Chapter 29:

(Caleb POV)

I leaned away from Isabella, "What did you say?" She just looked at me, "I'm coming with you to the Compound." "No Isabella your not, you are going to go back to your family and I am going to leave. It is like we talked about at the end of the year I leave and you stay," I started to say but she just let out a long breath, "I'm coming with you. My Tío is going to tell them where I am."

She then looked at me, "We are going to still need to talk about things later, but why don't we take these guys back to their homes." "But you need to go back to yours too..." I tried to start but she just shook her head. "I'm going to see if I can find my bag and get out of this dress. I will meet you with everyone else in front of the camp, alright?" She gestured down to her outfit. I just nodded my head, "Alright."

She walked away and I let out a course breath. My parents they could have escaped if I would've listened to my Mama. I never would have been taken by the General, I'd be living somewhere far away with grandparents I never got the chance to meet and probably wouldn't be as screwed up of a person. I couldn't focus on that though. Not now. I was the highest ranked person here and that made it my responsibility to make sure that they all got back to base and got the information that they needed to get back to their homes. I walked back into the camp and into the General's tent. I needed to see what was still here and if there was anything important.

I started shifting though the documents when I heard the tent flap open and close. I looked over and saw a soldier I had seen around the base before but, never spoke to. I believe he was a few years older than me but, other than that I didn't know much about him. "Can I help you?" I asked refocusing on the documents in front of me that mostly focused on finding and destroying Encanto. He let out a breath, "You are the Ramones-Williams son aren't you?" I stopped and put the papers down and turned to face him, "How..." "I was... am the Garcia's son. Lorenzo." I nodded my head, "Caleb." "There are a few of us from Santa Marta here. We were wondering if we could just go now?" He asked.

I let out a breath, "I don't know there might be documents or stuff you need back at the base. I mean just looking at what the General has here there are deeds to land, family information and that is just on the innocent village he was going to have us attack, imagine how much he has on each of us?" Lorenzo nodded his head, "I understand, it's just... I had a little sister back home and um..." I looked up at my head and nodded for him to continue, "They told me that she was dead. A lot of us have stories like that and I really want to know if it's true or not." I let out a long breath as I thought more about it. I knew my parents were gone I watched the house burn to the ground. I looked over at the maps and saw how far away we were from the Compound versus how far we were from Santa Marta. Santa Marta is a shorter journey but, I am worried about what documents could be waiting at the Compound plus there are all the other soldiers there. The more people going to the Compound the longer the journey can take.

I looked at Lorenzo, "Anyone who want to go back to their homes right now can. I have the map here and we can figure out the fastest ways for everyone to get there. I just need one person from each place to stay behind to get the information from the Compound and get it out to all of you. I will go for Santa Marta." He let out a breath of relief, "Thank you Lieutenant." I tensed at the title, "Please just call me Caleb. I can't..." He nodded his head, "Of course. I'll spread word around camp, Caleb. Thank you."

I heard him leave and went back to focus on the papers in front of me when I heard the tent flap open again. This time I turned and saw Isabella. She was in the outfit she wore before when we were on our stakeout in the woods and she looked a lot more like herself. She walked over to me and looked at the map that I was looking at, "Is that just Colombia?" She asked and I nodded my head, "Yeah it is." I looked at her, "What are you still doing here Isabella? Why didn't you go to Encanto?" She looked at me, "I don't really know."

(Isabella POV)

I went to the tent where I was changed before and found my closes still there. I quickly changed back into what I was wearing before and started braiding the top of my hair and pulling the rest back into a ponytail. I emerged from the tent and walked over to the edge of the camp as the last of my vines were dying down. I saw Tío Felix standing there, "I can't change your mind, can I?" He said and I shook my head and he let out a breath. "The family is going to kill me." I smiled, "I'll come back. I just think that I need to be with them right now." He gave me a look, "Right them. Not anyone in particular."

I rolled my eyes but pulled him into a hug, "Thank you for coming after me." He nodded his head into my shoulder, "I always will. If you don't come back home soon I have no issues going to your Tío Bruno and making him give me a vision of where you are and I'll bring your entire angry family with me." "Even the kids?" I asked. He gave me a look, "Especially the kids." I nod my head, "Give me a few weeks." He pointed at me, "You have a month. Now I need to explain this to the family including: Your parents, Abuela, and my pregnant daughter." I nodded my head, "Good luck." He looked behind me, "Same here. Now go find Caleb."

I walked through the town and saw men all packing up but I made one stop before I went to Caleb. I went to the prisons and saw men standing guard. I nodded my head towards them and they let me go in and I saw the feared General sitting inside, "Get away from me you witch." He spouted at me. I smirked, "What because I'm no longer some weak little prisoner all manners go out the window?" He glared at me, "YOU ARE A WICKED WILD WOMAN AND CLEARLY A WITCH. YOU BEWITCHED MY BEST LIEUTENANT AND YOU HAVE MESSED WITH THE BALANCE OF MY CAMP AND THE FREAKING PLANTS AROUND IT AS WELL!" I grew a small vine chair and looked at him, "I'd like to tell you a story that all started 60 years ago." He rolled his eyes, "Please I know what I did."

I shook my head, "I'm not talking about what you did. I'm talking about the people you did it to. You see my Abuela and Abuelo lived in that village and had newborn triplets." He rolled his eyes, "Let me guess no one but your Mama or Papa made it in your family." I shook my head, "No almost everyone in the town made it because my Abuelo sacrificed himself for us and we were granted a miracle. Why do you think that there is mountain around us that separates us from the rest of the world? How do you think I got the gift that I have? It was all because of you and your men taking an innocent life who only wanted to protect his family. We were trapped with no contact from the outside world and that feels like a very fitting punishment for you."

His eyes snapped up, "What do you mean?" "You are never leaving this cell. Not if my gift and I have anything to say about it, as far as I know as long as I don't take it away it stays and you've seen the strength of my vines before" I said as I began to stand up, "NO you can't do this to me." I just shook my head and left the cell slamming the door shut before I slowly began to grow a thick vine that was wrapping around the room slowly breaking through the roof of the cell. before closing over the top of him. I went over to the guard at the door, "He is not getting out anytime soon."

I walked towards the General's tent when I saw a man come outside, "He said we could go home. He just needs someone from the village." I smiled as I turned towards the tent and made my way inside. He looked at me but neither of us said anything. I walked over to look at what he was looking at and all I could see was this huge map with different towns labeled and the water, "Is this just Colombia?" I asked. He nodded his head, "Yeah it is." I heard him let out a breath, "What are you still doing here Isabella? Why didn't you go to Encanto?" I looked back at him, "I don't really know." He sighed, "Isabella. Why don't you want to go home?" I looked at him, "Honestly, I don't want to leave you yet. And we already lost the battle of minimizing collateral damage so..." I started to joke, but he wrapped me in a hug, "Let's go to the Compound." I said into his hair. I then leaned back, "And then if you want maybe you can show me your home?" He smiled at me, "Yeah I think I'd like that."