Page 32 of The General’s Captive (The Rift #1)

P ain and anger.

That was all I felt. The sight of his face after he fell.

The defeat I saw there was like ten thousand lashes to my heart.

My tears just hadn’t stopped, not even when I was finally forced back into the container, not when I had Tiffany’s arms around me and not when I had fallen to the floor.

My cries of anguish merged with those around me coming from the others who also felt that same loss.

For their loved ones, for their friends…

For Riley.

But I refused to believe what they did, refused to believe he was dead.

Because they didn’t know what I knew. They didn’t know about The General.

That he would most likely use him as a tool to get me to do what he wanted.

And I would do it, just not in the way he thought I would. No, I needed to be smart about this.

But first, I owed it to everyone to get them back to safety and hopefully, that meant back to the base at Jerome. So, I wiped my tears and stood, letting my anger drive me to do what needed to be done.

“Michaels, did he make it?” I asked.

Our nurse Jenkins, had just finished cleaning up a little girl’s knee and she told me, “I saw him get on one of the freight cars a few ahead of this one after helping the others.”

That was good as it meant leaving someone trustworthy in charge. I then looked to Volkov who was clearly struggling with the loss of another friend, his head hanging down as he sat against the wall of the container.

“Volkov,” I called his name and the sight of those unshed tears clinging to his eyes nearly broke me again. So, I crouched down in front of him. “I’m going to get him back… one way or another,” I said softly, this last part telling him all he needed to know.

He nodded his head and reached for his radio already knowing what I needed after hearing me talk about Michaels.

“Officer Clavis here, Commander Michaels, do you copy? Over,” I said, hearing static for a few seconds before his voice came from the other end.

“Commander Michaels, here. Good to hear you made it Alex. Is Officer Brooks with you? Over.”

I swallowed hard before forcing the words out of my mouth.

“No, he… he gave his life for another. Over,” I said, unable to physically say anything more. Even though he would most likely take this for what everyone else would believe. That he was dead.

I refused to ever believe it, but Michaels would.

“Then… he died a hero. Over,” he said, his voice pained just like mine was.

The way he struggled caused fresh tears to fall, each one coated in frustration as I swiped at them angrily.

“Sir, we need to make a plan. I suggest stopping the train so we can talk, there are things you need to know. Over.”

“Roger that. I will meet you at the back of the train once I have it stopped. Over and Out.”

“What are you planning?” Tiff asked, making me swallow hard.

“What he would do for me,” I told her.

At this her eyes startled, before she started shaking her head while simultaneously pulling me further from the others, so they were out of earshot.

“Honey, he’s gone, so don’t go doing anything stupid here.”

I released an exasperated sigh and told her, “I don’t believe that.”

“He was surrounded by Myths; The General was there and…”

“The General wants me,” I interrupted quickly, deciding to take a chance in trusting her with this knowing that I needed an ally here.

The look of confusion was one I understood well enough, I too still didn’t fully understand it.

“How do you know that?” she hissed, her bright blue eyes wide and rimmed with unshed tears.

“It doesn’t matter how I know. The point is, he will use Riley to get to me.

You saw them at the end Tiff, the way his Myth’s saved us, well, they did the same at the base in Jerome.

It was the only reason the soldiers left there to fight managed to get away at the end,” I told her, shocking her enough that she rocked back on the ball of her foot.

“Is that true?” The disbelief in her tone was easy to hear.

“I saw it for myself, it was the only reason I survived,” I told her.

“So, what are you going to do?”

I released a sigh and answered. “I’m going to do exactly what he would. I’m going to save him.”

Before she could argue, we both felt the train slow to a stop which was my cue to get my ass off and speak with Michaels.

So, the second I was able, I jumped down, gritting my teeth against the pain in my hip, because running on it certainly hadn’t helped.

In fact, I was surprised when my leg didn’t just crumble under me.

I took a minute for it to pass, holding on to the train’s car as I breathed through the sharp pain, waiting for it to ease back into its usual ache. I would have to get some pain meds from Jenkins when this conversation was over, one that couldn’t wait.

So, with that in mind, I limped behind the last train car and waited for the Commander to arrive.

My eyes followed the empty tracks and I asked myself how far we had travelled.

I looked to the road that ran beside us, wishing, more than anything, to see Riley’s truck speeding this way. Just like it had done the day before.

foolish wish that would never happen.

“Alex,” Michaels said, the gash on his forehead telling me of how hard he had fought to aid those in getting to the train. He was a good man, and I was confident he would make the right decisions for these people.

“We need to get everyone to somewhere safe,” I told him, making him nod, his thoughts no doubt mirroring my own.

“What do you suggest?” he asked, folding his arms. The tears of his black shirt were stained with dried blood made me wonder whether he suffered any other injuries. But knowing that Jenkins would get to him soon, I focused back on the conversation at hand.

“I think we need to go back to the base.”

He released a concerned sigh and said my name.

“Alex…”

“Look, I know what you’re going to say, but I think there is a way to keep the Myths away, and that will give you all a chance to fix any of the defenses that were damaged.”

“I can’t help but notice you didn’t include yourself in this plan,” he pointed out, and I shook my head.

“Look, I can’t really explain, but just know that I discovered something, and I think it has the potential to tip the scales in our favor.”

The look he gave me was nothing short of skeptical before he relaxed his arms and let out a breath.

“You’re asking me to put a lot of trust in this.”

“I understand, but what other choice do we have? We can defend against one Myth, two, maybe three, but an army of them like before… there is no way,” I said, after flinging an arm out down the tracks in the direction we had just come from.

“Exactly, so what makes you think it won’t happen again?”

I paused, knowing this was another person I was going to have to trust.

“Alex?”

The sound of my name prompted me to take a chance, just like I had with Tiff.

“Because I can get us the protection we need, but I have to offer something in return, and I have something The General wants,” I admitted because like I said, I needed to give him something here and to say he was shocked was an understatement.

“The General? Alex, have you heard yourself? He is the enemy!”

I winced at this.

“Yes, but better the devil you know.”

“We don’t know, that’s my point,” he countered.

“Yes, but I do… Look, I can’t explain it all, you’re just going to have to trust me in this, we both know that these people will need more than sleeping on a train long term. They need a home, and it isn’t out there,” I said, pointing down the length of the train and to where we had been headed.

“Alex.” The sound of my name said in exasperation told me I was losing here.

“It’s the choice between a swift death that may never come or facing a slow death that will surely find them. After all, we both know, Commander, there is more than one way to die, and Myths have nothing to do with starvation or hyperthermia,” I pointed out, making his features harden.

“Look, I’m not suggesting us all going back there if it’s overrun, but at least wait for the scouts to come back. If it’s clear, we get these people back home,” I said, watching as he looked to where we had come from once more before his eyes slid back to mine.

“And if it’s not?”

“Then we take these people to the end of the tracks like Riley wanted. We find somewhere in Pocatello and start over,” I offered.

“But you don’t think it will come to that?” he asked, and I took this question as a good sign.

“No, I don’t. But we have a choice here, because if we go too far then there is no turning back,” I told him, and there must have been something in my eyes he trusted, as he looked back to the horrors we had just left behind and released a sigh.

“Then how do you suggest we play this?”

My relief was obvious as my tensed body finally relaxed.

“Does the train have the capability to reverse?”

“Yeah, it’s slow going, but Jim assured me it does,” he said, referring to the guy who had managed to get the train going.

“Then we go back just far enough so we can see if it’s clear.

Then a few of us go back to the yard and get to one of the squad cars.

Jerome is only about sixteen miles or so from here, which means the radios should be able to reach the base, or even if they are on their way back, they will pick up the signal.

Either way, it means waiting for them to arrive, so they aren’t left behind.

After that it’s your call but regardless I am leaving,” I reaffirmed what he already knew, and he gave me a nod.

“You’re going back for Riley, aren’t you?”

He already knew the answer to this, but I said it all the same.

“He would do the same for me.”

“And if he’s dead?” he asked, making me flinch.

“Then I will have my answer and won’t spend the rest of my life wondering if he is alive and whether or not I could have done anything to save him when I had the chance,” I answered.

“Then he is lucky to have you, and I hope you are right, so he gets the chance to realize it himself,” he replied, making me swallow hard, trying to keep the emotions down and stay strong.

“Thank you, Commander,” I replied, my voice thick and telling him all he needed to know.

“I should go and let them know the plan… we have a train to put in reverse,” he said, walking back toward the train cars when I reiterated,

“It’s our best shot at surviving this.”

“Let’s hope you’re right… for all our sakes,” he said over his shoulder, after pausing in his steps before leaving me to look back at the tracks and whisper,

“Me too.”