Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Apocalypse

30) To the Rescue

 Torin and I get up early because today is the day we rescue Steven and Nana. We both eat a "First Strike" chocolate bar from our MRE supply and down it with a water and an added lemon lime carb-fortified beverage powder. It is a breakfast fit for soldiers going into battle because that is what the prince and I are doing today.

We walk to the school to gather our troops and arrive just in time to see the bus being loaded with children.

"Where are you going?" I ask Millicent.

"We are going to safety. It is not safe here anymore," she repeats what I can tell she has been told. She notices Torin and reaches inside a little poodle pocketbook and pulls out a piece of paper and looks at it and looks at Torin. "Are you a real prince?"

"Yes," says Torin, "I guess I am. And you are a princess?"

Millicent giggles. "That's what my daddy calls me, but I'm not a real princess."

"I believe your daddy is correct because all little girls are princesses, aren't they?" asks Torin as he bows to her.

Millicent, like all the girls, is instantly charmed because she giggles again and does her best curtsey back.

Leia jumps off the back of the bus where she has been loading supplies. She shakes Torin's hand and introduces herself with, "Any enemy of One Nation is a friend of ours."

"Thank you, Leia," says Torin. "I hope I will be a worthy enemy of those jackasses."

Now, Leia is giggling too. Mr. Charming strikes again.

"Where are the children going?" I ask.

"We are sending them west towards the mountains this afternoon. We think they'll be safer there. We've heard some colleges, Western Carolina and UNC Asheville, have set-up refugee camps. The students and staff and Red Cross have banned together. They are taking all children.

Near my dad, I think. He would so disapprove of refugee camps. There's no safety in large groups, he would say.

"Is it safe to travel there?" I ask.

"Heard the National Guard has Highway 40 cleared. We're hoping that's true." Leia points to an older couple. "Ronnie and Mary are taking the kids later today." She addresses Torin. "I understand you have some military training, your.... your majesty?"

"Please just call me Torin."

"Ok, Torin." Leia introduces some others from her group. Adam, Sarah, Bill, and Todd. "Some with us left last night. Scared or going to find family. There are about forty of us left. Some are better soldiers than others, but we are all learning, and we are loyal. How can we help?"

Torin tells her about the library and the people, including Steven and Nana, being held there.

"Why would they have people at the library?" I ask.

"Public place," says Adam. "Good for an execution."

I gasp even though I have heard this before, "What? Why?"

Adam explains: "When One Nation takes over a town. They are looking for two things - supplies and people. They don't want people to fight back, so they go in quick and scary. They want a surrender before the fight begins. They have a show of force to start. Public is invited and expected to attend. Quick and brutal and memorable."

"Brutal, how brutal?" I ask.

"I told you about babies off bridges," says Leia.

"Executions, anyone old or handicapped or young," says Sarah. "That's one reason we are sending the little people west."

"Sometimes, strong people. People who defy them. Leaders, police, politicians, " adds Todd.

"Oh my God," I say. I am thinking about Officer Simpson and Nana and Steven, who is opinionated and mouthy and would never standby and watch his Nana be hurt. "What can we do?" I ask the Resistance and before any of them can respond, I turn to Torin. "I thought you believed they were safe."

Leia speaks up. "Act fast. They are probably just collecting their hostages. There won't be that many of them guarding. They usually send in an advance group with a specific agenda a week or so before the army arrives. People to gather hostages. People to spy, gather info."

"How do you know all this?" asks Torin. "It seems you have some inside information."

"One Nation collects people like they do supplies," says Leia.

"Join or die," says Sarah. "We're not proud of it. We're trying to make up for it. We are the Resistance now."

"We escaped," says Adam. "We won't go back. We will die first. We will fight."

Torin thinks about this and responds. "These times have made us all do things we regret." He pauses and looks around. "I have done some things I regret. All we can do now is make amends. It sounds like you have a reason to fight and something that you believe in strongly enough to die for. It sounds like you will never surrender."

The others nod and then Leia asks, "So Prince Torin, what is the plan?"

"There weren't many of them when I saw them yesterday. They look young, and not comfortable with guns. I think we can overpower them."

We gather our weapons and fall in line behind the prince. We're going to fight back today. We are going to the rescue.