“And?” Everyone in the room was rapt by the tale.
“The war had been over for three years, and she had returned to her home village. Those women she liberated came with her and settled there, having no family to return to. Kadie had married and given birth to a son. She was a prominent voice in her community and was growing into a political activist, working closely with Unicef to extricate and rehabilitate children affected by war. That letter is my most prized possession.”
Alicia fell silent, the last of her heat cooled by Nate’s story and calm demeanour.
“My point, Alicia, is that Kadie didn’t get there alone. She kept those women around her, they helped each other, and she allowed herself to be supported, as well as giving support. She used that pain, not with anger or hate, but to try and force something positive out of a life destroyed by war, picking up what pieces she could to bind back together into something new.”
Nate sighed then, looking tired and every one of his fifty-two years, both hands clasped around his coffee cup.
“Life is too great a struggle on the best of days, Alicia, if you try to do it alone. In our darkest hours, when the demons are at our door, we need to be able to call on someone to face them alongside us. The world is hard enough, especially now, but you need to understand that these people here, sitting around you now, are not your enemies. They will offer an arm to lean on when you feel weak, or a quiet presence to merely sit with so you’re not alone, for those times you don’t feel like speaking, or can’t.”
He glanced at Freya then, giving her a little nod. This old dog sees way more than I give him credit for.
“What if I don’t know how?” Alicia’s voice trembled, anger giving way to guilt as her eyes darted to Charlie.
“You’re not a victim, Alicia,” said Nate. “Kadie taught me that. She never wanted to be considered a victim, and instead called herself a survivor. You had no control of what happened, and you suffered, but you’re here now. You survived. So, to start something new, first accept the end of what came before. Forget that victim’s anger and find the survivor’s strength I know you have. Both of you,” he added, looking to Laura.
“And how do I get there?” asked Alicia.
“You start walking away from where you are.”
Profound stuff, right? But I had a question that needed answering.
“Um, Nate?” I asked innocently. “Did you just quote Winnie the Pooh?”
The quirk of a smile at one side of his mouth revealed the truth.
“Busted,” he said, finally breaking into a rueful grin.
Everyone snorted or chuckled, shattering the tension. This ferocious old soldier, who they’d all seen in his terrifying glory during their liberation when he was geared to the max, suddenly became human to every single person in the lodge. His calm words, the intensity of his story and advice that pierced through Alicia’s rage, then the absurdity of this ferocious veteran of countless conflicts dropping a Winnie the Pooh quote, all combined to humanise him completely. Finally, the rest of the lodge had seen a glimpse of the Nate I knew. They got to see the man himself, not just the fearsome instrument of violence they’d all perceived him as.
Nate went to his room and produced that very letter from Kadie, which was passed around and read by all. Reading it as a group somehow managed to fuse us all that little bit closer, asking questions of Nate, hearing him tell how inspiring he found that meeting with Kadie, and how much it affected him.
I keep discovering depths to Nate that amaze me. When called to arms, he’s an absolute powerhouse, calm and controlled, lethal in the execution of his actions. He’s experienced things that none of us have and they’ve affected him to his core, but under that fearsome granite shell of his pumps a big squishy heart full of empathy and humanity. He’s seen humans at their worst, yet somehow, he comes out better than before because of it.
Honestly, at times, I’m in awe of him.
Things have been calmer since that happened yesterday. Alicia apologised to Charlie and the kid got to give that hug he offered. This time, Alicia accepted it gladly and with a little smile on her face. She also offered her apologies to everyone, who just waved them away, accepting her with proverbial open arms. These are good people and I’m glad we liberated them from the awful situation they found themselves in, through no fault of their own.
But, can I just point out… Nate was SAS.
I fucking knew it.
Called it, bitches.
EVIL BE TO HIM
Connor Bancroft leaned his head back against the rough brick wall, jaw clenched against the burning pain in his belly, coughing as thick smoke scratched at his throat. Hot blood slicked his fingers as they pressed to the wound in his midriff, before snorting a dark chuckle at the futility of it.
His brother’s surviving minions had fled the scene when Connor went down, making a single push to extract him, but their enemy had been waiting for such an attempt. One thundering crack of the stolen rifle later, and Shaun dropped, the bullet smashing through centre mass. The bullet didn’t kill immediately, but Connor heard the man sucking desperately for air, choking and wailing for help in the thick smoke, crying like a baby for his mother. The remaining men had cleared out then, petrified of the demon sniper that had terrorised them.
No help was coming. Panic had erupted over the radio from their designated QRF as a second sniper assaulted them attempting to exit the house grounds. The relief force was not coming, and he had been abandoned by the men he was forced to lead into this expertly laid ambush. Even if their nurse was brought to the scene now, there
