hybrid on the run #wattys2018

chapter 18. rescue mission

Cheyenne's POV

We carry them both home. The kids are shocked when they see Andrew and I carrying a nearly dead girl and Luke, barely keeping conscious. I explain everything to the children, and once the girl wakes, I wipe her memory and encourage her to go to the hospital, even though the hospital will only assume that she had sold her blood for drug money. We set Luke in the spare bedroom while he recovers from his encounter. He later wakes up hungover and extremely groggy. I send him back on his way. Myself and the children are sitting around the fire roasting more hot dogs at around sundown when Scarlett, a short haired girl comes running up to our group. She was clearly one of the ones who had turned, or she wouldn't have made it past the barrier. She dyed her hair yellow the day of turning. Out of breath and panting, she holds all of our attention. She says between gasps of air,
"It's Luke. He's been caught. Ella saw his eyes change on his way home and started interrogating him. He's been on prisoner lockdown since he got to the village. She's had people questioning everyone but he hadn't cracked and neither have any of the others as far as I know."
This CANNOT be happening.
"Bring the others back to here. If anyone cracks, every one of us still there will be brutally murdered. At least here you're all protected and they don't have a chance to crack if they aren't there."
She looks as if that's horrible news.
"She's been using blood to draw them out. Most of us are weak when it comes to blood. She's abducted three of us so far for changing eye color. They're due for execution tomorrow morning at sun rise.".
I think about the easiest course of action, which would be to leave them and skip town. Then I thought about what's right and groan. I tell her to bring the rest of the pack back to camp for an emergency meeting at just before the moon makes its way half way into the sky. "We're going to need all the time we can get. Colby, Dallon, Kate, finish eating and meet me at the combat course. Start training for the biggest fight of your life and don't hold back. That's an order. We've only got a few hours and we're burning moon light."
I turn to Scarlett as she goes to leave
"And Scarlett dear, if Luke or any of the others have any family dependant on them, bring them as well. We don't need them caught in the cross hairs because Ella wants to be prejudice. "
She simply nods and takes off into the night, the moon light illuminating the moving list in her wake.

Not long after

Hybrids start filing in one right after the other, the only child with them is a young Mr. Oliver. Still groggy and in his sleep clothes, they carry him in and set him on a bed in the males' sleeping quarters. The last one to file in is a very distraught looking Scarlett.
"Scarlett, is that the last of them?"
She replies with a look of guilty sorrow.
"Two more were captured during the escape. She must have known that where there were at least three, there must be more. Mistress, that's 6 of our men in less than 24 hours if we can't recover them."
"Don't talk like that soldier! This is only the first battle of the war." I bark. "You've done very well so far, but don't lose your nerve before the fighting even starts."
She simply nods and I tell her to gather the others at the combat course. If a strong willed soldier like her is already about to crack from pressure, we're gonna need a serious pep talk and a miracle from above. I watch as everyone heads to the training grounds, and I take a deep breath. I've never been good at speeches, but there are lives at stake. I'm for damn sure going to try. I knew what I signed up for when I gave these people hope. I made a commitment to them when I turned them all. I made this bed, and now I'm going to lie in it. I'm not letting them down, and none of us are going down without a fight tonight. I won't let it happen. This is my family we are talking about, and I won't turn by back on family. I pull from thin air 6 solid black outfits inside of a black duffel, and throw it over my shoulder. Knowing their lack of facilities, I highly doubt that the prisoners have been separated. Upon entering the arena, I pull a bulls-eye practice target into the center of the dirt area ,watching Dallon and Kate light torches all around. Hoisting myself on top of it with ease, I take a deep breath. The entire area gets so quiet that one could hear a pin drop from a mile away.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. You know why you're here. Freedom, beliefs, friends, family, loved ones. We've created harmony here. But tonight, that harmony has been threatened, and they have taken not only one, but 6 of our own. One of those 6 was Luke, who has kept everyone together in my absence from what I hear. "
A few shocked oh's and gasps, and then silence. I say the next bit with lots of emotion for effect.
"ARE WE JUST GOING TO LET THEM DO THIS? To us, our brothers, our sisters? Our mates? Our lovers? And for WHAT?!? Because we wanted to be different. We wanted to be kind, and not judge people based on what blood RUNS in their VEINS! Now they've taken 6 of our own to be publicly executed tomorrow morning. Now, from what I understand, you could go back, pretend like nothing happened, get undoubtedly caught and suffer the same fate... Or you could join the fight and have a chance. She can't take 24 hybrids at once, and she can't kill off 24 children without repercussions. What she's done, is a CRIME! What she's done to you, to your families, is EVIL! And I won't stand for it. You can either stay and hold down the fort in my absence, or you could go with me to get our brothers and sisters back. You're free to make your own decision, but I'm getting them back period. I know we aren't prepared this time, but this is only the first battle. This won't win or lose us the war. We will MAKE IT OUT ALIVE, and we will FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT! If we back out now, that means they've died in vain. NOW WHO'S WITH ME?!?"
I'm so proud of my pack when I hear super loud cheers resounding all through the arena and probably all through the forest.