Page 23 of Resistant

I run for the weapons closet and Nathan slides in his socks from around the corner bumping into me.

“Get your boots on honey.”

Nathan follows my order and I remove weapons from the safe and load them methodically as fast as I can. I hand each weapon back to Nathan and he quickly double checks me. He squeezes in behind me pulling out the rifles and ammunition.

I hand Nathan his vest and our homemade holster. The holster is made from straps and is sewn so we can maximize the number of weapons that we can carry and pull quickly.

I put on my holster and strap knives to my thighs. I feel Nathan adding guns to my holster. When I exit the closet, he has already strapped on all his weapons. We walk to the door together. Before I open the door, I look at my son. He turns, his green eyes shining.

“I’m sorry you have to do this baby. We’ve practiced this. We’ll be fine. I love you. No matter what happens, know that I love you.”

“I love you too, Mama.”

I feel his fingers curl around mine and he squeezes until my bones rub together. I squeeze him back, take a breath and turn the knob on the door.

Nathan looks out the window.

“They are all at the road, 10 o’clock and two o’clock.”

“Okay, we’ll start off taking cover behind the posts. Take each one out as quickly as you can before they can advance. Fire everything, everything we have. If they still advance, we’ll fight back-to-back.”

Nathan nods and we both duck and exit. Neither one of us has ever taken a life, and that’s going to change in the next few seconds.

I murmur a prayer for the families of the men we are about to take out. I hear a shout, glance out, pick my target and fire. I fire three times at three targets, take cover and I hear Nathan fire. Pop. Pop. Pop.

A volley of shots fly at us, the windows behind me shatter, a pot cracks open. I look over at Nathan, so far so good, neither one of us has been hit.

I nod, and we both move together as more bullets fly overhead. Pop. Pop. Pop. My focus turns inwards, and I hear the shots, but I don’t hear the impacts anymore. Several men we took by surprise are down and not moving. More men are moving forward. I see a truck approaching.

Nathan jerks his chin at the truck rolling up, and I feel and hear him firing while I focus on the approaching vehicle. I fire into the truck cabin. Three men get past Nathans last shots, and they are too close.

“Cease Fire! Get the asset!” one of them shouts.

The next few pops are all from Nathan and I, and yet they still approach. I switch to my handgun, it’s my last weapon and the pop I hear tells me Nathan is also out and now using his handgun.

“Fuck.” I whisper.

I take a chance and leave cover take aim and fire at every target I see. Some of them fall. Two men approach with their hands up, in surrender. I feel Nathan’s back hit mine and I hear fists hitting flesh. I pull my knife as a soldier jumps for me. I reach around him trying to stab him in the kidneys. I hear a grunt and cry out when my wrist is wrenched until I drop the knife.

I settle into a fighting stance, look for my opportunity and I strike. My foot hits protective gear and I wince. His head is protected, so I need to aim for his face or his legs. He tries to grab my arm, and I swing away from him.

I hear more grunts behind me, it sounds like Nathan is engaged in a brawl. I kick out and as I spin through, I feel my standing leg get kicked out from under me. I hit the ground hard and roll, a crowd of men approach. I look and Nathan has one man pinned and he looks over to see more men approaching.

He looks at me and mouths, “I’m sorry Mama.”

“NO! NATHAN NO!”

“I can’t let them hurt you, Mama. There are too many of them.”

I see Nathan stand with his hands in the air. I’m trying to get my feet under me to run to him. I don’t see the baton as it swings through the air and smacks me on the side of the head. The world flips upside down, and I see Nathan’s feet. I see his hands zip-tied; pain radiates through my skull, and I pass out.

When I come to, I’m lying in the grass, and I can hear the rustle of the wind and somewhere nearby a cricket is singing. There are no trucks, no sign of Nathan.

I scream, hearing my grief echo through the property and the birds fly out of the trees, startled. I get to my knees and puke. I glance around as I wipe the bile from my lips.

The New Reform took their dead and wounded with them. All my weapons are gone. I stagger into the house, down the stairs through the basement and out the back door. My head pounds in time with my heartbeat, and I resist the urge to touch my temple. It feels raw. My ankle is killing me, it looks swollen through my jeans, and I limp through the yard into the woods.

I try to keep a steady pace and move quickly. I hear my breath rasping in time to the ringing in my ears. Darkness falls, and I’m still walking. I swipe the blood dripping into my eyes and keep moving. I have to get to David. I limp through another mile when I hear a woof!

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