Rebel Young

Part 13

I sat in stunned silence next to Jack on the hospital bed. Ethan. My brother, the boy I'd looked up to since I was young, was my... Enemy? This didn't make any sense. The Ethan I remembered was so noble, so selfless. What had happened to him after he joined the army? I could feel tears prickling my eyes and my body shook with the force of Jack's announcement.

"Are you okay April?" Jack asked, moving closer to my trembling body.

"I don't know," I whispered.

Lacey chose that exact moment to re-enter the room.

"I'm sorry April, but this is an urgent matter, you'll have to –" her words trailed off when she caught sight of Jack and I on the bed.

"You told her?" Lacey asked incredulously.

"She was going to find out eventually," Jack murmured, shifting a hand to cover my own.

"Well then, I guess I can tell both of you the news then," Lacey's brief flash of emotion disappeared.

"Our trackers have located the exact position of the enemy's current base. To infiltrate the facility we would need to send only a select few across the border. This will enable us to take out the commander in the least intrusive way possible," Lacey explained.

"And you're asking me to be one of your 'select few'?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yes. You're the most qualified field agent for the job," Lacey stated.

"Lacey, I explained this yesterday – I'm not taking on any missions unless April is by my side. She's our best chance to win this even if she doesn't have any training."

Jack's words were startling. He wanted to work with me? The girl who'd done nothing so far but get her family killed and her new comrade injured.

"Jack, I've explained this, we need April back here. Brodie would like to study her Talents, he won't be able to do that if she's in another territory," Lacey argued.

"She's not a test subject Lacey, we can't expect her to sit around all day and do stupid experiments like some sort of lab rat," Jack snapped.

"They are not stupid experiments Jack! They are an important part of our tactical research!" Lacey raised her voice.

"You know what else is great for research? Actually doing something for once instead of waiting around for a miracle from God to point us in the right direction!" Jack gestured wildly, his annoyance evident.

"If our research is of that little importance to you, maybe you should reconsider where you choose to work," Lacey's voice was razor-edged. "Talk to me again when you've re-evaluated your opinions and we may be able to discuss this issue some more."

She stood up and exited the room, leaving Jack fuming.

"That woman, I swear to god..." Jack grumbled, pressing his face to his hands in annoyance.

"Is it true Jack?" I asked, voice barely audible.

"Is what true?"

"Will you really only do missions if I'm with you?"

"Well, yeah, of course," Jack stumbled over his words. "You're brave and powerful and intelligent and -"

"Thank you," I cut him off mid-sentence, "Thank you for believing in me."

A few days later Jack was finally permitted to leave the hospital. A faint scar was left where his wound had been, but everything had healed without a problem. He'd calmed down after his argument with Lacey and the two were now back to discussing tactics.

"If we send the team in from this side," Lacey shifted an icon on the map, "They will only have to cross the river."

"That'll never work," Jack declined the idea, "See these mountains, they're heavily populated by bandits. A small group would never survive passage through the area."

"So that leaves here or here as entry points," Lacey circled the points on the map with red ink.

"That could work..." Jack pondered.

"Do any of the tunnel systems reach out that far? That could be another option," Lacey consulted a second map.

"All the tunnels that cross through borders have been filled in," Jack shook his head.

"Not all of them," I piped up from my vantage point next to the desk.

"What do you mean April?" Lacey inquired.

"There's the water-trade tunnel that's used for large shipments. The tunnel was drained and metals grates were put up, but it was too expensive to fill the tunnel. It's still open," I explained.

"The water-trade... Of course!" Lacey marked a few lines onto the map.

"The water-trade ran directly from city-to-city though. We don't want to go that far into enemy territory," Jack studied the map, his brow furrowed in concentration.

The planning had been like that for hours now. Every idea had a fatal fault that couldn't be looked over without severe consequences. Jack wasn't willing to take any chances. He intended to finish the mission with the same team he started with.

"Are any of the jets ready?" Jack asked.

"I'll have to ask Skylar or Felix, but the early prototypes should be finished soon," Lacey flipped through her notes.

"What jets?" I inquired.

"Our engineers Skylar and Felix have been busy working on a jet that uses electro-magnets to block radar signals – to digital technology, the jet doesn't exist," Lacey explained.

"Well, there's our solution." Jack victoriously stepped back from the desk.

"The completion date for the aircraft is still uncertain." Lacey scribbled a few notes onto a pad of paper.

"Good, it'll give me time to train the team." Jack raised an eyebrow in question.

"You've been planning this haven't you," Lacey returned Jack's expression.

"Is it that obvious?" Jack chuckled.

Lacey sighed, "Fine, you can train the team for this mission, but Freddie and I will evaluate them before you are dispatched."

"Well then, April," Jack clapped his hands together, "Looks like we've got some work to do."

"Why does that sentence scare me so much?" I asked.

"You'll be fine," Jack reassured, "I have nothing but faith in your abilities."