jaden motioned for Ben to keep going without making eye contact. Ben turned and kept running. He felt completely exposed in the open as he ran. He jumped up the sidewalk and hid in the shadows of the next building. Ben pulled out one of his pistol and looked around the corner. He turned to Jaden and nodded.
Jaden strung up her rifle and sprinted from the building safety. Not two steps out, did a mech light illuminate Jaden in the middle of the street. Jaden paused for split second, in utter shock. Both she and Ben opened fire on the mech. They met with success, shooting out the light. The laser dispersed, locking onto Jaden. Jaden threw herself out of the lasers sight. The mech fired, sending a wave of debris and dust into the air. Ben shielded his face from the debris. He coughed and looked back to the car. Jaden had disappeared in the thick fog of dust.
"Jaden!" he yelled.
The dust took forever to clear, but as it did, Ben made out the outline of Jaden's head. Slowly the rest of her body came into his line of vision. Jaden pressed against the front of the car on the ground, using it as cover. Her rifle was lying on the ground beside her. Her head was leaned back and her eyes closed tight. She was hurt, bad.
Ben dropped the supply bags on the ground and sprinted across the street. The mech lasers targeted him, but Ben dove out of range as they fired. He reached the car and shielded Jaden from the rain of debris. "Are you hurt?"
"Just my leg. Nice job pinning us here, dumbass." Jaden replied.
"You're welcome." Ben stated. He moved to Jaden's left side and brought her arm around his shoulder. He grabbed the waistline of her pants, noting the wetness on the fabric. He carefully lifted Jaden into a crouching position. "Cover us."
Jaden slung up her rifle and pulled out her pistol. "Got us covered."
With her weight on his waits, Ben spirited from the car. The mechs sights immediately zeroed in on them and opened fire. Jaden returned fire to the best of her ability, but her injuries and the uneasy motions her accuracy was diminished. They reached the safety of the building and kept going. Behind them, the haunting steps of the mech followed. Jaden limped alongside Ben, trying to keep up to the best of her ability. They raced down the street, putting as much distance between the mech and themselves.
"Cross the street and take the alley." Jaden ordered.
Ben did as he was told. He was learning it was best to leave the arguing for later. They quickly moved across the street, risking the mechs targeting. The footsteps were growing closer to the corner behind them. They maneuvered into the alley and kept going. Ben weaved them around dumpsters and debris from above. They moved until they reached a door and Ben got an idea.
Ben leaned Jaden against the wall of the alley. "One sec."
Ben kicked the door in and quickly pulled Jaden inside. He kicked the door shut behind them. They waited in silence, listening to the mechanical footsteps of the mech patrolling the street. It walked past the alley and continued down the street past their post.
Jaden sighed beside him. "Good thinking."
Ben carefully moved from the door with Jaden and nodded. "I do that occasionally."
Jaden snorted and then cried out. Her left leg gave out, throwing her balance completely off. Ben quickly caught Jaden, taking all her weight. He eased Jaden onto the floor and knelt down beside her. He pulled out his light and flicked it on. Jaden winced at the sudden illumination, which was perfect because Ben didn't want her to see his reaction.
Her right leg had taken heavy shrapnel from the mech blast. Blood had soaked the entire leg of her pants from hip to hem. Her left leg had been impaled by a glass shard, still embedded in her thigh. An upper examination revealed numerous bleeding cut on her face and severe gash on her forehead near the hairline.
Jaden looked down at her leg. "Damn."
"It's not as bad as it looks." Ben said.
Jaden snorted and leaned her head against the wall. "Are you kidding? Eighty percent chance the femoral artery was hit. I'll probably bleed out in the hour."
Ben pulled off his holster and wrapped it around her leg to slow the bleeding. "Then we need to get you back to the school."
"No, no, you need to get the supplies. The 2nd Mass needs them." Jaden replied.
Ben frowned in disbelief. "JJ, you need medical help. I'm not leaving you here."
"You don't have a choice, Ben. We're days away from an offensive attack, the 2nd Mass needs these supplies." Jaden explained.
"I can carry you and the supplies-"
"BEN LISTEN!" Jaden yelled. "Supplies are top priority. You can't put my life over the 2nd Mass. That's not how it works."
"Jaden can't just leave you here."
"Well you're going to. You're a fighter, now Ben. Sometimes you have to leave someone behind, but you have to keep going." Jaden explained.
Ben nodded reluctantly.
Jaden grabbed her pack and pulled out the map. She draped it over her lap. "Once you grab the supplies, take the highway straight back, don't stop, don't hesitate, you run. Run straight back to the school."
"Got it." Ben said.
Jaden pulled her rifle strap from her shoulder and held it out.
Ben shook his head. "JJ-"
"You're going to need it more than me." Jaden said.
Ben hesitantly took the rifle from Jaden. "I'll come back for you."
"You better not." Jaden hissed, adjusting her leg.
"Do you want any of the morphine we salvaged?"
Jaden shook her head. "No, save it for the 2nd Mass."
Ben nodded.
"Good luck Ben." Jaden said.
Ben rose from the floor and walked to the door. He carefully opened the door and scouted the alley. He took one last look at Jaden and slipped out into the alley. It was as quiet as ever, but the threat of the mech passing through still loomed in his head. And with Jaden seriously injured and virtually defenseless made the threat exponentially more dangerous. He jogged down the alley and paused at the main street. He stepped into the street and moved toward the supplies. They were still lying on the ground, untouched by the mechs. He gathered the three backs onto her back and took off down the street.
Activity in the base vicinity had been diminished. With Weaver, Tom, and Hal off base, the chain of command had fallen to Anthony for the evening. Dai was on watch on the north entrance of the school. He was leaning against the barricade, watching out one of the tires. He wasn't fond of active patrol nights, but sometimes the dull patrols were just as bad.
Suddenly Ben sprinted across the grass. He leapt over the barricade and landed just feet from the Dai. Dai noticed Ben carried three duffle bags and a sniper rifle. Ben looked around the barricade, breathing heavily.
"Ben!" Dai called.
Ben spun around. "Dai, where's….where's my dad?"
"He's scouting with Weaver and Hal. What's going on?" Dai asked
"Jaden's…Jaden's hurt…bad." Ben explained.
Dai walked over to Ben. "What happened?"
"We…we were ambushed by a mech. JJ…took shrapnel, big time. She could die…if we don't go get her."
"Where is she?"
"Carlisle." Ben answered.
"What the hell were you two doing up-"
"It was my idea!" Ben interrupted. "Are you going to help me?"
"If he won't. I will."
Ben and Dai turned. Maggie was marching their direction. "I'm not about to leave Jaden out there."
"We can't move her on the bikes." Dai explained.
"So we borrow a truck." Maggie answered.
"Weaver also orders all 2nd Mass members to stay on the base." Dai replied.
"Since when do you listen to Weaver?" Maggie asked.
"What about medical supplies?" Dai asked.
"What's going on?" They turned to see Anne walking up with Jimmy and Lourdes.
Ben walked toward Anne. "Anne, Jaden's been hurt out in Carlisle. She thinks her femoral artery was nicked. We have to go out an help her."
Anne took a deep breath. "Ben, if her artery was hit-"
"I know what could happen, but if she was going to bleed out she would've done it before I left. She's still alive." Ben explained.
"Carlisle's still half an hour away." Anne said.
"Who the hell cares?" Maggie asked. "That girl's saved my ass more than I wanna admit. I'm not leaving her to die out there. Weaver be damned."
Anne knelt by the packs and opened one. She fished through the medical pack for several needles and vial. "Lourdes, hold down the fort until we get back."
"What do I tell the patients?" Lourdes asked.
"I'm making a house call." Anne answered. She turned to Ben. "Can you get us to Jaden?"
Ben nodded.
"Dai, get us a truck." Anne ordered.
"On it." Dai said. He turned and jogged toward the vehicles.
"What if Weaver comes back before you?" Jimmy asked. "Someone could tell."
"Then it looks like you're going with us." Maggie answered. "Cause JJ's not getting left behind."
The truck barreled down the streets with Dai behind the wheel. Anne was in the passenger seat while Ben, Jimmy, and Maggie were in the back. Ben stood up, holding onto the roof for support while Dai continued down the road. The truck veered in every direction in the cluttered and destroyed road. The dips were heavy and the turns were sharp. Everyone inside and outside of the cab had to hold onto something just to make sure they weren't inured on the next turn. The drive was too long for him, too long for Jaden. Every second that past was another second less for Jaden, if she was still alive. If she was gone, if she'd already died by the time they reached her Ben-no. He couldn't think that way. Jaden was too stubborn to simply die without fighting. It wasn't in her.
Maggie sat beside Ben in the back. She carefully stood up and nudged Ben's arm. "You know, we're not gonna get there any faster. Don't beat yourself up over leaving her behind."
"If she dies it's my fault."
"No it's not. It's the skitters and the mechs. It's part of this war and Jaden knew that." Maggie explained.
"I keep thinking, that if I'd paid more attention on guard while she crossed, if I'd had her go first then she-"
"Jaden's particular about protecting other people, Ben. Jimmy, Matt, Anne, me, you…she puts our safety over hers. There's no way she would do any different." Maggie explained.
Ben nodded slowly. He banged on the roof of the ruck. "Stop here." He quickly ducked down as Dai slammed on the breaks.
Jimmy slid across the bottom of the bed into Maggie and Ben. Ben managed to ease Jimmy's collision. Once the truck came to complete stop, they piled out quickly. Ben and Dai took the lead while Maggie took up the rear, leaving Jimmy and Anne in the center. They moved down the street, opposite the way Jaden and Ben had originally come. Had they surveyed the town earlier, they would have altered their route to the pharmacy.
Ben led them down into the alley. Maggie stayed at the alley entrance, watching for mechs and skittered. The group weaved around the debris and trash cans in the alley. They reached the back door, imprinted with Ben's foot. Ben pulled open the door. Dai entered first, followed by Anne and Ben. Jimmy remained to watch the entrance of the building.
Inside was quiet and dark. Ben led the way, though the trail of blood was enough to lead them all to Jaden. She was where Ben had left her, twenty yards from the door against the wall. She held one of her pistols in her right hand, which was laid on the floor beside her. The bleeding had seemingly slowed down, but that had not stopped the small pool forming around her legs on the floor. The trail on her head had dried, by had travel down her face and neck. In the light of their flashlights, she was deathly pale. Her head was leaning down at her chest and her eyes were close; as if she had fallen asleep. Her breathing was unseen. Ben and Anne quickly rushed to her side.
"Jaden!" Ben called, kneeling beside Jaden. He touched her left hand. It was cold as ice. "JJ."
Anne pressed her fingers to Jaden's neck. "I can barely feel a pulse. If she's gonna live, we need to act fast." Anne reached into her pack and removed a pair of gloves. She pressed her hands to Jaden's leg, examining the wound.
Jaden moaned, but didn't open her eyes.
Anne sighed. "Looks like the shrapnel nicked the femoral artery."
Ben swallowed nervously. "What about her other leg?"
"We can't remove the glass until we get her back to the school." Anne explained. "Dai, we need to move her very carefully."
"I got her." Ben insisted. He slung up the rifle and carefully eased his arms beneath Jaden's legs. He lifted her into his arms, astonished by her lack of weight. Jaden's head rolled against Ben's shoulder under the motion.
They walked back to the door where Jimmy was waiting. His eyes glanced to Jaden. It was obvious he was worried about her, but he said nothing. He covered them at point, with Dai taking the rear, as they moved down the alley and regrouped with Maggie. Maggie was crouched behind the large dumpster at the entrance of the alley. Dai moved to Maggie's side.
"We're clear." Maggie whispered.
Dai rose and headed out first. Jimmy followed Dai out into the street. Ben and Anne moved next with Maggie picking up the rear. They moved quickly through the street to the truck. In the distance the mechanical sound of mech steps alerted them all. Their pace increased, but they remained silent.
They reached the truck in the side street. Dai dropped the back hatch and hopped into the back. Ben and Anne gently eased Jaden's back into Dai's arms. They eased her into the back and closed the hatch. Maggie, Ben, and Anne climbed into the back of the truck. Dai and Jimmy climbed into the cab and started the truck.
"Ben?"
Ben looked down at Jaden. Her dazed greenish-blue eyes stared up at him. He gently gripped her hand smiled in relief. "Hey, I said I'd come back."
Jaden's eyes dropped as she fell unconscious again. Ben looked up at Anne.
"She's still holding on." Anne answered. She turned to the cab of the truck and banging on the back. "Dai, haul ass!"
It was late when Tom returned to the school. Hal had slipped off to their quarters, after the day they had, Tom couldn't blame him. But he needed to speak with Anne first before he caught a few needed hours. He walked into the room and immediately spotted Ben and Jaden across the room. Jaden was lying in bed, unconscious. The right leg of her jeans was bloody and had been cut open completely. Her leg was wrapped up in gauze. The left leg was cut open with only gauze wrapped around her thigh. Several adhesive strips made quick work of the gash on her forehead. Ben sat beside her on the stood. In his hands was a small book as he read to Jaden.
Tom walked further into the room. He opened his mouth to speak.
"I wouldn't." Anne said, appearing beside him. "Ben won't leave, even if you tell him too."
"What happened?"
"They ran into a mech during their run. Jaden took the hit. Ben came back with the supplies and begged Dai to help bring her back." Anne explained.
"And they did?"
"We all did." Anne answered.
Tom's brows rose.
"Jaden's done a lot for us, we need to be there for her." Anne replied.
"Will she be alright?"
Anne nodded. "I patched up her artery and she's already starting to heal. I'm guessing that it's part of the harness effects. Anyone else would've bled out by the time we got there. She'll limp for a day or two."
"And Ben?"
"Hasn't left her side since I let him back in." Anne answered. "I think he's feeling guilty that he left her in the first place."
"He's learning how to make hard choices." Tom said.
Anne nodded. "They both got lucky with this one."
Tom sighed. "Very lucky. Listen, if you're okay with Ben staying here the night, I am too."
"Neither one of them are going anywhere tonight. I'll make sure he gets some sleep."
"Thanks." Tom said. He looked back at Ben. "Is he reading Persuasion?"
Anne smiled. "Our JJ is a secret Jane Austen fan. Maggie brought it in a few hours ago. Ben's been reading it to her ever since."
Tom smiled. "I used to read to him at night before the attack. Not Jane Austen of course, Harry Potter."
Anne chuckled. "Of course. Looks like he keeping up tradition."
"I was kind of hoping he kept it up with his brothers." Tom said. "Not that I have a problem with Jaden…"
"Tom, there's something I need to talk to you about." Anne said. "But I think it should wait till tomorrow."
"Alright. Tomorrow." Tom agreed.
"Get some sleep." Anne said.
Tom nodded and looked over at Ben. Ben must've heard them, because he looked up and met his dad's gaze. Tom nodded to Ben. Ben smiled slightly and continued reading to Jaden. Tom turned to Anne. "Goodnight."
"Night."
so this one was supposed to happen while Hal, Tom, and Weaver were in Boston. i like the action sequence in it.