Chapter 23:
(Isabella POV)
I needed to be away from everyone and everything. And there was one place where I could always do that. I know that Dolores could probably listen out for me so I was being as quiet as possible as I made my way through the jungle.
(Caleb POV)
- 8 hours later -
I was packing up my stuff when there was another knock on the door. I went to see who was there and saw Isabella's sisters and cousins outside the door, "Can I help you?" I asked looking around. Her sister Luisa sighed, "Is Isabella here?" I shook my head, "No she left a few hours ago." There were murmurs amongst all of them before someone asked, "Do you have any idea about where she is?" I shook my head again, "No I thought she headed back home." They murmured again and then looked at me, "Are you sure you have no idea where she is?" I tried thinking it over in my head and I had an idea about where she might be, "Um I have an idea." "Where?" They all asked. "How about you guys keep checking in town and I will see if I'm right or not." Her sisters looked at each other before nodding their heads, "Fine. Meet us back at Casita if you don't find her though." I nodded my head and waited until they were far enough away before heading out.
I went through the jungle and went over to the border where the cavern was. I walked past the cavern and over to the tree. I climbed up using the different knots on the tree and saw her sitting on the platform. I went over and sat next to her, "Your family is looking for you." She nodded her head, "I had a feeling they would. I know I should have told them but, I needed to be alone. Plus they were going to ask me questions about last night and after today I didn't want to talk about that." I let out a long breath, "I'm almost packed up. I'll be out of your hair by tomorrow." She rested her head into her legs, "Why did you have to be a part of an invasion on my community?"
I let out a breath, "Look, I thought that I was coming to a community of criminals that hurt so many people and that the invasion that I was helping to plan was going to keep people safe. Can you accept that, that was what I honestly believed?" She nodded her head. "And you know that I know better now, which is why I told you what was going on," I continued. She looked up and kept her eyes squeezed shut, "I get that you didn't know and I get why it took you time to tell me the truth," she looked at me and I could see that her eyes were stained red, "They took you when you were 10 right?" I nodded my head. She swallowed a lump in her throat, "You were a little kid who's parents just died right in front of him and then you were ripped away from the only home you've ever known and taken by someone who raised you to do this." She let out a long breath, "I can accept all of that. What I have a problem with is that I have no idea what was real anymore."
(Isabella POV)
I leaned my head back and looked out towards my community, "I am the one who messed up." I said looking at him. "I'm the one that didn't tell them about you the first time you came here. I was the one who convinced them that it would be better to work with than let you try and figure out our community on your own, I introduced you to people, I opened up to you, I told you about my family, I asked you on a date..." my voice trailed off, "I did everything." I then let out a shaky breath, "What are the chances that my community can survive this?" Caleb looked at me, "I never told them about your miracles or gifts, but they do have more advanced technology and weapons." I nodded my head. "But I do think that your community can still be safe." I let out a breath, "Can you help?" He nodded his head, "Yeah I can help."
I nodded my head again, "I want to handle this before they come to us, but I also need to make sure that my family will stay safe." He nodded his head again. "I don't want them to get hurt," I said again. His eyes widened, "Isabella you're not thinking of going off on your own, are you?" I looked at him, "What would you do if it was your parents and you thought that this could kill them?" He shook his head, "That's not fair Isabella."
I shook my head again, "My cousin Dolores is the mother of 2 and is pregnant with triplets, my cousin Camilo and his wife are trying to start a family, my cousin Antonio is enjoying being a teenager and has a girlfriend, my sister Luisa has her own special friend and my sister Mirabel is the Candleholder, she is the head of the family. I don't want them to get hurt. You told me that 'The General' doesn't know about our gifts and it sounds like the only advantage that we have, but they all have something to lose and people who are counting on them. I'm the only one who has nothing to lose or people depending on me if something happens." He looked at me, "Isabella we have to tell them." "You mean like how you told me?" I asked. I shook my head again, "No. I am the one who is running this now and we are going to do it my way." He sighed, "Ok."
We stayed quiet for a moment before Caleb said, "Oh your sisters and cousins were looking for you earlier." My eyes widened, "Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" I called on a vine and wrapped around my wrist and propelled my way down as I started to walk to Casita. Caleb was quick on my heels. "Isabella it is going to be fine. You're 30 years old," he said trying to calm me down as I was near a sprint heading toward Casita. I turned to him, "You don't get it." I made my way to Casita and saw my entire family standing outside.
"Isabella," Mama said. I let out a breath, "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you guys." Mama wrapped her arms around me, "We don't disappear. I know you're an adult, but the last time someone disappeared." I nodded my head, "I know Mama. It won't happen again." I looked at the rest of my family and prepared myself for the long night that was waiting for me. I turned to Caleb, "See you after work tomorrow." His eyes widened as he nodded his head, "Yeah see you tomorrow."
(Caleb POV)
I went back to the shack and saw that everything was pretty much packed up. I didn't know what I was going to do now. No, that was a lie, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to help Isabella however she wanted to do this. When she was talking about her family and all they had to lose and the people that were counting on her I hated that she didn't see who needed her too. I had half a mind to tell her family, but the truth was I had put myself in a terrible position because if I told her family, there was the possibility that Isabella still went off and did her own thing or there was the possibility that her family wouldn't listen to me or wouldn't trust me the moment I tell them who I am.
I took out the photo of my parents and put it next to my bed. I looked at the little me in the photo and the truth was I barely recognized him. I looked at my parents and wondered what it would have been like if they were still here. I laid back in bed not even caring about making dinner or anything, it was too long of a day to care about that right now, but it invaded my thoughts as I went to sleep.
The next morning I got up and went to the fields muddling through my work. It didn't feel like the right thing to do anymore now that Isabella knew, but I also had to remind myself that not everyone else did. I rushed through my work and without the excess of weeds growing through the area I just cleared it went pretty quickly. When I finished though I saw Isabella coming out from the tree line. She had been watching me the entire time. She came over to me, "Ready to go." I nodded my head, "Yeah." As we walked past some of the other people in the fields I could hear them calling out and making comments about us being together but, Isabella didn't say anything so I didn't either. I know that she only wanted me around to help her with the General and that if she could she would send me away but, I wanted to avoid actually having that conversation for as long as possible because once we had it, it was real.
We walked back to the shack together and she carefully shut the door before looking at me, "We need to figure out what we are going to do." She said as she turned to face me. I nodded my head, "Do you want something to drink before we start?" She shook her head, "I need to know what I am getting into and you are going to tell me everything." I nodded my head, "Of course." I began to talk to her about everything I knew about their numbers, weapons and more. Isabella nodded her head going through everything. She let out a breath, "Where are they waiting for the attack?" she asked. I shrugged, "I don't know for sure. They are always moving around. I know where I'm meeting the General." She nodded her head, "Alright and when are you meeting him?" I let out a breath, "The night that Daniela has her party." She nodded her head again, "Ok."
She got up and looked over at the clock, "Ok well I have been gone for 2 hours so I need to head back home. I'm going to work up a plan and I want you to as well and we are going to talk about it tomorrow." I nodded my head again. She went to the door and turned to face me, "While we are in town and until we figure this out, it is probably for the best that everyone in town still think that we are dating." I felt my heart drop to my stomach as I nodded my head again, "Whatever you want Isabella." She turned to leave, "See you tomorrow Lieutenant."
(Isabella POV)
From this point forward everything I did had to serve on purpose, stopping the people from hurting my community. I wanted to talk to Caleb to figure out where everything was at, but I couldn't not right now. Especially when he is the one that put me in this position in the first place. I had shut down everything else in me besides that. I couldn't afford to let anything cloud my judgement because after everything that Caleb told me there was a chance that we weren't going to make it out of there. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I walked into Casita and saw my family. They didn't deserve any of this. I was going to do whatever I had to do to keep everyone I loved safe.