Code of Honor

I couldn’t see anything but I could hear them. They weren’t far away. Maybe just outside the truck. I wondered what was going on. Why were they here? Why would they bring me here? Maybe torture was on the agenda. I swallowed hard. That was another rumor that flew around from time to time. Those who started or joined rebellion groups were taken and tortured for information. So they could completely wipe out the group. I hoped that’s not where I was headed. Even if I was I wouldn’t speak. Silentium vel mortis. Silence or death. A motto we ran by.

“Boys,” A gruff voice greeted bringing me from my thoughts.

“General,” A voice replied it sounded like larger man. “We were needed?”

“Yes. We’ve had this shown to us. Apparently the hideout to one of those rebellion groups...one of the big ones with the red bands on their wrists....” He trailed off. “Anyway we don’t know how many of them are hiding in there, the place is surrounded. None of them are getting out alive. But we need more men to get inside. Which is why I bring you and your boys here.”

“Yes sir,” larger man replied. “But I have something else for you sir...Driver?”

Footsteps came closer. I could hear them in the stones and dirt. I glanced back to see Driver smirking at me. He grabbed my ankle roughly and dragged me out of the truck. There was nothing I could do about it. I would have hit the ground and was sure I was about to when he suddenly caught me and dragged me over to where a group of men were all standing there eyes greedily on me.

He stopped me in front of one of the men. He looked to be the most important one of the lot. I assumed he was the General. Suddenly Drivers foot connected with the backs of my knees harshly forcing me to drop to my knees in the dirt. They all snickered. Riley hovered in the background.

“What’s this?”

“We found it,” Larger man smirked and reached down to pull my arm into view. Showing his General the red band. “Thought I’d bring it to you for you to decided what’s to be done with it.”

I glanced up at the man they all called General. He was tall, very tall. His faced was aged but he still looked intimidating. Instead of a helmet he wore a hat, badges lined his uniform. Definitely special. He had to be to become a General. He stepped closer with a wicked smile on his face, pulling his silver handgun from its holster on his hip.

I eyed it nervously. I guess this is what I wanted. I looked away only to have the cold barrel of his gun come underneath my chin and force my face up to look at him. His face was lined with a dark stubble I hadn’t noticed before. His eyes were cruel, I had feeling this was going to end badly for me.

“Hate to waste a pretty face,” He said making the others smirk. I had a feeling I was missing some inside joke, especially when Riley’s face dropped. “Go,” the General ordered suddenly not taking his eyes off me. “Let’s get this over with so we can go home, Black take Rawson with you. Make him useful for once. Driver stay here with me, we’ll deal with her.”

“But...,” one of the men said.

“Later,” General replied firmly. “We do this first. You won’t miss your turn boy.”

The rest of the men turned and walked towards put hideout. I hoped no one was in there. This was getting worse and worse. Suddenly General nodded behind me and a hand gripped my hair roughly. Forcing my head back and straining my neck. Stepped closer and looked down at me, his gun still in his hand.

“Now girl,” He said firmly. His voice menacing. “We do this one to two ways. You tell me what I want to know and this doesn’t become painful for you. Or you are difficult and I’ll have you begging for death. Understood.”

I gave him nothing. No reply or any indication I was listening. His face contorted with anger and his hand came back. He waited until our eyes met before he brought his hand down and hit me across the face. If the man behind me didn’t have such a tight grip on my hair I would have fallen with the force of his hit. The second man pulled my head straight, it felt like he was about to rip my hair from my head.

“Let’s get this straight,” He snapped putting his gun to my forehead for a short moment. “I will kill you, with a second thought girl. You are nothing but scum. So tell me what I want to know and I’ll make it quick and painless. Or I’ll hand you over to my men and they’ll do it after they’ve had their fun with you. Are they in there?”

I gave him a determined stare in return. I didn’t know but I still wasn’t giving him anything. This time he hit me on the head with the hard butt of his handgun. For the second time today my head swum in pain and my vision blurred. The man behind me let go of my hair letting my shoulders slump forward. A harsh breath escaped my lips as I stared at the dirt beneath me.

“I’ll ask one more time,” He said slowly. “Are they in there? How many are there?”

I closed my eyes and ignored him. I would give him nothing on my family. I would protect them until my last breath. No matter what he did to me? I let thoughts of my father swim through my mind. Dad and I outside our house as he taught me to ride a bike. My older brother riding circles around me as Dad picked me up off the road. Seeing him in the crowd during one of my piano recitals. Dad and I arguing over a boy. No matter what happened to me I had to protect him. Another hit to the face came, I didn’t even see it coming. It almost knocked me to the ground.

“How many are there!?” He yelled.

I looked up at him tasting copper in my mouth. I made sure to give him the most determined and hateful look I could manage. He took the hint. After one last hit to the head with his gun. He snapped some obscenities at me and looked up at the man behind me. Then something seemed to catch his eyes in the background. A smirk formed on his lips.

Curious I turned and looked back. Two shapes caught my eye on the road behind the fence. They were in the distance but I could still make them out. Oscar and my father.
They were standing beside each other. There red bands stood out against their dark clothing. I stared at my father. His eyes were on me, his gun half lifted as if he was ready to take a shot at someone. I wondered if this was the last time I would ever see him. I felt something cold against my head and turned.

General had his gun pressed against my head again but his eyes were on my father, a smirk plastered on his chapped lips. Quickly he lifted the gun straight up, making a shooting motion. I looked back to see my father lift his rifle once more. Aiming straight at the General.

The gun pressed against my head again. I watched my father hesitate and his gun lower a fraction. The General was daring him and he knew it, Shoot me and I shoot her. It was if he knew I meant something to them. The gun stayed pressed uncomfortably on my skull until Oscar pulled my father away and into an alleyway. Out of sight. My shoulders slumped.

“Put her back in the truck,” General ordered. “Keep an eye on her. I have other things to deal with.”

“Yes sir.”

Driver pulled me back to my feet and dragged me back over to the truck. He wasn’t gentle as he lifted me up and threw me into the back. I hit the hard floor with a thud a groan. He snickered. Kneeling over me so he could reach behind me. I felt him pull on the wire that bound my hands together tightly until I could feel the lack of circulation take over. Then he pulled the red cloth off my wrist.

I wondered why until I felt it come over my eyes. Blocking my vision. He tied it tight behind my head and pushed me back into the ground. I heard him slump down into a seat beside and sigh. My life was almost certainly over. At least I got to see my father one last time.

I don’t know how long I laid there. My head was hurting, my face was hurting. My whole body was hurting from laying on the metal floor of the truck. It didn’t help the soldier was kicking me with the tip of his boot all the time. Not hard but enough to annoy me. He seemed very bored and I hoped he didn’t entertain himself with me. Suddenly there was a yell from outside. I heard the soldier beside me sit up. I listened hard. More yelling followed, then a loud crack and an ear splitting bang.

The truck shook beneath me. My first thought was an earthquake but it died too quickly. The yelling intensified, this time screams of pain echoed amongst them. I heard the soldier beside me jump to his feet then hit the dirt. Then I was alone. I wondered what my chances of escape. Low with no hands or vision I realized. For all I knew they were just outside the truck and would shoot me dead. A sudden gunshot close by intensified my belief in this theory. I’d be dead before I hit he ground.

I wondered who they were shooting at. I hoped my father hadn’t made some stupid attempt to save me and got himself killed. Out of the blue I heard movement at the end of the truck. I looked up as if it would help me hear better. Whoever was there crawled into the truck and leaned over me. I struggled. If someone was trying to kill me I was going make it difficult for them.

“Grace!”

“Dad!?”

I felt the wire loosen on my hands and instantly reached up to pull the blindfold off my eyes. My father was sitting before me. Behind him Jamison was standing, ducked and hiding with a gun in his hands. Without a second thought I threw myself at my father. He caught me instantly. Hugging me tight in his chest. Emotions overwhelmed me. I was safe. I wasn’t going to die. I started sobbing in his chest. He rubbed my back like he always did.

“It’s okay, you’re safe Gracie. I won’t let them hurt you again.”

“Cameron we have to go,” Jamison said without taking his eyes off the surroundings. “They can’t hold out much longer.”

Dad scooped me up in his arms without giving me a chance to walk. I snuggled close to his chest and hid my head in the crook of his neck. Dad jumped out of the truck and hit the ground running. Jamison close behind us. I could still hear yelling and shooting going on in the background. I kept my eyes closed and begged that we’d make it to safety.

“Hey!”

My heart jumped, then missed a beat when a gunshot went off from behind me. I guess considering the situation Jamison had no choice but to shoot anyone who tried to stop us. Before I knew it we came to a stop. I couldn’t feel the sun kissing my skin anymore. I assumed we were someone covered and safe.

I opened my eyes slowly. We were crouched in a close alleyway. The hideout could still be seen from where we were but Jamison was blocking my view from seeing anything. The second we were hidden he was on me. Checking my head, my face and flashing a torch in my eyes. I squinted and looked away from his stupid light.

“Is she alright?” Dad questioned as Jamison pulled my hair back and started poking at my head.

“I don’t know,” He replied slowly. “Look at me Grace.”

I looked at him. He held my eyes for a moment.

“Are you feeling alright, is your head hurting?”

“A little,” I admitted.

He started poking at my head again. I pulled away when he hit a tender area. It wasn’t until his hands pulled back, blood staining his fingers I realized I was bleeding.

“Jamison?” Dad pushed.

“I don’t know Cameron,” Jamison replied flustered. “Head wounds are hard. I don’t like that it’s bleeding this way but I don’t think it’s too serious. When was the last time you ate Grace.”
“A couple of days ago,” I replied groggily. “I think. I don’t know.”

He looked concerned. “We need to get the others out,” he said to dad. “Then head back. I need to have a better look at her and she needs to eat. I can see it already,” he said eying me. Then glancing at dad. I had a feeling I was missing something. Another loud bang sounded in the distance causing dad and Jamison to turn and look towards the hideout. They glanced at each other.

“We have to help them get out,” Jamison said. Dad nodded and looked down at me in his arms.

“Stay here Grace,” Dad whispered. “We’ll be back quickly.”

I didn’t want to be alone. Not this close to the enemy. I didn’t want to be caught again. So like any selfish child I stopped thinking about what was best and held onto my dad tight. I didn’t want him to go. He seemed to realize that.

“Your safe here Gracie. They won’t find you here,” he whispered. Jamison watched on sadly.

“Please don’t go,” I cried. “Don’t leave me.”

Dad glanced helplessly at Jamison. He was torn. I knew it was childish of me but I didn’t care. I wanted my dad to keep me safe.

“Stay with her,” Jamison said gently. “I’ll help the others.”

With that he picked up his gun and took off back towards the hideout were a battle raged on. All of a sudden I felt like a baby. My dad was needed to help those who had helped me and I kept him here. If someone got hurt it would all be my fault.

“I’m sorry,” I cried and he hugged me closer.

“Don’t be,” he replied. “You’re safe that’s all that matters. Anyway, if I went back I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself hunting down that...scumbag that hurt you.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. Letting my head fall into his chest. A moment later he pulled me to sit upright.

“Don’t go to sleep on me,” he said softly. “You might have a concussion.”

“Hmm,” was the only reply I could manage.

He put his calloused hand one my face gently and turned it to look at him. He studied my face for a moment. Concern and love laced in his eyes. He ran his cold hand down my bruise cheek gently. It felt nice. Then he pulled me back into his chest and just held me.

“Thank god you’re safe,” He whispered. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“Is everyone okay?” I asked and he nodded.

“No one’s in there,” He replied. “After the fight at the hospital we moved. It’s safer. But as it turns out we had a rat....”

“Ryan?”

“How did you know?” he asked shocked.

“Kinda guessed he was,” I muttered. “But I didn’t have the proof.”

Dad chuckled and sighed, “Where have you been. I’ve been so worried. Have they been hurting you this whole time?”

I shook my head. “No I got trapped...in the hospital...Riley helped me get out,” I told him deliriously. The knocks to the head were starting to affect me. “But the soldiers caught me when we got out.”

“Riley?”

“A soldier,” I told him. “But his really nice. He was stuck to.”

Dad sighed. “I should have gone back for you. They wouldn’t let me risk it. I should have ignored them all and come and found you.”

“Its okay dad,” I slurred. Quickly he sat me up.

“Stay with me Gracie,” He said firmly. “Stay awake.”

We were interrupted suddenly by a young man running and skidding to a halt beside us. I jumped out of my skin and dad held me tight. I panicked for a moment until the boy spoke.

“It’s madness out there.” It was Dimitri. I never thought I’d be glad to hear his voice.

“We knew it would be. How’d you go with my gun,” Dad smirked.

Only then I noticed Dimitri had dad’s prized hunting rifle in his hands.

“It’s nice,” Dimitri complimented. “Is...Is she alright?”

Dad sighed. “Think she will be. Jamison wants to give her a better look soon though. His worried.”

“Gracie,” Dimitri cooed ducking his head to look at me. “Gracie babe.”

“Go...away.”

Dimitri snorted. “She’ll be fine.”

Dad smiled as a few more people joined us all asking the same question. Is she okay? I had no idea these people would go to such great lengths to help me. The last ones to join us were Jamison and Oscar.

“Let’s get moving,” Dad said taking control as he stood. Keeping me in his arms. “It won’t be long before they start looking. Half go one way, the other half another. We can’t be spotted to easily.”

“I’ll take another group,” Oscar offered and looked at Jamison. “Go with Cameron and keep an eye on her. She doesn’t look good.”

With that the group split quickly and went different directions at the first turn. It felt like we were moving quickly. I couldn’t tell my eyes were closed again. I could feel myself drifting into the blackness. It was peaceful here. So quiet, so warm. I could sleep here forever.