Revolutionary - Elaina H (each kindness read aloud txt) 📗

‘in charge’, but he had the little help his dad offered.

            Besides, Kyle was one of the strongest! They should all look to him with respect.

He could protect the whole group of them by himself. He sighed as he thought of what his mother would say.

            Kyle knew he shouldn’t look down on any of the people he loved, and he really didn’t do it all that much. Just every once in a while, when his pride was wounded, he’d find himself putting the others down.

            He squeezed his eyes shut, and pinched the bridge of his nose. That’s not what a good leader would do, he thought to himself. I guess that’s because I’m not a good leader. Duh.

            Kyle tried to laugh, but couldn’t it was just upsetting to think of his failure. If he ever saw his mom again she’d probably tell him to leave her alone. He wasn’t the son she’d raised, and Kyle knew it.

            Stopping all thoughts of his mother, Kyle walked towards the small ten by ten bunk room his father and he shared to divulge the new information.   

2382 April 13: 1000 hours

       “Wait,” William, Kyle’s father, demanded, “you’re trying to tell me you want to send you, and five other men, out onto enemy lines so you can purposely get caught?! Are you crazy, son?”

            William scratched his head and stared at his only son. He couldn’t let him go and get himself killed. Kyle licked his lips before speaking, “Dad, you don’t understand. We can get so much information from them. We’ll be taken to the north! Do you know how much we could learn?”

            “Do you realize this is a death sentence? I can’t have you running off to get killed. It’s ludicrous.”

            William watched as Kyle chose his words carefully, “I know that it seems crazy, but I already have it all planned out. I’ll bring Carlos, Savannah, Travis, Claire, Warren, and myself. Each of us has the perfect ability when it comes to being captured at getting back out. It’s almost like we were made for it!”

            Kyle was nervous. The palms of his hands sweated, and he subconsciously rubbed them against his jeans. He watched as his father took a deep breath. “What if none of them want to complete this mission you’ve planned? You can’t force them!”

            William knew it wasn’t really a problem for Kyle to get them to agree, but he wouldn’t allow that. Especially not on his own people. Never.

            “I know. I know. I haven’t talked to them yet, but I know they’ll go with me. They’re the most loyal out of every one here,” Kyle kicked at the dust on the bunker floor and waited for his father’s response.

            A heavy, long sigh escaped William’s lips, “You can ask them. If they all agree, then we will discuss our options. Got it?”

            Kyle nodded eagerly, and ran out towards those he planned ask.

            William thought about the matter at hand. It was important he give Kyle advice when it came to serious things such as this, but lately William found himself stepping back more and more.

            He knew Kyle viewed it as negligence, but really William was trying to prepare Kyle for the time when he would no longer have a father to help him. Unfortunately, that time was fast approaching. William had self-diagnosed himself a couple months ago with cancer. At least he learned something from med school, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

            William knew Kyle would be fine without him. He was sure it would be hard, but he’d move past it and deal with it, just like he had with his mother’s death.

            Besides, William was ready to go. He was ready to see his sweet, beautiful wife again.

2382 April 13: 1100 hours

            Kyle jogged quickly to each of his companions and sister’s houses and told them to meet him at the water well in half and hour. He was eager to tell them his father had approved of the idea. Kyle knew in his heart there would be no problem with this mission. There wasn’t a thing that could possibly go wrong.

            The first person to arrive at the water well was Carlos, closely followed by Savannah. After waiting a few minutes for the others they finally showed. Kyle surveyed the power between the six of them.

            Carlos was a strong elemental. His specialty was earth and metals. It wouldn’t hurt to have Carlos when you wanted to escape, Kyle thought with a smile. Carlos had only had his abilities for two years and he had already progressed so much. There was no doubt in Kyle’s mind that Carlos would prove to be on of the strongest elementals in the camp.

            Savannah was blessed with heightened senses. Her eyesight was better than a hawk, she could hear a needle drop during an explosion, and she had a nose like a dog. Obviously, her hearing would be best for the mission, and Kyle was excited to see her in action. It was rare when any of them got to use their abilities.

            Travis’ strength didn’t even compare to anybody else’s. Kyle had seen the kid (Travis was only fifteen) lift two tons of brick over his head when he was only ten. Kyle didn’t care where you were, having Travis on your team was always a bonus.

            Claire, the team’s secret weapon, and Kyle’s older sister, could have possibly been their greatest asset. No one was sure exactly what it was Claire did, but almost everyone had witnessed the miracle at the raid. Claire had described the experience like slowing down time. She said it was so easy to pluck the bullets out of the air when they were barely going faster than a snail. Claire said it seemed no one was aware of what was happening until after. Three of their men should have died then, but the bullets never found their mark.

            Warren’s ability was the most unstable. Kyle was willing to take a risk though considering the fact. Warren caught glimpses of the future. It wasn’t planned, and it just seemed to happen, but Kyle was hopeful Warren could provide them with information pertaining to the enemy. Even if he couldn’t, Warren was a beast when it came to hand to hand combat. He could handle himself.

            It was Claire who spoke first after Kyle explained the plan. “What do you expect me to tell my family, Kyle? I have a one year old child you know!”

            Kyle stared at his sister, “Claire, you could possibly be the strongest here! You can’t just back out on this.”

            “I’m not backing out if I never joined,” she said with a shake of her head.

            Carlos kicked the dirt under his feet, “I’m in, man. I’ve got nothing to lose, and I’m tired of these pushy Northerners controlling the world.”

            Kyle nodded and acknowledged Carlos’ speech. He now knew he had Carlos and Savannah because she wouldn’t do anything without him. “Nothing to lose,” Savannah muttered under her breath angrily at Carlos. He just winked at her, and kissed her cheek.

            Travis cracked his knuckles, “Yea, I’m in. I just got to ask my ma first. You guys know she’ll want to know all the details before she sends me off.”

            Savannah rolled her eyes at Travis, “Something tells me, baby boy,” she teased him, “your ma ain’t going to let you go on this little trip. I wouldn’t if I were her.”

            “You’re only three years older than me. I’m surprised your dad even lets you leave the house,” Travis spit in the dirt, and turned away to ignore Savannah.

            Warren looked at the ground nervously, “You sure you want me around. I can’t really control my…my ability.”

            Kyle patted Warren’s shoulder, “Of course, I want you along!” Sheepishly, Warren shook his head, and agreed to come. Kyle fondly nicknamed him the gentle giant in his head. “Claire, should I assume I’m not going to get an answer from you tonight? Am I going to tell dad everyone’s in except Claire.” It was a low blow, and Kyle knew it. He was aware of how much Claire wanted their father’s praise. Just like she had been aware of how much he longed for their mother’s.

            “I’ll talk to Jared about it tonight, but no promises,” Claire spoke. The next part she said to the wind, “I don’t even think you realize, guys, we might never come back.”

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2382 April 21: 1200 hours

 

            Derik paced his room anxiously. He was waiting for a call from Veronica, but something in his heart told him it would never come. The morning sun cast its rays of light into his room, and Derik closed his blinds. He wasn’t in a happy mood.

            He knew today the people of the compound would be celebrating the Easter holiday. Derik was almost positive they had no idea what Easter was even really about. How could they, he thought, they don’t even believe in God anymore.

            Suddenly, Derik heard a loud pounding knock on his door, and he eagerly went to open it. Was it sad that he hoped it was Veronica?

            Derik had been in love with her for quite some time now. It wasn’t until she kissed him last week before the dinner with the General that he really fell head over heels.

            He opened the door, not to the beautiful face of Veronica, but to the head of security, Officer Raven. “What is it, Officer, that could be so important that you must come to my room so early?”

            “There’s been a security breach in the compound, Advisor Landry. We went to inform the Lieutenant, but she wasn’t anywhere where we could find her.” Officer Raven’s radio went off, and they both listened as they were notified of a young toddler who had escaped through one of the smaller ‘cracks’ in the compound.

            No one had ever gotten out before.

2382 April 21: 900 hours

            Lilly laughed as her little brother picked up brightly colored eggs from the grass. She had been instructed by her mother to watch her brother while she went to the store. It wasn’t a difficult job, and it usually proved to be boring, but today she loved watching the chubby toddler prance around her family’s front yard.

            The Smith’s yard butted up to the compound’s outer wall. It was her job to clean off the vines growing around the base by their home. Lately, she thought, it just seemed like she couldn’t find the time to do it, well, that and the fact her parents hadn’t asked her to do it in three months.

            Lilly stared up at the large, clear, impenetrable box covering the top of the four heavy stone walls. Without the cover, Lilly knew they would all die from the radiation. She laughed at the thought of the rebel makeshift cover.

            It must have been a poorly soldiered town if the rebels were able to break through the defenses of the Western city so easily. Lilly’s older brother was a soldier, so Lilly felt she knew enough to determine whether or not a place was safe and guarded properly.

            She had lived here her entire life, and not once had something ever bad happened. At least, anything she could remember. Lilly felt completely and utterly safe here at the compound.

            Lilly looked away from the smoggy sky to check on her brother, and her breath caught in her throat when she realized her brother was no longer in front of her picking up eggs. “Charlie!” she shouted out in fear. “Oh no!” Lilly ran around her yard, and her neighbors searching and asking about her brother.

            Lilly sat crying into her hands, “How could I have screwed up so badly!” A light bulb turned on in Lilly’s head. She’d call the soldiers and ask them. They’d be able to find her brother.

            Quickly,