The Young Fighters

CHAPTER 8

Last night's debate went thoroughly by the Village Elders amongst the town's people who attended. After the meeting was adjourned, certain people were given the task of informing the younger citizens of Georgetown the story of what went on the previous day. Children grew frightened by hearing of the incident, but they were calmed down by their elders. They were told there was absolutely nothing to fear; a plan was in mind of how to protect them from harm.

Michael was taken into the caring hands of Will over by his home where he was kept at rest. After the meeting, Will was confronted by Caden and asked him to make sure Michael was kept hidden away if in case someone from the south came looking for the child. That point wasn't just made for Will, it existed to everyone also. I have a feeling someone might come looking for Michael; that's why I want everyone to keep quiet about his presence. Caden told them just before dismissal.

By the time a list of names were taken down for the firearm registration, a list of instructions were given to them the next day as of rules to owning a gun. 1: All who are entitled a gun are to be the only ones to handle a firearm. 2: Guns are tools that are to be used for protection by all gun owners. 3: none of you shall fire in anger. 4: All targets must be enemies of the state. 5: Any person who's held accountable as a gun owner must follow the commands of a sponsored leader. Five commandments were all that could be thought up in a span of twelve hours. To their surprise there were more people who had gun smarts available than previously thought. Head law enforcer, Andy Hartford, age seventeen, was given a rifle with a scope attached and was promoted to lead commander. The young man had never commanded anything other than the law before now.

How he got the job as head law enforcer baffled him. In the past he was honest and could never tell a lie; that's one of the reasons the Village Elders chose him to be supervisor of the police. Before this new day, he'd never been given a gun; nor the rest of his unit. This was a new day in age for all of them. Now every law member was armed.

Today was now just another day of work for everyone in Georgetown. Jackson and Elliot were driving along in Jackson's truck as they made their way over to the other side of town to fill up at the second available gas station. The moment Jackson started pumping fuel in the gas tank, he started to get that feeling he'd always get when using petroleum. Let's hope this lasts us. Once the gas pump sounded with a loud click; Jackson would hang up the cord and jump back in the truck and drive off.

Elliot was sitting shotgun next to Jackson and eyeing the skinny grey rifle that was issued to his buddy. The weapon rested on the back seat laying on its side, safety on. To the little guy, what he was looking at looked like something out of a toy store. Yet, it clicked with his imagination as he focused on it.

"What kind of gun is that?" Elliot couldn't help but ask,

"Umm..." Jackson didn't know gun names, whatever he was handed he took along with the manual. "It's a Henry Survival rifle." He turned his head back to catch a quick glimpse of it. "Nice isn't it? I haven't gotten a chance to fire it off yet. But when we're done helping Harper, I'm going to have to drop you off by Parker and then I'm going to try it. After that, I'm going on patrol with Andy and Jaren." Jackson wasn't in much of a feeling for guarding the Southside of Georgetown. Right now, a deer hunting stand was being set up by Andy and some of the members of his team. Others were busy placing well hidden stands up in trees and wearing camouflage to stay well hidden. The only way they could all communicate to each other was with walkie talkies and would report in if anything happened along the roads or in the fields.

Time passed and it was time for Jackson to drop Elliot off at Parker's farm where he met up with Mila. She looked over at him and asked if she could speak to him in private. Jackson and the young girl hoped into the truck and closed the doors and Mila kept her voice down as she spoke to him.

"Jackson, I'm worried about you." Her expressions couldn't have been any more serious.

"What are you worried about?" Asked,

"About that boy you found yesterday with Elliot." Poignant sentiments came into Mila's eyes as she looked into Jackson's. "I heard he was all bloody when you and the little guy found him and that's what worries me the most, and during that meeting last night when you stood up and volunteered for patrol, that's what really scared me." As she spoke, Jackson didn't manage to feel the fear that was in the girl whom he had affection for.

"You shouldn't be scared for me, I doubt the people who were looking for Michael will come anywhere near us." Jackson's feelings felt optimistic to him. After all, it is a big world that's now mostly empty; what was the likely chance he'd be found? As long as the kid left behind no signs of his movements then there was no need to panic over the risk of an enemy invasion any time soon.

"But what if they do?" Mila looked genuinely into Jackson's eyes. After she spoke, Jackson paused for a moment and looked away from Mila to think of what he could say. He looked back at her in the light gaze and replied.

"The only thing I can do is be brave." He took in his breath, "I wouldn't want anyone here to get hurt and I certainly don't want you to get hurt. I'm willing to defend the young-" He was just about to go on when Mila cut in.

"You'd really do that?" Mila's eyes started to look almost like they could hypnotize Jackson. "Are you sure?" During the time when adults were around, so was war. Hearing of soldiers getting killed in action made her feel sad knowing that somewhere in the world a mother would be receiving horrible news that her child had lost his life. Mila never knew anyone who'd gone overseas to fight in any of the wars that were fought during her time. If someone she knew traveled to the other side of the map, horror would be drilled into her. Most people would say: oh, I'm not scared, that's all being fought thousands of miles away. it's not going to happen here.

"I'm willing to risk everything to help you." After Jackson said those words, Mila's heart nearly melted away and her eyes became tear stricken. She closed her eyes and hunched over to hug Jackson tightly. Jackson wrapped his arms around Mila and peered around to see if Parker and Elliot were watching. To his luck they weren't. He started patting her back gently as he started to hear Mila weep quietly with heavy breathing. She turned her head and looked in the back seat of Jackson's truck to see that skinny rifle that Elliot was talking about earlier. The little thing scared her somehow and she'd never been afraid of seeing a gun until now.

"I'm worried for you. What if you get shot?" Mila rose her head with her face all red and with two long lines of tears from both eyes.

"I don't care about that; what I care about is you." Silence echoed in Jackson's truck. That pause lasted until Mila leaned in towards his face and kissed him on the lips. For the young Jackson, that would be his first kiss. He started feeling all warm inside like he did the same night he tried asking Mila out.

"You have heart," Mila said with infatuation, "I just hope you have strength." Mila sat in the truck with Jackson for a little while longer until she could wipe the tears away from her eyes and get the skin on her face to go back to her regular skin tone. Heaven forbid she steps out of the truck in tears and have her brother ask what happened.

Jackson left and headed to the outpost he was assigned to patrol at.