The Defiant

Armed and Dangerous

Josiah

Dakota and I sat in the med bay after bringing Hattie and Lyla new flowers. After three days, they were still stuck in a coma with no sign that they were going to wake up. Dakota had a couple of tears drying on his cheeks, and I was close to shedding my own. 

After we learned of their fate, a weight had settled over us who knew them. To see them in this state before our very eyes showed how utterly mortal we were. Of course, we had incidents like this that we had come back from, but there was no solution that we could find. Their souls had already gone beyond the veil. Not even Atlas, who had control over things that were dead could bring them back. And he had tried. Over and over again. 

Yesterday, most of Grades C and B were taken North, past the Canadian border. The other Grade A's that we rescued went with them. They had no training, so we didn't risk having them stay. They would find refuge in the other country with a few companies that helped fund F.I. The only ones who remained with the original Grade A were Wendyl, John, Saya, and Ezra's two friends from the facility, who he called Short and Tall. The only reason they got to stay was because they were the only ones who had information on the changes in the facility because Ezra did not go outside during his captivity. 

The man who could drain souls recovered and told us of how he was forced to kill to save himself and others. Estele brainwashed him to make sure he was telling the truth, so we let him join the rest and go to Canada, feeling that he did not deserve to suffer for what he did. 

I took a deep breath and grabbed Dakota's hand tightly in my own. We had to leave. He gave a slight nod and rose from the seat. About halfway to the garage, he spoke. "I'm feeling kind of tired."

"But you just woke up an hour ago," I reminded. "Are you feeling sick?"

He looked at the floor and seemed to consider his words. "No. It's like my heart is tired."

My chest ached in response to his words. I understood what he meant. After so many events that left my body and mind aching, I wanted to sit and feel nothing. I was emotionally drained. "Maybe we will feel relief when this is done."

He took a deep breath and placed his free hand on his chest. "I want to live a simple life with all of us together. I hate dealing with what we are going through."

I took a deep breath, I could feel my heart pounding endlessly in my chest. I turned my gaze to trace the soft curve of his profile. If only I could look at him and not worry about how we might not make it out of this upcoming war. I wanted to fall asleep next to him, and not count it as possibly one of the last times that would happen. A pang of sadness wracked through my chest again, and I choked down the wave of sorrow. 

That tiredness washed over me again, and I felt a sort of acceptance. We could die. We could all very well die within a week, but I knew that we would not ever be separated- even in death. I would walk through however many layers of Hell or the eternity of Heaven to find them again. Of that I was sure. 

We arrived at the garage and joined the rest of our group in waiting by a van that would drive us first to the North Dakota facility. Then we would march onto Kansas. 

Maralynn stood in front of the group. She had decided to come along on this mission to monitor it closely, saying it was of critical importance.  I joined the group and listened to what Maralynn had to say. "I'll have three hundred men and women behind you. That might not seem like a lot, but..."

The garage doors began to open and we all looked to see what was happening. 

...

It just looked like it normally did. There was nothing special in it.