Revolutionary Love (The Revolution Series Book 1) (13 page)

We stopped at an opening in the ground. It led down a hill and was made out of gray cement.

"What is this?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

Jewel pushed me forward. "It's where we keep our prisoners."

I was a prisoner now. We walked inside. It looked almost like the jail cells where they kept Rugter. It was freezing in here. Jewel motioned for me to get into one.

I got in and she locked it with a click. Her green eyes stared at me with pity.

"What is the point of keeping me in here? Why not just kill me?" I pressed my face against the bars and watched her.

"It's just not how things are done here unless in the line of battle." Jewel left.

It was quiet in there. I looked behind me to see wool blankets on the floor and a pillow. They were in good condition. The sun was beginning to set. Once it went all the way down, I would have no light and the temperature would drop. I snuggled into the blankets and closed my eyes.

I used this time to mourn my father's death. Nobody was watching. Nobody could hear me. My shoulders shook beneath the blanket. This was a cruel world. It ripped my father away from me, then put him back in front of me. It wasn't him, though. It could not have been him.

He was a completely different man. I wiped my face on the back of my hand.

"Are you okay?"

I jumped. That was Adams' voice. Sitting up, I looked through the bars but didn't see anybody. It was completely dark now.

A flashlight turn on and I could see Adam. He looked exhausted. Bags were under his eyes.

I scooted closer to the bars. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you guys. I had to." Adams green eyes glowed in the dark. They held so much life in them.

"No, you didn't have to. All of this was because of choices I made." I was taking Evelyn's blame.

Adam disagreed. "No. You don't remember. You're different now. They are being unfair."

I held the blanket tighter around me when a sharp breeze gushed in. "It doesn't matter." My voice was defeated.

"It matters to me."

I was quiet for a couple of seconds. "Will you get in trouble for being here?"

"No. The man at the top is all about freedom. I have the freedom to make my choices and go where I want. I had to make sure you were safe." An emotion filled Adams' eyes. I couldn't put my finger on it.

I broke eye contact and looked down. "Why do you care so much?"

Adam reached his hand through the bars and laced his fingers with mine. They were strong. Warm. "Because I love you Evelyn. I've always loved you. Ever since we were little kids, I always knew you were the one for me. Things changed, but your back now. You're you now. You're the girl I fell in love with."

Ice slid around my heart. I froze. I couldn't form any words. The first time a man confessed his love for me, I never expected him to call me by the wrong name. I gave a feeble attempt to get my hand back but his grip was strong. My stomach sank.

Every time he looked at me he saw Evelyn. I hated her for doing this to him, for doing this to me. She was a life ruiner.

"You don't know me." I whispered. My eyes pleaded with him to understand.

That didn't deter him. "I do know you. Better than you think."

I finally got the strength to rip my hand away. "I shot Seth." The truth was out now. My voice wobbled. There was no going back. He knew. They all would know. I shot and killed his brother. This was all my fault and I would have to live with it.

"What?" Adam looked confused like I was no longer speaking English.

Maybe I wasn’t with the way the words fumbled out of my mouth. I wasn’t speaking English. I was speaking the language of a murderer.

"Seth. Your brother. Remember? I shot him." My voice broke when I saw the pain ignite in his eyes.

Adam stood with grace. He looked at me for a long time. I knew he believed me when he saw the guilt in my eyes. His brother was dead because of me.

The muscles on Adams arms tensed. He pulled a gun from the back of his pants and aimed it right at my head.

I closed my eyes.

"Stop." It was Rugter’s voice.

He had heard everything. I could hear it in his tone. Disappoint. He was disappointed. He had hoped I was different.

I didn't bother telling them that Seth made me do it. It was irrelevant. It wouldn't change the fact that he was dead and they probably wouldn't believe me.

Hate colored Adam's eyes. His hand shook. Long minutes passed before he lowered his gun. Without another word, he slipped out as quietly as he came in.

Rugter followed shortly behind him.

I was alone now. Just as alone as I was when I first woke up. I tarnished any small bond I made with both of them. I now had no chance of survival.

My back was stiff the next morning. I sat up and popped the sore bones. The cement floor was anything but comfortable. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I almost screamed when I saw Mare.

"What are you doing here?" Was everyone just popping through?

Mare smiled at me. "My mama is here for a trial."

"A trial?" I asked, trailing off.

"Yes. She has to make a vote about you. They are voting if you go to heaven or stay here." Mare's blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight filtering through the opening.

A trial. They were going to vote on whether or not to kill me. I could hear a lot of voices outside.

"Who all is here?" I attempted to peer through the bars.

"My mama says it's everybody you ever did wrong." Mare pressed her face against the bar and watched me. "We waited for you guys at Louisville. You didn't come."

I didn't know what to say to her. She just watched me with those trusting eyes. Her pink lips were in a smile.

She looked left when we heard footsteps coming in our direction. The man at the top was standing there. His eyes took in the situation.

"Does Susan know you are down here?" He asked Mare.

Mare gave him an innocent smile. "David, I have the freedom to do as I please."

His name was the same as my father's. I looked at him. What are the chances of that? What are the chances of all of this?

David smiled. It did not reach his eyes. "Go to Susan."

Mare winked at me and ran out. David walked over and unlocked the cell. He motioned for me to go to him. On shaky legs, I stood. Was he leading me to my trial? What kind of a trial would it be? David handcuffed my hands behind my back and led me out. A lot of people were standing around. They were all watching me. I could feel all of their hate. I kept my gaze lowered.

David guided me with his hands. Nobody spoke a word. It was tense. We walked down a small hill. A building sat at the bottom of it. It was a church. A huge cross stood outside of it. Vines grew all around the building giving it a creepy feel.

David opened the doors and ushered me inside. Some people were sitting at the long seats. They turned around and watched me. Chantel was one of those people. Her eyes blazed. She knew what I had done. I lowered my eyes.

David placed me in front of the big cross holding Jesus's body. The chair was hard and wooden. He tied my feet to the legs of the chair and tied my torso. Whispers echoed around the church once people started filling in. I tuned it all out. I felt like a criminal awaiting my death sentence.

After everyone took their seats, David walked behind the podium. Instantly, the church got quiet. David stared out at everybody. "We gather you here today for the trial of Evelyn Marie Victorino. Evelyn is being charged on the count of theft, arson, hate crimes, and third-degree murder." David stopped talking to let those words sink in.

Arson? Theft? I attempted to bounce my leg, forgetting that they were tied to the wooden chair.

"Evelyn." David turned and looked at me. He was in a business suit. He reminded me of Stephan. A more complex version of Stephan. "How do you plead?"

I looked at all the faces in the room. Some of the people were crying. Evelyn had truly hurt these people. Murdered someone in their family. Stole something from them. She had caused them unbearable pain. My eyes landed on Adam's. His face was blank. He didn't look away. I did.

"I plead guilty." My voice rang out over the church.

Everyone started talking at once. It was getting louder and louder. I wanted to cover my eyes and ears until this was all over. It felt like it would never be over. I was stuck in a never ending nightmare.

"May we have a vote? All those who wish her to be sentenced in prison for life, please stand." Nobody stood. David nodded his head. "All those who wish her to be punished by execution, please stand." Everybody stood. There were maybe forty-five people in here and every single one of them stood.

I never knew what it felt like to be truly hated by so many people. Adam stood straight and tall. Chantel was standing by his side and took his hand. Bret openly glared at me. Mr. Walker's hands shook in anger.

"You may take a seat." It was graceful, the way everyone sat at once. "We all know the procedure. Nobody gets to leave the room. If you have the stomach to vote a person to death, you have the stomach to witness it." David pulled something out from behind the huge cross. It was a shotgun. I pressed my lips together.

Where was the ticking clock? David walked halfway down the middle of the aisle. He turned around and got onto one knee. He aimed it at my head. "One. Two. Three."

I panicked. I threw myself backwards as the bullet flew out of the shotgun. The chair fell back and snapped. Gasps filled the room. That's when we all heard it. A massive explosion. The entire church shook. The woman screamed. Everybody ran to the church window and looked outside. I twisted until the ropes slid off of the broken chair legs. There was a fire up the hill. David's house was on fire. In the distance, I could hear another helicopter.

"The Unit!" Someone shouted.

Everybody began to panic. David looked back at me. I got onto my knees. I could barely get to my feet with my hands cuffed behind my back. This was my moment. I wanted to live. I couldn't give up so easily. I ran out the exit door onto the side of the church. Soldiers were marching down the hill, guns aimed and ready to shoot. I slid behind the church.

Screams and gunshots filled the air. I needed the handcuffs off. I groaned in pain when I attempted to slide it off of my wrists. It was hurting me. I looked right as a soldier turned the corner. He was wearing a gas mask. He raised his weapon.

Without thinking, I kicked the dirt from the ground onto his face. He lowered his weapon slightly to get the dirt off of his mask. Charging at him, I set us both tumbling to the ground. His AR 15 slid out from under his hand. With his left fist, he punched me in the face. I fell to the side. When the soldier stood over me, I kicked him. I was not going down without a fight.

He kicked me in my rib cage. I cried out in pain. Out of nowhere, he dropped on top of me. I panicked. I couldn't push him off of me because my hands were handcuffed. Something wet was seeping onto my shirt. He got thrown off of me.

I stopped breathing. Seth was standing over me. Seth. Seth who I had shot. Seth who was announced dead over the radio. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. His copper hair fell into his face when he bent down and helped me back onto my feet. My legs almost gave out. He was alive.

"I don't have time to explain. Come on." Seth's warm hands wrapped around my elbow. He was leading me towards the fire.

It was a battlefield. Rebels on one side and The Unit on the other. I didn't expect the rebels to have a uniform, but they did. It was all black. They all wore black boots, black cargo pants, and black fitted tee shirts. They were loaded with weapons. That's what Seth was wearing right now.

Seth shoved me behind a tree as someone shot at us. He poked a tree branch out from behind the tree and it snapped in half. "They brought snipers." His voice was deep.

I touched his arm. I wanted to make sure he was real. That I wasn't hallucinating. Seth grabbed something out of his pocket and threw it. Smoke filled the air. He led me through it with ease. I kept stumbling. I was in shock. All that guilt I felt over him dying was for nothing. I cried for him and he was alive. Suddenly I was angry. I didn't know what to do with all the anger. It was consuming me. When we reached the burning house, I slammed him into the wall with my shoulder.

Surprise lit Seth's deep eyes. "What the hell are you doing alive?" I demanded.

Seth gripped my shoulders. "Brianna we are in a war zone. There is no time to explain. Control your anger and follow me."

After we ran around the side of the house, I realized what he had called me. He called me Brianna. My stomach sunk. How could he know? I never told him. I never told anybody. We saw David and Adam taking shelter behind a military SUV. They looked at Seth and I and stopped talking. They couldn't tear their gaze away from Seth.

Adam took a step forward and David pulled him back. Bullets stormed into the ground where Adam was just standing. David looked at me for a moment. He made eye contact with Seth and tossed something over. It was keys. Seth picked it up from the ground and uncuffed me.

I rubbed my wrists. I squeezed my hands into fists to keep myself from punching him. I was furious with him. Why hadn't he let anybody know he was alive? Seth pushed me back against the wall and aimed his automatic rifle. Bullets flew out of it. Three soldiers dropped to the ground.

David aimed over the SUV and shot a few times. David and Adam waited a few seconds before running over to us. Adam wrapped Seth into a huge hug. He held onto him tight. The sight made my eyes water, but I didn't say anything. They were reunited.

"Evelyn said she shot you." Adam mumbled, letting go.

He was embarrassed about the affection he just showed. Seth patted his shoulder. "I don't have time to explain much. I was shot and injured, but someone saved me. I was unconscious for a few days. After I woke up, I got word that The Unit knew about this place. Yesterday, news about Evelyn's trial got out and The Unit knew there would be a big group of rebels. I brought as many of our soldiers as I could. We can't stay and fight. More of The Unit will come. We need to run."

David took in what he was saying. I could see the urge to stay and fight on his face. David looked at me again. His hazel eyes held no emotion, no fear.

"Then let's run. We already have the woman and children in cars heading down the mountain. Soldiers are trailing behind them on foot covering their path. They are heading to the safe haven. We need to pull our troops back but keep The Unit off of our trail. Any ideas how we should do that?" David inquired.

I looked at all the parked SUV's. "What if we took their ways by transportation and left? We could all go separate directions and meet somewhere." I offered.

The helicopter above us went spiraling down to the ground. Flames flew into the air and the forest floor vibrated beneath our feet.

"Good idea. You guys stay here and guard the SUV's. I'll spread the word." David took off running.

Seth placed a Glock in my hand. "I'm sure you know how to use it." The muscle in his arms flexed as he aimed his gun and looked around.

The gun felt heavy in my hands. I hated it every time I had to carry one of these. Adam gave me a confused look and covered his brother's back. I aimed my gun at the ground and followed them. When I heard another explosion, it scared me and I pulled the trigger and shot the ground.

Amusement danced across Seth's face and quickly disappeared. "Don't leave your finger on the trigger, Brianna."

I took my finger off.

"Who is Brianna?" Adam asked opening the SUV door.

We didn't explain it to him. I didn't know how and I didn't know how Seth knew who I was.

The gun slipped from my sweaty grasp and clanked onto the floor. I dropped onto my belly to retrieve it from the ground. I stopped breathing. A little device was blinking underneath the car.

"Bomb!" I screamed, pushing myself up.

We quickly ran around the corner of the house. This explosion was the biggest one. It was explosion after explosion. All of the cars were blowing up. There went my plan.

I coughed from all the smoke filling the air. I could barely breathe. Seth pulled a gas mask off of a dead soldier and put it on me. It made my skin crawl.

"We need another plan." Adam shouted over the noise.

"How about we get away from this burning house?" I asked.

We ran into the forest away from the gun shots. We were all separated and had no way of communication. The Unit had the upper hand in the situation.

Seth was calm while Adam was nervous. He kept looking all around us. The battle seemed like it was going on from down the hill.

"What now?" Adam ran his hands through his buzz cut hair.

Seth held up a hand and disappeared. He came back with The Unit's uniform. "Now we pretend to be one of them."

Adam caught on quick. They both put the uniforms on and the gas mask on. They were ready for battle. It was weird seeing Seth back in uniform. He looked good. Confident. My stomach tightened and I looked away.

"Stay here." Seth and Adam ran off into the line of fire.

They could both die. They could get shot by the rebels or have their cover blown and I was just meant to wait here? I was not going to sit here and look pretty.

I searched for a dead soldier's body. My stomach twisted at the sight and I fought back nausea as I stripped him of his uniform. It was way too big for me. Something told me people were going to be paying attention to how my clothes fit at this time.

I ran down the hill hiding behind trees every so often. When I saw two soldiers shooting at something, I shot them from behind. They thumped to the ground.

The AR 15 wobbled in my hands. There was no going back. I crawled on the ground to try and stay out of sight. I did not want to get shot.

It was quiet now. Gun shots rang out every few minutes. Nobody was in sight. Just as I was about to stand a voice spoke.