Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of a Thing of Happiness [Completed]

Act I, Scene VII

"When I call your name, say 'here'," Dockle announced. A couple of the men nodded weakly.

"Baker?"

"Here." A small, blonde man in front of me raised his hand.

"Brooks?"

"Here." This came from a tall man in the back with black hair.

"Cox?"

"Here." Cox was short and thin, with longer-than-regulation light brown hair.

"Dockle?" His voiced cracked slightly.

Silence.

"Is Dockle here?" he repeated loudly.

"I'm here," a voice whispered from the back. Dockle let out an audible sigh.

"Edwards?"

"Here." His voice came from the back, too, but I couldn't see him.

"Fleming?" I held my breath.

"I'm here," said my father's voice. I let out a quiet whimper, searching for where his voice came from.

Dad.

"King?"

"Here." He was somewhere in the back with Edwards.

"Lee?"

"Dead," said the man I recognized as Cox.

"Thompson?"

"Here." A dark-skinned man with a deep voice raised two fingers.

"Torres?"

"Also dead," announced Cox.

"Watson?"

"Here." Watson was pale and buff, with a shock of red hair even more vivid than Louis's.

"Williams?"

"Here." Williams was also in the back, out of my line of sight.

Dockle came over to me. "Ten out of twelve survived," he breathed in my ear.

"Let's keep it at that," I responded. Dockle nodded and turned back to the group.

"All right. We need to get out of here as quickly and quietly as possible. If someone can't walk, carry them."

I stepped out of the carrier and helped the others out. As each one walked by, I studied their dirty faces, trying to look for my father.

"Are you Captain Fleming?" I asked one of them. He shook his head no. I sighed.

"Do you know where he is, then?"

"Back there somewhere."

Gee, thanks, buddy. I didn't even think about that.

"Are you Captain Fleming?" I asked the next guy.

No.

"Are you Captain Fleming?"

No.

"Are you Captain Fleming?"

No.

A man limped his way up to the front. He looked weary. "My name is Captain Fleming. I heard you were looking for me." He ran his hand through his hair, knocking out some of the dust and revealing blonde hair.

I burst into tears. It was him.

"It's me, Dad!" I sobbed. The man's eyes widened.

"Iliana?" he asked disbelievingly. I nodded and sobbed harder. He drew me into a hug.
"Oh, baby," he said, smoothing my hair. I pulled back and wiped the mud off of his face and the dirt out of his hair.

"Let's go home, Dad."

Let's go home.

With my dad's arm wrapped around my shoulder, we filed out of the basement. I glanced over at Dockle who was hugging a small boy. Dockle was grinning so hard I thought his face was going to split open. When I reached the top, Allen held a finger to his lips. I turned around and repeated the motion. The men behind me nodded weakly. One by one, they snuck out of the house through the back door, which Nolan had pried open. Tiller led them and showed them to the car we had positioned for a clean getaway. Nolan and Allen followed closely behind. Soon, only Dockle, Dad and I were left.

"Wait," I said, suddenly coming to a realization. "What about Patrick and Louis? They don't know we're leaving!"

Dockle turned white. "Oh shit, you're right." He glanced around. "I'll go get them. You go."

I shook my head. "Hell, no. I'm going with you."

"No. You are going to get to safety."

"I agree with him," Dad interjected. "Let's get out of here, Iliana."

I slid out from under his arm. "You go," I said. "Go with your men, Dad. I need to go back and get mine." I sprinted off.

"Iliana, no!" Dad hissed.

Before I could go up the stairs, the Saudi farmer appeared out of nowhere. I froze.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out.