Chapter 70:Rise Up
'You can never have unity if you want things to go your way.'
Becca heard the men talking in the next room. She was alone with guards standing outside. She tried to make out what they were saying, but she couldn't hear them while sitting on the bed.
She got up from the bed and pressed her ear against the wall. Her mama used to say eavesdropping was a sin. She's already had enough sins for a one way ticket to hell. Maybe this was God's version of purgatory.
She could hear a man with a deep voice talking about what they were going to do with him. She wondered who they were talking about. There was a female voice, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.
Her eyes widened when she heard Joel's name. Her heart started pounding in fear. They couldn't have him. Not him. He was going to be the one to take them down.
She looked around the room helplessly, knowing she couldn't do anything. She was unarmed and heavily pregnant. She would need some ingenuity.
She thought fast on her feet as she knocked on the door,'Hey, guard! I need to use the restroom!'
That wasn't a lie. She did have to pee every five minutes. Joel used to joke about getting her a diaper.
She hoped Ellie and Lizzie were safe with Evelyn. She hoped for a lot of things. This was like the Firefly hospital, but worse. At least they knew what they were up against with them.
The door opened and a very muscular and tall guard stood over her. She took a deep breath as she shifted back and forth on her feet,'I really need to pee.' She jerked her head towards the bathroom in her room,'You told me if I had to go to tell you.'
The guard nodded curtly and sighed as he looked down the hallway,'Okay, but make it quick.'
She nodded and sighed in relief,'Thank you.'
The guard frowned as he walked into the room. Becca walked over to the bathroom and went to close the door, but he placed his hand on the door to stop her.
'I'm not peeing with an audience.' She pointed to her belly,'I'm pregnant. Where the hell am I gonna go?'
The guard relented and took his hand off the door,'Make it quick.'
She nodded and gave him a small smile,'Sure thing.'
She closed the door to the bathroom and leaned back against it. She looked around to see what she could use as a weapon. She remembered the words Joel told her. Anything could be used as a weapon if you were creative enough.
Her eyes fell on the lid of the toilet AB's she grinned to herself. She quickly used the bathroom and flushed the toilet. She picked up the lid from the toilet and opened the door.
His back was facing her as she came up behind him. She whacked him on the back of the head with the lid, instantly knocking him out as he fell to the floor. She hit his head a few more times as his body flopped. She stood over him as she watched the light dim from his eyes. She could hear the telltale death rattle.
She set the lid down on the ground gently. She took whatever weapons she could find on him along with his bullets. She hurriedly gathered what she could and grabbed his weapon bag, hoisting it over her shoulder.
She cocked his rifle as she slowly made her way out of the room. She kept her back pressed against the wall. She could see a guard at the end of the hallway.
She waited a few moments before he walked to the other end of the hallway. She found it amusing they only had two guards to watch over her. They must be overly confident or just plain stupid.
Becca leaned up on her tiptoes and peeked inside the room. She could see two guards inside his room. Her eyes widened when she saw Evelyn and her heart dropped to her stomach.
She could see them standing around his bed. He was awake and yelling at them, demanding to see his wife and child. She knew what she had to do. This was just like the Firefly hospital except she was a lot agile back then.
The realization Evelyn was apart of this made her sick to her stomach. If Evelyn was here then where was Ellie and Lizzie? She didn't like this at all.
Becca closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath to gather her nerves. She needed to do this. He was her husband. Hell, she did this when she barely even knew him. It's like they've come full circle.
Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
She knocked on the door twice before leaning her back against the wall, waiting for the door to open.
Just as the door opened she stepped in front of the guard, the rifle aimed at his face. She didn't even hesitate to shoot him in the head. She watched as he fell to the floor, blood and brain matter falling from his head.
Joel looked up at her in surprise. He used the distraction to break the other guard's neck.
He grabbed his weapons and pointed it at Evelyn,'Where the fuck are the girls?'
Evelyn seemed frightened as she held her hands up.'I don't know. I swear I don't. I just work for them so they don't hurt my family.'
Becca snorted and shook her head,'At my family's expense?'
'No.' Evelyn shook her head as tears filled her eyes,'Please don't kill me. Please.'
Becca met Joel's gaze and they both shared a knowing look. She nodded as she cocked the rifle and shot her dead. Her body thumped heavily on the floor as blood pooled around her head.
Joel stared down at Evelyn and walked over to Becca. He held her face in his hands as his eyes roved all over her,'Are you okay? Did they hurt ya?'
'No. She frowned as she saw the nasty bump on his head,'They hurt you though.'
'It's nothing.' He sighed as he kissed her lips,'I'm so glad to see you.' He kissed her again, harder this time,'Thank you for saving my life again, but you shouldn't be-
'Shut up.' She rolled her eyes and sighed,'I'm perfectly fine with shooting a gun.' She looked down at Evelyn and frowned,'I can't believe she was working for them the whole time.'
'They have El and Lizzie.' He narrowed his eyes,'I pretended to still be unconscious. I heard them talking about taking her down to the tunnels.'
'That's probably where they were going to take me. Hopefully everyone else they took from us are there too.' She looked up at him with tears in her eyes,'Any word on Maria and Betsy or the baby?'
He frowned and shook his head,'No, but if they're taking the girls down to the tunnels than they must be there. I'm gonna round a group together and down there.'
'Okay.' She nodded,'At least Harold will be with you. He knows those tunnels better than anybody.' She saw his face fall and immediately knew,'They killed him didn't they?'
He nodded as he stroked her cheek,'Fraid so.' He sighed,'They shot him while we were coming to find you.'
She averted her eyes downward as tears fell from her eyes,'How many more people have to die for this? For us?'
He rested his forehead against hers and stroked her cheeks,'This isn't your fault.'
'I'm going to have to tell his wife.' She shook her head,'They just got married a month ago. She's going to be devastated.'
Joel frowned as he looked over her face. He knew there wasn't anything to change what happened. All they could do was set things right.
'We need to get moving before they realize what happened.' He took her hand, squeezing it tightly,'You see anything you shoot.'
She nodded as they walked out of the room. She felt the anxiety tightening her chest. Their family were trapped down in the tunnels. They could be dead for all they knew. They've already lost Harold. She didn't want to lose an ally. They've lost too many to begin with.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Ellie leaned up on her tiptoes to peek out the window on the door. She was locked inside a room by herself. She could hear Lizzie next door. She swore she heard Maria and Betsy in the other room beside of hers, but it was probably wishful thinking. They were probably already dead. She hated thinking that, but it was true.
She knew they took her to the underground tunnels. They came in a different way, but she recognized the path. She wasn't stupid. She knew they brought her down here to experiment on her. To kill her.
She went through an escape route over and over again, but without weapons she was useless. She hoped Joel would find her. Or even Harold. She would take anyone at this point.
Ellie jumped up to face the window and yelled out,'Hey fuck face! You ever gonna let me out to have some fun?'
The guard looked back at her and frowned, shaking his head,'Shut up you little twat.'
Ellie feigned a look of hurt and stepped back from the door,'Well that was uncalled for.'
She heard the door unlocking and wondered if her mouth was finally going to get her killed. She was surprised she managed to live thus far. This reminded her of the Firefly hospital all over again. Except this was different. She had more to lose this go around.
The door opened revealing Francis and walked inside. He looked over at the plate of uneaten food and frowned,'You need to eat for your strength. You're going to need it for the procedure.'
She crossed her arms over her chest and flared up at him,'Why does it matter?' She shrugged,'You're just gonna kill me anyway.'
Francis clicked his tongue and frowned,'Now that's no way to treat someone who has your life in their hands. Do you know how many people would want to be in your shoes? You're going to be a hero to the new world.'
Ellie really wished she cared to listen, but she really didn't. She didn't feel like listening to him. She wouldn't give him that power. He loved to hear himself talk.
'I don't want to be a hero.' She shook her head and sighed,'I just want to be a teenage girl. I want to be with my girlfriend and family.'
Francis chuckled and nodded,'Your girlfriend. Yes.' He met her gaze as his features hardened,'You better get down on your knees and pray to God for your sins. I'll be doing the world a favor then. How can homosexuality work in an apocalypse?'
Ellie rolled her eyes and sighed. She wouldn't hold his archaic beliefs against him. He was an old man from the South. She wanted to punch his lights out for being such a bigot.
'I could show you a diagram.' Ellie smirked,'When two women love each other they-'
Francis held up a hand to silence her,'Spare me the details.' He looked her over and sighed,'You have just an hour for your procedure. No one is coming to help you this time. May God have mercy on your soul.'
Francis walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Ellie finally broke down in sobs. She slid against the wall and brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.
In just an hour she would be dead. She was only eighteen years old and this was her demise. Francis was right. No one would come to save her.
She came into this world alone and that's how she would leave it.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Becca held onto Joel's hand tightly. She bit back a wince as the pain in her hips started to radiate down to her legs. Her Braxton Hicks was acting up again. She could feel their baby wildly kicking inside her. Even the baby was upset and scared.
Joel looked over at her and frowned when he saw the pain deeply etched into her features.
He sighed and stopped walking as she leaned back against the wall. He placed his hands on her stomach, rubbing it soothingly,'You okay, baby girl?'
'Yeah.' She nodded and took a deep breath,'I would be lying if I said I wasn't hurting.'
He frowned and pressed his forehead against hers, whispering,'We have to get you somewhere safe. You can't be out here like this. You gotta take care of you and our baby.'
She closed her eyes and sighed shakily,'They have our girl, Joel. Maria, Lizzie and Betsy. They have the baby. We have to get them back. I can't just sit here while they're out there.'
He rubbed her belly gently as he felt their baby lick hard against his hand,'I know ya want to help and you've done so much already. I need ya to be safe, Bec. I can't let anything happen to ya. Do ya understand me?'
'I do.' Her shoulders sagged as she took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves,'Where do I go? Every safe place is occupied by them.'
'Not necessarily.' He shook his head,'Arrowhead. You can ride out there. Ain't no one looking for ya out there. They're too busy here. You'll be safe there.'
Becca thought about it for a moment. On one hand, she knew no one would be safe as long as they're out there. On the other hand, she knew it would be a good a place as any. They wouldn't expect her to be there.
'Okay.' She nodded as she placed her hands over his,'I'll go, but you promise me that as soon as everything is settled you come to me. You better have our family safe and sound. You better come back safe.'
'Yes, maim.' He smiled softly as he leaned in to kiss her lips,'I swear to you I'll make sure they're safe. I won't let ya down.' He leaned back from her and sighed,'Let's get ya gone.'
Becca followed him out of the hospital. He brought her to the stables where the work horses were kept. He saddled up the safest and sturdiest horse he could find. He made sure she was fully stocked with weapons and ammunition.
She wasn't thrilled with the idea of leaving her husband, but she had the baby to think about as well. She couldn't be selfish. All she could hope for is that they came back to her safely.
Joel held her face in his hands as he kissed her deeply,'I love you so much.' He mumbled against her lips,'You're my everything.'
Tears filled her eyes at his words. She held the back of his neck as he stroked her cheeks,'I love you too, honey. I love you more than anything in this world. You and everyone else better come back to me or I swear I'll go to the afterlife and bring you back myself.'
He chuckled at her words as he bent down and kissed her stomach,'I wouldn't expect anything less, darlin.' He sighed as he heard guns going off,'You better hurry and get going before they realize you're gone.'
He helped her onto the horse and made sure she was situated.
She slid her feet into the stirrups and looked down at him, giving him a small smile,'I'll see you soon.' She smirked,'When you kill my grandpa make sure you bring his head back as a souvenir.'
He nodded as he returned her smile,'You betcha.'
He gently patted the horse's hide as she tugged hard on the reins. He watched as the horse quickly galloped away and through the opened gates. He focused on her until she disappeared from his view.
He could feel the burning behind his eyes, but he refused to cry. He would see her again. He was sure of it. Their story was be over yet. He didn't get enough time to love her.
He sighed as he cocked his rifle. There seemed to be a fire fight going on in town. He refused to miss out on all the fun.
He ran into town as fast as his legs could carry him. His eyes widened when he saw over forty of the townsfolk shooting at what appeared to be men and women dressed in military clothing. He recognized the insignias on their uniforms.
Peacekeepers. They were Francis's army for the so-called 'new world order'. The scientist deemed himself the leader. He would make sure to kill him personally. Just like he promised to Becca.
Joel climbed onto the scaffold to get a better view. He aimed his rifle down towards the group of Peacekeepers and starred shooting them. He threw down a Molotov cocktail, watching in delight as the fire incinerated them. He threw another one, feeling almost giddy as they burned.
He climbed down and joined the townsfolk. He figured he needed to be a team player if they were going to help him. He needed all the help he could get.
The townsfolk did as best they could to hold them back, but the Peacekeepers were better trained. They killed almost fifteen of their townsfolk. He frowned when he awe the dead bodies laying on the ground. He couldn't help but feel sadness. He worked side by side with these people. He broke bread with them. Becca was going to be devastated.
They managed to kill the Peacekeepers, but there were far too many casualties for his liking. They were outnumbered, but they may have won the battle, but the war was far from over.
Am ran over to him frantically as he grabbed his arm,'Any word on my mom?'
'No.' He shook his head and frowned,'But they're being held down in the tunnels with Ellie and Lizzie.'
Am's eyes widened as he looked over his face,'And Miss Becca?'
'She's fine.' It's all he was going to say. The less anyone knew the better off she would be.
Am nodded as he shifted on his feet nervously,'What do we do now? Do we go down into the tunnels?'
Joel took a moment to carefully consider his question. He didn't know what to say. He saw the rest of the townsfolk looking to him for guidance. With Harold being gone, he was the next best thing, but he didn't know a thing about leading anybody. He was damned sure he didn't want to be Sheriff either, but if he wanted to save his family he would have to play along.
He cleared his throat as he looked around at the townsfolk,'I know you're dealing with losses of your own and everyone's feeling the passing of Harold.' He nodded curtly,'He was a better man than me, but we can grieve when this is all over. I want ten people guarding each entrance into the tunnels. I know that a lot of ya ain't fans of me, but you respect my wife. I'll defend this town to the best of my ability. All I ask is that ya do the same.'
'Fuck yeah we will!'
Joel saw one of the men he's worked alongside. His rifle was raised high in the air and he had a determined look on his face. His name was Kevin. He was a tall and muscular man with dark red hair and a long bushy beard. His wife was a nurse as well and a close friend of Becca's. He had a dry sense of humor, which he's come to appreciate.
He was a hell of a bricklayer and an excellent shot. He was glad to have him.
The rest of the townsfolk raided their weapons high in the air as they shouted in unison. He smiled tearfully. He felt grateful for these courageous men and women. They did r have to fight for them, but they chose to anyway. This was their town and they would defend it to the death.
Joel nodded as his eyes scanned the crowd,'Let's go and defend what's ours!'
Everyone shouted in agreement as they followed Joel's orders. They split up into four groups. They had over thirty people. It wasn't the largest number, but they needed people in town to defend it.
Joel and his group were headed to the entrance of the main tunnel. It was the same entrance Tommy showed them. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.
They came upon the entrance and hid behind a hill to assess what they were up against. There were five men guarding the entrance of the tunnel. He had five in his group including himself.
Kevin frowned as he used his binoculars to scope out the group,'These guys are meatheads. Is this dude pumping them with steroids?'
Joel snorted as he nodded,'They're pumping them with something alright.'
'What's the plan?' Kevin smirked,'Do we just kill them?'
'No.' Joel shook his head and sighed,'That'll draw too much attention.' He turned to him and grinned,'You ever kill something with your bare hands?'
Kevin's eyes widened slightly and smiled,'I thought you would never ask.'
The group sneakily walked down the hill and took the longer route to the entrance. They snuck up behind the men as Joel wrapped his arms around one of their necks. He twisted it quickly, hearing the bones crack in his neck. He dropped his lifeless body onto the ground like a sack of potatoes, making sure to loot whatever he could from him.
Joel looked down at the five dead bodies on the ground, feeling nothing but satisfaction. He was running on adrenaline and anger. God help another person that came into his path.
They didn't use flashlights as they climb the ladder down into the tunnel. They didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves. Even though they were probably well aware of their arrival. They did have a room dedicated to spying on them.
Deciding to make their presence known, Joel cocked his rifle and screamed out,'Honey! I'm home!'
Kevin's eyes widened up at Joel incredulously and shook his head, whispering,'You have some balls, man. How the hell did ya find out about this place anyway?'
As if on cue, Tommy came walking out of the observation room. He had a smirk on his face as he walked up to them,'Brother, it's so good to see you.' He looked at Kevin and the rest of the group,'And you've brought friends? How nice.'
Kevin snorted as he looked at Tommy, the man he considered to be a good friend,'You're one of them too? No shit.' He glared at him as he tried to punch him, but Joel held him back,'You killed my kid you son of a bitch.'
'Occupational hazard.' Tommy shrugged,'You can always make another one.'
Joel didn't know who this person was before him. He looked like his brother. He sounded like him, but he was nothing like him. He didn't even know who this man is.'
Joel pushed Kevin back and shook his head, whispering, 'Not now. We need him.'
'Sure do.' Tommy smirked as he held Joel's gaze,'The council wants to talk to you. Alone.'
'No way.' Kevin shook his head,'There ain't no way you're facing them alone.'
Joel crossed his arms over his chest and sighed,'Will they answer my questions?'
Tommy nodded as he held his hands up,'They swear to tell you everything you wanna know. You can even bring your weapons. They're no threat to you.'
Joel knew this would be the only way to get closer to his family. He had to beat them at their own game. He would burn this place down to the ground with himself in it if he had to.
'Okay.' Joel nodded,'I'll go with you.' He turned to Kevin who had a concerned look on his face,'I'll be fine. Have a cocktail.'
Kevin saw the smirk on his face. He could read his face without even asking. He knew what needed to be done.
'Yes, sir.' Kevin reluctantly parted ways with him. The group following close behind him.
Tommy smiled softly as he placed his hand on his shoulder,'You're making the right decision.'
Joel jerked his shoulder out of his grasp,'We'll see about that.'
He followed Tommy down the tunnel with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. This could go one or two ways. Both options seemed frightening and possible.
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.