Takedown

to his classes and hung out with his friends, seems like the dreamlike one rather than the strange one he finds himself in now. He’s become used to the way things are, although even that seems to be changing.

They haven’t had to fight night runners, at least as far as in darkened buildings in a while. The times he’s been in firefights within those buildings were tension-filled ones and he’d rather not have to do that again. Although, he has to admit to himself that, after the fact, there was kind of a rush. No, the times are now about engagements with marauders and others like them. Truth be told, he’d rather face the night runners.

No, strike that, he thinks, remembering several terrifying moments. That’s not true at all.

He’s not as nervous about being in those types of situations, although there is still plenty of fear. His confidence has grown from being around the others with more experience and he’s proud to be a member of Red Team. Each and every one of them carries an aura of self-assuredness. It’s like a cloak they all wear when together. Just being around them inspires confidence.

Part of his feeling more confident comes from his dad letting up on him a little. He understands the why of it but is thankful nonetheless — as he is thankful for the extra training both he and Bri have had with him. He knows his dad includes both of them in their briefings and dealings with other groups so that they’ll learn from the interaction. He doesn’t agree with everything his dad says or does though, and would have done some things differently.

For instance, he thinks, he wouldn’t be as trusting of the group they ran into at the bridge. There are surely some in that group that harbor grudges over what happened. He would not just merrily have accepted them into their group.

Sometimes dad is just a little too trusting, he thinks as they bounce over another bump in the road. Not often, but sometimes.

He looks around at the others crammed in the tight compartment. Bri is examining one of her mags and the others are lost in their own thoughts. Gonzalez, sitting next to him, appears to be sleeping. He smiles and wishes he could do that. He returns to the thoughts circling in his head.

Thoughts of being captured and finding his mom float to the surface — the joy of seeing her when Bri pointed her out at the lunch tables. He is curious as to how she changed back as he is quite sure that she was the night runner who had trapped them in the basement. That’s another thing he disagrees with his dad about. Well, disagree isn’t the right word but more of a different priority. How did she change back? He knows they don’t have a lab or any physicist to look at that but, as far as he knows, they haven’t even talked about it. It’s not like he wants to use his mom as a guinea pig, but surely an answer lies there somewhere. He thinks that they should explore the research labs in the University of Washington. Seattle isn’t the best place to go with their limited numbers, but perhaps they could find something there that would be helpful.

He’s thought about that a lot and pondered long into the night about how the night runners were changed — running scenario after scenario through his mind as to the specifics of how that could come about. And, how to change it back. It’s obvious that it can happen. His mom and that other guy they found at the gate prove that. He’s thought of finding the cure and then using dart guns at the zoos and other places like the Department of Natural Resources to administer it. Even aerial spraying has come to mind. Everyone just seems to accept that the night runners are what they are and that’s it.

And maybe that’s so, he thinks.

He also knows that, even if they can change the night runners back, the world would not be what it once was. No, it won’t be the same but it will at least eliminate a certain threat. The thought of actually conducting such a research project is overwhelming but that doesn’t stop him from pondering it from time to time. He’ll bring it up with his dad at some point.

Leaving those thoughts behind, he looks over at his dad standing with Greg by the open cupola. They have a map spread between them and are conversing with a lot of pointing. Of course, when those two get together, there is a lot of smiling as they constantly seem to be poking at one another. All in good fun of course. Robert is still amazed that his dad has been able to bring the group together and lead them. Then again, maybe he’s not. He knows his dad doesn’t really want to be the overall leader — that his dad would rather just take a team and be content with that.

“Too much headache,” his dad would say. “It’s easier just being the leader of your own little part of the situation.” Of course, he also knows his dad feels responsible for the survivors and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Here they are about to head into an unknown and the both of them, Greg and his dad, are standing near the front with a map in hand, laughing. He wishes he could develop that kind of casual attitude. For him, although he feels confident, there is also a nervous tension inside. He just wants to perform well and not let anyone down. His worst fear is that he will mess up and endanger the team. He wants to learn and gain experience so he’ll know instinctively what to do at the right moment. That’s one of the things that has caused the few arguments between him and Michelle — his going out with the teams constantly. She wants him to stay at the base with her and not, as she so delicately put it, “go gallivanting off with your dad all the time.”

He wrestles with that to a certain extent. He wants to stay with her but feels the need to be able to protect her. The only way he is going to be able to do that is to gain experience. Plus, he feels a bond with Red Team as well and feels he would be letting them down if he didn’t go with them. After all, someone has to go out and why should someone take his place. If he stayed at the compound, someone else would be put in danger because of his decision and he doesn’t want that.

He and Michelle have talked about raising a family. They were just boyfriend and girlfriend before all of this went down, but that has grown into something much more. They share quarters and are, for all intents and purposes, living together. He’s only seventeen, but that number seems meaningless to him now. The events of the last few months have aged him beyond his short number of years. Although, the thought of raising a family scares him even more than a building full of night runners.

Glancing quickly over at Bri, who has tears forming, he knows she is thinking about Nic. There isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t think about Nic and is saddened by the memory of her. They may not have been as close as Bri and her, but they were close. He misses Nic a lot and her memory is a constant reminder that anything can happen in this new world. His wish is that he had been there that night. He feels that if he was, he could have changed the outcome.

He is tossed to the side as the Stryker slows and stops.

* * *

Gonzalez opens her eyes as the Stryker slows to a halt. She still lives by the axiom she grew up in the Army with — get whatever rest you can when you can as you don’t know when you’ll be able to again. That’s something she’s learned in her many years and deployments. Whenever they had some down time, whether being transported or during the many hurry up and wait moments, that’s what she did. She could always be found by her ruck with her eyes closed. That didn’t mean she was asleep or any less alert, she was just resting.

The stop interrupted her thoughts of her family. Joy filled her as she thought of her sister being found alive, but she was also deeply saddened by the loss of her parents — her dad in particular. She so wanted to be able to fulfill his dreams…well, her dream if truth be known, of getting out of that neighborhood. Knowing the feelings of sorrow over losing one’s family members, she wants to be a part of finding the other soldiers’ families and is glad they are out searching for them. She and McCafferty have talked at length over how finding even one family member alive can ease the mental strain of the constant stress. It gives them something to live and fight for. Within the team, they have relied on each other and would lay down their lives for each other, but having a family member around makes it easier to cope. For the soldiers whose families they have searched for and haven’t found, there is at least some comfort in having that knowledge. Even though painful, it’s easier than not knowing.

She appreciates her position and, while not liking this new world one bit, she is thankful she has a good team around her. There is no one she would rather be with at a time like this. They have bonded tightly and she is convinced that if anyone can see it through this disaster of a world, it’s them. Once again, Jack enters her mind and her gratitude extends to him as well. He is one of those commanders that actually cares for those around them and is a part of the team. She’s had a few of those types in the past and can recognize them immediately. He’s one of the team and, in talking with the others of Red Team, she knows they will follow him anywhere. Even if his antics are, well, rather amusing. He’s their commander and she enjoys ribbing him, but he can also sit down