Alone, Together

Chapter Four

I sit in the clearing, Adam, Gabi, and Xia sitting across from me. Adam and Gabi are discussing strategies, Xia is staring blankly at the ground, probably working out battle moves, while I just watch. I was just so shocked, so utterly shocked. I can't believe they would take a child of all of us to be a prisoner. I could just hope, hope to some god out there, that she was safe.

"Jamie, get over here," Gabi calls to me in a dead voice. With a few strides, I land beside Xia and settle down.

"We have a plan," Adam declares, picking up a stick from the ground. He drew two lines in the dirt. "This line is us, that line is Zach and Cindy."

I nod.

"We split up our army into three groups. The one strongest people will attack straight on, and the quickest will dodge behind their camp and take Macy."

"The third patrol?"

"They will reinforce."

I nod, but I didn't like how Adam said army. We weren't an army. We were kids. It wasn't fair to put the youngest through this, all of it. They could die in this, and they are destined to get injured. It just seemed so... awful.

"I want the youngest to have a guard at all times," I asked, my voice stern. Adam shot a glance at Xia and Gabi. Gabi gave a quick nod, while Xia's eyes just said yes.

"Do you have any suggestions for who will guard who?"

"Brooke can guard Sage," I shot a glance at Brooke. Her neck was purple and black. But she looked battle-hungry, ready to kill Cindy for humiliating and hurting her. "And I can guard Xia."

"Wait, we need them to be in the same patrols. I say we set up patrols and then choose their guardians." Gabi declares, shoving a strand of hair behind her ear. I nod in agreement.

"And who will do the task?"

"I will, if I may," Xia asked, her blunt eyes staring straight at me. They looked... empty. As if she had died long ago, but the eyes were still live with activity. Stunned by her eyes, I just nod.

Xia excused herself from the group and I'm left alone with Gabi and Adam. I just look at them, blank, but almost scared of the upcoming battle. Yes, I wanted revenge, and most of all I wanted Macy back, but those two... Could they really fend off ten with only two?

And the terrifying part is I knew that the answer was yes.

***

The sun was starting to slip under the waves, shedding its last rays of light across the silvery ocean. The wind blew a gentle, hot breeze, brushing the trees' leaves. I stared at the view, nothing could compare to sunset. Especially if it could be the last one I saw.

As if Gabi could read my thoughts, she spoke up to me, "Don't be scared, Jamie. It's ten against two. No one will die, and this war will be over."

I sigh. "I don't know, Gabi. It seems so... Sudden. I just want to know why they did this."

Gabi dips her head. "I don't know why anyone does anything. But I think it just may be, their hearts were raised wrong. They got so used to doing the wrong thing it felt like the right thing."

I blink, remembering Zach leap at me. I guess he was trained to do that ever since he was young. Zach was trained to be an animal, but could I forgive him? He is my brother... But I can barely recognize him. Zach could know how to kill and rob and be terrible, but couldn't he just push away his instincts for once? For his family?

Turning away from the grand view, I see my younger sister, Xia, putting together patrols. After a while of discussion, we agreed on the patrols.

I would lead the patrol that sneaks Macy out. Xia and Gabi would be in my patrol. We were known as the quickest and quietest, stealthiest and slyest.