Chapter Summary: A Short Story
They’re blessed with two weeks of peace as they travel with several other families headed towards Columbus, Ohio. They’ve barely made it to Louisville when they begin to hear rumors about this new Militia and it’s rulers. About how they’re trying to help by getting rid of the clans that have risen up since the lights went out, trying to make order out of chaos. By the time they actually reach Columbus, rumors are flying that the newly fledged Militia are on the west side of Pittsburgh. Even closer than they initially thought.
They’re on their own after that and it really is safety in numbers they quickly learn, as everything goes downhill from there. The first time they’re forced to kill to protect themselves and the children, the sisters cling to each other in …show more content…
the mud, more unsure than ever if they’ll survive this trip. As the days progress, they begin running into more and more fighting and more men who think they can take advantage of two young women with children in tow.
In the short span of two weeks, Cynthia's done things she knows she’ll never talk about to anyone and after the incident in an abandoned barn four nights ago, the kids have both gone mute. Charlie refuses to let anyone but Danny touch her and Angela's empty eyes haunt her every decision.
It’s dusk on the evening they make it to the town of Bridgeport, located on the Ohio River. Deciding to spend the night before determining how they’ll get across the river, they're setting up camp when they somehow get caught up in a skirmish.
Men are suddenly all around them, screaming and shooting as Cynthia and Angela scramble to get Charlie and Danny shoved down low, as they shoot the men that venture too close. Looking at her sister and the children she thinks of as her own, Cynthia wonders if this is the end, when just as quickly, men on horseback come barreling through, pushing back the men on foot.
When a voice in the chaos grabs Charlie's attention, she pops her head up, looking for the owner of the voice, ignoring Angela and Cynthia's pleas to stay
down.
“Daddy!” Charlie screams jumping to her feet, “Daddy!”
Miles swings his head looking for the child he suddenly hears amongst the battle, the wind being knocked out of his chest upon the sight of his daughter. His brain hasn’t even had time to react when a woman screams Charlie's name and they’re both thrown to the ground, the crack of a rifle echoing through the clearing.
“Charlie!” Miles bellows, leaving Jeremy to mop up the remaining insurgents as he slides from his horse, running the last few yards to the woman and his daughter. He’s just dropped to his knees next to them when he’s cuffed on his ear with the butt of a rifle.
“Get away from my sister!” A woman shouted, pointing the gun at him as the sound of another child’s voice reaches his ears. “Cindy! Cindy, is Charlie okay?” the little boy sobs attaching himself to her leg.
“Cynthia? It’s me, Miles,” he says holding his hands out as he turns towards her. The teenaged girl he’d last seen now looks like an avenging Madonna as she aims an automatic weapon at him as Danny clings to her.
“Danny?” Miles asks incredulously as looks back to the girls on the ground. “Jesus Christ. Angela! Charlie!” MIles calls out as he gently rolls a bloody Angela over only to find a handgun pointed in his face.
Cynthia moves to his side. “It’s Miles, Angela! It’s Miles!”
Charlie scrambles to her feet from beneath Angela, throwing herself into his arms, Miles crying right along with her as he reaches out and pulls Danny to him. Cynthia has wrapped Angela’s bloody arm with a strip of her shirt and MIles pulls them in to share a group hug with him and the children.
“We thought you were dead,” Miles mumbles as he presses a kiss against each one of their foreheads. “Bass and I never thought there was anyway you would have survived, not with our parents.”
“But we did,” Cynthia says coldly pushing away from him, grabbing her rifle. She shakes off the hand at her elbow as she pushes to her feet.
“Boss?” Jeremy asks looking over the crying women and children surrounding one of his best friends.
“Jeremy, this is Angela and Cynthia, Bass’ sisters, Charlie, my daughter and Danny my nephew.”
Jeremy looks at Cynthia appreciatively even as she gives him the cold shoulder before bending down to Charlie. “Well, aren't you the prettiest short stack I ever seen.” He says with a wink causing the girl to burrow her face in the crook of Miles’ neck, visibly shaking. He and Miles exchange a glance.
Cynthia demands that she and Angela be allowed to share a horse as there’s not a chance in hell they’ll split up, nor are they about to ride with a man, she sneers at Jeremy, who smiles back pleasantly.
The children both ride with Miles, Charlie in back, her arms wrapped around his waist, an exhausted Danny asleep against his chest.
Jeremy’s bellowing for a medic as they ride into camp, just as Bass emerges from the tent he and Miles share. “What happened? Where’s Miles?” Bass asks, turning to look in the direction the other man is pointing. He watches as Miles rides towards him a child in his arms and two women riding on the horse beside him.
“What the hell, Jeremy?” Bass demands as the horse with the women picks up speed and he hears his name being called by a voice he hasn’t heard in years.
“Cindy?” Bass says in awe, as he sees the lighter head of his younger sister hanging wearily behind her. “Angie!” Bass yells, running to meet them, Angie, sliding off the horse into his arms.
“MIles!” Bass shouts as he turns towards the med tent. “I got Cindy,” Miles assures his friend.
“Jeremy!” Miles calls out motioning the man over, handing the boy on his shoulder down to him. Danny begins to fight, but Cynthia is suddenly by Jeremy's side, reaching out to sooth the boy.
“Let's get you over to the commander's tent,” Jeremy suggests to the prickly woman by his side, as Miles catches Charlie, letting her wrap her legs around his waist as she clings to his neck.
As Jeremy holds the tent flap open, Miles grabs his arm. “We’re going to need hot water, lots of it and see how many tubs you can scrounge up.”
Jeremy nods, “Sure Boss,” passing Danny to Cynthia who takes him and sits down in a nearby chair suddenly exhausted.
Unwrapping Charlie limbs, Miles set her down on a nearby cot. “You hungry?” he asks, pushing back a lank piece of hair.
She shakes her head no. “Danny is. Cindy, too. She gives most of her food to me and Danny and then I give mine to Danny.
Miles kisses his daughter's forehead. “I’ll go see what I can find. You stay here with Cynthia and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Making his way out of the tent, he stops in front of Cynthia, looking down at Danny and then to her. “Thank you,” he whispers, still not believing that his daughter is here and alive.
Cynthia gives a curt nod. “Can you check on Angela for me?”
“Sure,” Miles replies, “Jeremy may beat me back, he’ll start getting some baths setup for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Walking down the row of tents, Miles ducks into the one set up as their Med tent to check on Angela, finding Bass in the corner talking to one of the Medics that came with them.
Seeing Miles, Bass makes his ways across the tent to embrace him. “Can you believe it?” Bass asks, his eyes bright with tears.
Miles nods at Angela, “How is she?”
“It was just a graze, thank God,” Bass breathes. “She’s also malnourished and exhausted. Doc says she should be fine, though.”
“She saved Charlie’s life,” Miles chokes out. looking over at the blond who’s sleeping peacefully. “I was on the way to get them some chow. They’re all starving.”
Bass clasped his friend’s shoulder with a brisk nod. “Now that we’ve got them back, we can take care of them.”
They’re on their own after that and it really is safety in numbers they quickly learn, as everything goes downhill from there. The first time they’re forced to kill to protect themselves and the children, the sisters cling to each other in …show more content…
the mud, more unsure than ever if they’ll survive this trip. As the days progress, they begin running into more and more fighting and more men who think they can take advantage of two young women with children in tow.
In the short span of two weeks, Cynthia's done things she knows she’ll never talk about to anyone and after the incident in an abandoned barn four nights ago, the kids have both gone mute. Charlie refuses to let anyone but Danny touch her and Angela's empty eyes haunt her every decision.
It’s dusk on the evening they make it to the town of Bridgeport, located on the Ohio River. Deciding to spend the night before determining how they’ll get across the river, they're setting up camp when they somehow get caught up in a skirmish.
Men are suddenly all around them, screaming and shooting as Cynthia and Angela scramble to get Charlie and Danny shoved down low, as they shoot the men that venture too close. Looking at her sister and the children she thinks of as her own, Cynthia wonders if this is the end, when just as quickly, men on horseback come barreling through, pushing back the men on foot.
When a voice in the chaos grabs Charlie's attention, she pops her head up, looking for the owner of the voice, ignoring Angela and Cynthia's pleas to stay
down.
“Daddy!” Charlie screams jumping to her feet, “Daddy!”
Miles swings his head looking for the child he suddenly hears amongst the battle, the wind being knocked out of his chest upon the sight of his daughter. His brain hasn’t even had time to react when a woman screams Charlie's name and they’re both thrown to the ground, the crack of a rifle echoing through the clearing.
“Charlie!” Miles bellows, leaving Jeremy to mop up the remaining insurgents as he slides from his horse, running the last few yards to the woman and his daughter. He’s just dropped to his knees next to them when he’s cuffed on his ear with the butt of a rifle.
“Get away from my sister!” A woman shouted, pointing the gun at him as the sound of another child’s voice reaches his ears. “Cindy! Cindy, is Charlie okay?” the little boy sobs attaching himself to her leg.
“Cynthia? It’s me, Miles,” he says holding his hands out as he turns towards her. The teenaged girl he’d last seen now looks like an avenging Madonna as she aims an automatic weapon at him as Danny clings to her.
“Danny?” Miles asks incredulously as looks back to the girls on the ground. “Jesus Christ. Angela! Charlie!” MIles calls out as he gently rolls a bloody Angela over only to find a handgun pointed in his face.
Cynthia moves to his side. “It’s Miles, Angela! It’s Miles!”
Charlie scrambles to her feet from beneath Angela, throwing herself into his arms, Miles crying right along with her as he reaches out and pulls Danny to him. Cynthia has wrapped Angela’s bloody arm with a strip of her shirt and MIles pulls them in to share a group hug with him and the children.
“We thought you were dead,” Miles mumbles as he presses a kiss against each one of their foreheads. “Bass and I never thought there was anyway you would have survived, not with our parents.”
“But we did,” Cynthia says coldly pushing away from him, grabbing her rifle. She shakes off the hand at her elbow as she pushes to her feet.
“Boss?” Jeremy asks looking over the crying women and children surrounding one of his best friends.
“Jeremy, this is Angela and Cynthia, Bass’ sisters, Charlie, my daughter and Danny my nephew.”
Jeremy looks at Cynthia appreciatively even as she gives him the cold shoulder before bending down to Charlie. “Well, aren't you the prettiest short stack I ever seen.” He says with a wink causing the girl to burrow her face in the crook of Miles’ neck, visibly shaking. He and Miles exchange a glance.
Cynthia demands that she and Angela be allowed to share a horse as there’s not a chance in hell they’ll split up, nor are they about to ride with a man, she sneers at Jeremy, who smiles back pleasantly.
The children both ride with Miles, Charlie in back, her arms wrapped around his waist, an exhausted Danny asleep against his chest.
Jeremy’s bellowing for a medic as they ride into camp, just as Bass emerges from the tent he and Miles share. “What happened? Where’s Miles?” Bass asks, turning to look in the direction the other man is pointing. He watches as Miles rides towards him a child in his arms and two women riding on the horse beside him.
“What the hell, Jeremy?” Bass demands as the horse with the women picks up speed and he hears his name being called by a voice he hasn’t heard in years.
“Cindy?” Bass says in awe, as he sees the lighter head of his younger sister hanging wearily behind her. “Angie!” Bass yells, running to meet them, Angie, sliding off the horse into his arms.
“MIles!” Bass shouts as he turns towards the med tent. “I got Cindy,” Miles assures his friend.
“Jeremy!” Miles calls out motioning the man over, handing the boy on his shoulder down to him. Danny begins to fight, but Cynthia is suddenly by Jeremy's side, reaching out to sooth the boy.
“Let's get you over to the commander's tent,” Jeremy suggests to the prickly woman by his side, as Miles catches Charlie, letting her wrap her legs around his waist as she clings to his neck.
As Jeremy holds the tent flap open, Miles grabs his arm. “We’re going to need hot water, lots of it and see how many tubs you can scrounge up.”
Jeremy nods, “Sure Boss,” passing Danny to Cynthia who takes him and sits down in a nearby chair suddenly exhausted.
Unwrapping Charlie limbs, Miles set her down on a nearby cot. “You hungry?” he asks, pushing back a lank piece of hair.
She shakes her head no. “Danny is. Cindy, too. She gives most of her food to me and Danny and then I give mine to Danny.
Miles kisses his daughter's forehead. “I’ll go see what I can find. You stay here with Cynthia and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Making his way out of the tent, he stops in front of Cynthia, looking down at Danny and then to her. “Thank you,” he whispers, still not believing that his daughter is here and alive.
Cynthia gives a curt nod. “Can you check on Angela for me?”
“Sure,” Miles replies, “Jeremy may beat me back, he’ll start getting some baths setup for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Walking down the row of tents, Miles ducks into the one set up as their Med tent to check on Angela, finding Bass in the corner talking to one of the Medics that came with them.
Seeing Miles, Bass makes his ways across the tent to embrace him. “Can you believe it?” Bass asks, his eyes bright with tears.
Miles nods at Angela, “How is she?”
“It was just a graze, thank God,” Bass breathes. “She’s also malnourished and exhausted. Doc says she should be fine, though.”
“She saved Charlie’s life,” Miles chokes out. looking over at the blond who’s sleeping peacefully. “I was on the way to get them some chow. They’re all starving.”
Bass clasped his friend’s shoulder with a brisk nod. “Now that we’ve got them back, we can take care of them.”