Rebellion, page 17
part #3 of Bug Out! California Series
“Why?”
“So I could hold you and look into those gorgeous brown eyes,” he said.
“Oh, God,” she said. “You know how to say the right things to me.”
Seth smiled, glancing at her again, feeling himself tremble. She touched his thigh and noticed.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You didn’t feel this way with Emma?”
Seth laughed. “This is gonna sound corny as hell. I’ve never had that reaction with anyone before.”
“Good,” she said softly. “Me too.”
“Really?”
“Really,” she said.
“Maybe it’s the time.”
She smiled at him. “Yeah, or maybe it’s us. We’ll see.”
They rode silently for a while, both of their minds racing. Seth could feel her looking at him. It made him feel warm all over.
“What do you do?” she asked.
“I’ve been in school, and working part time,” he said.
“For what?”
“Computer Science,” he said. “But I spent time as a music major too, and as a business major. How about you?”
“Accounting,” she said. “Wasn’t that far from taking the CPA exam when all this crap started.”
“Were you gonna work outside the tribe?”
“Yeah, probably,” she said. “I planned to donate a certain amount of time to the tribe, though.”
“You want to live on the reservation when this is over?”
She chuckled. “I don’t think I’d want to be too far away from it. It’s a nicer lifestyle than most people think.”
“What if we work?”
“Oh, so now you’re thinking ahead, huh?” she asked.
“It’s just conversation.”
“Uh huh,” she said. “We’ll have to talk about that. You can live on the reservation if that’s what we choose to do. Happens all the time. It’s encouraged, in fact.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because of our kids, silly,” she said. “I think we have a little time to think about all of this.”
Seth laughed. “Yeah, I guess we do.”
“You want kids?”
“Hmm,” he said. “Yes, I think so. I haven’t thought about it much.”
“You didn’t have those kinds of conversations with Emma?”
“No,” Seth said. “Not seriously, anyway. I think we both knew it would be a passing thing.”
“Nobody else?” she asked.
“No,” Seth said. “I’m not that old, you know.”
She chuckled. “How old are you?”
“How old are you?” he asked.
“I asked you first.”
“Oh, we’re playing it that way, are we? I’m twenty-four.”
She laughed. “Good grief.”
“Well, how old are you?”
“Twenty-four,” she said. “We kinda fit each other like a glove.”
Seth cracked up. “Yeah, except for coming from completely different backgrounds, that is.”
They both laughed. “What is your background, Seth?”
“Northern European,” he said. “British Isles and Scandinavian, mostly.”
“That ought to make for interesting kids.”
“They’d be beautiful,” he said, feeling himself tear up.
***
Robbie woke up in the dark tunnel, back hurting from the hard concrete. He pulled his phone out and checked the time. Almost ten in the morning.
“You wake,” Jules whispered. “Sleep okay?”
“No, I didn’t fall asleep until after three,” Robbie whispered back. “See any activity?”
“Yeah, twice I see UN thugs in passage way. They not look down here.” He handed the food bag to Robbie, who took out a package of trail mix and handed it back.
Jules’s phone buzzed. He looked at it.
“Text message,” he whispered, holding it up to Robbie.
“UN setting up more chairs on stage, ask me to turn on lights. I do.”
“Mister White,” Robbie whispered. Jules nodded, then typed a reply.
“Pass that food over here,” Tex whispered.
Robbie picked the bag up from next to Jules and passed it over quietly. Then they heard footsteps.
“Shut down that phone,” Tex whispered.
Jules nodded and locked the screen as three UN Peacekeepers walked down the tunnel towards City Hall.
Robbie sighed with relief as the sound of the footsteps faded.
“Hope none of those guys come down here with a flashlight,” Ted whispered.
Sparky was awake now, and nodded in agreement. “Pass me that empty bottle.”
Jules snickered and passed it over.
They sat silently for what seemed like hours. Robbie looked at his phone. Barely an hour had passed.
“Bored, kid?” Tex asked.
“You’re not?”
“Oh, yeah, I’m bored,” Tex said. “But I’m also excited. We’re gonna kill a whole lot of UN slugs tonight, and hopefully get your little lady back.”
Robbie nodded.
Ted stretched. “What time is it?” he whispered.
“About eleven,” Jules said. “Mister White say stage being set up.”
“Hope nobody goes up there,” Jordan whispered.
“Oh, you wake too,” Jules whispered.
Footsteps approached again, this time coming from the City Hall side of the tunnel. Everybody held their breath as the men walked by.
“Dammit, ten or eleven hours of this crap to go,” Tex whispered.
“Be patient my friend,” Jules whispered. His phone buzzed again. He looked at it, trying to shield so light didn’t escape. “Ivan text.” He read it silently.
“What’s going on, partner?” Tex asked.
“Big attack tonight to east,” Jules whispered. “Ivan worried.”
“He’s always worried,” Sparky whispered. “Who?”
“You remember Ji-Ho? Sam?”
“No way,” Ted whispered. “Wish those two were here.”
“We be fine,” Jules said. “They attack supply depot in Coachella Valley.”
“Quiet,” Sparky whispered as another set of footsteps approached. This time it was a larger group. Five UN Peacekeepers, laughing and joking with each other as they walked towards the police station.
Robbie gritted his teeth.
“What, kid?” Sparky asked.
“I was just wondering how many of those creeps raped my girlfriend,” Robbie whispered.
“Anger good, but control,” Jules whispered, shooting him a sidelong glance.
Robbie nodded, trying to push the hatred down to a reasonable level. It wasn’t easy.
They sat silently for another long period of time, all of them in their own minds. Then Jules grabbed his phone.
“Text,” he said, reading it quickly and locking the screen. He looked at Sparky and Tex, grinning.
“What?” Sparky whispered.
“This gonna work,” Jules whispered.
Tex and Sparky looked at him. He chuckled.
“What, dammit?” Sparky asked.
“UN Thug come into control room, talk to Mister White about change to lighting and sound. They follow instruction. UN Thug tell Mister White and Mister Black they do good job, then leave.”
Tex chuckled softly. Sparky shook his head, a grin forcing its way onto his face.
***
One Eye drove the Jeep Unlimited, Ji-Ho riding shotgun, Sam and Connie in the back.
“What chances?” Ji-Ho asked.
“If we can surprise them, and if they don’t start flinging willie pete up at us, probably sixty percent,” One Eye said.
“That low?” Connie asked, her voice wavering.
“For a total victory, that’s pretty good,” Sam said, putting his hand on her thigh.
“This is scary,” she said.
“It war,” Ji-Ho said. “Very unpredictable.”
“Based on those pictures of their box canyon, I think our chances are a little better than that,” Sam said. “We’ve got willie pete too, you know. We can turn that canyon into a lake of fire.”
“Yes, but we must sight mortars in. They should have setup now,” Ji-Ho said.
“As soon as we take care of the sentries, we need to open up on the mortar positions with the M60s and the BARs,” Sam said.
“We toss grenades too,” Ji-Ho said. “Boom.”
“How close can we drive?” Connie asked.
“There’s a ridge about three-hundred yards away from the canyon,” One Eye said. “We’ll park back there and send the bow and arrow team in, along with several people armed with grenades.
“Wish we had laser target designators and air cover,” Sam said.
One Eye laughed. “Yeah, that would be nice.”
“Too bad drone blow up,” Ji-Ho said. “That be nice too.”
“You didn’t waste that,” Sam said. “You almost got Saladin. That was worth a try.”
Ji-Ho snickered. “He duck.”
One Eye laughed. “Wonder if he crapped his pants when he knew what you were about to do?”
“He professional,” Ji-Ho said. “He hunting me now. Glad captured people didn’t hear where we come.”
“Captured people?” Connie asked.
“Some of Ji-Ho’s group took off when they found out he tried to take out Saladin,” Sam said. “They got captured and gave up his position at the RV Park in Temecula. The enemy attacked.”
“They try to attack,” Ji-Ho said. “Cut in half with mini-gun.”
“Wish I could’ve seen that,” One Eye said. “Hell, I wish we could bring the battle wagon around.”
“Where is it?” Connie asked.
“We park in clearing, before road bad,” Ji-Ho said. “It live to fight another day.”
“The road is getting worse,” Sam said.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” One Eye said. “We’ll have to unhitch the off-roaders before too long.”
“Listen,” Sam said. “Sounds like a chopper.”
“Crap,” One Eye said, turning off his headlights. He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Ji-Ho. “Send text to the group. Off with the lights. It’s already set up.”
“Hope we weren’t too late,” Connie whispered.
“Done,” Ji-Ho said. Headlights behind them went out.
“See it?” One Eye asked.
“Looking out the side windows,” Sam said. “Nope. It’s black outside, though. Very little moonlight.”
“That good,” Ji-Ho said.
“The sound is going away,” Connie said. “Listen.”
Sam rolled down the window and stuck his chest out, looking to the rear. “It’s not coming this way. I see it now, barely. It’s military. Probably out of San Diego.”
“Free zone,” One Eye said, looking relieved. “They’re on our side, by the way.”
“I’ve heard rumors to that effect,” Sam said.
“Me too,” Ji-Ho said.
They hit a hard bump. “Dammit,” One Eye said. “Think it’s safe to turn the lights back on?”
“Yeah,” Sam said. “Can’t even see the choppers anymore.”
One Eye turned his headlights back on, then looked over at Ji-Ho. “Spread the word, man.”
“I do,” Ji-Ho said, typing on One Eye’s phone.
“What happens after this battle?” Connie asked.
“We go home and plan the next attack,” One Eye said.
“Where’s home?” Connie asked. “Camp?”
“Yes, for now,” One Eye said.
“We don’t know the next target, do we?” Sam asked.
“No,” One Eye said. “I was in some discussions about a month ago. I know some of the possibilities.”
“What they?” Ji-Ho asked.
“Barstow,” One Eye said. “Originally Blythe, but they moved that depot here.”
“Oh, really? Wonder why?” Connie asked.
“Less remote, probably,” One Eye said. “After we destroy this one, they might try to set that one up again.”
“Where else?” Sam asked.
“Buttonwillow,” One Eye said.
“Where hell that?” Ji-Ho asked.
“West of Bakersfield,” Connie said. “I’ve been there. It’s not nice. On I-5, so it’s probably a good place for a depot.”
“Why did you go there?” Sam asked.
“College friend,” she said. “She grew up there. Always said it was a nice place to be from.”
“You plan return to reservation?” Ji-Ho asked.
“Of course,” One Eye said. “We’ll have to rebuild. The enemy really screwed the place up.”
“I wonder what happened to our RV Park?” Connie asked, a faraway look in her eyes.
“We’ll get it back someday, honey,” Sam said.
“If we survive,” she said. “We might not.”
“Don’t dwell on that,” One Eye said. “Bad before battle.”
“I’ll try,” Connie said. “It’s hard.”
“I know, honey,” Sam said.
“Hey, One Eye, you see my boys and your maidens?” Ji-Ho asked, grinning.
One Eye snickered. “Kaitlyn and Megan. Hope they aren’t behaving too badly.”
“They’re lovely girls,” Connie said. “So beautiful.”
“I talked sternly to them before you guys arrived,” One Eye said to Ji-Ho. Then he chuckled. “I’m not worried. If your boys aren’t worthy, they won’t last long with either of them.”
“They worthy,” Ji-Ho said. “We fight together. They men. Warriors in own right.”
“Good,” One Eye said. “Time to unhitch the off-roaders. We’re coming up to the dry creek. Can’t tow over that mess.”
He slowed to a stop.
Chapter 15 – The Furnace
“They’re stopping,” Seth said. “We’re gonna have to split up now.”
“Can I drive the off-roader?” Kaitlyn asked.
“Sure, no problem,” Seth said as he shut down the Jeep’s engine. They got out and walked to the back, waving at Angel and Megan behind them.
“Her war paint looks a little smudged to me,” Kaitlyn whispered.
Seth smiled, looking at her in the darkness. “This is strange. I’m not scared. All I can think about is you.”
“Well snap yourself out of that,” she said. “Just focus on what you get if we live through this.”
Seth finished un-hitching the off-roader, and stashed the tow bar in the back of the Jeep. “Come here.”
Kaitlyn looked at him with aching eyes, then rushed over, setting her rifle down as he took her into his arms.
“Oh, geez,” she said, feeling herself pressed against him. “You feel so good.”
“So do you,” Seth said, looking into her eyes. The kiss felt like it would never end.
“Wow, that curled my toes,” Kaitlyn said, breath coming hard. “We’d better get going.”
“We’ve got a couple minutes,” Seth said. “Look at Angel and Megan.”
Kaitlyn looked back at them, Angel pressing the tiny girl up against the side of the Jeep, their mouths locked together. Kaitlyn groaned and pulled Seth back against her, kissing him again, tenderly this time. They broke the kiss and stared at each other.
“I wish I could say it already,” she whispered.
“Say what?” Seth asked.
“Hey you two, we need to go,” Trevor shouted from in front of them.
“I know,” Seth said. “I’m driving the Jeep. Kaitlyn’s driving the off-roader.”
“Okay,” Trevor said. He got into the off-roader, loading his bow and arrow, his M60, and his Winchester into the side seat. “See you there, man. Fight proud.”
“Damn straight,” Seth said.
“Guess I’d better get in,” Kaitlyn said. She turned to leave. Seth pulled her back again, kissing the side of her neck from behind. She turned and grinned at him. “Later.”
Seth rushed back to the Jeep, and the column took off slowly, poking along the rutted and uneven road, turning into a mere trail after half a mile. They drove over the dry creek, rocks hitting the dash plates as they hit bottom and climbed out. The space between the vehicles increased until they had to slow down again, hills breaking out on both sides of them.
One Eye and Ji-Ho were still in the lead, driving the Jeep Unlimited. Sam and Connie were in the off-roader behind them, a large two-seater with a storage compartment behind the seats.
Sid and Yvonne were in their Jeep, riding along silently, both of their minds racing. John and Sarah followed in their four-wheel drive truck, having a little more trouble with the road than the Jeeps and off-roaders.
“What if we get stuck?” Sarah asked, looking over at John in the dark cab.
John chuckled. “There’s a lot of Jeeps here with winches. If we get stuck, we’ll be out in a hurry.”
“Are you scared?”
“If I wasn’t I’d be crazy,” John said.
“You’ve impressed me,” she said, choking up. “I thought I was losing you to the drinking before this started.”
“I know, honey,” John said. “As bad as this is, it’s given me a second chance with you.”
“I wasn’t going to leave you,” she said quietly.
“I know, but you only looked at me with disappointment back then. Now I see the old looks. You want me again.”
She reached over and touched his thigh. “I always wanted you. You were leaving me. Now you’re back.”
John chuckled, looking in his rear-view mirror.
“What’s so funny?”
“Clem,” John said. “An old man tooling around in an off-roader. He’s having the time of his life.”
“I hope he’s careful,” Sarah said. “He’s too smart to lose.”
“He’ll be okay,” John said. “In case you haven’t noticed, he’s a tough old bird.”
“So are you,” Sarah said.
John’s phone buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to Sarah. “Check that. Probably telling us to turn off the headlights.”
She opened the message app. “Yep. We gonna be able to drive without the lights?”
“We’ll have to slow down a tad,” John said as he turned his headlights off. He saw other headlights going off in his rear-view mirror. “This means we’ll be there in about five minutes.”
