Page 84 of Freedom Fighters
Chapter Sixteen
The hurricane blew itself out seven hours later. The second half of the storm brought not just wind but driving rain and hail that thundered on the tin roof, making even simple thoughts difficult to hold on to. Just past midnight, the roof of the shed tore away with a shriek of metal. Torrential rain poured in on them. It was like being in a shower fully clothed. Garrett justtightened his arms around her and hung on. It was impossible to speak and be heard. Only touch was left to them, so Carmen clung to him without reserve.
The roof was not the only casualty. From beyond the sturdy concrete walls, more heavy objects tore themselves to shreds in the wind. No one dared to look out beyond the heavy steel doors.
Because there was no roof, no one failed to notice thearrival of dawn, which coincided with the wind dropping to a gusty breeze. The rain stopped and the thick clouds overhead turned to a white color.
There was too much cloud to see the sun emerge. When it was light enough, Duardo Peña and three of his men eased open the shed doors, their guns in their other hands, and reconnoitered the compound. Fifteen minutes later they returned and threw openthe doors.
Carmen was one of the first people to step through the doors. Her wet jeans and shirt chafed and she was stiff from sitting and lying on sopping concrete for hours. Her bones ached and her muscles throbbed.
The air outside was fresh and clean and normal. She sniffed, smelling the salt of the ocean. Seagulls cawed overhead and puddles were everywhere. She gasped, for she was lookingwhere the rest of the administrative buildingshadbeen. There was nothing left but concrete pads and stumps of plywood. The wreckage, most of it, had piled up against the wall of the smelter shed. She spotted more of it scattered across the open areas, where the wind or the waves had dumped it.
“Where are the Insurrectos?” she said aloud.
Duardo turned to look at her. “If they took shelterin the admin buildings…” He shook his head. “If they were smart, they ran to the cliffs, dug themselves a trench and sat in it, out of the way of flying debris and the water. We’ll sweep the island. They can’t get offLas Piedras Grandes.If any are left, we’ll find them.”
The general standing next to him bent and touched his toes then straightened his back with a groan. “I think I’ll help withthat,” he said. “Movement would be good. For all of us.”
“It’s so quiet,” someone said from close behind her. Carmen turned and saw Nemesis there.
“I don’t know your name,” she told him. “But I’ve figured out we’re cousins.”
Garrett snorted. “Another cousin,” he muttered.
Carmen hid her grin.
“Daniel,” Nemesis told her. “That’s something you should forget you know until the war is done.”
“Daniel Castellano,” she said, putting the two names together. “I have no idea who that is,” she added.
Daniel grinned. “You trained her well,” he told Garrett.
“Glad you think I had anything to do with training her at all,” Garrett said gruffly.
Carmen let herself smile this time. She couldn’t help it. She looked around the area. “It’s soquiet,” she breathed. “Andwhite,” she added, for thecloud overhead seemed to merge into the dull, washed out and flattened landscape. Wherever there was water, it reflected the white clouds. It felt as though the entire world was white.
The quiet was broken by the roar of a helicopter, broken into staccato echoes by the rotors. She clapped her hands over her ears and looked up. It was a big transport helicopter of the type she had seen in countlessnews items covering wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan. The Vistarian army didn’t use them.
Yet hanging out the door and waving was a familiar face.
“Nick!” she called, delighted. She waved, even though she knew he couldn’t possibly hear her and probably couldn’t see her either, from that height.
The helicopter turned its nose until it was broadside to the shed, then dropped down untilthe tires settled onto the muddy ground. The engine cut out and the rotors slowed.
Nick jumped down to the ground. “We have food!” he called out.
There was a wild cheer, some clapping and whistling.
Duardo turned to face his men. “Patrol units first!” he bellowed. “Take the food with you. I want the first units sweeping the island in the next five minutes. Go! Anyone injured goes next. Thenby cadre number!”
As the uniformed men got into line, Carmen stopped listening to Duardo’s orders. She tapped Garrett’s shoulder and beckoned him with her crooked finger, then hurried over to where Nick stood to one side. He spotted her and his smile warmed. “Carmen!” he said, sounding genuinely delighted.
Carmen threw her good arm around his neck and hugged him. The impulse came out of nowhere.Nick hugged her back. Hard.
Then he peeled her away from him and looked down at his damp shirt. “You’re wet,” he observed. “Was it bad?” He brought his hand up to her wounded shoulder, but didn’t touch it.
“Just wet and noisy, inside the smelter shed. I’m glad I was there and nowhere else on this island, last night,” she said soberly, glancing around.
