NaNo Story
Okay I've been telling myself for weeks that I was going to put my NaNo story on here. Finally got around to doing some of it. Other chapters to follow as I find the time.
Title: Through the Flames
Pairing: Original Story
Rating: R,for same sex relationships,character death, and fighting with blood.
Author: Lori Dragus
A/N: This was wrote for the 2008 NaNo which I am happy to say I finished. The story is pretty much how it went in to the word count. I have done some minor spelling corrections and grammar corrections. I must also warn that the continuity is off.
A/N2: The names of some of the major characters is going to change. I wasn't happy with what I picked out as I wrote this first draft. At a later date I will change the names. So if you read enjoy or at least let me know if anything is worth keeping.
Summary: It's been four years since a plague killed off every living male human and ninety two percent of the female population. In the midwest state of Oklahoma two different groups are trying to survive. The Amazons, who have taken over Oklahoma City and restored some semblance of civilization and the Freeholders that live in small family units outside of the large cities. These two worlds are about to collide.
Chapter One
The sun hung high in the cerulean sky, white fluffy clouds drifting lazily across the wide expanse. The light breeze barely moving the tall strands of grass growing in the empty field between the rusting remains of automobiles and buildings.
A flock of blackbirds lifts into the air sending up a cacophony of sound. The tall strands of grass begin to move as an unseen force passes through them.
A low whistle rings out into the new silence and two small dark shapes rise up from where they had been laying. The medium sized mottled colored pit mix was being followed by a small buff colored long haired Chihuahua. The two dogs slowly made their way over to the source of the whistle.
Half way to the abandoned van parked near the empty field the two dogs begin to growl and slink low to the ground. They crawl forward about three feet before another whistle stops their movement and their low growls.
The tall strands of grass part to reveal a female lion followed by two cubs. A minute later another two female lions leave the grass followed by their cubs. The dogs start to move forward as the lionesses and the cubs move down the street, only to stop when a large male lion steps out of the grass.
The male lion swings his head back and forth before following the females down the street.
The two dogs lie still for a few minutes before another whistle starts them toward the van once more.
The back door to the van opens and the two dogs jump into the dark interior, silent as the door closes on the outside world.
Sydney sat back as her hunting partners leapt into the van. Picking up the smallest dog, Leo, Sydney began to inspect him for cuts or burrs in his coat.
“Well little man,” Sydney said as she raked the brush through his coat. “This week hasn’t been very productive.”
Leo surged forward and gave Sydney a big sloppy wet kiss.
Letting out a small laugh, Sydney sat back and pushed her dark hair out of her face.
“Your right it wasn’t that bad we’re still alive,” putting Leo down Sydney reached out to take the collar of the larger dog. “Your turn Callie, come here.”
Callie stood and moved toward Sydney and stopped as a loud roar echoed down the empty streets.
“It’s alright girl,” Sydney said grabbing Callie’s collar. “He’s far away from us. Sounds like he’s near that Amazon outpost.”
Callie stood patiently as Sydney ran the brush through her short hair.
“Well you two, I guess we sleep here tonight before heading home. I’m starting to miss Lynd’s cooking.”
Moving around in the van Sydney pulled her sleeping bag out and unfolded it. Pulling out a small camp stove Sydney began to fix the three of them something to eat.
After the quick meal Sydney took out her weapons and began to clean them. It was still a few hours away from being dark. The riffle took very little time to insure that all was in working order. It was the compound bow that had her worried. It had taken a beating the day before and Sydney was worried that it wasn’t going to work when she needed it next. But so far every thing seemed to be fine. Next she took out her whet rock and began to sharpen the two large knives that she carried all the time since the world had been turned upside down and inside out.
It had been a little more than four years since the last infected human had died. And also since the last human male had died. The infection that had spread across the planet had a hundred percent mortality rate for men and a ninety two percent mortality rate for women. And now the survivors were slowly trying to put things together so they could live out the rest of their lives. The human race was over, unless the Amazons found a way to perfect cloning or Mother Nature took things into her own hands.
Sydney slowly let the past fade back into the past as the low rasp of the stone on steel filled the van and the day gave way to a night filled with the sounds of animals whose natural habitat was no where near the plains of Oklahoma.
The sky had barely started to lighten up when Sydney opened the door to the van and jumped out followed by her two silent companions. Shifting the pack on her back Sydney turned toward the south and began the long trip back to her sister and nieces.
The light in the small house flickered before steadying and sending out a warm glow. Allowing any one passing by to see movement of the occupants.
Isabella moved from room to room lighting the lanterns that she and the girls had managed to find in the first year. She never worried about having enough lanterns, just enough fuel. Isabella and the oldest girl Paige had been increasing their search area for months. And Isabella knew they were getting dangerously close to areas that the Amazons claimed. And in the last trip out she had noticed spore from a large animal. She had decided that it was either the lions or the tigers.
As Isabella lit the last lantern she took a look at the place she had called home for the last three and a half years. The girls were in the living room playing some board game that had been found. Paige taking charge by being the oldest. Haylie the youngest was having none of Paige’s I am the oldest so you have to listen to me attitude. And Sara was sitting back quietly watching the two girls argue.
Walking into the living room Isabella laid the butane lighter on the small table by the entry way.
Sara looked up from the other two girls on the floor and smiled at Isabella, her green eyes sparkling in the lamplight. Isabella smiled back at the quite girl before walking over to the loveseat.
Haylie stopped arguing with Paige as Isabella sat down.
“Isabella tell Paige that she doesn’t get to make up the rules all the time,” Haylie said sitting back from the board laid out on the floor.
“I’m not making up the rules,” Paige said as she turned to look at Isabella. Pushing her dark blonde hair out of her eyes. “It’s how the game is played. Says so in the rules on the box.”
Haylie reached for the box that Paige was pointing to. Paige seeing what the younger girl was up to grabbed the box first and pushed it behind her back.
“Isabella see,” Hailey said as she stood up from the floor. “Let me see the box.”
“No, you can just take my word for what it says,” Paige said staring intently at the younger girl.
“No I want to read it myself,” Haylie said loudly as she lunged toward Paige.
Paige scooted backwards to stay out of Haylie’s grasp. “You can’t read all the words.”
“Doesn’t matter I want to see it.”
Paige started to make a comment but stopped when she heard Sara’s low voice.
“Paige just let her see the box,” Sara said looking directly into Paige’s eyes.
Paige found herself nodding and handing the box over to the younger girl.
Haylie took the box and sat back on the floor and started reading the rules to the game.
Paige looked up to see Isabella looking at her and Paige just shrugged her shoulders.
Isabella smiled at the older girl and not for the first time wondered what she would do in a few years when Paige was older if she even had a few years to worry about. Isabella’s religion didn’t allow for what would most likely happen. Then again there weren’t any Priest left, and she was the only nun to have lived from her cloister.
Sighing Isabella sat back to watch the girls play as they finished working out the rules to the game.
The quite night was broken by the loud roar of a male lion, and then followed quickly by another loud roar.
The girls got up from the floor quickly as Isabella jumped from her seat and grabbed the riffle that was next to the small living room window. As the light in the living room went out Isabella could hear the sounds of the other two girls closing the inside shutters on the windows in the rest of the house. Looking down Isabella saw that Sara was beside her with one of the house’s other riffles.
“Can you see them,” Sara asked never taking her eyes off the scene outside the window.
“No,” Isabella said as she continued to scan the darkness outside the window. A dark shape moving outside the fence caught her attention. It was too small to be one of the lions that they had heard, but there were other hunters in this new world. “They may not have been as close as they sounded.”
Another roar reverberated through the night followed by sounds of fighting. A loud crash rang out and Isabella watched as one of the abanned cars on the block rocked back and forth.
“They’re on the street out front,” Paige said coming up on the other side of Isabella. “Maybe we should go down to the basement?”
Isabella looked out at the street as the fighting, crashing, and roaring continued to fill the night with sound.
“I don’t think we need to do that just yet,” Isabella said checking to see that the riffle was ready. “They seem to be fighting over territory. One too many males for this area.”
“I could take Haylie down to the basement,” Sara said turning to look at the younger girl still standing in the doorway to the living room. “Just to be safe.”
Isabella looked over at the smaller girl as a loud roar echoed through the house.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Isabella said looking over to Paige. “You could go with Sara and Haylie to keep them safe.”
Shaking her head while staring at Sara. “No I think I should stay up here with you.”
“Okay,” Turning back to Sara. “Go ahead and take Haylie. We may be down later.”
Walking over to the younger girl Sara took Haylie’s hand.
“I’m not scared,” Haylie said as Sara led her to the kitchen and the door to the basement.
“I know,” Sara said opening the door to the basement. “But I am.”
Isabella leaned against the wall next to the window and slid to the floor.
“You going to keep watch for a little while,” Isabella said as she looked over at the serious looking girl. “If you are I’m going to rest a bit.”
Isabella closed her eyes as she heard Paige open up the folding chair that was behind the loveseat.
“We’re not safe here any more are we Isabella,” Paige asked as she settled in to the hard metal chair. “Maybe we should think about the offer from that Amazon General.”
Isabella opened her eyes and took a look at Paige. Paige was staring intently out the window. Her focus on the fight that could still be heard in the street out side.
“I’m not sure that I could follow the Amazon laws,” Isabella said as she thought back on the meeting she had a few days earlier with General Steiner. “Their beliefs differ so much from mine.”
“But we would be safe inside one of their compounds,” Paige said glancing briefly down at the woman on the floor. “I mean we could give it a try.”
“There is no testing it out,” Isabella said sitting up a little. “Once you enter the world of the Amazons they don’t let you go easily. You would be sent to one of their training camps. I would be put with other unattached women. Haylie would go to a children’s crèche and Sara. I’m not really sure what they would do with her. She is so quite and a little on the passive side.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Tomorrow the four of us will talk and decide on whether to stay or try making it to an area that is held by one of the Freeholds.”
“But the Freeholds are little more than barbarians,” Paige said.
“Who told you that? Isabella asked Paige.
“Jennifer,” Paige said looking down at her feet, then back out the window. “She’s a foot soldier in the Gryphon Unit.”
“And when did you meet this Jennifer?”
“The other day when we were out getting more supplies,” Paige said stroking the riffle in her lap. “She said that the only civilized people were in the compounds.”
“We don’t live in one of the compounds,” Isabella said as she watched the girl.
“I know it’s just that she’s not as young as Sara or little like Haylie. Jennifer’s two years older than me and it was just nice to talk to someone closer to my age.”
Looking at the young girl, no strike that, the young woman Isabella knew that she couldn’t wait any longer on moving them to someplace else. To stay here would mean the Amazons and their strict views or taking a chance on a Freehold that hopefully had other young girls close to Paige’s age.
“I know Paige; we’ll all discuss this in the morning.” Leaning back against the wall Isabella watched Paige for a few minutes before she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds outside the house.
Mel, General of the Amazon Gryphon Unit, watched as the elite unit led by Alissa, daughter of Queen Pilar, marched into the yard. Mel smiled as the young Latino woman issued orders and they were immediately followed. Pilar would be happy that her middle daughter was turning out to be a born leader. As Alissa brought the twenty women to a stop in front of the command center, Mel stepped out of the door.
“Well Commander how was the morning run?” Mel asked as she moved to stand next to the slightly shorter woman. “They don’t seem to be sweating at all; maybe you should have run them another mile or two.”
Alissa gave no outward sign that the comment the General had made bothered her, instead she turned and saluted the older woman.
“I believe you are right General, tomorrow I will add an extra three miles to our run,” Alissa said as she stared straight ahead.
“Very well dismiss your unit and join me for breakfast,” Mel said as she turned back to the command building.
Dismissing the women, Alissa followed the General into the large brick building that had once been a high school before the plague.
Making her way down the long corridor till she reached what had once been the teachers dinning area but was now used by the General and her command staff. Alissa walked into the room and caught sight of the General.
“Give Roberta your order and come sit with me,” Mel said motioning toward the elderly woman at the far side of the room. “I would like to hear your report on your run this morning.”
Alissa walked over to the head cook, “Oatmeal, two sausage patties and a couple of boiled eggs,” Alissa said before walking back over to take a seat with the General.
“So Alissa what do you think of your Gold Unit,” Mel asked around a fork full of scrambled eggs. “Are they up to the job they are being trained for?”
Alissa took a sip of water from the glass that had been placed before her.
“They will be,” looking around the room Alissa noted that they were the only two people present. “I believe the Queen will be pleased.”
“I’m sure that your mother would be proud of what you have accomplished in such a short time,” Mel said as she studied the younger woman. “You are her golden child after all.”
Alissa started to reply to the Generals comment but Roberta chose that moment to deliver her breakfast.
“Thank you Roberta,” Alissa said taking a moment to gather her thoughts. Before addressing the General. “I’m not sure about being the golden child. The Queen has high standards for all her daughters.”
“True, true,” Mel said taking another bite of her food. “Were you able to get by the nun’s dwelling to check on them this morning?”
Alissa looked up from her food to glance at the General. She was unable to ascertain what the General’s reaction would be to what she had to say. The General seemed to have just a passing interest in what the Golden Unit had been up to. But the General had been rumored to have been spending a lot of time with the nun and her three daughters. And every time they talked the General managed to ask about the nun Isabella. Alissa decided that the General wasn’t going to be too happy with what she had to say.
“It looks like two of the lion prides territories have over lapped near to where the nun and her charges have been staying,” Alissa said trying to buy a little time before she had to tell the General the rest of the news.”
“Good perhaps this will make her decide faster on moving to the compounds,” Mel said as she casually took the final bite of her eggs. “Maybe I’ll go out later today and see if I can offer any assistance.”
Alissa swallowed the oatmeal that she had spooned into her mouth, and then took a large drink of water before finishing what she had to say.
“That won’t be necessary,” Alissa said. “It looked as if they packed up what they could carry early this morning and sat out for south of the city.”
Mel looked up from her plate to stare directly at the young Commander.
“Are you sure they were headed south, and not to the east,” Mel asked keeping her voice even. “She was told that there were no compounds south of the city yet correct?”
Alissa set her spoon down and looked the General straight in the face.
“Yes, she was also given a map marking off the areas that we had compounds in open to the general populace.”
“Maybe she can’t read a map,” Mel said as she took a drink from her coffee cup.
“I don’t think so. The direction they left in avoided all areas marked as belonging to the Nation.”
Mel sat her cup back on the table and then laid her hands flat , before addressing her subordident.
“I think it would be a good idea to take the Gold’s south of the city to do a little scouting,” Mel said not expecting an answer from Alissa. “I believe that I will join you and the others also.”
Getting up from the table Alissa saluted the General.
“Yes ma’am if you will excuse me I will go get them ready,” Alissa said as she waited to be dismissed.
“Nonsense Commander, sit and finish your breakfast, tomorrow will be soon enough,” Mel said as she picked her coffee cup back up and took a drink.
Alissa sat down and quickly finished her meal then excused herself from the General.
Sydney watched the small party as they made their way across the bridge over the Washita River. The older woman and three girls carefully picked their way around the vechiles piled up on the four lane bridge. Sydney started to lower her binaclers when a movement on the other side of the bridge caught her attention. Focusing on the tall weeds on the south end of the bridge Sydney jumped up as she registered the stripes of the tiger laying in wait at the end of the bridge invisible to the small party crossing.
As Sydney ran toward the small party, with Callie following caring Leo in a saddle pouch. The trio sped through the wreckage making as much noise as they could in the hopes that they would alert the females on the bridge and maybe scare off the tiger.
Haylie stopped walking when she heard the barking behind them, it wouldn’t be the first time they had run in to a wild dog pack.
“Paige I hear barking behind us,” Haylie said as she turned to look back at the way they had just come.”
“What?” Paige said as she turned toward the younger girl. “Barking are you sure…”
Paige stared at the figure running toward them across the bridge. Shaking herself out of her momentary disbelief Paige raised her riffle just as a loud roar came from the other direction.
Isabella froze as the large white and blacked striped tiger stepped onto the bridge two hundred feet from her. She could now her someone yelling behind them on the bridge but she found that she was unable to turn away from the beautiful but dangerous animal before her.
The tiger let out a roar and Isabella felt Paige grab Sara and pull her back, as the tiger began to advance.
Sydney rushed past the three young girls and pushed the woman out of the way as she raised her riffle and fired in the direction of the tiger.
The three bullets richoted off the asphalt and surrounding cars. The tiger roared and turned padding away from the five people on the bridge.
“Isabella look the big dog is carrying a little dog in a bag on her back,” Haylie said coming over to the older woman who was now lying on the ground.
Sydney looked over her shoulder to see a young girl trying to help the older woman up from the ground.
“Sorry,” Sydney said shouldering her riffle and waking over to help the other woman up. “Didn’t mean to push you so hard.”
Isabella looked up as she took the hand of the woman that had probably just saved all their lives.
“Don’t worry about it,” Isabella said as she took the hand offered her and stood up. “Thank you.”
Sydney shrugged her shoulders as the two other girls walked over to where they were standing.
“Not a problem. Saw you crossing and saw the tiger. She doesn’t usually come this far north,” Sydney said as she took her pack off and set it on the ground. “By the way my name’s Sydney and the big one here is Callie and the small one is Leo.”
Isabella smiled at Sydney as she watched the dark haired woman remove a bowl from her pack and fill it with water.
“I’m Isabella,” Pulling Haylie to her side. “And this is Haylie.”
“I’m Paige,” Paige said as Sara took her hand. “And this is Sara.”
“Well nice to meet you,” Sydney said as she took Leo out of Callie’s saddle bag. “So if I can ask what brings the four of you south of the city?”
Isabella took a drink from the canteen hanging from her backpack before answering the woman that had come to the small groups rescue.
“We are not running from an Amazon compound if that is what you are worried about,” Isabella replied as she hung the canteen back on her pack. “The place we were staying in became too dangerous to remain.”
“Lions moved into the neighborhood,” Haylie offered to the dark haired woman with the cute dogs.
“Haylie’s right,” Isabella said looking Sydney in the eyes. “It looked like two different prides were trying to stake out the same area.”
Sydney took another sip from the bottle that she had used to fill Leo and Callie’s bowl with. Sydney knew that Isabella wasn’t telling the whole truth. Something else had led the woman to take the three young girls and head south out of the city. And on a path that took them well away from anything related to the Amazons.
“Look I have a place that I share with my sister, her friend, and five of my niece’s,” Sydney said hoping that she wasn’t about to make a big mistake. Her conscious just wouldn’t let her send Isabella and the three girls off on their own. “It’s not a real big place but we have power and water and a garden that is big enough to feed us. Not counting the cans goods I pick up when I’m out.”
Isabella looked at the three girls that she had taken in over four years ago. This was what she had been looking for. A place with other adults and young girls. And Sydney seemed warm. And her blue eyes as bright as the sky.
“Okay, we’ll follow you and see if we can cope with each other,” Isabella said smiling at the three other girls.
“Alright,” Haylie yelled out. “So can I pet the dogs?”
“Haylie don’t be rude,” Paige said moving her and Sara closer to Isabella. “They may not like kids.”
Sydney looked at the older girl and they way she seemed to scan the group and everything around her. And the fact that the Paige had yet to let go of the little blondes hand.
“Its alright they like the attention,” Sydney said as she emptied the water bowl and placed it back in her pack. “If you like you can help me get Leo back in the carry bag. He really hates it, but he’s too small to walk all the way back home.”
“Cool,” Haylie said as she picked the small dog up and let him lick her in the face. Not to be out done Callie pushed against the young girls legs. “I haven’t forgotten you,” Haylie said as she reached down to rub between Callie’s ears before putting Leo in the saddle bag.
Smiling Sydney stood up and put her pack back on her back. Adjusting the riffle, knives and the bow, Sydney turned back to her new traveling companions.
“If you’re ready we should go. I know a fairly safe place to camp for the night,” Sydney said smiling brightly at the young girl named Sara.
Paige finally let go of Sara’s hand and adjusted the riffle in her own hand like Sydney had then motioned for Sara and Haylie to start walking since the two older women had already started moving along with the dogs.
“Paige if you see any thing back there give a yell,” Sydney said looking back once to make sure the younger girls were following. Thinking to her self that she was going to need to see how good Paige was with that riffle that she was carrying.
Isabella was glad that Sydney wasn’t that much taller than she was; it made it easier to keep up with the woman.
Paige had yet to decide if she liked the stranger. At least the stranger hadn’t treated her as if she was some little kid, and tried to take her riffle away from her. Paige wondered if she could get Sydney to show her how to use the bow that she was carrying.
Sara turned to look back once at Paige, which made the older girl blush when she realized that she had been caught trying to walk like the new woman. Sara just smiled, which made Paige smile.
After leaving the General at breakfast Alissa had gone back to her barracks room to change. Being a Commander she had the option of having her own room but had decided against it. She felt closer to the women in her unit when she shared living arrangements with them in the field.
Grabbing a change of clothes Alissa made her way to the outside showers. She knew that the rest of her unit would have already eaten and changed. They would be in class right now with one of the instructors learning what ever it was that the needed to know. Mostly it was languages.
The shower area was empty which was what Alissa had been hoping for. She had never gotten used to the women that sought her out and tried to get close to her because of her mother.
Stripping her sweaty uniform off and stepping under the hanging bucket with cold water, Alissa braced herself for the shock. She let out a small yelp before she realized that she wasn’t alone.
“You know you are one of the few Commanders that I know that braves the outside showers instead of using your rank to get a warm bath,” said a tall dark haired, dark eyed woman as she raked her eyes over Alissa’s body. “And I for one have to say that I’m glad you choose to shower with the commoner’s.”
Alissa stared at the woman for a moment before stepping back to allow the other woman to enter the shower area.
“Does your mother know what you do in your down time,” Alissa said as she wrapped her arms around the slightly taller woman.
“No. And the General could care less what I do,” the dark haired woman said as she stepped into Alissa’s open arm’s. “Though I do think she might not be too happy to find out that I’m sleeping with golden child of the Gryphon Unit.”
Alissa buried her head in the shoulder of the taller woman.
“Don’t say things like that Rachel. You know I can’t stand to be called the golden child.”
Rachel kissed the top of Alissa’s head, “I know but sometimes I can’t help teasing you.”
Alissa raised her head from Rachel’s shoulder and gave the dark haired woman a long deep kiss.
Rachel broke the kiss first.
“So your morning was that bad,” Rachel asked as she filled the bucket with luke warm water.
“I think your mother has a very strong attraction to that nun she‘s been rumored to be sleeping with,” Alissa said as Rachel dumped the bucket on both of them. “The thing is this woman still thinks of her self as a nun and I don’t see her even thinking about going into one of the compounds.”
Rachel grabbed the soap off the ledge and soaped her lover as the other woman continued to talk to her.
“So my mother thinks she is in love,” Rachel asked as she finished soaping the two of them up.
“No more like she is in lust, and you know she hates to have people ignore her,” Alissa said as another bucket off water cascaded down over her.
“But why does my mothers little obsession have you so tense,” Rachel asked as she dumped the last bucket of water on them.
“Tomorrow we are scouting south of the city, in the general direction that this nun left in. I got the feeling we weren’t going to give the nun a choice on going to a compound.”
“I see,” Rachel said as she grabbed one of the towels left on the bench outside the shower. “Don’t worry Lissa. My mother wouldn’t do anything stupid. She likes being a general.”
“I know, I just can’t help thinking that something is going to go wrong,” Alissa said taking the towel from Rachel. “Will you come by tonight?”
Rachel smiled and looked down at her lover, “Try and stop me,” she said as she kissed Alissa again. Then picked her clothes up and walked away.
Alissa sighed and finished dressing; she had a session with the arms master this morning.
Mel watched as Alissa walked out of the dinning room, then got up and walked over to the outside window. She watched as Alissa headed back to the Gold Unit barracks, just before turning from the window she glimpsed a shadow move away from the wall and follow the Commander. Scowling Mel left the dinning room and headed for her offices.
Entering her outer office Mel nodded to her to Aide de Camp, “Joanna would you let Commander Green know that I would like to see her.”
“Yes, General,” Joanna said as she stood to call one of the runners to deliver the Generals request.
Mel entered her office and took a seat behind her desk. Picking up the stack of reports on the desk Mel began to take care of some of her other duties.
Her monotonous work was interrupted by a knock at her door.
“Enter,” Mel said not even looking up from her paperwork.
Commander Green stood waiting for the General to acknowledge her presence.
“Tell me Barbara do you know who my daughter is sleeping with?”
Barbara took a minute to from her answer.
“Only rumors General,” Barbara said.
“So who do the rumors say,” Mel asked as she continued to make her way through the papers on her desk.
“Most say Alissa, but no one has actually seen them together,” Barbara said never taking her eyes off of the older woman.
“And you, do you think the rumors are true?”
“Alissa is Rachel’s type,” Barbara said trying to determine where this conversation was going. “But your daughter is to smart to try and use her relationship to further her career. She also knows you would never let her do that.”
“And what if I were to tell you to make sure that my daughters relationship with Alissa didn’t go any further,” Mel asked finally looking up at the Commander. “I want you to find something for my daughter to do that takes her far from here.”
“Yes ma’am. Will there be anything else?”
“Yes, tomorrow I am going with the Gold Unit scouting the south of the city. I believe that Sister Isabella has decided to migrate out of the city,” Mel said as she sat aside the papers she had been reading. “I believe I made a mistake when I let the Sister Isabella stay on her own for so long.”
“General she led you to believe that she would one day make her way to one of the city’s compounds,” Barbara said as she shifted slightly on her feet. “She never said that she wouldn’t go.”
“True Barbara but I believe she only told me what she thought I wanted to hear,” Mel said as she stood up from her desk and turned to face out the window. “It was foolish for someone my age to believe. I thought that she felt for me as I did for her.”
“I do not believe that you are foolish General.”
“Don’t humor me Barbara. Isabella never promised me anything. We always meet in secret and nothing more than a meal ever happened.”
“I thought…” Barbara began.
“You thought what I wanted you to think. What I wanted to happen. This leaving in the middle of the night has made me see though,” Mel said turning to look back at the Commander.
“So why are you going to look for her?”
“Cause no one makes a fool out of me and I still want her. She will be mine Barbara,” Mel said once more sitting at her desk. “Now if you will take care of my daughter, and let her know that this came from me. I want her to know that I still call the shots.”
“Yes ma’am,” Barbara said as she prepared to be dismissed.
“You may go,” Mel said as she once more bent to the papers on her desk.
Commander Green turned and left the office. She nodded to the Generals Aide and made her way to the command center. Turning into the offices Green wondered not for the first time if she should ask for a transfer back to the Capital area.
Pilar stood at the window over looking the city. This office had once belonged to the Governor of Oklahoma, now it was the private office of the Queen of the Oklahoma City Amazons. Pilar could see lights still burning in a few of the houses in the area. This was one of the few places that still had electricity in the city and Pilar was proud of that accomplishment. Pilar moved away from the window and sat back at the large desk that still seemed too small for the room. Shuffling through the papers on her desk she came across the report from General Melinda Steiner. Breaking the seal on the envelope she took the contents out and began to read them. A smile broke out on her face as she read how well her middle child was doing under the tutelage of the General. Sitting the report aside for rereading later Pilar went back to trying to get through the stack on her desk that seemed to grow with each passing day.
Two hours later Pilar had finally gotten to the reports sent by the medical research units. Scanning through them she hoped that they would magically say that the scientist had finally found a way to keep the human population going.
Pilar had started to set the reports aside when a one page summary caught her attention. A Dr. Yorrick seemed to think that the women that had survived the plague didn’t come out of it as unaffected as they thought they had. The woman had hypothesized that the plague had altered the survivors and that what ever had happened to the survivors was still ongoing.
Pilar reached for the intercom button on her desk, “Monica would you see if you can find out where a Dr. Louise Yorrick is. And when you do send someone to bring her to me.”
“Yes ma‘am,” Monica said as the intercom shut off.
Pilar sat back in her chair and wondered at what Dr. Yorrick had been hinting at.
Sydney continued to chop wood with the help of Paige as Isabella and Sara started putting together the meal. Haylie could be heard off to the side playing with Leo and Callie. Sydney had been surprised at the speed that the small group had managed. They had gotten to the camp site hours earlier than she had thought they would. There had still been plenty of daylight. There had been no need for tents, which is why Sydney usually stopped here, that and it was a long trek to the next safe place. But if they continued to make good time she might push them past the first stop and try for the small fish shack closer to home. Sydney really hoped they could keep up this pace, she really wanted a bath. And the large farm pond was the closet thing before she got back to the ranch.
Sydney looked at the pile of wood and motioned for Paige to stop.
“I think we’ve got enough for the night and dinner,” Syd said as she sat her axe down. “Want to help me start the fire?”
Paige shook her head yes and put her axe down next to the older woman’s. Grabbing an arm full of wood she followed Sydney over to the fire pit.
Sydney looked up at the young woman and smiled.
“So you like chopping wood?” Sydney asked smiling at Paige. “I mean I’ve never seen any one concentrate so hard on chopping.”
“I just…” Paige began.
“Don’t worry about it was just teasing. Grab those matches,” Sydney said pointing to the box on the ground. “You’re doing a good job. Isabella, Sara, and even Haylie know it.”
“Thanks,” Paige said blushing slightly as she gave the box to Sydney.
“Haven’t you two got that fire started yet?” Isabella called out as she walked into the small house. “Sara and I are ready to cook you two a gourmet meal.”
“You know what they say,” Sydney said standing up from the fire pit as the wood caught fire. “A way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.”
Sydney watched as Isabella turned a light shade of pink.
“Well it looks like no one has managed to grab your heart then,” Isabella said with a little more confidence than she felt.
“Not yet but there is always a first time,” Sydney said with a light chuckle.
Clearing her throat Isabella sat the food down on the piece of wood that Paige had brought in.
“You two could wash up,” Isabella said as she directed Sara to start adding ingredients to the pans. “This will stake about half an hour.”
“What you trying to make us starve woman,” Sydney said with mock seriousness.
“No just making you appreciate it all the more.”
Sydney let out a loud laugh, and then placed her hand on Paige’s shoulder.
“Come along kiddo, lets let the master chefs perform their magic,” Sydney said as she gently pushed the young girl out the door. “We need to find Haylie also, as I think Isabella and Sara would appreciate us not smelling too much like sweat.”
Paige nodded and called out for Haylie as she exited the door.
Sydney looked back over her shoulder at Isabella and smiled before walking out the door.
Alissa glanced around the common mesh hall and frowned. She had expected to see Rachel and her unit eating. But she could spot none of the Rangers and that didn’t feel right to her. Seeing her second in command Alissa made her way over to the table that the Gold Unit had staked out as their own.
Putting her try down on the table Alissa nodded to the four women already seated.
Tammy leaned forward as soon as Alissa had sat down and picked up her fork.
“So have you heard,” Tammy asked barely above a whisper.
“Heard what?” Alissa asked taking a bite of the food on her plate and trying not to look too interested in what ever gossip Tammy was trying to impart.
“The General has sent the Ranger’s to the west of the city to but down that small revolt from the Techno Geeks,” Tammy said not noticing that Alissa’s face had went pale for a second. “Seems the great Commander of the Ranger’s has once again pissed off the General and is being punished.”
“That is between the General and Commander Steiner,” Alissa said as she continued to eat her food methodically. “Commander Steiner does what she can to push the General as far as she can.”
“What I heard,” said Jennifer the youngest member of the Gold Unit and Alissa’s little sister. “Is that Rachel was seeing someone that the General didn’t approve of.”
Alissa stopped eating and looked at her younger sister.
“You really shouldn’t be gossiping,” Alissa said hoping that her sister would have the brains to keep her mouth shut. “I expect more from you.”
“Not really gossip,” Jennifer said looking her older sister directly in the eyes. “Rachel told me herself just before she rode out.”
Alissa was finding it hard to finish the meal before her. But if what Jennifer said was true then the General suspected something between her and Rachel. And Alissa didn’t want to think that she was the reason that Rachel was in trouble once again.
“She also said she’d have those Geeks tied up and under control by the time you got back from your little trip to the south,” Jennifer said taking a bite of her food and never looking at Alissa.
“Speaking of our little trek tomorrow is everything ready?” Alissa asked as she pushed her mostly eaten tray away.
“We’re all set Commander,” said Tammy never once noticing what was taking place between the two sisters. And not for the first time did Alissa wonder how Tammy could be such and amazing tracker and never see what was going on around her. “Got the girls already.”
“Good,” Alissa said standing up from the table with her try. “I will see you two later. Still have reports to finish.”
Jennifer watched her sister leave the mess hall and prayed to the goddess that everything would work out.
Rachel brought her unit to a stop at a large clearing. Giving orders to set camp for the night. She dismounted from the roan colored horse and handed the reins over to one of her junior officers. Walking over to the edge of the small hill Rachel scanned the horizon and wondered if Jennifer had been able to deliver her message to Alissa. That morning when Commander Green had found her and given her this new assignment at first Rachel thought it had been a coinwinidence until the Commander had told her that the General knew about her and Alissa. Sighing Rachel wondered what she was going to have to do to get her mother to stay out of her life. Laughing at the thought that she would have to run away Rachel turned and headed for the tent that had been set up for her and prayed to the Bright Lady that this would be quick and that she could get back to Alissa before any thing went wrong.
“Sonja take the scouts and take a look at what we have in front of us,” Rachel said as she took a seat at the fire that had been started. “I want numbers and positions if possible.”
“Yes Commander,” the small dark haired woman said as she stood up. “We should be able to be there and back in a day.”
“Good. I want to be able to wrap this up in a few days,” Rachel said as she took the mug from one of the other women around the fire. “This is the back of nothing out here and I would like to get back to civilization as fast as possible.”
Sonja saluted and touched two of the women at the fire on the shoulder and nodded for them to follow her.
Rachel slowly drank the contents of the cup she had been handed. Just let this end right.
Sydney watched from the other side of the fire pit as Isabella helped the three girls prepare for bed. She watched as Isabella spoke to each girl in turn and let them know that everything would be fine then tucked them into their sleeping bags.
Sydney pulled the whet stone from her pack and began to sharpen the blades that had helped to keep her alive for the last year.
Isabella kissed Paige on the fore head and walked around to the other side of the fire pit and sat down next to Sydney.
“I wanted to thank you for what you did earlier today,” Isabella said as she studied the movements of Sydney’s hands. When she realized what she was doing she blushed and quickly looked up.
Sydney smiled at the slight blush that seemed to be permently on Isabella then bent back to what she was doing.
“So what did you do before all hell broke loose,” Sydney asked never once missing a beat with her sharpening. “If you want to tell me.”
Isabella leaned back against the wood blocks sitting around the fire and thought about what her answer should be.
“I was a nun, and lived at Scared Heart. When this all started the order took in as many people as we could. Then we started to die. Soon all that was left was me and one elderly nun,” Isabella took a pause in her telling and looked up at Sydney who had stopped moving the stone across the blade. “Sister Mary Agnes died about two weeks after the last plague victim. I think she couldn’t live in a world with out men. One with no priest to help lead us.”
“And you.”
“I’m still here,” Isabella said as she picked a stick up and began poking at the low fire. “I found Sara first she was in a house that had been turned into a makeshift infirmary at the beginning but had become nothing more than a charnel house. Paige found me. I was out scouting when she just walked up to me and asked if she could stay with me. Haylie was running a muck in South Community Hospital.” Isabella paused and looked at Sydney, “And you what’s your story?”
“Not much different than yours really,” Sydney said as she began once more to move the stone across the blade. “I watched my brothers and nephews die. My sister and her best friend took our nieces and our mother and headed south of the city. My first girlfriend found me and she had her two nieces with her. My mother and Jan died four weeks after we made it to the ranch. We were never sure what had biten them. So it’s me, my sister, and her friend and five nieces‘. Which makes a fun household which is why I go on these little excursions.”
Isabella’s mind had stuck on the fact that Sydney had said her first girlfriend.
“Your first girlfriend,” Isabella said trying not to sound interested or repulsed. “I mean…”
Sydney set the blade down and turned to face the other woman.
“Yes my girlfriend. We spent a couple of years together before deciding it wasn’t going to work. Does my being a lesbian scare you?”
Isabella was doing everything she could not to move away from the woman that had saved her life earlier.
“No it doesn’t.”
“You sure, you seem to be a little tense,” Sydney said as she moved closer to the smaller woman. “I don’t bite,” Sydney said as she leaned toward the ex nun. “And I don’t hit on women that don’t want it.” Sydney said as she sat back and smiled broadly.
Isabella smiled and relaxed, a little. Sydney intrigued her in a way that no boy or woman had ever. But she was a nun still. And that is what General Steiner had never been able to understand.
“You can be very persausive I bet,” Isabella said as she continued to watch the other woman. “But you understand that I am still a nun?”
“Yes until you don’t want to be any more,” Sydney said as she pulled open her sleeping bag and pushed the two dogs out of her way. “And when you choose not to be, there are plenty of woman around.”
“You are the last romantic,” Isabella said as she followed Sydney’s lead. “But you also have a sense of humor.”
“I aim to please in the age of woman,” Sydney said as she pulled the sleeping bag closed. “Goodnight Sister Isabella.”
Isabella stared at the dark haired woman for a moment before crawling into her own sleeping bag. Staring up at the roof of the abandon home she tried to figure out why it had upset her to have Sydney call her Sister Isabella. It was who she was and it most definaly wasn’t the first time that an adult her age had called her that. But she was hurt and a bit angry with Sydney. And she knew that she shouldn’t be. After all she had told Sydney she was a nun. Closing her eyes Isabella tried to relax and sleep.
Alissa lay on her cot trying to figure out a way to get the General to change her mind about accompanying them tomorrow on the scouting mission. She knew very well the General was only going to see that they found this nun. Alissa wasn’t stupid or blind to what went on in the compound. She had heard the rumors and had even once came across the place the General was meeting Sister Isabella. Alissa had never thought that the nun would return the Generals feelings. The nun was maybe ten years older than Alissa at the most. And the one time Alissa had spoken to the Sister she got the impression that she wasn’t giving up her vows any time soon. And most definitely not for the General.
Alissa closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep thinking of that morning’s time with Rachel. But as she felt the cot dip she jerked them open and had her knife in her hand before the intruder knew what was going on.
“You know killing me might not make mom happy,” Jennifer said staring down at the knife at her throat. “It might make Andrea happy through.”
Alissa lowered the knife but did not put it away.
“What do you want Jen,” Alissa asked her sister as sat back on the cot. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“I was worried,” Jennifer said. “I mean Rachel gives me a message to deliver to you, the General has given us a scouting mission that really is a cover for her to bring back the nun she’s been trying to fuck for years. Mom hasn’t answered any of my letters since we got here. And you don’t seem to care about anything.”
Alissa looked at her younger sister and wondered why she had let the General talk her in to letting the younger girl try for the Gold Unit. It wasn’t that her sister wasn’t smart or just as capable as the other women. It was that Jennifer was her younger sister and their mother expected her to keep the younger girl alive.
“I do care,” Alissa said laying her hand on Jennifer’s shoulder. “I just don’t have the luxury to show it like you do.”
“That’s bullshit Alissa. You just don’t want to show it. You want the General to think you are some heart less bitch that will do what needs to be done,” Jennifer ground out trying not to yell.
“I am willing to do what ever it takes,” Alissa said moving her hand from Jennifer.
“Even if it means giving up Rachel or worse having to arrest her cause the General says so?”
“General Steiner would never have Rachel arrested,” Alissa said. “That what not be good for her image.”
“It would if she showed that Rachel was trying to subvert the Nation,” Jennifer said leaning closer to her sister. “If the General could prove she was a traitor.”
“Rachel is no traitor.”
“No she’s not but she is vocal about her dislike for the Generals tactics,” Jennifer said lowering her voice even more. “And everyone knows that including our mother. And it’s not that much of a leap for most people to go from criticizing to sabotaging.”
“Jennifer the General would never….” Alissa began.
“Don’t Alissa cause you know she could. She wanted to be Queen but mother had the better personality and was able to pull the people together. Steiner is only the General cause mother was smart enough to put her somewhere that she would be out of the way and able to flex her muscle.”
Alissa sighed and leaned forward, “You need to be careful what you say,” moving even closer to her sister. “Not everyone in this unit is your friend.”
Jennifer smiled a very wicked smile and stood from her sister’s cot.
“I know but you need to watch out too. Make the General look like a fool and it won’t matter that the Queen is our mother.”
Alissa watched as her sister left the very small but private room.
Mel was pacing. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done that. Her daughter had taken up with Alissa, Isabella had run off. And to make it better the Queen had sent her a letter wanting to know why her daughters hadn’t been writing to her. Shit things were starting to fall apart. Rachel should have been taken out of the picture long ago but she had kept hoping that the girl would come around to her way of thinking. Alissa was starting to turn into what Mel wanted. A soldier that the others were afraid of not because she was good but because she didn’t care. Even if Mel knew the not caring was false. The girl was doing a good job of pretending she didn’t care. And Isabella running and running in the direction of the little dragon. Of Sydney Drake and her motley band of cowards. She had never understood why Pilar had let Sydney and her sister leave and to have allowed them to set up a ranch in an area that the Nation should be expanding into. Not to mention that everyone should be brought under the watchful eye of the Nation.
Mel walked over to the bar in the small living area and poured a shot of whiskey. She savored the warm feeling as it slid down her throat. Pouring another she continued to pace around her rooms. Tomorrow she would set in motion events that would see the Nation of Oklahoma on the maps. She would get the nun back. Her daughter would either succeed or fail. The outcome didn’t matter. And she would make sure that Sydney Drake and her followers came to the Nation one way or another.
Title: Through the Flames
Pairing: Original Story
Rating: R,for same sex relationships,character death, and fighting with blood.
Author: Lori Dragus
A/N: This was wrote for the 2008 NaNo which I am happy to say I finished. The story is pretty much how it went in to the word count. I have done some minor spelling corrections and grammar corrections. I must also warn that the continuity is off.
A/N2: The names of some of the major characters is going to change. I wasn't happy with what I picked out as I wrote this first draft. At a later date I will change the names. So if you read enjoy or at least let me know if anything is worth keeping.
Summary: It's been four years since a plague killed off every living male human and ninety two percent of the female population. In the midwest state of Oklahoma two different groups are trying to survive. The Amazons, who have taken over Oklahoma City and restored some semblance of civilization and the Freeholders that live in small family units outside of the large cities. These two worlds are about to collide.
Chapter One
The sun hung high in the cerulean sky, white fluffy clouds drifting lazily across the wide expanse. The light breeze barely moving the tall strands of grass growing in the empty field between the rusting remains of automobiles and buildings.
A flock of blackbirds lifts into the air sending up a cacophony of sound. The tall strands of grass begin to move as an unseen force passes through them.
A low whistle rings out into the new silence and two small dark shapes rise up from where they had been laying. The medium sized mottled colored pit mix was being followed by a small buff colored long haired Chihuahua. The two dogs slowly made their way over to the source of the whistle.
Half way to the abandoned van parked near the empty field the two dogs begin to growl and slink low to the ground. They crawl forward about three feet before another whistle stops their movement and their low growls.
The tall strands of grass part to reveal a female lion followed by two cubs. A minute later another two female lions leave the grass followed by their cubs. The dogs start to move forward as the lionesses and the cubs move down the street, only to stop when a large male lion steps out of the grass.
The male lion swings his head back and forth before following the females down the street.
The two dogs lie still for a few minutes before another whistle starts them toward the van once more.
The back door to the van opens and the two dogs jump into the dark interior, silent as the door closes on the outside world.
Sydney sat back as her hunting partners leapt into the van. Picking up the smallest dog, Leo, Sydney began to inspect him for cuts or burrs in his coat.
“Well little man,” Sydney said as she raked the brush through his coat. “This week hasn’t been very productive.”
Leo surged forward and gave Sydney a big sloppy wet kiss.
Letting out a small laugh, Sydney sat back and pushed her dark hair out of her face.
“Your right it wasn’t that bad we’re still alive,” putting Leo down Sydney reached out to take the collar of the larger dog. “Your turn Callie, come here.”
Callie stood and moved toward Sydney and stopped as a loud roar echoed down the empty streets.
“It’s alright girl,” Sydney said grabbing Callie’s collar. “He’s far away from us. Sounds like he’s near that Amazon outpost.”
Callie stood patiently as Sydney ran the brush through her short hair.
“Well you two, I guess we sleep here tonight before heading home. I’m starting to miss Lynd’s cooking.”
Moving around in the van Sydney pulled her sleeping bag out and unfolded it. Pulling out a small camp stove Sydney began to fix the three of them something to eat.
After the quick meal Sydney took out her weapons and began to clean them. It was still a few hours away from being dark. The riffle took very little time to insure that all was in working order. It was the compound bow that had her worried. It had taken a beating the day before and Sydney was worried that it wasn’t going to work when she needed it next. But so far every thing seemed to be fine. Next she took out her whet rock and began to sharpen the two large knives that she carried all the time since the world had been turned upside down and inside out.
It had been a little more than four years since the last infected human had died. And also since the last human male had died. The infection that had spread across the planet had a hundred percent mortality rate for men and a ninety two percent mortality rate for women. And now the survivors were slowly trying to put things together so they could live out the rest of their lives. The human race was over, unless the Amazons found a way to perfect cloning or Mother Nature took things into her own hands.
Sydney slowly let the past fade back into the past as the low rasp of the stone on steel filled the van and the day gave way to a night filled with the sounds of animals whose natural habitat was no where near the plains of Oklahoma.
The sky had barely started to lighten up when Sydney opened the door to the van and jumped out followed by her two silent companions. Shifting the pack on her back Sydney turned toward the south and began the long trip back to her sister and nieces.
The light in the small house flickered before steadying and sending out a warm glow. Allowing any one passing by to see movement of the occupants.
Isabella moved from room to room lighting the lanterns that she and the girls had managed to find in the first year. She never worried about having enough lanterns, just enough fuel. Isabella and the oldest girl Paige had been increasing their search area for months. And Isabella knew they were getting dangerously close to areas that the Amazons claimed. And in the last trip out she had noticed spore from a large animal. She had decided that it was either the lions or the tigers.
As Isabella lit the last lantern she took a look at the place she had called home for the last three and a half years. The girls were in the living room playing some board game that had been found. Paige taking charge by being the oldest. Haylie the youngest was having none of Paige’s I am the oldest so you have to listen to me attitude. And Sara was sitting back quietly watching the two girls argue.
Walking into the living room Isabella laid the butane lighter on the small table by the entry way.
Sara looked up from the other two girls on the floor and smiled at Isabella, her green eyes sparkling in the lamplight. Isabella smiled back at the quite girl before walking over to the loveseat.
Haylie stopped arguing with Paige as Isabella sat down.
“Isabella tell Paige that she doesn’t get to make up the rules all the time,” Haylie said sitting back from the board laid out on the floor.
“I’m not making up the rules,” Paige said as she turned to look at Isabella. Pushing her dark blonde hair out of her eyes. “It’s how the game is played. Says so in the rules on the box.”
Haylie reached for the box that Paige was pointing to. Paige seeing what the younger girl was up to grabbed the box first and pushed it behind her back.
“Isabella see,” Hailey said as she stood up from the floor. “Let me see the box.”
“No, you can just take my word for what it says,” Paige said staring intently at the younger girl.
“No I want to read it myself,” Haylie said loudly as she lunged toward Paige.
Paige scooted backwards to stay out of Haylie’s grasp. “You can’t read all the words.”
“Doesn’t matter I want to see it.”
Paige started to make a comment but stopped when she heard Sara’s low voice.
“Paige just let her see the box,” Sara said looking directly into Paige’s eyes.
Paige found herself nodding and handing the box over to the younger girl.
Haylie took the box and sat back on the floor and started reading the rules to the game.
Paige looked up to see Isabella looking at her and Paige just shrugged her shoulders.
Isabella smiled at the older girl and not for the first time wondered what she would do in a few years when Paige was older if she even had a few years to worry about. Isabella’s religion didn’t allow for what would most likely happen. Then again there weren’t any Priest left, and she was the only nun to have lived from her cloister.
Sighing Isabella sat back to watch the girls play as they finished working out the rules to the game.
The quite night was broken by the loud roar of a male lion, and then followed quickly by another loud roar.
The girls got up from the floor quickly as Isabella jumped from her seat and grabbed the riffle that was next to the small living room window. As the light in the living room went out Isabella could hear the sounds of the other two girls closing the inside shutters on the windows in the rest of the house. Looking down Isabella saw that Sara was beside her with one of the house’s other riffles.
“Can you see them,” Sara asked never taking her eyes off the scene outside the window.
“No,” Isabella said as she continued to scan the darkness outside the window. A dark shape moving outside the fence caught her attention. It was too small to be one of the lions that they had heard, but there were other hunters in this new world. “They may not have been as close as they sounded.”
Another roar reverberated through the night followed by sounds of fighting. A loud crash rang out and Isabella watched as one of the abanned cars on the block rocked back and forth.
“They’re on the street out front,” Paige said coming up on the other side of Isabella. “Maybe we should go down to the basement?”
Isabella looked out at the street as the fighting, crashing, and roaring continued to fill the night with sound.
“I don’t think we need to do that just yet,” Isabella said checking to see that the riffle was ready. “They seem to be fighting over territory. One too many males for this area.”
“I could take Haylie down to the basement,” Sara said turning to look at the younger girl still standing in the doorway to the living room. “Just to be safe.”
Isabella looked over at the smaller girl as a loud roar echoed through the house.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Isabella said looking over to Paige. “You could go with Sara and Haylie to keep them safe.”
Shaking her head while staring at Sara. “No I think I should stay up here with you.”
“Okay,” Turning back to Sara. “Go ahead and take Haylie. We may be down later.”
Walking over to the younger girl Sara took Haylie’s hand.
“I’m not scared,” Haylie said as Sara led her to the kitchen and the door to the basement.
“I know,” Sara said opening the door to the basement. “But I am.”
Isabella leaned against the wall next to the window and slid to the floor.
“You going to keep watch for a little while,” Isabella said as she looked over at the serious looking girl. “If you are I’m going to rest a bit.”
Isabella closed her eyes as she heard Paige open up the folding chair that was behind the loveseat.
“We’re not safe here any more are we Isabella,” Paige asked as she settled in to the hard metal chair. “Maybe we should think about the offer from that Amazon General.”
Isabella opened her eyes and took a look at Paige. Paige was staring intently out the window. Her focus on the fight that could still be heard in the street out side.
“I’m not sure that I could follow the Amazon laws,” Isabella said as she thought back on the meeting she had a few days earlier with General Steiner. “Their beliefs differ so much from mine.”
“But we would be safe inside one of their compounds,” Paige said glancing briefly down at the woman on the floor. “I mean we could give it a try.”
“There is no testing it out,” Isabella said sitting up a little. “Once you enter the world of the Amazons they don’t let you go easily. You would be sent to one of their training camps. I would be put with other unattached women. Haylie would go to a children’s crèche and Sara. I’m not really sure what they would do with her. She is so quite and a little on the passive side.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Tomorrow the four of us will talk and decide on whether to stay or try making it to an area that is held by one of the Freeholds.”
“But the Freeholds are little more than barbarians,” Paige said.
“Who told you that? Isabella asked Paige.
“Jennifer,” Paige said looking down at her feet, then back out the window. “She’s a foot soldier in the Gryphon Unit.”
“And when did you meet this Jennifer?”
“The other day when we were out getting more supplies,” Paige said stroking the riffle in her lap. “She said that the only civilized people were in the compounds.”
“We don’t live in one of the compounds,” Isabella said as she watched the girl.
“I know it’s just that she’s not as young as Sara or little like Haylie. Jennifer’s two years older than me and it was just nice to talk to someone closer to my age.”
Looking at the young girl, no strike that, the young woman Isabella knew that she couldn’t wait any longer on moving them to someplace else. To stay here would mean the Amazons and their strict views or taking a chance on a Freehold that hopefully had other young girls close to Paige’s age.
“I know Paige; we’ll all discuss this in the morning.” Leaning back against the wall Isabella watched Paige for a few minutes before she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds outside the house.
Mel, General of the Amazon Gryphon Unit, watched as the elite unit led by Alissa, daughter of Queen Pilar, marched into the yard. Mel smiled as the young Latino woman issued orders and they were immediately followed. Pilar would be happy that her middle daughter was turning out to be a born leader. As Alissa brought the twenty women to a stop in front of the command center, Mel stepped out of the door.
“Well Commander how was the morning run?” Mel asked as she moved to stand next to the slightly shorter woman. “They don’t seem to be sweating at all; maybe you should have run them another mile or two.”
Alissa gave no outward sign that the comment the General had made bothered her, instead she turned and saluted the older woman.
“I believe you are right General, tomorrow I will add an extra three miles to our run,” Alissa said as she stared straight ahead.
“Very well dismiss your unit and join me for breakfast,” Mel said as she turned back to the command building.
Dismissing the women, Alissa followed the General into the large brick building that had once been a high school before the plague.
Making her way down the long corridor till she reached what had once been the teachers dinning area but was now used by the General and her command staff. Alissa walked into the room and caught sight of the General.
“Give Roberta your order and come sit with me,” Mel said motioning toward the elderly woman at the far side of the room. “I would like to hear your report on your run this morning.”
Alissa walked over to the head cook, “Oatmeal, two sausage patties and a couple of boiled eggs,” Alissa said before walking back over to take a seat with the General.
“So Alissa what do you think of your Gold Unit,” Mel asked around a fork full of scrambled eggs. “Are they up to the job they are being trained for?”
Alissa took a sip of water from the glass that had been placed before her.
“They will be,” looking around the room Alissa noted that they were the only two people present. “I believe the Queen will be pleased.”
“I’m sure that your mother would be proud of what you have accomplished in such a short time,” Mel said as she studied the younger woman. “You are her golden child after all.”
Alissa started to reply to the Generals comment but Roberta chose that moment to deliver her breakfast.
“Thank you Roberta,” Alissa said taking a moment to gather her thoughts. Before addressing the General. “I’m not sure about being the golden child. The Queen has high standards for all her daughters.”
“True, true,” Mel said taking another bite of her food. “Were you able to get by the nun’s dwelling to check on them this morning?”
Alissa looked up from her food to glance at the General. She was unable to ascertain what the General’s reaction would be to what she had to say. The General seemed to have just a passing interest in what the Golden Unit had been up to. But the General had been rumored to have been spending a lot of time with the nun and her three daughters. And every time they talked the General managed to ask about the nun Isabella. Alissa decided that the General wasn’t going to be too happy with what she had to say.
“It looks like two of the lion prides territories have over lapped near to where the nun and her charges have been staying,” Alissa said trying to buy a little time before she had to tell the General the rest of the news.”
“Good perhaps this will make her decide faster on moving to the compounds,” Mel said as she casually took the final bite of her eggs. “Maybe I’ll go out later today and see if I can offer any assistance.”
Alissa swallowed the oatmeal that she had spooned into her mouth, and then took a large drink of water before finishing what she had to say.
“That won’t be necessary,” Alissa said. “It looked as if they packed up what they could carry early this morning and sat out for south of the city.”
Mel looked up from her plate to stare directly at the young Commander.
“Are you sure they were headed south, and not to the east,” Mel asked keeping her voice even. “She was told that there were no compounds south of the city yet correct?”
Alissa set her spoon down and looked the General straight in the face.
“Yes, she was also given a map marking off the areas that we had compounds in open to the general populace.”
“Maybe she can’t read a map,” Mel said as she took a drink from her coffee cup.
“I don’t think so. The direction they left in avoided all areas marked as belonging to the Nation.”
Mel sat her cup back on the table and then laid her hands flat , before addressing her subordident.
“I think it would be a good idea to take the Gold’s south of the city to do a little scouting,” Mel said not expecting an answer from Alissa. “I believe that I will join you and the others also.”
Getting up from the table Alissa saluted the General.
“Yes ma’am if you will excuse me I will go get them ready,” Alissa said as she waited to be dismissed.
“Nonsense Commander, sit and finish your breakfast, tomorrow will be soon enough,” Mel said as she picked her coffee cup back up and took a drink.
Alissa sat down and quickly finished her meal then excused herself from the General.
Sydney watched the small party as they made their way across the bridge over the Washita River. The older woman and three girls carefully picked their way around the vechiles piled up on the four lane bridge. Sydney started to lower her binaclers when a movement on the other side of the bridge caught her attention. Focusing on the tall weeds on the south end of the bridge Sydney jumped up as she registered the stripes of the tiger laying in wait at the end of the bridge invisible to the small party crossing.
As Sydney ran toward the small party, with Callie following caring Leo in a saddle pouch. The trio sped through the wreckage making as much noise as they could in the hopes that they would alert the females on the bridge and maybe scare off the tiger.
Haylie stopped walking when she heard the barking behind them, it wouldn’t be the first time they had run in to a wild dog pack.
“Paige I hear barking behind us,” Haylie said as she turned to look back at the way they had just come.”
“What?” Paige said as she turned toward the younger girl. “Barking are you sure…”
Paige stared at the figure running toward them across the bridge. Shaking herself out of her momentary disbelief Paige raised her riffle just as a loud roar came from the other direction.
Isabella froze as the large white and blacked striped tiger stepped onto the bridge two hundred feet from her. She could now her someone yelling behind them on the bridge but she found that she was unable to turn away from the beautiful but dangerous animal before her.
The tiger let out a roar and Isabella felt Paige grab Sara and pull her back, as the tiger began to advance.
Sydney rushed past the three young girls and pushed the woman out of the way as she raised her riffle and fired in the direction of the tiger.
The three bullets richoted off the asphalt and surrounding cars. The tiger roared and turned padding away from the five people on the bridge.
“Isabella look the big dog is carrying a little dog in a bag on her back,” Haylie said coming over to the older woman who was now lying on the ground.
Sydney looked over her shoulder to see a young girl trying to help the older woman up from the ground.
“Sorry,” Sydney said shouldering her riffle and waking over to help the other woman up. “Didn’t mean to push you so hard.”
Isabella looked up as she took the hand of the woman that had probably just saved all their lives.
“Don’t worry about it,” Isabella said as she took the hand offered her and stood up. “Thank you.”
Sydney shrugged her shoulders as the two other girls walked over to where they were standing.
“Not a problem. Saw you crossing and saw the tiger. She doesn’t usually come this far north,” Sydney said as she took her pack off and set it on the ground. “By the way my name’s Sydney and the big one here is Callie and the small one is Leo.”
Isabella smiled at Sydney as she watched the dark haired woman remove a bowl from her pack and fill it with water.
“I’m Isabella,” Pulling Haylie to her side. “And this is Haylie.”
“I’m Paige,” Paige said as Sara took her hand. “And this is Sara.”
“Well nice to meet you,” Sydney said as she took Leo out of Callie’s saddle bag. “So if I can ask what brings the four of you south of the city?”
Isabella took a drink from the canteen hanging from her backpack before answering the woman that had come to the small groups rescue.
“We are not running from an Amazon compound if that is what you are worried about,” Isabella replied as she hung the canteen back on her pack. “The place we were staying in became too dangerous to remain.”
“Lions moved into the neighborhood,” Haylie offered to the dark haired woman with the cute dogs.
“Haylie’s right,” Isabella said looking Sydney in the eyes. “It looked like two different prides were trying to stake out the same area.”
Sydney took another sip from the bottle that she had used to fill Leo and Callie’s bowl with. Sydney knew that Isabella wasn’t telling the whole truth. Something else had led the woman to take the three young girls and head south out of the city. And on a path that took them well away from anything related to the Amazons.
“Look I have a place that I share with my sister, her friend, and five of my niece’s,” Sydney said hoping that she wasn’t about to make a big mistake. Her conscious just wouldn’t let her send Isabella and the three girls off on their own. “It’s not a real big place but we have power and water and a garden that is big enough to feed us. Not counting the cans goods I pick up when I’m out.”
Isabella looked at the three girls that she had taken in over four years ago. This was what she had been looking for. A place with other adults and young girls. And Sydney seemed warm. And her blue eyes as bright as the sky.
“Okay, we’ll follow you and see if we can cope with each other,” Isabella said smiling at the three other girls.
“Alright,” Haylie yelled out. “So can I pet the dogs?”
“Haylie don’t be rude,” Paige said moving her and Sara closer to Isabella. “They may not like kids.”
Sydney looked at the older girl and they way she seemed to scan the group and everything around her. And the fact that the Paige had yet to let go of the little blondes hand.
“Its alright they like the attention,” Sydney said as she emptied the water bowl and placed it back in her pack. “If you like you can help me get Leo back in the carry bag. He really hates it, but he’s too small to walk all the way back home.”
“Cool,” Haylie said as she picked the small dog up and let him lick her in the face. Not to be out done Callie pushed against the young girls legs. “I haven’t forgotten you,” Haylie said as she reached down to rub between Callie’s ears before putting Leo in the saddle bag.
Smiling Sydney stood up and put her pack back on her back. Adjusting the riffle, knives and the bow, Sydney turned back to her new traveling companions.
“If you’re ready we should go. I know a fairly safe place to camp for the night,” Sydney said smiling brightly at the young girl named Sara.
Paige finally let go of Sara’s hand and adjusted the riffle in her own hand like Sydney had then motioned for Sara and Haylie to start walking since the two older women had already started moving along with the dogs.
“Paige if you see any thing back there give a yell,” Sydney said looking back once to make sure the younger girls were following. Thinking to her self that she was going to need to see how good Paige was with that riffle that she was carrying.
Isabella was glad that Sydney wasn’t that much taller than she was; it made it easier to keep up with the woman.
Paige had yet to decide if she liked the stranger. At least the stranger hadn’t treated her as if she was some little kid, and tried to take her riffle away from her. Paige wondered if she could get Sydney to show her how to use the bow that she was carrying.
Sara turned to look back once at Paige, which made the older girl blush when she realized that she had been caught trying to walk like the new woman. Sara just smiled, which made Paige smile.
After leaving the General at breakfast Alissa had gone back to her barracks room to change. Being a Commander she had the option of having her own room but had decided against it. She felt closer to the women in her unit when she shared living arrangements with them in the field.
Grabbing a change of clothes Alissa made her way to the outside showers. She knew that the rest of her unit would have already eaten and changed. They would be in class right now with one of the instructors learning what ever it was that the needed to know. Mostly it was languages.
The shower area was empty which was what Alissa had been hoping for. She had never gotten used to the women that sought her out and tried to get close to her because of her mother.
Stripping her sweaty uniform off and stepping under the hanging bucket with cold water, Alissa braced herself for the shock. She let out a small yelp before she realized that she wasn’t alone.
“You know you are one of the few Commanders that I know that braves the outside showers instead of using your rank to get a warm bath,” said a tall dark haired, dark eyed woman as she raked her eyes over Alissa’s body. “And I for one have to say that I’m glad you choose to shower with the commoner’s.”
Alissa stared at the woman for a moment before stepping back to allow the other woman to enter the shower area.
“Does your mother know what you do in your down time,” Alissa said as she wrapped her arms around the slightly taller woman.
“No. And the General could care less what I do,” the dark haired woman said as she stepped into Alissa’s open arm’s. “Though I do think she might not be too happy to find out that I’m sleeping with golden child of the Gryphon Unit.”
Alissa buried her head in the shoulder of the taller woman.
“Don’t say things like that Rachel. You know I can’t stand to be called the golden child.”
Rachel kissed the top of Alissa’s head, “I know but sometimes I can’t help teasing you.”
Alissa raised her head from Rachel’s shoulder and gave the dark haired woman a long deep kiss.
Rachel broke the kiss first.
“So your morning was that bad,” Rachel asked as she filled the bucket with luke warm water.
“I think your mother has a very strong attraction to that nun she‘s been rumored to be sleeping with,” Alissa said as Rachel dumped the bucket on both of them. “The thing is this woman still thinks of her self as a nun and I don’t see her even thinking about going into one of the compounds.”
Rachel grabbed the soap off the ledge and soaped her lover as the other woman continued to talk to her.
“So my mother thinks she is in love,” Rachel asked as she finished soaping the two of them up.
“No more like she is in lust, and you know she hates to have people ignore her,” Alissa said as another bucket off water cascaded down over her.
“But why does my mothers little obsession have you so tense,” Rachel asked as she dumped the last bucket of water on them.
“Tomorrow we are scouting south of the city, in the general direction that this nun left in. I got the feeling we weren’t going to give the nun a choice on going to a compound.”
“I see,” Rachel said as she grabbed one of the towels left on the bench outside the shower. “Don’t worry Lissa. My mother wouldn’t do anything stupid. She likes being a general.”
“I know, I just can’t help thinking that something is going to go wrong,” Alissa said taking the towel from Rachel. “Will you come by tonight?”
Rachel smiled and looked down at her lover, “Try and stop me,” she said as she kissed Alissa again. Then picked her clothes up and walked away.
Alissa sighed and finished dressing; she had a session with the arms master this morning.
Mel watched as Alissa walked out of the dinning room, then got up and walked over to the outside window. She watched as Alissa headed back to the Gold Unit barracks, just before turning from the window she glimpsed a shadow move away from the wall and follow the Commander. Scowling Mel left the dinning room and headed for her offices.
Entering her outer office Mel nodded to her to Aide de Camp, “Joanna would you let Commander Green know that I would like to see her.”
“Yes, General,” Joanna said as she stood to call one of the runners to deliver the Generals request.
Mel entered her office and took a seat behind her desk. Picking up the stack of reports on the desk Mel began to take care of some of her other duties.
Her monotonous work was interrupted by a knock at her door.
“Enter,” Mel said not even looking up from her paperwork.
Commander Green stood waiting for the General to acknowledge her presence.
“Tell me Barbara do you know who my daughter is sleeping with?”
Barbara took a minute to from her answer.
“Only rumors General,” Barbara said.
“So who do the rumors say,” Mel asked as she continued to make her way through the papers on her desk.
“Most say Alissa, but no one has actually seen them together,” Barbara said never taking her eyes off of the older woman.
“And you, do you think the rumors are true?”
“Alissa is Rachel’s type,” Barbara said trying to determine where this conversation was going. “But your daughter is to smart to try and use her relationship to further her career. She also knows you would never let her do that.”
“And what if I were to tell you to make sure that my daughters relationship with Alissa didn’t go any further,” Mel asked finally looking up at the Commander. “I want you to find something for my daughter to do that takes her far from here.”
“Yes ma’am. Will there be anything else?”
“Yes, tomorrow I am going with the Gold Unit scouting the south of the city. I believe that Sister Isabella has decided to migrate out of the city,” Mel said as she sat aside the papers she had been reading. “I believe I made a mistake when I let the Sister Isabella stay on her own for so long.”
“General she led you to believe that she would one day make her way to one of the city’s compounds,” Barbara said as she shifted slightly on her feet. “She never said that she wouldn’t go.”
“True Barbara but I believe she only told me what she thought I wanted to hear,” Mel said as she stood up from her desk and turned to face out the window. “It was foolish for someone my age to believe. I thought that she felt for me as I did for her.”
“I do not believe that you are foolish General.”
“Don’t humor me Barbara. Isabella never promised me anything. We always meet in secret and nothing more than a meal ever happened.”
“I thought…” Barbara began.
“You thought what I wanted you to think. What I wanted to happen. This leaving in the middle of the night has made me see though,” Mel said turning to look back at the Commander.
“So why are you going to look for her?”
“Cause no one makes a fool out of me and I still want her. She will be mine Barbara,” Mel said once more sitting at her desk. “Now if you will take care of my daughter, and let her know that this came from me. I want her to know that I still call the shots.”
“Yes ma’am,” Barbara said as she prepared to be dismissed.
“You may go,” Mel said as she once more bent to the papers on her desk.
Commander Green turned and left the office. She nodded to the Generals Aide and made her way to the command center. Turning into the offices Green wondered not for the first time if she should ask for a transfer back to the Capital area.
Pilar stood at the window over looking the city. This office had once belonged to the Governor of Oklahoma, now it was the private office of the Queen of the Oklahoma City Amazons. Pilar could see lights still burning in a few of the houses in the area. This was one of the few places that still had electricity in the city and Pilar was proud of that accomplishment. Pilar moved away from the window and sat back at the large desk that still seemed too small for the room. Shuffling through the papers on her desk she came across the report from General Melinda Steiner. Breaking the seal on the envelope she took the contents out and began to read them. A smile broke out on her face as she read how well her middle child was doing under the tutelage of the General. Sitting the report aside for rereading later Pilar went back to trying to get through the stack on her desk that seemed to grow with each passing day.
Two hours later Pilar had finally gotten to the reports sent by the medical research units. Scanning through them she hoped that they would magically say that the scientist had finally found a way to keep the human population going.
Pilar had started to set the reports aside when a one page summary caught her attention. A Dr. Yorrick seemed to think that the women that had survived the plague didn’t come out of it as unaffected as they thought they had. The woman had hypothesized that the plague had altered the survivors and that what ever had happened to the survivors was still ongoing.
Pilar reached for the intercom button on her desk, “Monica would you see if you can find out where a Dr. Louise Yorrick is. And when you do send someone to bring her to me.”
“Yes ma‘am,” Monica said as the intercom shut off.
Pilar sat back in her chair and wondered at what Dr. Yorrick had been hinting at.
Sydney continued to chop wood with the help of Paige as Isabella and Sara started putting together the meal. Haylie could be heard off to the side playing with Leo and Callie. Sydney had been surprised at the speed that the small group had managed. They had gotten to the camp site hours earlier than she had thought they would. There had still been plenty of daylight. There had been no need for tents, which is why Sydney usually stopped here, that and it was a long trek to the next safe place. But if they continued to make good time she might push them past the first stop and try for the small fish shack closer to home. Sydney really hoped they could keep up this pace, she really wanted a bath. And the large farm pond was the closet thing before she got back to the ranch.
Sydney looked at the pile of wood and motioned for Paige to stop.
“I think we’ve got enough for the night and dinner,” Syd said as she sat her axe down. “Want to help me start the fire?”
Paige shook her head yes and put her axe down next to the older woman’s. Grabbing an arm full of wood she followed Sydney over to the fire pit.
Sydney looked up at the young woman and smiled.
“So you like chopping wood?” Sydney asked smiling at Paige. “I mean I’ve never seen any one concentrate so hard on chopping.”
“I just…” Paige began.
“Don’t worry about it was just teasing. Grab those matches,” Sydney said pointing to the box on the ground. “You’re doing a good job. Isabella, Sara, and even Haylie know it.”
“Thanks,” Paige said blushing slightly as she gave the box to Sydney.
“Haven’t you two got that fire started yet?” Isabella called out as she walked into the small house. “Sara and I are ready to cook you two a gourmet meal.”
“You know what they say,” Sydney said standing up from the fire pit as the wood caught fire. “A way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.”
Sydney watched as Isabella turned a light shade of pink.
“Well it looks like no one has managed to grab your heart then,” Isabella said with a little more confidence than she felt.
“Not yet but there is always a first time,” Sydney said with a light chuckle.
Clearing her throat Isabella sat the food down on the piece of wood that Paige had brought in.
“You two could wash up,” Isabella said as she directed Sara to start adding ingredients to the pans. “This will stake about half an hour.”
“What you trying to make us starve woman,” Sydney said with mock seriousness.
“No just making you appreciate it all the more.”
Sydney let out a loud laugh, and then placed her hand on Paige’s shoulder.
“Come along kiddo, lets let the master chefs perform their magic,” Sydney said as she gently pushed the young girl out the door. “We need to find Haylie also, as I think Isabella and Sara would appreciate us not smelling too much like sweat.”
Paige nodded and called out for Haylie as she exited the door.
Sydney looked back over her shoulder at Isabella and smiled before walking out the door.
Alissa glanced around the common mesh hall and frowned. She had expected to see Rachel and her unit eating. But she could spot none of the Rangers and that didn’t feel right to her. Seeing her second in command Alissa made her way over to the table that the Gold Unit had staked out as their own.
Putting her try down on the table Alissa nodded to the four women already seated.
Tammy leaned forward as soon as Alissa had sat down and picked up her fork.
“So have you heard,” Tammy asked barely above a whisper.
“Heard what?” Alissa asked taking a bite of the food on her plate and trying not to look too interested in what ever gossip Tammy was trying to impart.
“The General has sent the Ranger’s to the west of the city to but down that small revolt from the Techno Geeks,” Tammy said not noticing that Alissa’s face had went pale for a second. “Seems the great Commander of the Ranger’s has once again pissed off the General and is being punished.”
“That is between the General and Commander Steiner,” Alissa said as she continued to eat her food methodically. “Commander Steiner does what she can to push the General as far as she can.”
“What I heard,” said Jennifer the youngest member of the Gold Unit and Alissa’s little sister. “Is that Rachel was seeing someone that the General didn’t approve of.”
Alissa stopped eating and looked at her younger sister.
“You really shouldn’t be gossiping,” Alissa said hoping that her sister would have the brains to keep her mouth shut. “I expect more from you.”
“Not really gossip,” Jennifer said looking her older sister directly in the eyes. “Rachel told me herself just before she rode out.”
Alissa was finding it hard to finish the meal before her. But if what Jennifer said was true then the General suspected something between her and Rachel. And Alissa didn’t want to think that she was the reason that Rachel was in trouble once again.
“She also said she’d have those Geeks tied up and under control by the time you got back from your little trip to the south,” Jennifer said taking a bite of her food and never looking at Alissa.
“Speaking of our little trek tomorrow is everything ready?” Alissa asked as she pushed her mostly eaten tray away.
“We’re all set Commander,” said Tammy never once noticing what was taking place between the two sisters. And not for the first time did Alissa wonder how Tammy could be such and amazing tracker and never see what was going on around her. “Got the girls already.”
“Good,” Alissa said standing up from the table with her try. “I will see you two later. Still have reports to finish.”
Jennifer watched her sister leave the mess hall and prayed to the goddess that everything would work out.
Rachel brought her unit to a stop at a large clearing. Giving orders to set camp for the night. She dismounted from the roan colored horse and handed the reins over to one of her junior officers. Walking over to the edge of the small hill Rachel scanned the horizon and wondered if Jennifer had been able to deliver her message to Alissa. That morning when Commander Green had found her and given her this new assignment at first Rachel thought it had been a coinwinidence until the Commander had told her that the General knew about her and Alissa. Sighing Rachel wondered what she was going to have to do to get her mother to stay out of her life. Laughing at the thought that she would have to run away Rachel turned and headed for the tent that had been set up for her and prayed to the Bright Lady that this would be quick and that she could get back to Alissa before any thing went wrong.
“Sonja take the scouts and take a look at what we have in front of us,” Rachel said as she took a seat at the fire that had been started. “I want numbers and positions if possible.”
“Yes Commander,” the small dark haired woman said as she stood up. “We should be able to be there and back in a day.”
“Good. I want to be able to wrap this up in a few days,” Rachel said as she took the mug from one of the other women around the fire. “This is the back of nothing out here and I would like to get back to civilization as fast as possible.”
Sonja saluted and touched two of the women at the fire on the shoulder and nodded for them to follow her.
Rachel slowly drank the contents of the cup she had been handed. Just let this end right.
Sydney watched from the other side of the fire pit as Isabella helped the three girls prepare for bed. She watched as Isabella spoke to each girl in turn and let them know that everything would be fine then tucked them into their sleeping bags.
Sydney pulled the whet stone from her pack and began to sharpen the blades that had helped to keep her alive for the last year.
Isabella kissed Paige on the fore head and walked around to the other side of the fire pit and sat down next to Sydney.
“I wanted to thank you for what you did earlier today,” Isabella said as she studied the movements of Sydney’s hands. When she realized what she was doing she blushed and quickly looked up.
Sydney smiled at the slight blush that seemed to be permently on Isabella then bent back to what she was doing.
“So what did you do before all hell broke loose,” Sydney asked never once missing a beat with her sharpening. “If you want to tell me.”
Isabella leaned back against the wood blocks sitting around the fire and thought about what her answer should be.
“I was a nun, and lived at Scared Heart. When this all started the order took in as many people as we could. Then we started to die. Soon all that was left was me and one elderly nun,” Isabella took a pause in her telling and looked up at Sydney who had stopped moving the stone across the blade. “Sister Mary Agnes died about two weeks after the last plague victim. I think she couldn’t live in a world with out men. One with no priest to help lead us.”
“And you.”
“I’m still here,” Isabella said as she picked a stick up and began poking at the low fire. “I found Sara first she was in a house that had been turned into a makeshift infirmary at the beginning but had become nothing more than a charnel house. Paige found me. I was out scouting when she just walked up to me and asked if she could stay with me. Haylie was running a muck in South Community Hospital.” Isabella paused and looked at Sydney, “And you what’s your story?”
“Not much different than yours really,” Sydney said as she began once more to move the stone across the blade. “I watched my brothers and nephews die. My sister and her best friend took our nieces and our mother and headed south of the city. My first girlfriend found me and she had her two nieces with her. My mother and Jan died four weeks after we made it to the ranch. We were never sure what had biten them. So it’s me, my sister, and her friend and five nieces‘. Which makes a fun household which is why I go on these little excursions.”
Isabella’s mind had stuck on the fact that Sydney had said her first girlfriend.
“Your first girlfriend,” Isabella said trying not to sound interested or repulsed. “I mean…”
Sydney set the blade down and turned to face the other woman.
“Yes my girlfriend. We spent a couple of years together before deciding it wasn’t going to work. Does my being a lesbian scare you?”
Isabella was doing everything she could not to move away from the woman that had saved her life earlier.
“No it doesn’t.”
“You sure, you seem to be a little tense,” Sydney said as she moved closer to the smaller woman. “I don’t bite,” Sydney said as she leaned toward the ex nun. “And I don’t hit on women that don’t want it.” Sydney said as she sat back and smiled broadly.
Isabella smiled and relaxed, a little. Sydney intrigued her in a way that no boy or woman had ever. But she was a nun still. And that is what General Steiner had never been able to understand.
“You can be very persausive I bet,” Isabella said as she continued to watch the other woman. “But you understand that I am still a nun?”
“Yes until you don’t want to be any more,” Sydney said as she pulled open her sleeping bag and pushed the two dogs out of her way. “And when you choose not to be, there are plenty of woman around.”
“You are the last romantic,” Isabella said as she followed Sydney’s lead. “But you also have a sense of humor.”
“I aim to please in the age of woman,” Sydney said as she pulled the sleeping bag closed. “Goodnight Sister Isabella.”
Isabella stared at the dark haired woman for a moment before crawling into her own sleeping bag. Staring up at the roof of the abandon home she tried to figure out why it had upset her to have Sydney call her Sister Isabella. It was who she was and it most definaly wasn’t the first time that an adult her age had called her that. But she was hurt and a bit angry with Sydney. And she knew that she shouldn’t be. After all she had told Sydney she was a nun. Closing her eyes Isabella tried to relax and sleep.
Alissa lay on her cot trying to figure out a way to get the General to change her mind about accompanying them tomorrow on the scouting mission. She knew very well the General was only going to see that they found this nun. Alissa wasn’t stupid or blind to what went on in the compound. She had heard the rumors and had even once came across the place the General was meeting Sister Isabella. Alissa had never thought that the nun would return the Generals feelings. The nun was maybe ten years older than Alissa at the most. And the one time Alissa had spoken to the Sister she got the impression that she wasn’t giving up her vows any time soon. And most definitely not for the General.
Alissa closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep thinking of that morning’s time with Rachel. But as she felt the cot dip she jerked them open and had her knife in her hand before the intruder knew what was going on.
“You know killing me might not make mom happy,” Jennifer said staring down at the knife at her throat. “It might make Andrea happy through.”
Alissa lowered the knife but did not put it away.
“What do you want Jen,” Alissa asked her sister as sat back on the cot. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“I was worried,” Jennifer said. “I mean Rachel gives me a message to deliver to you, the General has given us a scouting mission that really is a cover for her to bring back the nun she’s been trying to fuck for years. Mom hasn’t answered any of my letters since we got here. And you don’t seem to care about anything.”
Alissa looked at her younger sister and wondered why she had let the General talk her in to letting the younger girl try for the Gold Unit. It wasn’t that her sister wasn’t smart or just as capable as the other women. It was that Jennifer was her younger sister and their mother expected her to keep the younger girl alive.
“I do care,” Alissa said laying her hand on Jennifer’s shoulder. “I just don’t have the luxury to show it like you do.”
“That’s bullshit Alissa. You just don’t want to show it. You want the General to think you are some heart less bitch that will do what needs to be done,” Jennifer ground out trying not to yell.
“I am willing to do what ever it takes,” Alissa said moving her hand from Jennifer.
“Even if it means giving up Rachel or worse having to arrest her cause the General says so?”
“General Steiner would never have Rachel arrested,” Alissa said. “That what not be good for her image.”
“It would if she showed that Rachel was trying to subvert the Nation,” Jennifer said leaning closer to her sister. “If the General could prove she was a traitor.”
“Rachel is no traitor.”
“No she’s not but she is vocal about her dislike for the Generals tactics,” Jennifer said lowering her voice even more. “And everyone knows that including our mother. And it’s not that much of a leap for most people to go from criticizing to sabotaging.”
“Jennifer the General would never….” Alissa began.
“Don’t Alissa cause you know she could. She wanted to be Queen but mother had the better personality and was able to pull the people together. Steiner is only the General cause mother was smart enough to put her somewhere that she would be out of the way and able to flex her muscle.”
Alissa sighed and leaned forward, “You need to be careful what you say,” moving even closer to her sister. “Not everyone in this unit is your friend.”
Jennifer smiled a very wicked smile and stood from her sister’s cot.
“I know but you need to watch out too. Make the General look like a fool and it won’t matter that the Queen is our mother.”
Alissa watched as her sister left the very small but private room.
Mel was pacing. She couldn’t remember the last time she had done that. Her daughter had taken up with Alissa, Isabella had run off. And to make it better the Queen had sent her a letter wanting to know why her daughters hadn’t been writing to her. Shit things were starting to fall apart. Rachel should have been taken out of the picture long ago but she had kept hoping that the girl would come around to her way of thinking. Alissa was starting to turn into what Mel wanted. A soldier that the others were afraid of not because she was good but because she didn’t care. Even if Mel knew the not caring was false. The girl was doing a good job of pretending she didn’t care. And Isabella running and running in the direction of the little dragon. Of Sydney Drake and her motley band of cowards. She had never understood why Pilar had let Sydney and her sister leave and to have allowed them to set up a ranch in an area that the Nation should be expanding into. Not to mention that everyone should be brought under the watchful eye of the Nation.
Mel walked over to the bar in the small living area and poured a shot of whiskey. She savored the warm feeling as it slid down her throat. Pouring another she continued to pace around her rooms. Tomorrow she would set in motion events that would see the Nation of Oklahoma on the maps. She would get the nun back. Her daughter would either succeed or fail. The outcome didn’t matter. And she would make sure that Sydney Drake and her followers came to the Nation one way or another.