Chapter five coming up!!

Its a new week, and a new day. Let's all hope we use it wisely to glorify the God who made us. :)

                                                                           Isn't

                                                                          God

 

 

                                                                         
                                                                               Just

                                                                       Awesome?

                                                               Let's glorify Him!!

Chapter Five~

Percy and a group of soldiers arrived at the spot Wyatt had radioed in, but he wasn’t there.

A huge amount of blood was pooled beside a sage bush, and drag marks indicated he hadn’t left of his own accord.

“What are we going to do? They’ve taken my dad!” Percy looked to the second in charge, Lieutenant colonel Aaron Bates.

“We have to assume it was the enemy, or they would’ve carried him. We’ll form a search team. I need to get a call though to Salt Lake. The general needs to be briefed.”

Suddenly, the quiet of the night was broken by rapid gunfire. All the men, Percy included, took cover.

Each man used his binoculars, trying to detect where the enemy fire was coming from. Whoever it was, they were good.

Every time Percy got a glimpse of movement, a bullet whizzed by him from a different direction. Terror entered the young man’s heart. This wasn’t what he’d signed up for. He just wanted to be with his dad! He rushed to hide under some sage brush.

As suddenly as the gunfire began, it ended. Lieutenant colonel Bates sidled over to where Percy hid. “You okay, kid?”

“I…think so.” He mumbled in embarrassment.

“You’ve never been in battle before.” It wasn’t a question, the officer knew. “I can’t understand why they continue to send green soldiers into a warzone.”

“This isn’t a warzone, it’s Utah.” It sounded logical to him, but the officer wasn’t amused.

“You just proved my point.” The older man disappeared down the trail, leaving Percy alone.

 

                                                                       ***

Percy didn’t know what to do without a commanding officer, so he went back to camp. He headed right for the women’s tent, hoping they were still awake. He tried to knock on the flap of the door, but it wasn’t loud enough to alert them of his presence. “Lily, are you guys awake?”

“Yes, what do you need?”

“I have to talk to you.” There was urgency in his voice. She got up and opened the tent flap to allow him in.

“What’s wrong?” It had been an extraordinarily long, horrendous day and she’d just been dozing off when Percy showed-up.

“They have my dad!”

“Who has you dad?” Grogginess filled Lily’s brain and she couldn’t make sense of what he was saying.

“The terrorists have him, he’s been shot, and they shot at us, too!” He was highly agitated, and her heart went out to him.

“Are you sure, Percy? Maybe he’s just out checking the perimeter, or whatever it is that colonels do.”

“No, he radioed me and gave me his position. When we got there, he was gone. All that’s left is a pool of blood and some drag marks!” The young man was near tears, and so was Lily. Could this day get anymore awful?

Lily padded over in sock feet to wake Nanny. She hated to bother the older woman but she didn’t know what else to do. She shook her shoulder lightly, hoping that was all it would take. “You need to wake-up.”

“Lily, what’s wrong, sugar?”

“They’ve got Colonel Adams!”

“Who does?” Nanny sat straight-up on the army cot.

“The terrorists took him.” Percy answered. Nanny jumped off the bed in a flash at the male voice.

“What are you doing in here, Percy?”

“They shot my dad!”

“Hold on now. If they took your father, how do you know he’s been shot?”

“He radioed in and told me. He told me where he was at, too, but by the time we got there, he was gone. The only thing there was a pool of blood and some drag marks.”

“Did someone send out a search party?”

“I think so.” Percy ducked his head. He was going to have to tell the ladies about his cowardice. They were both staring at him. “My commanding officer left me out there.”

“What!” Nanny was livid. “Why on earth would he do that?”

When they started sniper-fire, I hid.” He looked so young and sheepish that Nanny rushed over and hugged him.

“You let the man who left you out there come and face me, I tell ya!” She was so angry even the dimness in the room couldn’t hide the flush on her face.

“Why would he do that? If you were afraid, why wouldn’t he help you?” Lily asked.

“I’m in the Marines. We’re supposed to be manly men that aren’t afraid of anything. But the important thing right now is they have my dad, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Percy, how old are you?” Nanny had a suspicion he was barely past eighteen.

“I’m eighteen.”

“A-ha, I knew it! You’re practically a baby.”

“I am not!” The childishness of his response belied his denial.

Nanny walked out of the tent with her massive shoulders back and her head held high. She was ready for battle and Lily didn’t envy whoever was gonna get the brunt of that attitude.

“I don’t want to lose my father. I haven’t had the chance to get to know him yet.” There was fear in his voice and Lily responded to it.

“I know you don’t. Maybe we could pray together?”

“You want to pray?” He said it like she’d asked him to cut his head off, or worse.

“Yes, it will help ease the pain you’re feeling.” Lily had no idea why she was saying these things. She hadn’t even formed the thoughts in her mind.

“God hasn’t done anything for me, but give me a hard way to go.” There was hardness in his voice that caused Lily to take in a sharp breath. How could one so young be so bitter about life?

“That isn’t true. He gave you the ability to live, and offered eternal life.” She was so surprised by what she was saying her mouth hung open in surprise.

“Are you okay, Lily?”

“I think so. I keep saying things I’m not planning to say.”

“That’s random.”

Nanny entered the tent. “They’re leaving to look for your father now. Why didn’t you tell me Lieutenant colonel Bates was a handsome black man?”

Lily burst out laughing. “You’re something else Nanny Masters! Did you even give him a piece of your mind like you said you were going to?”

“I most certainly did, sugar, and then he flirted with me.”

“Did he now?” Lily giggled. Maybe something good would come out of all this destruction, after all.

 

                                                             ***

 

Wyatt woke up in tremendous pain. He gingerly felt his chest and it was still bleeding. He was having trouble breathing and knew he had a collapsed lung. If only he had a straw, or a pen. He quietly took in his surroundings, taking care not to alert the man guarding him to the fact he was awake.

He was in a cave, but not the same one from earlier in the day. This one was much bigger, and more organized. He could hear men laughing and joking right outside the entrance. How could they laugh and joke, especially after all the people they’d killed today? He stifled a groan and tried to stretch his neck to see the other side of the large room. There were tables, chairs and army cots scattered all about. How long had these men been here? His heart sank when he realized it had been a long time. It looked ‘lived in,’ which told him it probably was. They knew the terrain. They’d learned their surroundings, so he wouldn’t have that on them. So far it was terrorists three, Wyatt zero. They’d bombed the United States, killed a whole town of innocent people and managed to take most of a cave-full of arms to another location.

“They must be here!” Wyatt cringed when the guard looked his way. He’d spoken out loud! He was probably half-delirious from the pain. He knew if one of his men had given him the excuse he’d just thrown at himself, he wouldn’t have accepted it.

“I see you’re awake, crazy man.”

“Yes.” The answer sounded like a croak. His throat was dry, and his voice cracked. He’d been in worse situations, and he intended to make sure he lived through this.

“Good. We need you to take us to your camp.”

The idea was so hilarious Wyatt laughed. “You’re funny, nice try though.”

“I’m not kidding, mister.”

“I didn’t think you were, but you’re smart enough to realize I’m not gonna do that.” Wyatt managed to glare at the man, even in his weakened state.

“You aren’t in a position to be stubborn, colonel.” He said Wyatt’s rank like it was the plague. He was so surprised they knew who he was that he took in a deep breath. That was a big mistake. “Ahh...” He groaned in pain.

The other man snorted and laughed, “You aren’t much of a threat to us now.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Wyatt spat the words through teeth clinched in pain.

Two men joined them. They were like the first guy, wearing long robes, but there the similarities stopped. The first man was tall and fat. The other two were slender and looked to be in shape. It couldn’t bode well for him that they’d brought in reinforcements.

Lily’s pretty face floated in Wyatt’s mind. It was such a weird time for that to happen. He shook his head visibly, trying to dispel the picture, but it wouldn’t go. “Go away.” He whispered low so the men wouldn’t hear him.

“Who are you talking to, crazy man?” One of the new guys was looking at him like he’d taken leave of his senses, and maybe he had.

“I’m not talking to anyone.”

“The man lies!” number three guy came over and kicked Wyatt in the head. Luckily he was on the floor or he would’ve fallen. His face was pressed against a nasty cover that smelled of campfire and body odor. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Don’t you guys ever do laundry? Where are the women?”

The first guy laughed hilariously. “Our women don’t do laundry, we have slaves for that.” He examined his fingernail by the firelight, pretending to be unaffected by the man they’d captured.

Wyatt Adams was a decorated Marine who’d saved a whole platoon during a fire in Miami last year. His face had been on every news station in America for a month. He was known for his fearlessness in battle, and the ability to lead his men. Andrew Carpenter was awed by him, but he hated him, too. He stood for everything he and his men were against. The government was taking over this country and they had to stop it!

“Hey you, don’t hurt yourself.” Wyatt said in an obvious attempt to make the man angry. He needed to get them off guard so he could try to escape. He knew if he didn’t manage something soon he’d be hanging from one of the trees just outside the cave. He’d seen the rope hanging there as they’d drug him in a little while ago.

The third man walked up to him and kicked him ferociously in the ribs. Wyatt gasped in pain but refused to cry out. That’s what these men wanted and he wouldn’t give it to them, no matter what.

“It’s okay if you don’t tell us where your camp is, we’ll eventually find it, anyway. When we do, we’re gonna take turns showing that blond eye candy a thing or two about being a man.” He watched the expression on Wyatt’s face carefully, trying to discern emotion, but there was none.

He was so angry he could’ve chewed nails and spit them out. How dare they talk about her like that? She didn’t deserve it. He couldn’t afford to let them see it affected him when they talked about her. They would use it against him and he wouldn’t take that chance. He’d only known her for a few short hours but he was already convinced he would die for her.

“You don’t have anything to say to that?” Guy number two asked with a frown.

“Do what you have to, I barely know her.” It was his turn to pick at his fingernails in the dim light, only it was excruciating to do so because he had to move. He spied a chunk of wood lying to his right. He kept them talking while he scooted an inch at a time toward the club-like weapon. If he could get his hands on it he would use it to escape.

“I think the crazy man has a son, doesn’t he?” The first guy asked.

“I heard he did. I think his name was Peter? Or was it Percy? I think it was Percy!” The second man replied. He looked up in feigned glee and it took everything in Wyatt not to respond to their taunts.

He had to stay calm and ready to attack at the drop of a hat. He scooted another couple of inches and said, “I have a son, what’s your point?”

“Oh nothing, it’s just we had a little fun with him earlier. We shot bullets at him so we could watch him dance, but he was so lily-livered he hid behind a bush and shook like a little girl.”

Wyatt felt rage like he’d never known sweep through him. How dare they terrorize his son? He didn’t stop to think about the fact that he was acknowledging the young man’s claims. He didn’t need to take a DNA test. The kid looked just like him!

With a huge lunge he grabbed at the stick of wood and leapt from the ground, swinging the weapon as he got to his feet. He ignored the stinging pain, and the fact that he couldn’t breathe and swung with all his might. The first man went down and Wyatt went after the second. He was so quick they didn’t even have time to draw their weapons. The second man was down when tall, fat guy managed to pull his semi-automatic gun out and click back the trigger.

A commotion at the entrance distracted the terrorist and he looked that way. Wyatt took that opportunity to jump over the fire and take the big man out with one swing.

“That one’s for my son, and for Lily.” He dropped the chunk of wood in exhaustion, swayed, and collapsed to the ground.

Major Hannibal Jones stepped into the cave with twenty privates at his back. He was just in time to see the last valiant attack of the injured colonel.

“Hurry men, detain these terrorists and let’s take the colonel back to camp!”

“Yes sir!”

The major rushed over where Wyatt was lying on the ground. “Are you okay, sir?”

“I’ve been better.”

“You’ve lost a lot of blood, colonel.”

“Yes I have. Where is Lily?”

“Who is Lily, sir?” Major Jones was confused. He didn’t know anyone by that name. His colonel was obviously delirious.

“Lily is my future wife.” Wyatt passed-out.

Major Jones knew his colonel wasn’t up to par now. He’d always told his men he would die before he got married.

“Hurry men, we need a medic!”

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