Chapter 5: A Hiding Place
"Mason? Could we talk for a moment?" Ronnie asked.
"Sure." Mason replied as he sat down on his bed, patting a place beside him. Giving her permission to sit down as well.
"What'd you mean, that she 'is our sister'? Before you left, you were dead set against thinking that way. What happened to you while you were gone?" Ronnie asked.
"I will just say, my eyes were opened." Mason explained.
"What do you mean?" Ronnie asked.
"Some of the Confederates hate this horrid war, just like we do. Those are the siblings who are the ones my heart breaks for. If you only felt the way I did when she clung to me, for dear life. Not wanting me to leave her." Mason muttered.
"Who?" Ronnie asked.
"Lana. She made me begin to hate myself for considering my own family as enemies. She surprised me when she turned around and wrapped her arms around me, burying her face into my chest, weeping. I know, what I said. But, there. There was one of my little sisters, a girl that I swore to help protect and that I have grown such a strong attachment to ever since she had become a part of our family. How could I turn my family away?" Mason muttered as tears began forming in his eyes.
"Mase." Ronnie cried as she hugged her older brother. Mason buried his face in her shoulder weeping. The two siblings cried for hours before parting ways. Because, they had a long journey ahead of them, come sun up.
Nathaniel was sound asleep in his room, tucked into his own, comfortable bed, for the first time in forever. It was about 6am, and Mason and Ronnie, both walked into his room. "Rise and shine, Nate! We've got a very, long journey ahead of us." Ronnie remarked as Mason shook him a little, gripping his bruised arms.
"What kind of doctor are you? Jerk!" Nathaniel snapped.
"It's time for you to get up. Here's a change of clothes." Mason remarked before looking over at his sister, "Ronnie, meet the both of us at the stable. And, get the horses ready."
"Will do." Ronnie replied before walking out of Nathaniel's bedroom.
"Nathaniel, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?" Mason asked.
"I'm up. I'm up. Now, you can leave." Nathaniel muttered before getting out of his bed.
"I'm going to stay here until I know for sure you're not going to lay back down on that bed." Mason replied.
"Fine!" Nathaniel snapped.
Outside the bedroom there was loud crashing noises heard from the inside, caused by the two brothers fighting. Monica, who was in her father's bedroom heard the commotion began to try and wake her father up, "Daddy? Daddy?" She replied as she shook him a bit.
"Five more minutes, British dude." Alfred muttered.
"Dad." Monica said continuing to shake him. Realizing that wasn't working, she climbed on top of him.
Alfred sat up immediately after Monica, accidently kneeing him in a certain area, "Mon, get off Daddy for a sec, okay?" He remarked. Monica did as she was told then he sighed in relief.
"Daddy, are you, okay?" She asked.
"Yeah. What's up, little dude?" Alfred asked.
"There's noises out there." Monica stated as she pointed to the hallway.
"I'll go check it out. You go back to sleep. " Alfred muttered as he got out of bed and opened his bedroom door. Immediately he could hear the loud sound of a fight going on, only it didn't sound just like two people, now. He walked down the corridor and to Nathaniel's bedroom. There he seen, Dennis, Harley, Ivy, Kenny, Mason, & Nathaniel, all cramped in the room. The only one not throwing punches, of course was Mason, but the other five were, because they were woken up by the racket from Nathaniel and Mason. Alfred ran his hand through the mess that he called hair & sighed, "Yo! Cool it! All of you back to your rooms, now." He ordered. The four did as they were told and Mason stayed. "What happened?"
"Well, Nathaniel, Ronnie, and I are leaving for a while. Ronnie will return. But, for precautionary purposes, we will go in hiding for a while." Mason replied.
"But, you dudes just got back." Alfred stated.
"And, I wish we could stay. But, the Confederates will be looking for us for a while. We'll keep in touch." Mason explained.
"I understand. I mean, you broke out of jail, dudes. Just be careful you two and take care of your sister." Alfred ordered.
"We will."Mason replied.
"Ronnie, knows a place that's safe. And, I'll make sure that someone travels with her, on the way back." Nathaniel added.
"Bye." Alfred muttered as two of his sons walked out to the stables and climbed onto their horses and riding off away from the house.
The three siblings rode all the way from DC to New Jersey, where their older sister, lived. Ronnie knocked on the door. A ginger haired girl with green eyes, answered, "Ronnie? What are you doing, here?" She asked.
"Nikki, I need you to keep these two hidden. Ivy, and I, broke them out of a Confederate prison. I knew that you could house them here, being you're on our side." Ronnie explained.
"Alright, I'll do it." Nikki replied.
"Thank you, Nikki." Mason said.
"This is gonna be a long wait." Nathaniel muttered before walking into the house.
"Who's that?" Mason muttered as he saw a rider from a distance become more, "Inside. Everyone. Now!" He ordered before everyone ran inside.
Before they knew it, a knock on the door was heard. Nathaniel had a revolver in hand. Nikki went to door and slowly opened it.
Nathaniel cocked the gun and leaned against a wall and took a breath.
Mason and Ronnie hid in a nearby bedroom and expected to hear the sound of gunfire, soon enough.
"Howdy, Sis!" A familiar voice greeted.
"Kenny? What are you doing here?" Nikki asked.
"Dad sent me and Harley to pick up, Ronnie." Kenny explained.
Nathaniel sighed then put the revolver back in his holster, "You moron. You know how close I was to blowing your head off?!"He remarked before walking out in the open.
"With you, that wouldn't have been likely unless you were standing right front holding the gun to my head, even then it would be a 50-50 chance you'd hit me." Kenny remarked.
"True that." Harley stated, "You're a lousy shot."
"Am not." Nathaniel remarked,
"Kenny? Harley? What did you mean Dad sent you to get me?" Ronnie asked as she and Mason both walked into the living area.
"Dad wanted you to have an escort back home. Being that Harley and I are the best shots of all the family, that made us the best candidates." Kenny explained.
"I could have handled myself." Ronnie remarked.
"Dad's just worried that the same thing will happen to you, that happened to Mase and Nate. We're taking precautions." Harley stated.
Ronnie sighed sadly, "We just found you two and now, I have to lose you, again."
"Hey, don't worry about it, little sis. We'll be together, again before you know it. Everybody will." Nathaniel replied before Ronnie hugged him, goodbye.
"Until next time, Ronnie." Mason replied with a grin as Ronnie released Nathaniel and hugged him.
"We better, go Ron. I have a feeling that we had some Rebel spies on our tail." Harley muttered.
"Nik, you got a few fast horses we could borrow?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah, in the stables." Nikki replied.
"Okay, come on, Ronnie." Kenny remarked as he, Harley & Nikki ran out to the stables and put up their horses and Mason and Nathaniel's as well and trading them out for others.
"We'll return them, soon. Nik." Harley stated after throwing his saddle on a horse and climbed on.
"Alright. No rush, you can use them however long you need them." Nikki replied.
Kenny nodded and put his stetson on Ronnie's head, "Let's roll out." He ordered before the three of them rode away.
Nikki walked back into her home and thus began the beginning of a lengthy wait.