Bass snaps out of his daze and runs after Charlie. She's disappeared already, the tunnel echoing with his footsteps. The silence is eerie in the wake of his new knowledge. Charlie is unpredictable at the best of times, but in this state, she is capable of anything.
The thought scares him. If anything would happen to her, Miles would be devastated. Bass is man enough to admit right now that he would be as well. He no longer just tolerates Charlie or keeps her around for the leverage and advantage she offers. Sebastian sincerely likes her, respects her, enjoys her company. He trusts her, even where she definitely doesn't trust him.
The library is just as abandoned. If Charlie is running, he can't catch up with her. She knows the city better than he does, knows every single way in and out. Just like every other instance in his life, he is too late.
Charlie stands in front of the cozy home, the number twenty-four proudly displayed, the smell of the butcher nauseating to her already upset stomach. She takes in a deep breath and knocks rapidly three times. The wait is agonizing. It feels like hours when only seconds actually pass. She doesn't dare look anywhere but the wooden panels of the door; sure she will chicken out if she looks away.
A boy, no older than fourteen and already enlisted in the Militia going by his uniform, opens the door. He barely resembles his father. His hair is short and blond where his father's was darker and half-length. He is still short, a growth spurt or two away from his dad's six foot, and he is calm and collected where the bomber had been near deranged with panic.
"Can I come in?" she asks quietly, and understanding is already dawning on the boy's face. He knows as well as any soldier that a personal visit from an unknown soldier can't end well. If he knows her to be a Matheson or is part of the rebels, he doesn't show it. The boy doesn't look scared, just resigned to bad news.
He steps aside to let her through and calls for his mother and siblings; a girl of almost the same age, probably a twin, and on her hip a far younger brother descend the stairs, while the matriarch enters from the kitchen. "What can we do for you?" she asks, weariness in her eyes as she steps between the stranger and her children.
"Your husband was executed today after he set of a bomb meant to kill both the Generals," she delivers promptly and with little remorse or sympathy. Her tone might be soft, but her eyes are hard, no emotion leaking through because she can't allow herself to feel much of anything. The little family's reactions vary; the woman shakily collapsing into a plush armchair, her hand in front of her mouth as her eyes water, the boy stands stoically, his suspicions confirmed. His sister shakes her head in denial and draws her little brother closer in search for comfort. The boy doesn't seem to understand what is going on at all. Charlie continues ruthlessly, in a big hurry to finish this plan so she can pay her debt to Miles for taking her in by protecting Bass from himself one last time. After this, she is free and clear.
"He was supported by the rebels, but they failed to come to his aid once he was captured. His identity and your address are known only to me at the moment, but I do not doubt that they will find out who he was and where he lived. People will connect the dots between the unknown rebel and your husband's disappearance, and I fear they will come for you and take their revenge on your family. I am here to help you exit the city and bring you to a safe place."
The boy nods, and Charlie can't tell if he is a rebel and angry that his father failed without even succeeding, or if the kid is loyal Militia and angry that his father's action will cause him to retreat to an exile for the rest of his life. "Lizzie pack the bags upstairs, take as little as you can. Mom, go and gather all the food and money we have left, starting over is not going to be easy." A boy stepping into the role of man of the house with this much easy must have seen this coming from miles away. He obviously has a contingency plan in place and is keeping his head cool. Charlie can almost admire the kid for his sheer power of will to stay calm and collected.
Once the others are out of earshot, the kid turns to her. "You're Charlie Matheson, right?" he asks quietly, and she can only nod in confirmation. She doesn't want to talk to this guy, doesn't want to know what hopes and dreams she is taking away. The less she knows the better anyway. If Bass seriously wants to get this family on his chopping block, she won't be able to resist his interrogation for long, not with Miles incapacitated.
"You're no rebel. So why help us?" he inquires, and she sees that he is not scared of being found out, nor jumpily waiting for a squat to storm the house. Charlie is certain that he is not a rebel, and that eases her mind about the whole situation. His father's actions are not something this soldier is going to repeat. She will not regret saving him and his family.
"Selfish reasons," she replies, not willing to share anything more. If the kid finds out she killed his father, he might not be friendly, no matter how much he disagreed with the man and his ideology. She can't give him any ammunition at all.
The boy nods and turns away to fill up a bag for the road. Charlie waits in silence for half an hour as they gather up their most prized belongings and gather at the door. The youngest boy is sleeping, and his mother carries him with practiced easy while also weighed down by a backpack filled to the brim with edibles. It is easy to exit the city among the traders and soldiers. With a steady pace and no bag big enough to smuggle anything worthy of searching them for, they get through the main exit of Philly with no stops at all.
Once outside she gives the boy a note. "Go here," she says, pointing at the address written in neat script, "ask for Nora and tell her that I might be coming soon."
"I'm not a rebel," he whispers harshly, and Charlie takes a moment to admire his fierce loyalty when his father had obviously not been the one to teach him.
"Tell her so and she won't force you to take any action against the Republic. She'll relocate you and move on. Also, let her know that if she had any hand in making that bomb, she might want to run and hide with you."
On that note, Charlie turns back to the Philly gates, not waiting to see if the bomber's family is going to thank her or resent her for her actions.
She has her own escape to plan.