The Hope War: Chapter 1

Yesterday he saved a life. Yesterday he was a hero, and everybody knew his name. All he did was pull a toddler from the rushing flood water. The toddler would have been a goner, sucked under the water where debris would have held onto the body until it decayed enough to either disappear or finally float to the surface and be found.

He was there though. He was near the rushing water just as the toddler came into view struggling to stay above the water. Without hesitation, he jumped into the water and pulled the kid out. Never had he felt such small hands hold onto him so tightly. It made him smile. It made him happy.

The toddler was seventh and last born to a mother that lost her husband to the disease that plagued the earth. Another death would have been devastating, especially in a few months’ time. As he handed the child over to the mother and she repaid him with a heartfelt hug, all he could feel was joy.

The news got ahold of the story though and before he could sneak away cameras were pointed at him, and he was bombarded by reporters. The news was all anybody ever watched and soon the whole Country knew who he was and what he did. He hated attention and only felt uncomfortable as he was asked questions and expected to answer. When he found the opportunity to get away, he did, and nobody could find him. He just disappeared.

Now he watches the T.V. screen in his shop as soldiers and reporters show the destruction of the flood on his town. A scowl forms when his segment comes on and he wishes he was still a Nobody. That he was invisible.

As he holsters an illegal gun and slides his hood over his head, he thinks about the task ahead.

Yesterday he saved a life.

Today he takes one.

* * *

Exhaustion started to take over and Angie found herself falling asleep to the sound of rain hitting the windshield and tires rolling over soaked asphalt. The window was freezing, but she pressed her cheek against it anyways and tried to get some rest. Her clothes were drenched and made it hard to warm up. By then she could barely feel her fingers. The only thing that was warm were her feet which were protected by military grade boots. She hated her uniform but at that moment she was grateful.

“I’m not carrying you into your house,” Jocelyn’s voice came.

“I’m just resting my eyes,” Angie mumbled.

“And in two seconds, you’ll be asleep.”

When she didn’t answer, the small truck swerved and hit a large pothole, jolting her awake. She nearly hit the dash and immediately looked at Jocelyn who was annoyed yet concerned. “What was that for?”

“For fun.” Her voice was tired, and her body was positioned in such a way that showed the exhaustion. Her dark eyes then scanned the sky which was clouded and unforgiving. There was just enough light to show the glint in her eyes from the tears that wanted to slip down her cheeks, but she wouldn’t let that barrier break. “Maddie’s leaving,” she brought up bluntly. “She’s leaving.”

Angie’s heart dropped. “I know,” she said quietly while picking at some drying mud on her pants. She had known for a while that Maddie was leaving and promised not to tell the others. It was a tough decision, but Maddie was top of the class and advancing quickly in the medical field. She needed to leave, even if that meant leaving everything, friends, family, and her home, possibly forever.

It was almost guaranteed that Jocelyn was going to rant and rave because it came so naturally to her. She was protective and set on her views, which made what she said next surprising.

“Good.”

Angie felt her heart grow heavier with the rain.

“Good for her.” The truck came to a stop in Angie’s driveway and Jocelyn put the vehicle in park. “She’s too valuable to keep cooped up in this town forever.”

Not knowing what to say, Angie reached for handle and tried to think of what to do next. Lighting lit up the sky which made Jocelyn more visible, showing her defeat and sadness. She was ready to give up.

“I’m leaving too,” she spoke up once more in Angie’s silence. “Tyler and I were both accepted to a technical school in Wyoming. We’ve decided to leave together.” Tears escaped and she angrily hit her steering wheel. “We’re not going to let this disease stop us. We’re not going to let the soldiers hold us back.” Peering over, the friends held eye contact and felt each other’s suffering and fear. “I’m not going to let this world turn me into a victim. I won’t.”

“You shouldn’t,” Angie finally said as she fiddled with the door handle. Breaking eye contact, she caught her reflection in the window. She almost didn’t recognize herself. Her thick blond hair was soggy and dirty which made her round face look long and sad. Stitches held a wound together above her right eyebrow which would be hard to hide. The other wound was on her arm and more severe, but Maddie still took care of it. Her dirty, tear-streaked face hid her large hazel eyes which witnessed things no eighteen-year-old should never witness.

“You shouldn’t either,” Jocelyn continued. “Angie, this isn’t the same town it was ten years ago. I hate to say it, but it’s going to kill you to stay. You have two weeks. Convince Brady to leave with you and run. Get out while you still can.”

What Jocelyn brought up had passed through Angie’s mind many times, but she loved her town. She would continue to fight and try to save it. This was her home, and it would forever stay that way. “I’m not leaving,” she said quietly, finally opening the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Without looking back, she hurried through the rain to her garage door where no dogs barked like they once did. She missed this.

Thunder chased her down the garage stairs that led to her basement. In a hurry, her wet boots hit the edge of a step and she crashed to the ground. Finding herself sprawled at the bottom of the stairwell gasping and wanting to cry, she tried to hold back stinging tears. It took great effort to pull herself off the ground to enter the house. Once on her feet again, she leaned against the door and told herself to toughen up, that she couldn’t be weak. Fumbling with the doorknob, she finally opened it up and made her way through the dark basement to her room.

Once in her room she fished a key out of a bullet box in her closet that opened a safe, to which she placed the .380 pistol she had been carrying, tucked away in her waistband. She never went anywhere without it. With her muscles already stiffening up, she groaned as she pulled her soaked coat off and threw it in a hamper. Digging through a few more pockets she came up with another pistol, 9mm. caliber and some ammunition. All soldiers carried that caliber which made getting supplies easy, especially after a shift of fence security.

Her boots came off and she plopped them in the closet before heading to the bathroom to shower. The hot water was comforting for only a moment before the smell of mud and blood floated on the steam. Her stomach turned and she quickly grabbed the soap to wash off all the evidence she could and was very careful to scrub around her stitched up arm. The shower was short and soon she was back in her room shivering from the cold.

Black sweatpants were thrown on as well as a t-shirt and hoodie. The windows on the top floor of the house were opened to let the fresh air in. Now there wasn’t much different in temperature between outside and in and Angie hated it, but her mom loved it, so she didn’t complain. To get warm she grabbed for a blanket on her bed to wrap up in and was ready to call it a night when she heard the door from upstairs open.

Alarmed and paranoid, she grabbed one of the pistols and started down the hall. A light came from upstairs as well as two sets of footsteps, one being heavy on the wooden floor while the other was light, most likely her mom. Cautiously she started up the stairs, her gun drawn, and confusion filling her head.

“Would you like a drink, Mike?” her mom spoke up. “We have Coke.”

“Just water please,” Mike replied.

Angie’s grip loosened on her weapon when she recognized the voice. “Uncle Mike?” She hid the gun under her hoodie and peeked around the banister. “Is that you?” The man was indeed her uncle, but he didn’t look the same. Overall, he was just a darker version of her dad, brown hair instead of blond, easily tanned skin instead of fair, and brown eyes instead of blue.

In the past, she always greeted her uncle with a smile, but that was when he was a farmer and visited often. Now he was a soldier, neatly dressed in gray and living a very different life than first intended. She couldn’t find a smile for the man sitting at her counter.

“Hey Angie. How are you?” His face quickly grew concerned once he got a better look at her. “Are you okay?”

“What are you doing here?” She wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. “I haven’t seen you in years. Why are you in town?” Suddenly her mom was walking up to her and she stepped back, not wanting anybody to get near her.

Her mom stopped at the end of the counter where Mike was sitting. “What happened?” She was genuinely concerned as any mother would be. “Did something happen during your shift? You know I hate it when you go out there.”

“I’m fine,” she answered, speaking of the cut above her eye. “There was a problem with the north fence, and we volunteered to fix it. I fell.” She held up her hands which were cut and bruised. “I tried to catch myself. Maddie stitched me up.”

“Maddie Bryant?” Mike questioned.

Angie eyed him carefully and didn’t want to answer.

Her mother answered instead. “They’ve been friends for years. Maddie’s a very good student. All the universities in the state want her.”

“Why are you here?” Angie redirected the conversation.

The room grew uncomfortable, and Mike was hesitant as he gathered his thoughts. “I’m here for a couple reasons. Since this is my hometown and the flood is so devastating, I volunteered to come help clean up and keep civilians safe from nearby rebel groups and those infected with the Black Fever.” He sounded very professional. “The other reason I’m here is to discuss family matters.”

Angie scrunched her eyebrows. “Family? We’re the only family you have here.”

He nodded. “I know.”

“Lain is picking up the twins from Janie’s and they should be home any minute,” her mom spoke up. “Mike has discussed some issues with me, and I feel it best that he discussed it with the rest of the family also.”

Mike stood up and pulled a chair out from the table. “Please take a seat.”

Even though she was worn, Angie continued standing with her mind on her gun. What on earth was her uncle about to talk about? Whatever it was, she didn’t feel like she was prepared for it. It has already been a physically and emotionally draining day. “What’s going on?” she asked with a waver in her voice. “What’s the matter?”

Headlights shined through the open window indicating Lain was home. “Please, take a seat,” her uncle offered again. “You look tired.”

She was still hesitant to move for several reasons and continued to study her uncle and mom. Her mom looked tired, worn out from years of raising a family without a husband in the household to help. Mike was harder to read, he seemed concerned, but there was something he was hiding.

The back door opened with the rest of the family trudging in. The dark-haired twins threw off their boots and smiled widely to see their uncle home and safe. Lain followed and shut the door tight behind him. He was tired too after a full day working at the log yard and helping clean up the town.

“Uncle Mike!” Brynlee exclaimed as she threw her arms around the man standing by the table. Whitley, the quieter twin, went in for a hug too but simply smiled.

“How are my girls doing?” Mike laughed as he hugged back. His dimples came to light with a big grin and Angie couldn’t help but think of her dad who had the same smile.

“We’re good,” Brynlee replied, happily hopping into the chair that was previously offered to Angie.

“It’s good to see you,” Lain spoke up, giving the other man a strong pat on the back.

Mike slapped Lain’s back in reply. “Good to see you too. Wow you’ve grown up. How long has it been?”

Whitley jumped in a chair next to her twin and Lain slid in on the other side. Out of all the sibling he looked the most like their dad and Angie felt her chest tighten. Family business. It had to be about their dad who was the only family not present at the time. She wanted to slip away as emotion continued to build up inside of her, but her feet moved towards the table and soon she found herself quietly sitting next to her twelve-year-old sisters.

“It’s been a few years,” Lain carried on the conversation. “Last time I saw you was on my sixteenth birthday. I remember because you and Dad pitched in to buy me a new truck.”

“And you’re how old now? Twenty?”

“Twenty-three,” he corrected. “So, it’s uh, it’s been a while.” He tapped on the wooden table. It was obvious he had a lot on his mind. Years ago, when he was about to graduate, he chose to stay home instead of leave to go to school and find a career because the family needed him. It was his decision, and he loved his family, but his life never really went anywhere after high school. “So, what brings you back home?”

Mike’s smile disappeared and Angie continued to watch him, trying to figure him out. He looked back at their mother who gave him a nod before finding a seat at the counter. “There’s a few things we need to talk to you about,” he began. “There’s going to be a few changes and it might be hard to understand, but your mother and I both agree it’s the best choice.”

The twins looked each other with sudden concern and confusion. Lain’s face grew long, and his blue eyes continued to peer down at the old wooden table. Angie couldn’t help but feel tears burning the back of her eyes. Something was very wrong.

“There have been several rebel sightings within fifty miles of this town. They seem to be moving this way and are very dangerous. The flood has devastated the town and even with more security between us and the rebels, your mother and I feel that it isn’t safe to be here anymore.”

Angie closed her hands into fists.

“I’ve been granted permission to evacuate you from the town and move you safely to another.” He looked at Lain directly. “This gives you another opportunity to find a school or career pathway if you desire, either in the city you will be taken too or another.” He looked at the twins. “You’ll continue going to school as you would here.” He then looked at Angie. “You’ll graduate early and either find a job or go to college. You have the same choice Lain does.”

Shock seemed to take over and nobody knew what to say to the news. Lain’s eyes seemed to get a spark in them as new opportunities returned to him after five years. Brynlee and Whitley looked lost and stared at each other. Anger continued to build in Angie and a hatred grew towards the man sitting in front of her.

“I’m not leaving,” she announced.

Mike’s eyebrows furrowed. “You are coming.”

“You are not my dad,” she shot out. “You don’t get to come here and act like him. You don’t get to come to my home after being gone for seven years, acting like you’ve been here all along, acting like MY father, and tell me what I’m going to do with my life. You are NOT my dad.”

“Angie,” Lain tried to stop her.

“No!” she yelled as she jumped out of her chair ready to attack Mike. “What gives you the right to do this? This town is our home. We belong here.”

“It’s dangerous to stay,” Mike tried.

“We’ll fight. We’ll help protect it. I’m not leaving.” She thought back to the gun hidden in her sweats. Guns were heavily regulated, but that didn’t entirely keep people from having them. She remembered her dad telling her to protect herself years ago, saying that it was okay to have a gun hidden in case she needed it. She wasn’t going to be a victim. “And why isn’t Dad here? Why isn’t he the one telling us all of this?”

When silence filled the air, she wanted to scream out. Instead, a few hot tears fell from her eyes because she thought she might know the answer.

“Your father isn’t coming home,” Mike answered. “He was sent on a mission a month ago to rescue civilians that had been captured by a rebel group. A week ago, we lost all contact with him while he was in the middle of a fire fight. From evidence recovered at the scene, he is presumed dead.” Mike looked up at all the children and had real tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Angie’s heart shattered. “No,” she cried as her legs trembled and almost took her to the ground. “It’s not true. It can’t be true.”

“Angie,” her mom said tenderly.

“You’re lying!” she screamed, unable to hold back her emotions and wanting to fight. “He promised me he was coming home! He promised!” Her body shook uncontrollably, and her fists were pressed hard against the table to keep her standing. Through blurring tears, she found her mom was not devastated by the news and it tore her up inside. “We can’t go anywhere. He said he was coming back. You have to believe he’s coming home.”

Her mom’s eyes were watery, but that was it. “Angie, he’s not. It’s been two years since the last I saw him with few calls and no information about where he was or what he was doing. I’m sorry, but the decision has been made. We’re leaving Friday. You have two days to say goodbye to your friends and pack.”

“No,” she shook her head and felt dizzy. “I’m not leaving.”

“Angie,” Lain spoke up to try and calm her down.

She held her throbbing head and teetered backwards. “No.” Her feet were light, and she found herself hurrying away from her family. She couldn’t handle the information. She couldn’t believe what was happening, not after what she had done that night. Not after everything she had gone through.

Before she knew it, she was in her room and the door slammed behind her. Falling to the floor, she let the tears flow and they hit the carpet like rain. In that instant, she felt like her life was falling apart. Her friends were leaving, her family was leaving, her dad was gone, and memories of the past haunted her, reminding her of all she had done.

The gun was still tucked away in her sweats, and she reached for it, tossing it away before pounding her fists against the floor in anger and frustration. Her side ached, her arm pulsed, her hands stung, and her head swirled. She didn’t know what to do.

Through her anger her hand reached for the gun again and her fingers grasped it firmly. She wanted others to feel the pain she was going through. She wanted her uncle to pay for what happened to her dad. Mike was the older brother; Mike was the one that told her dad to join the military. Mike was the reason he was gone.

As she began to drag the gun closer to her, she was stopped by a gentle hand. Looking up through bleary eyes she saw a brown-haired, blue-eyed boy kneeling next to her.

“Ang,” Brady said quietly as he took the gun from her grasp. “I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t a surprise to find him there and she was grateful for him. “I’m not leaving,” she told him. “Brady, I can’t leave.”

“I know.” He wiped away her tears with his thumb and gently held her face.

She grabbed his hand on her cheek and held it tight as if it was the only thing keeping her world together. “Maddie’s leaving,” she spoke what was on her mind. “Jocelyn’s leaving. Tyler’s leaving. The disease is spreading. Rebels are coming.” She squeezed her eyes shut and held his hand tighter. “My dad’s not coming home.” She broke down even more. “He’s not coming home.”

“Ang, I’m here,” he said tenderly. “I’m not leaving.”

The words were comforting, and Angie opened her eyes to look into his deep blue ones. He gave her an understanding smile, one that only pulled slightly at the corner of his lips.

“We’re going to figure this out,” he assured her. “We’ll get through this.”

She nodded and ran her hand down his sleeved arm. Dominating his skin were scars that held a history most couldn’t handle. But beneath the skin she felt the strength he had, his ability to fight and defend. She nodded, trusting him.

Red cans were suddenly brought to light when Brady held up a six pack of Coke that she hadn’t noticed before. “Brought some Coke. Thought you might need some after the day we’ve had.”

That made her smile, and the smile grew wider when he pulled her into him. They sat with their backs against her bed, his left arm curled around her while his right hand happily held a Coke. Feeling the exhaustion take over again she pulled a blanket off the bed and snuggled up in it before resting against him, her head comfortably on his shoulder. There she could hear his heartbeat and feel his heat. There she could get her mind off the world for a moment.

Her own heart slowed to match his and she closed her eyes. “Thanks for being here.”

He kissed her forehead and held her tight. “I’ll always be here.”