Tuck Everlasting, The Continued Story.

Chapter 3

"You drank the spring water." Miles didn't try to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised... I just thought that maybe-"

Winnie cut him off as she sprang from her chair. "You 'thought' that I would wait patiently in TreeGap for you all to return." Miles took a step toward her.

"I thought," he retorted, "that you might have taken Tuck's advice. I thought that you might have taken mine." Winnie slumped back down in her chair.

"I sometimes wish I had." She admitted. She cast her eyes down, afraid to look at his accusing gaze. Miles sighed.

"I'm so sorry." he said softly. Winnie looked up, and saw that his eyes were full of pity. It was enough to make her want to cry all over again. 

Wanting to turn the attention away from herself for a moment, Winnie changed the subject. 

"A soldier I was caring for, noticed that you can't die." She said. 

Miles nodded. "I'm aware... He was a friend of mine." he replied. "I am hoping that people will think that he's mental. Due to the brain damage."

"That's very kind of you, to hope for brain damage." Winnie said sarcastically.

"That- ugh. That's not what I meant." He said, pacing the room. 

Miles had always been less careful about keeping his secret than the rest of the Tucks. Once, his actions had confirmed a man's suspicions of their family secret. It was before Winnie was immortal, when she had just met the Tucks. She had been living with Jesse, Miles, and their parents Mae and Angus Tuck for a few days. The man had appeared, and had threatened to kill Winnie if the Tucks didn't tell him where the spring was. 

Protecting Winnie, Mae Tuck hit the man with the stock of a shotgun, killing him instantly. Mae and Angus were arrested and were going to hang, but Winnie, Jesse, and Miles broke them out of jail. The Tucks had to leave Treegap to keep their secret safe. 

That was the last time Winnie saw the Tucks.

"I was told that you left this morning." Winnie said. Miles suddenly straightened his posture, and his gaze turned serious.

"I was supposed to leave this morning..." he paused, looking out into the camp to make sure nobody was listening. Winnie waited expectantly, holding her breath.

Miles turned his attention back to Winnie, who was still perched on her chair. "But, I think that someone is on to me." Winnie's eyes grew wide.

"Winnie," he said, cautiously, "I think that I am being followed."

Winnie quickly stood. Miles noticed that her hands were shaking. 

"Are you sure?" she asked. Miles nodded.She continued, "Have you warned the others?" Miles nodded again.

"It wasn't easy, but I sent Jesse a letter a while ago about my suspicions. Now I know that they are true."

Jesse! Hearing that name made Winnie's heart flutter. She couldn't believe she hadn't asked sooner. 

"Jesse! Your still in touch with him?" Miles smiled, for the first time. 

"Of course." he answered. "And believe me, when I say, you turned him into a lovestruck fool. He couldn't be around horses for years after he left you, because their whinny reminded him of you." Winnie laughed a little at this, "Okay, that last part wasn't true." He admitted. 

"He-" Winnie started, "did he think of me?" 

Miles' face softened. "Constantly, I believe." he said. 

"Where is he?" she asked. "Why didn't he come back to Treegap for me?"

Miles' smile faded, and he said "You will have to ask him that yourself. As to where he is, last I heard, he was heading to New York."

"I'm surprised he's not fighting with you." she said, regretting it as soon as she said it. She already knew the answer to that.

"You know how Jesse feels about death. This would be too much for him. He wanted to fight, but Mae wouldn't hear of it." 

"Good, sweet Mae", Winnie thought to herself. 

"I was going to meet up with Jesse in France at some point. He has a friend from Paris he had wanted to visit, or something." Miles said, kneeling next to Winnie, "But I sent him a letter warning him to stay away." He said sternly. "It wouldn't be safe to have the two of us together in France while this dangerous man is on to us."

"Who is this man who is following you?" Winnie asked, her brow furrowing. 

Miles took a deep breath. "He-" 

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the nearby sound of gunshots, and the shouts of soldiers.  

Winnie and Miles quickly ran outside the tent, to find that the entire camp had erupted into chaos. Bullets were flying throughout the camp. Miles grabbed Winnie's arm, and hurried her away from where the shots were being fired. They ran to hide behind a truck, but as soon as they ducked behind it, the truck suddenly exploded; sending Miles and Winnie flying back.

They landed on their backs with a thud and waited a moment, gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of them. They hoped that nobody had witnessed the explosion. 

Winnie and Miles both looked at each other, knowing that they had once again cheated death, and pushed themselves to their feet. Their clothes were covered with dirt and were black with ash. Miles patted out a small flame that had formed on his jacket sleeve. 

He grabbed Winnie's arm again, and they started to run towards the trees that lined the edge of the camp, when suddenly, Miles froze. Winnie bumped into him, and was about to ask him why he stopped, when she saw where he was looking.

Up on a hill, was the German tank that must have blown up the truck. Standing next to it, with binoculars raised to his face, was a Nazi officer. He lowered his binoculars, revealing a long scar across his face. He smiled menacingly at Miles. 

"It's him," Miles said breathlessly, as he began pulling Winnie towards the trees. "Run!"