Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1 (30 page)

Not knowing what to say or do, Connor
chucked her cheek—like he used to when she was younger—then pulled
her into a hug. “Now come on. Let’s go see if there’s anything we
can do to help Boom.”

* * *

Twenty-eight Progression bodies, including
two dead soldiers from Koyama’s team, were dragged back to the camp
for burial. By the time Connor and Ashley came out of the cave,
soldiers had piled the bodies and were digging a trench. Connor
turned Ashley from the sight and led her in the opposite
direction.

Boom caught up with them, shaking his
head in disgust. “I don’t understand what happened with Koyama,” he
said. His arm had been cleaned and wrapped tight. “He was a good
soldier.” They stopped walking and he sat on a fallen tree branch.
“I’ve known him a couple years now. His sister was Air Force,
stationed in Germany. His dad was retired military.” Boom
frowned.
“It doesn’t make sense. Tell me what you saw.
Did he say anything to you?”

Connor glanced at Ashley. Her attention
seemed to be focused on plucking the petals from a wildflower, but
he knew she’d be listening none the less. “He was there when they
brought in the girls,” Connor replied. “There was an … altercation
… and Koyama … assisted with force.”

Ashley perked up. “An altercation?” she
asked. “Like a fight? With who? Libby? What happened? Why didn’t
you tell me?”

Connor hesitated as he tried to decide how
much he could say without upsetting her further. “I didn’t want you
to worry. Last time I saw her she was fine,” he said, stretching
the truth as far as he could until he heard it snap. “Just
asleep.”

“
And Koyama?” Boom asked.

Thankful for the change of topic, Connor
said, “Typical lapdog for the major. He seemed to have bought in to
their whole survival of the fittest mantra. Even quoted Hitler to
show off for the major. Then right before he died, he quoted Darwin
and told me to adapt or die.”

“
Troubling.” Boom rubbed the whiskers
on his chin. “Darwin isn’t who I’d want to be quoting on the way to
meet my maker.”

Connor was about to agree when a crackling
noise drew his attention. He looked past Boom to where a fire had
been started by the mouth of the cave to provide. Shovels continued
to dig into the earth and men discussed the battle.

“
There are a lot of bodies,” Ashley
said.

Her eyes were round and sad. Connor moved to
block her view, but it was too late.

“
They’re so small,” she added. “Those
are kids, aren’t they?”

Having no idea how he should respond, Connor
looked to Boom.

Boom crossed himself. “Mostly teens deceived
into believing that we’re their enemy.” He paused and looked at the
bodies. “Excuse me for a moment.” Then he walked off, leaving
Connor and Ashley alone.

“
Deceived by the people who have
Libby?” Ashley asked.

Connor squatted and pulled her into a hug,
kissing her forehead. “I don’t know if she’s still at their camp,
but I promise I’ll do my best to find her. I miss her too.”
Liberty’s absence left a huge gaping hole in his life. She drove
him crazy, but life without her seemed wrong and incomplete.

“
You do?” Ashley’s eyebrows rose. “But
what about
Gina
?”

He eyed her skeptically. “You didn’t really
believe I liked Gina, did you?”

“
But … you were spending all your time
with her and you guys said horrible things about Liberty. I heard
you.”

“
Ash.” Connor frowned. “Sometimes
adults have to say and do things we don’t mean.”

She shook her head. “I don’t un—”

“
¡Maldita sea!”
Boom shouted.

Connor had heard the term before and knew it
was only said out of frustration and anger. He turned to see what
was going on.

Boom stood on a stump by the fire. Light
cast shadows on his face, exposing him as both ancient and ageless.
His usually mischievous expression was pulled tight by agony as he
stared out at his men. He removed his helmet and wiped the sweat
from his brow.

“
I don’t understand what happened here
tonight,” Boom said. “Each one of us took vows to defend this
country, against
all
enemies,
foreign and domestic.” He eyeballed his men. They had stopped what
they were doing and watched him.

“
What’s going on now?” Ashley climbed
onto a large rock to get a better view.

“
Shh. Just listen.” Connor stood
beside her and she leaned against him.

Boom cleared his throat. “Many years
ago this country accepted my
madre
—allowed her to become a citizen—when she
immigrated here from
México,
seeking a better life for her children. To my madre, the
United States meant freedom. Freedom to work and earn enough money
to feed her family. Freedom to educate my brothers and sisters,
regardless of her low-income status. Freedom to live and let live
within the confines and boundaries of fair and honest laws.”
Motioning to the corpses that lay beside half-dug graves, he
shouted,
“THESE ARE CHILDREN!”
His face distorted around the words and he shook with
unmasked rage.

Ashley winced and drew closer to Connor.

“
Children,” Boom repeated, this time
sounding worn and sad. “What sort of cowards brainwash children and
send them to their death against trained soldiers?” he spat. “The
Progression is a domestic enemy, oppressing Americans, stealing
away the liberties so many soldiers have fought—and died—to
preserve.”

He paused and a tear slid down his cheek.
Angrily wiping it away, he continued. “This is still God’s country.
And I will fight with every breath in me—every ounce of dust used
to create this shell—to preserve it. Hermanos …” His gaze encircled
the crowd. “I will not lie to you. This battle will be long and
hard. We are outnumbered. We have limited resources. I cannot
guarantee that you will survive. But I can guarantee you this: if
the Progression wins, this will no longer be a country you want to
live in. Now, choose this day where you will stand. Will you fight
by my side to preserve the dream of freedom and fairness that makes
the US great?” He paused, staring down his men, his eyes alight
with challenge. “Or will you abandon your country and your oaths to
join the ranks of cowards who hide behind children?”

The question hung in the air, waiting to be
answered.

The soldier Boom had introduced as Stein
stepped forward. “You all know how the Progression killed my family
and burned my house. The Progression takes what they want and they
destroy everything left behind. They took everything from me. The
only thing I got left is the dream and I’ll be damned if I let them
take that from me.” He punched the air and started chanting, “U. S.
A.! U.S.A.!”

“
U. S. A.,” said another, joining
him.

The hair on Connor’s arms and neck stood on
end with excitement.

“
U. S. A.,” others joined. Louder and
louder they chanted, their voices filling the forest.

“
U. S. A.,” Connor and Ashley added
their voices to the chorus. Ashley’s face beamed with infectious
hope that seemed to temporarily hijack her emotions. The world had
gone to hell, Liberty was still missing, but in that moment hope
rekindled. Like a wildfire it swept through the crowd. Connor
allowed himself to burn with the courage and tenacity of the
soldiers.

Hope.

That same hope shattered when a shrill
whistle cut through the chanting. The group grabbed for weapons and
turned to see what new threat approached.

“
Don’t shoot!” called a voice from the
trees. A horse stepped forward, bathing the rider in light from the
fire. A man rode bareback, clutching a body slumped over in front
of him.

“
Jeff?” Ashley asked. Then her breath
caught. “Libby?” Ashley lunged forward.

Jeff?
The
man’s presence didn’t make sense. Connor suspected some sort of
trap. He grabbed Ashley’s arm and held her back.

She eyed him angrily. “What are you doing?
That’s Jeff and Liberty!”

Connor didn’t answer. He knew he should be
scouring the area, searching for some sort of ambush, but his focus
wouldn’t leave Liberty. He watched for the rise and fall of her
chest or any indication that she was alive.

Boom ordered Jeff to drop his weapons.

“
I will comply,” Jeff replied. “But I
don’t think it’s safe to move Liberty. She needs medical
attention.”

Before Connor realized what was happening,
Ashley wiggled out of his grip and bolted for Jeff shouting, “Don't
shoot! I know him. He’s a friend!”

“
Ash, stop!” Connor yelled, reaching
for the girl. She spun away from his hands and within seconds stood
beside Jeff. Her eyes widened as she stared at the guns that were
now aimed at her. Frustration ate at Connor. “Boom!” he
shouted.

He didn’t have to say more. Boom gave the
command, and the soldiers lowered their weapons. Connor rushed
forward, unsure of which of his girls to grab first. Liberty was
worrisomely unconscious. The camp medic helped Connor lower her
from Jeff’s horse, then checked her pulse. He lifted her eyelids
and shined his small flashlight into her eyes.

Jeff dismounted, removed his weapons then
endured a put-down. Despite Connor’s objections, Ashley wouldn’t
leave the man’s side. She wrapped her arms around his waist and
squeezed, declaring that she knew he was a good guy all along.

Jeff looked uncomfortable. His hands rose
and fell like couldn’t figure out where to put them. Finally they
landed on the top of her head. “Uh … thanks.”

Connor wasn’t so sure of Jeff’s allegiance,
but his attention remained on Liberty.

“
How long has she been out?” The medic
asked.

“
Um … a little over four hours,” Jeff
replied.

“
Four hours?” The medic checked her
eyes again.

“
But this isn’t the first time today,”
Jeff said. “She was hit with a tranq dart this morning. And …” he
hesitated, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but in the middle
of a group of soldiers. “She might have hit her head when she fell
off the horse.”

Connor tensed. “The horse?” he asked,
standing. “You
dropped
her?”
He took a step toward Jeff.

Boom motioned for one of his men to stop
Connor.

“
Not me.” Jeff held up his hands.
“Earlier today, when they were bringing her and Ashley to the camp.
One of the men said she fell off the horse while she was
unconscious.”

Boom’s soldier stepped in front of
Connor.

Connor grunted and turned toward Boom. “Do
you really think he’s gonna stop me?”

Boom frowned. “Without Jeff, she never would
have made it here. Don’t you think you should hear him out before
you pass judgment?”

Connor didn’t want to hear anyone out.
He wanted to throw punches. His hands balled into fists and ached
for the chance to swing at Jeff’s face. With one swing, Connor
could break Jeff’s nose and maybe knock out a few teeth.
“Without
his interference
,
your men probably would have found her, and she could have gotten
medical attention much sooner,” Connor replied.

“
Possibly.” Boom’s eyes narrowed. “It
doesn’t matter. Do not touch him. Not in
my
camp.”

Connor closed his mouth against all the
retorts that formed on his tongue. Nothing good would come of him
dressing down Boom in front of his men. Instead he studied Jeff who
was watching Liberty.

Boom sent the lingering soldiers back to
digging graves and kneeled beside the medic to lend a hand. Ashley
released her protective hold on Jeff and sat next to Liberty. The
girl tucked her small hand into Liberty’s and begged her to wake
up.

Connor scooted closer to Jeff and asked,
“You know they’re going to question you, right?” When Jeff didn’t
answer he added, “Your father will flag you as a traitor.”

Jeff nodded. “I’m sure there’s already a
price on my head.”

“
These soldiers will never fully trust
you.” Connor nodded to Boom’s company.

Jeff didn’t respond.

“
So why’d you do it? Why risk your
life to save her?”

“
My father is a very sick man,” Jeff
admitted. “Liberty, she’s … she doesn’t deserve to die like
that.”

Neither of them had to voice the horror that
would have happened to Liberty in the major’s camp. Connor watched
her, willing her to wake up. Dried blood ran from her lip to her
neck. She had one black eye and multiple bruises covering her arms.
Connor was more worried about the wounds they couldn’t see though,
knowing her ribs would have to be checked out and hoping there was
no internal bleeding.

“
Well, thank you,” Connor said after a
time.

Jeff chuckled. “No offense, but I didn’t do
it for you.”

The medic brought out a small vial of
ammonium carbonate, uncorked it, and held the container under
Liberty’s nose. Her bright green eyes opened and Connor released a
breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

Liberty glanced from Boom to the medic,
looking agitated and confused. Her brows knit together as she
pushed her upper body off the ground, coming to a sitting position.
She groaned and put her head in her hands.