Chapter Text
"Don't lift your heads up, ya hear me, Keep your head down, keep yourself quiet, and the young ones hidden." I say to my boy, passing him little CC as his little brother keeps Susie Bell's girl from crying. Tam Amber's sitting at the back with little Bell holding onto him for comfort.
"Where will you be?" Tommy asks, looking at me worried. Those damn soldiers have been tracking us down for awhile, don't know why. We weren't part of the war, but that doesn't matter anymore. They've been rounding up other groups, shooting when we ran. A few nights ago they had snuck up on us when we were sleeping. Nikos Slate was on watch, and didn't have time to shout for us before he shot him. We barely got away and had to abandon most of our supplies. I doubled back for his body, to bury him when I couldn't carry him. managed to snag his accordion for his boy though.
"I'll be leading them a way with Allen Albany. Will get them away. When you hear Ray's signal, you and the young ones start running OK?" I ask.
He nods, nervously. "Ok…"
"You'll be ok, got it?" I reassure, he swallows fidgeting with his pocket knife.
"Will you be?"
Casey Flint looks at me hearing that, and Tam Amber's arms go around the kids a bit more protectively/ All three of my boys look terrified.
"Course I will," I reassured, "but you three boys need to take care of the others. I'm trusting you to be their protectors, you hear me?"
They nod and I smile, "Good lads' I'll see you soon."
Before I can get another good look at them and regret this, I turn around grabbing my hunting rifle and rushing to where I see Allen Albany in the trees. I climb up next to him, slinging my leg over the branch. "Where do you see them?"
"Just east, see?" he says gesturing to a small group of them walking around, like a lost pack of swine.
I pull myself up the branch, positioning my gun at the end of the branch. It's not made for this type of shooting, but the old girl's helped me take down a bear before. She can help me take down a few hogs.
"Get ready to start running near the cougars' Cave, ok. Be careful and climb as soon as you're there, they'll search the cave and find the mama. She won't be happy."
"Got it." He says, beginning to get down as I line up my shot.
There's one with a few more fancy ribbons then the other, I think that means he's in charge. good.
Bang! The bullet hit him in the neck, and his body fell. "Run now!" I bark at Allen Albany.
He sprints and a few men shout "Over there!"
They follow him as others look around for me. I line up another shot Bang! another one down.
"They're in the trees!" they shout and start shooting the trees around them. Quickly I back up, keeping quiet. I got 3 more bullets, and there's 5 of them left.
I move through the branches, seeing them running. Bang. I miss just barely hitting a tree, a group of jabber jays fly up, repeating the shouts of the peacekeepers. One of them turns around and spots me. I move quickly as bullets fly past me as I try to get to shelter.
One hits my side as I'm climbing, sending me off the tree and on the ground.
ugh I groan my head spinning as I go to sit up. There's a pressure on my chest as I try to pull myself up.
One of their boots pushed down on me. I open my eyes and I'm staring down their guns barrel.
BANG!
Written by a human in Ellipsus.