Chapter 5
Jed-Dropping Everything
I thought that this would've been the last time I'd see anyone die. Looking at Toni, helpless and bleeding, dying right under the bush. Tough girl Toni, or Curly Toni, as everyone called her when she wasn't listening. I felt as sad as I was when Daryl died.
The last time I ever touched her was when I kissed her on the forehead. I had never done that to any other girl before. Toni was special. I walked away after that, but not before taking one last look at her seemingly lifeless body underneath the bush. After awhile the explosion sounded, and I knew Toni was dead.
I was sure none of the Wolverines would die after that. I just had this feeling that they wouldn't. And I was going to make sure they wouldn't. Matt and I would attack the camp alone. Erica and Danny would have to stay behind.
My brother and I loaded up. We talked and decided that we loved each other and would protect each other in this battle. Our secret handshake sealed that promise. With that, we set off into the Soviet camp.
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We were on a roll, throwing grenades and shooting guns, warning the Commies that they weren't ever gonna come back into our country again. Once we finished off the Cuban section, we went on to the Soviet part.
Hopping on the train, we tried to stay hidden until we got to the head of the army. Guns popped in our direction, but I smirked, knowing none of them could hit us.
But Matt cried out and fell off of the train. It was then that I knew Matt got shot. "Matt!" I whispered as I jumped off the train. Matt was lying face-down, the snow around him turning red. I rolled him over and I saw that he had been shot in the shoulder, just like Toni had been. Did Soviets think that the shoulder was our weak point?
"Mattie?" I whispered to him. "C'mon, man, don't die!"
My heart skipped a beat when Matt opened his eyes. "Jed?" he asked, as if he didn't recognize me, or thought I was gonna leave. His eyes were crying out for help.
Worry was replaced with anger as I tried to load a gun. Everything took longer to load because I was shaking with rage. "Don't worry, buddy," I said through clenched teeth. "Hold on to your life. You're not gonna die. You're gonna be all right."
I ran off towards whoever shot my baby brother. I finally found a man closest to us, with a gun still smoking from the previous shots. Wasn't he the man in the helicopter who killed both Robert and Toni? I couldn't tell, but he still had the helmet hair.
I pointed at him with the gun. "You lose."
He turned to me and started shooting at me with his gun. I shot back. But I think we got hit at the exact same time. I still had some strength and I was faster than he was, so I pulled up the gun and shot him many more times until he died.
Now I think I know how the rest of the Wolverines must've felt when they died. Everyone kept their pain to themselves, but now I know how hard it might have been.
Even though I got shot in the stomach, I found enough strength to pick Matt up and take him away from the fighting. Matt was pale as pale could be, his skin was cold, and blood was trickling out of his mouth and where he was hit.
As we neared the exit, the click of a loaded gun sounded. I looked over to see an enemy pointing a gun at us. I don't know what happened, but he lowered his gun and let us go on our way. That taught me that some enemies really aren't your enemy in the end.
For the first time since the Wolverines formed, I felt scared. Scared that I would lose the last part of my family. Scared that I would die. But that part wasn't so scary, since I would find my family again.
"You can rest now," I whispered to Matt. I knew in my heart that he was beyond saving. I knew that I was beyond saving. Trudging towards a bench, I got so weak that Matt fell from my grasp. I was babbling like an idiot, but in a haze of pain I managed to think about holding Matt again. I picked my baby brother up and we both sat on the bench, waiting for death to come.
It made its way toward us just as we heard footsteps coming over to us.