Better Days fic 6: In Love and War (1/1)
Series: Better Days
Fic 6: In Love and War (1/1)
Authors: X_Tremeroswellian and Did_It_Once
Rated: PG-13
Pairing: Eventual Jake/Heather. Also some Jake/Emily.
In Love and War
Jake sat hunched over on the gurney, staring between Gail and Emily, trying to decide which one would let him out of the medical center sooner. "I need to go to the station."
"As soon as Kenchy says it's okay," Gail said quietly.
"I can't wait that long!"
Emily stared at the floor, face pale.
He stood up slowly. "I'm leaving."
"Jake--"
"Gail, he's right," she said quietly. "Jonah has Heather. We
may not have much time."
Wrapping an arm around his middle, he tried to get up to a normal pace as he made his way to the door. "Take me to the station, Emily."
"All right," she said, leading the way.
"Jake, be careful," Gail whispered.
"I will, Mom," he turned back to her, kissing her on the cheek.
"Bring her home." Her voice was quiet as she gazed at him.
"I will. I promise," his voice left no room for doubt.
She nodded, managing a tight, worried smile as she watched them leave.
* * *
Heather looked around the compound as Jonah parked the truck. "Where are we?" she murmured.
"My compound," he answered, stepping out of the truck and walking around to the passenger side.
Heather's eyes darted to the driver's side and she quickly locked the door and slid into the seat he'd just vacated, dropping her head beneath the dashboard and fumbling to find the right wires.
Sighing, Jonah pulled his gun out and shot through the window just above her head.
She screamed instinctively, whacking her head on the steering wheel in an attempt to get away.
"You forced me to do that, Heather!" He yelled, walking back around to the driver's side and yanking the door open. "I don't want to hurt you. So don't do anything stupid."
She trembled, tears stinging her eyes as he pulled her from the truck. "What do you want with me?"
He gripped her arm tightly. "You're a bargaining chip now."
"What are you..." Her voice trailed off as she quickly put the pieces together. The color drained from her face.
He was going to sell her to New Bern.
* * *
Eric paced around the small room in the basement of the Hawkin's house, staring at the man he, Hawkins, and Gray now had in custody from the shooting. Glancing briefly at Hawkins, he turned his attention once more to the man. "Who sent you?"
The man simply smirked and remained utterly silent.
Hawkins stared at him intently, not shifting his gaze away.
Eric held his gun up, cocking it. "Talk."
The man shrugged. "Go ahead and kill me."
"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," he growled, turning away.
His smirk widened.
"But that doesn't mean he won't shoot you someplace that would cause a lot of pain." Hawkins' voice was calm.
Eric smirked, lowering the gun slightly.
Gray looked on, a little startled by Hawkins' words.
"Go to hell," the man said distantly.
"Big talker, huh?" Eric's voice lowered a notch. "Talk. Or I shoot."
"I'm not telling you a goddamn thing," he whispered.
He cocked the gun again and let off a shot, the bullet burying itself deep in the man's shin.
He screamed in pain.
Gray Anderson turned away.
* * *
"What are we doing here, Jake?" Emily asked uncertainly as she followed him into town hall and to his office at the sheriff's station.
"I have a radio."
"A radio..." Her voice trailed off. "Right. Of course."
Walking over, he clicked it on and grabbed the handset. "Jonah, this is Jake Green."
There was a moment of utter silence and Emily held her breath.
"Well, still alive and kicking I see. Glad to hear it, Jake," Jonah responded, smirk obvious in his voice.
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Jonah," he growled.
"Hmm...you wouldn't be talking about a pretty brunette, would you?"
He closed his eyes, easing himself into the chair with his good arm. "Dammit," he whispered, looking at Emily.
She shut her eyes, leaning heavily against the doorframe.
He took a breath. "What do you want from us?"
"What can you give me?"
"Whatever you want."
"Huh. Interesting," Jonah responded casually.
"We can give you food, clothing...fuel."
"I have all those things, Jake. Everyone has those things again now."
"Then what do you want?"
"I'll think about it." He clicked his radio off.
"Jonah!" He slammed the handset on the desk when all that came back was static. "Son of a bitch."
Emily raked a hand through her long blond hair. "It doesn't make sense."
He shook his head.
"I mean, he doesn't even know Heather."
"He wants something."
"Clearly, but what?" She shook her head.
He put a hand to his head. "That's a damn good question."
* * *
Heather had only been in the small room for an hour or so and she was already beginning to feel claustrophobic. Pacing the floor, she tried to focus on anything besides the fact that she was trapped and Jake may have been dead.
A few minutes later, Jonah walked into the room.
She stopped pacing abruptly, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
"I have news for you."
Fear made her stomach knot. "What is it?"
"Maybe you should sit down."
Her face paled. "Jake..."
"Sit."
Tears filled her eyes and she sank down onto the small cot in the corner, trembling.
"Most of the people from that crowd got out alive," he said.
"Most," she whispered, throat tightening.
"Emily made it out," he said, tone casual.
She shut her eyes, winding her arms around herself. At least there was one thing to be thankful for.
"Stanley...and his girl made it too. So did Gail Green."
Heather didn't respond, though she was thankful they were all right.
He paused for a moment. "Eric did too, in fact."
She couldn't stand it anymore. "Is Jake dead?"
"I'll be back with something for you to eat," he turned, ignoring her question.
"Please," she whispered, blue eyes begging him. "Please, tell me."
He said nothing, only walked back out of the room, locking the door behind him.
A sob escaped her and she turned to face the wall, curling into fetal position. Jake was dead.
* * *
Back in his office, Jonah sat back down at his desk and clicked on his radio, switching it over to another private station. "This is Jonah Prowse."
"I hear you have something I want."
"I might."
"Well, I'm prepared to pay a hefty price for that particular...merchandise."
"Such as?"
"I can supply you with as many mortars as you can handle. Other weapons, medicine. A place to trade goods and services wherever and whenever you want," Phil Constantino said.
Jonah raised an eyebrow. "Tempting."
"And whatever else my town can provide you with is yours, no questions asked."
"And no police patrol?"
"No police patrol," he confirmed.
"I'll think on it."
"All right. I'll be waiting to do business with you, Mr. Prowse."
* * *
Heather heard the door to the small room open again but she didn't bother looking up. She didn't care.
"Brought you some food."
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat."
She didn't move, nor did she respond.
"You don't eat, I don't give you information on Jericho."
She stared at the wall, eyes distant. "Why are you doing this?"
"Well..." He took a breath. "It keeps you from fighting."
Heather shook her head a little and slowly sat up. "Any of it. What do you get out of this whole thing?"
"What I need to protect myself."
She gazed at him. "If you had me over to Constantino and New Bern, they'll kill me."
"I know."
"You just don't care," she said quietly.
"I care about me and my men."
"What about your daughter?" Heather asked suddenly.
He paused. "Yeah, her too."
"She's not going to be very happy to know you handed one of her friends over to her biggest enemy."
He raised an eyebrow. "How do you two know each other?"
"Jericho's a small town. We're both teachers. When I moved there, Emily took me under her wing, introduced me to everyone." A faint, sad smile touched her lips as she remembered. "I was going to be her maid of honor," she murmured.
"That's nice..." He rubbed his chin. "Unfortunately her wedding isn't something I was invited to."
"Her wedding didn't happen," she informed him, looking away. "Roger was exiled by Gray Anderson."
"Yeah, I know...and then she got back with Jake."
Heather nodded very slightly and fell silent.
"They were cute together," he murmured.
"Romeo and Juliet," she murmured just as softly.
He nodded. "Yeah. Exactly."
"God. Poor Emily," she whispered, shutting her eyes and leaning back against the wall.
"Hmm yeah."
Heather slowly slid down the wall til she was sitting on the floor. Then she rested her head on her knees.
"Those two were so in love...I remember before Jake left," he walked up and down the length of the room. "Inseparable, in fact."
She shut her eyes and kept them shut, trying to ignore the searing pain in her heart telling her that it didn't matter because Jake was dead.
He stopped walking. "Well, eat up. I expect to talk to you soon."
"I'm not eating."
"Eat. You need to keep your strength up."
"For what? To die?"
"I never said I was going to sell you to New Bern."
"No. Just to the highest bidder." She lifted her head to look at him. "I'm not stupid. I know what's been going on out there. And I'd rather starve."
"Fine," he opened the door. "Don't think Jake will like that though."
With that, he was gone again.
Heather drew in a shuddering breath at the admission that Jake was still alive. If Jonah was telling the truth. Tears stung her eyes. "Please be okay," she whispered inaudibly.
* * *
Emily chewed her thumbnail nervously as Jake drove the truck down the back country roads. "He could be anywhere."
"This is Jonah," he said flatly. "He has nowhere else to be."
The radio suddenly crackled to life.
"Jake, you there?"
Jake grabbed the handset. "I'm here."
She watched the emotions flicker over his face as he tried to remain calm.
"Good. Just checking in."
"Have you thought about what you want?" He asked, struggling to keep his voice calm.
"Well, I've had some pretty good offers from other bidders," Jonah told him casually.
"Dammit Jonah, do *not* jerk me around."
"I'm just being honest, Jake."
Emily shut her eyes, gritting her teeth.
Jake was silent for a moment. "I'll give you a place where you can do your business. I'll make sure no one will bother you."
"I have that offer from another town, already."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"One gentleman in particular is quite eager to do business with me. I think you're familiar with him."
He closed his eyes for a moment. "Constantino."
Emily's face drained of all color and she reached out and took the radio from him. "Jonah, listen to me. Heather is my best friend." Her voice was strained--a combination of fear and rage.
"Friendships don't matter in this war. I'm sorry sweetheart."
"Like hell you are," she accused, gripping it even more tightly. She looked sideways at Jake, silently apologizing for what she was about to do. "You don't give a damn about me and you sure as hell won't give a damn about your grandchild."
The radio was silent for a moment. "Jake the father?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation, catching the startled look on Jake's face. She shook her head ever-so-slightly.
Jake relaxed a little.
"Way to go, Jake."
"I want Heather to be this baby's godmother. She's like a younger sister to me." She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "And I can't lose another sibling."
"I'm sorry Emily. I can't let her go."
"Do you care about me at all? Are you even the least bit sorry for anything that's happened?" Emily demanded.
"Yeah. I'm sorry that it's come to all of this," there was only a hint of regret in his voice.
"Then make it right. You have the power to do that now."
"I still need to watch out for my men."
Fed up, Jake took the radio back. "We'll give you weapons. Our tank. A safe place to do your business. You can't ask for anything more than that!"
"And if you give us Heather back....you'll have a standing invitation to my house. To see this baby. To see me. Whenever you want."
"I'll think on it," he clicked off his radio once more.
"Dammit," Emily whispered, turning away to stare out the window.
Jake through the hand set down to the floor, stomping on the gas. "Bastard."
"We'll find them, Jake."
"Yeah," renewed determination flooded through him. "We will."
"Go to the compound," she said suddenly.
"You think he's there?"
"I think it's obvious. Too obvious. And that's *why* he's there."
He nodded. "You're right."
Emily gazed out the windshield as he turned the truck down a side road and stepped on the gas pedal.
As they made their way closer to the compound, the only thought running through Jake's head was: 'Please, God, let her be alright.'
* * *
Heather had returned to the cot, her back to the door as she lay curled up, eyes closed tightly.
Suddenly, the faint sounds of a scuffle drifted into her room. A few minutes later, the door all but burst open and Jake stepped in.
She jerked up, frightened of what might be about to happen. Had Jonah let Constantino in to come and get her and take her back to New Bern? But when she looked fearfully toward the door and saw Jake instead, she stared at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Jake?"
He nodded, crossing the room in two strides and grabbing her in a tight one-armed hug. "Heather."
She buried her face against his neck. "I thought you were dead."
"I'm right here," he murmured.
"What about--"
He pulled away and motioned to the door where Emily and Jonah walked in. She had her gun trained steadily on her father.
Heather slowly pulled away from Jake, swallowing hard.
"This is a bad move, Jake," Jonah warned.
Jake glared at him. "I don't care."
"Shut up," Emily ordered her father. She glanced at her best friend. "Are you all right?"
She nodded slightly, her face still pale. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Jake studied her closely. "Are you sure?:
"I'm all right," she whispered, ducking her head.
"Then let's get out of here," Emily said quietly, nodding slightly toward the door.
"Good idea," he took Heather's hand in his and began to lead her out of the room.
"You sure you wanna do this, Em?" Jonah's voice was quiet and he turned to look at her. "She's in love with him you know," he said as the two left the room.
A tear slipped down her cheek. "I know."
"I could get rid of her for you."
"She's my best friend."
"All's fair in love and war, Emily." His voice was even.
She didn't answer him. Dropping her arm to her side, she walked out of the room and closed the door, locking Jonah within.
* * *
The ride back to Jericho was quiet, tense. Heather sat in the passenger seat, and Jake in the driver's seat with Emily between them. She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, resting her head against the window and shutting her eyes.
Jake glanced at Emily, expression worried.
"Did he hurt you?" Emily's voice was soft as she looked at Heather sideways.
Jake stayed silent, listening intently.
"No. I'm fine," Heather said very softly.
"We'll go back to my place and you can have a hot bath," he said quietly.
"Is your mom all right? And Eric? And Stanley?" Her voice wavered just a little.
"They're fine," he assured.
So Jonah hadn't been lying. She exhaled again, slowly and opened her eyes to gaze out the window.
"Major Beck..." He trailed off. "He's not so alright though."
Heather turned her head to look at him, her eyes sad.
"But he's gonna be okay. He has to be."
She couldn't tell whether Jake believed what he was saying or not. She hoped so. "What the hell happened out there?" she whispered. "Why would New Bern try to kill Major Beck? Or the president?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
"It doesn't make sense," Emily said, gazing out the windshield.
Heather sat back in her seat and watched as familiar landmarks began to crop up: the Wheaton farm, the Jenkins' place. She swallowed hard and blinked back the tears she felt building. She wasn't going to cry. Not now.
* * *
Heather only made it as far as the porch before she was engulfed in a hug from a worried Gail Green.
"Oh sweetheart, thank God you're home."
She closed her eyes, hugging Gail in return. "Thanks, Mrs. Green."
Pulling away, she motioned to the house. "Come in, I'll make you some tea."
She smiled faintly and followed her into the house, Jake and Emily trailing behind them.
"Maybe Heather'll keep her busy for a while," Jake muttered.
"I think that's a good guess," Emily said just as quietly, glancing at him sideways.
"Think I'm gonna head back to the station. Damage control."
"Jake." She lay a hand on his arm.
He glanced at her. "Yeah?"
"We need to talk soon."
He nodded. "Tonight?"
Emily nodded a little. "Tonight."
He kissed her lightly on the cheek and headed slowly back to the truck.
She watched him go, her eyes filled with emotions. Then she turned and headed slowly into the house to check on her friend.
***
When Jake got to the station, he frowned when he caught sight of his brother. "Eric? Did you find something?"
Eric looked at him, surprise registering on his face. "Are you all right? I thought you'd still be in the hospital."
"I'm fine. Had to go...take care of some things anyway."
He glanced around, then moved closer to Jake. "We caught one of the men from New Bern, but he won't talk."
"Take me to him."
Nodding a little, he led Jake down the corridor toward the holding cells. Hawkins was still there, though he'd stopped the interrogation nearly two hours before. He was simply staring at the man with an intensity that would have freaked most people out.
Jake studied the man in the cell for a moment. His eyes then went wide with realization. "He's not from New Bern."
Hawkins slowly turned to look at him, unasked questions reflected in his eyes.
"He's from Ravenwood," His voice became low, dark.
Fic 6: In Love and War (1/1)
Authors: X_Tremeroswellian and Did_It_Once
Rated: PG-13
Pairing: Eventual Jake/Heather. Also some Jake/Emily.
In Love and War
Jake sat hunched over on the gurney, staring between Gail and Emily, trying to decide which one would let him out of the medical center sooner. "I need to go to the station."
"As soon as Kenchy says it's okay," Gail said quietly.
"I can't wait that long!"
Emily stared at the floor, face pale.
He stood up slowly. "I'm leaving."
"Jake--"
"Gail, he's right," she said quietly. "Jonah has Heather. We
may not have much time."
Wrapping an arm around his middle, he tried to get up to a normal pace as he made his way to the door. "Take me to the station, Emily."
"All right," she said, leading the way.
"Jake, be careful," Gail whispered.
"I will, Mom," he turned back to her, kissing her on the cheek.
"Bring her home." Her voice was quiet as she gazed at him.
"I will. I promise," his voice left no room for doubt.
She nodded, managing a tight, worried smile as she watched them leave.
* * *
Heather looked around the compound as Jonah parked the truck. "Where are we?" she murmured.
"My compound," he answered, stepping out of the truck and walking around to the passenger side.
Heather's eyes darted to the driver's side and she quickly locked the door and slid into the seat he'd just vacated, dropping her head beneath the dashboard and fumbling to find the right wires.
Sighing, Jonah pulled his gun out and shot through the window just above her head.
She screamed instinctively, whacking her head on the steering wheel in an attempt to get away.
"You forced me to do that, Heather!" He yelled, walking back around to the driver's side and yanking the door open. "I don't want to hurt you. So don't do anything stupid."
She trembled, tears stinging her eyes as he pulled her from the truck. "What do you want with me?"
He gripped her arm tightly. "You're a bargaining chip now."
"What are you..." Her voice trailed off as she quickly put the pieces together. The color drained from her face.
He was going to sell her to New Bern.
* * *
Eric paced around the small room in the basement of the Hawkin's house, staring at the man he, Hawkins, and Gray now had in custody from the shooting. Glancing briefly at Hawkins, he turned his attention once more to the man. "Who sent you?"
The man simply smirked and remained utterly silent.
Hawkins stared at him intently, not shifting his gaze away.
Eric held his gun up, cocking it. "Talk."
The man shrugged. "Go ahead and kill me."
"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," he growled, turning away.
His smirk widened.
"But that doesn't mean he won't shoot you someplace that would cause a lot of pain." Hawkins' voice was calm.
Eric smirked, lowering the gun slightly.
Gray looked on, a little startled by Hawkins' words.
"Go to hell," the man said distantly.
"Big talker, huh?" Eric's voice lowered a notch. "Talk. Or I shoot."
"I'm not telling you a goddamn thing," he whispered.
He cocked the gun again and let off a shot, the bullet burying itself deep in the man's shin.
He screamed in pain.
Gray Anderson turned away.
* * *
"What are we doing here, Jake?" Emily asked uncertainly as she followed him into town hall and to his office at the sheriff's station.
"I have a radio."
"A radio..." Her voice trailed off. "Right. Of course."
Walking over, he clicked it on and grabbed the handset. "Jonah, this is Jake Green."
There was a moment of utter silence and Emily held her breath.
"Well, still alive and kicking I see. Glad to hear it, Jake," Jonah responded, smirk obvious in his voice.
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Jonah," he growled.
"Hmm...you wouldn't be talking about a pretty brunette, would you?"
He closed his eyes, easing himself into the chair with his good arm. "Dammit," he whispered, looking at Emily.
She shut her eyes, leaning heavily against the doorframe.
He took a breath. "What do you want from us?"
"What can you give me?"
"Whatever you want."
"Huh. Interesting," Jonah responded casually.
"We can give you food, clothing...fuel."
"I have all those things, Jake. Everyone has those things again now."
"Then what do you want?"
"I'll think about it." He clicked his radio off.
"Jonah!" He slammed the handset on the desk when all that came back was static. "Son of a bitch."
Emily raked a hand through her long blond hair. "It doesn't make sense."
He shook his head.
"I mean, he doesn't even know Heather."
"He wants something."
"Clearly, but what?" She shook her head.
He put a hand to his head. "That's a damn good question."
* * *
Heather had only been in the small room for an hour or so and she was already beginning to feel claustrophobic. Pacing the floor, she tried to focus on anything besides the fact that she was trapped and Jake may have been dead.
A few minutes later, Jonah walked into the room.
She stopped pacing abruptly, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
"I have news for you."
Fear made her stomach knot. "What is it?"
"Maybe you should sit down."
Her face paled. "Jake..."
"Sit."
Tears filled her eyes and she sank down onto the small cot in the corner, trembling.
"Most of the people from that crowd got out alive," he said.
"Most," she whispered, throat tightening.
"Emily made it out," he said, tone casual.
She shut her eyes, winding her arms around herself. At least there was one thing to be thankful for.
"Stanley...and his girl made it too. So did Gail Green."
Heather didn't respond, though she was thankful they were all right.
He paused for a moment. "Eric did too, in fact."
She couldn't stand it anymore. "Is Jake dead?"
"I'll be back with something for you to eat," he turned, ignoring her question.
"Please," she whispered, blue eyes begging him. "Please, tell me."
He said nothing, only walked back out of the room, locking the door behind him.
A sob escaped her and she turned to face the wall, curling into fetal position. Jake was dead.
* * *
Back in his office, Jonah sat back down at his desk and clicked on his radio, switching it over to another private station. "This is Jonah Prowse."
"I hear you have something I want."
"I might."
"Well, I'm prepared to pay a hefty price for that particular...merchandise."
"Such as?"
"I can supply you with as many mortars as you can handle. Other weapons, medicine. A place to trade goods and services wherever and whenever you want," Phil Constantino said.
Jonah raised an eyebrow. "Tempting."
"And whatever else my town can provide you with is yours, no questions asked."
"And no police patrol?"
"No police patrol," he confirmed.
"I'll think on it."
"All right. I'll be waiting to do business with you, Mr. Prowse."
* * *
Heather heard the door to the small room open again but she didn't bother looking up. She didn't care.
"Brought you some food."
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat."
She didn't move, nor did she respond.
"You don't eat, I don't give you information on Jericho."
She stared at the wall, eyes distant. "Why are you doing this?"
"Well..." He took a breath. "It keeps you from fighting."
Heather shook her head a little and slowly sat up. "Any of it. What do you get out of this whole thing?"
"What I need to protect myself."
She gazed at him. "If you had me over to Constantino and New Bern, they'll kill me."
"I know."
"You just don't care," she said quietly.
"I care about me and my men."
"What about your daughter?" Heather asked suddenly.
He paused. "Yeah, her too."
"She's not going to be very happy to know you handed one of her friends over to her biggest enemy."
He raised an eyebrow. "How do you two know each other?"
"Jericho's a small town. We're both teachers. When I moved there, Emily took me under her wing, introduced me to everyone." A faint, sad smile touched her lips as she remembered. "I was going to be her maid of honor," she murmured.
"That's nice..." He rubbed his chin. "Unfortunately her wedding isn't something I was invited to."
"Her wedding didn't happen," she informed him, looking away. "Roger was exiled by Gray Anderson."
"Yeah, I know...and then she got back with Jake."
Heather nodded very slightly and fell silent.
"They were cute together," he murmured.
"Romeo and Juliet," she murmured just as softly.
He nodded. "Yeah. Exactly."
"God. Poor Emily," she whispered, shutting her eyes and leaning back against the wall.
"Hmm yeah."
Heather slowly slid down the wall til she was sitting on the floor. Then she rested her head on her knees.
"Those two were so in love...I remember before Jake left," he walked up and down the length of the room. "Inseparable, in fact."
She shut her eyes and kept them shut, trying to ignore the searing pain in her heart telling her that it didn't matter because Jake was dead.
He stopped walking. "Well, eat up. I expect to talk to you soon."
"I'm not eating."
"Eat. You need to keep your strength up."
"For what? To die?"
"I never said I was going to sell you to New Bern."
"No. Just to the highest bidder." She lifted her head to look at him. "I'm not stupid. I know what's been going on out there. And I'd rather starve."
"Fine," he opened the door. "Don't think Jake will like that though."
With that, he was gone again.
Heather drew in a shuddering breath at the admission that Jake was still alive. If Jonah was telling the truth. Tears stung her eyes. "Please be okay," she whispered inaudibly.
* * *
Emily chewed her thumbnail nervously as Jake drove the truck down the back country roads. "He could be anywhere."
"This is Jonah," he said flatly. "He has nowhere else to be."
The radio suddenly crackled to life.
"Jake, you there?"
Jake grabbed the handset. "I'm here."
She watched the emotions flicker over his face as he tried to remain calm.
"Good. Just checking in."
"Have you thought about what you want?" He asked, struggling to keep his voice calm.
"Well, I've had some pretty good offers from other bidders," Jonah told him casually.
"Dammit Jonah, do *not* jerk me around."
"I'm just being honest, Jake."
Emily shut her eyes, gritting her teeth.
Jake was silent for a moment. "I'll give you a place where you can do your business. I'll make sure no one will bother you."
"I have that offer from another town, already."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"One gentleman in particular is quite eager to do business with me. I think you're familiar with him."
He closed his eyes for a moment. "Constantino."
Emily's face drained of all color and she reached out and took the radio from him. "Jonah, listen to me. Heather is my best friend." Her voice was strained--a combination of fear and rage.
"Friendships don't matter in this war. I'm sorry sweetheart."
"Like hell you are," she accused, gripping it even more tightly. She looked sideways at Jake, silently apologizing for what she was about to do. "You don't give a damn about me and you sure as hell won't give a damn about your grandchild."
The radio was silent for a moment. "Jake the father?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation, catching the startled look on Jake's face. She shook her head ever-so-slightly.
Jake relaxed a little.
"Way to go, Jake."
"I want Heather to be this baby's godmother. She's like a younger sister to me." She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "And I can't lose another sibling."
"I'm sorry Emily. I can't let her go."
"Do you care about me at all? Are you even the least bit sorry for anything that's happened?" Emily demanded.
"Yeah. I'm sorry that it's come to all of this," there was only a hint of regret in his voice.
"Then make it right. You have the power to do that now."
"I still need to watch out for my men."
Fed up, Jake took the radio back. "We'll give you weapons. Our tank. A safe place to do your business. You can't ask for anything more than that!"
"And if you give us Heather back....you'll have a standing invitation to my house. To see this baby. To see me. Whenever you want."
"I'll think on it," he clicked off his radio once more.
"Dammit," Emily whispered, turning away to stare out the window.
Jake through the hand set down to the floor, stomping on the gas. "Bastard."
"We'll find them, Jake."
"Yeah," renewed determination flooded through him. "We will."
"Go to the compound," she said suddenly.
"You think he's there?"
"I think it's obvious. Too obvious. And that's *why* he's there."
He nodded. "You're right."
Emily gazed out the windshield as he turned the truck down a side road and stepped on the gas pedal.
As they made their way closer to the compound, the only thought running through Jake's head was: 'Please, God, let her be alright.'
* * *
Heather had returned to the cot, her back to the door as she lay curled up, eyes closed tightly.
Suddenly, the faint sounds of a scuffle drifted into her room. A few minutes later, the door all but burst open and Jake stepped in.
She jerked up, frightened of what might be about to happen. Had Jonah let Constantino in to come and get her and take her back to New Bern? But when she looked fearfully toward the door and saw Jake instead, she stared at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Jake?"
He nodded, crossing the room in two strides and grabbing her in a tight one-armed hug. "Heather."
She buried her face against his neck. "I thought you were dead."
"I'm right here," he murmured.
"What about--"
He pulled away and motioned to the door where Emily and Jonah walked in. She had her gun trained steadily on her father.
Heather slowly pulled away from Jake, swallowing hard.
"This is a bad move, Jake," Jonah warned.
Jake glared at him. "I don't care."
"Shut up," Emily ordered her father. She glanced at her best friend. "Are you all right?"
She nodded slightly, her face still pale. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Jake studied her closely. "Are you sure?:
"I'm all right," she whispered, ducking her head.
"Then let's get out of here," Emily said quietly, nodding slightly toward the door.
"Good idea," he took Heather's hand in his and began to lead her out of the room.
"You sure you wanna do this, Em?" Jonah's voice was quiet and he turned to look at her. "She's in love with him you know," he said as the two left the room.
A tear slipped down her cheek. "I know."
"I could get rid of her for you."
"She's my best friend."
"All's fair in love and war, Emily." His voice was even.
She didn't answer him. Dropping her arm to her side, she walked out of the room and closed the door, locking Jonah within.
* * *
The ride back to Jericho was quiet, tense. Heather sat in the passenger seat, and Jake in the driver's seat with Emily between them. She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, resting her head against the window and shutting her eyes.
Jake glanced at Emily, expression worried.
"Did he hurt you?" Emily's voice was soft as she looked at Heather sideways.
Jake stayed silent, listening intently.
"No. I'm fine," Heather said very softly.
"We'll go back to my place and you can have a hot bath," he said quietly.
"Is your mom all right? And Eric? And Stanley?" Her voice wavered just a little.
"They're fine," he assured.
So Jonah hadn't been lying. She exhaled again, slowly and opened her eyes to gaze out the window.
"Major Beck..." He trailed off. "He's not so alright though."
Heather turned her head to look at him, her eyes sad.
"But he's gonna be okay. He has to be."
She couldn't tell whether Jake believed what he was saying or not. She hoped so. "What the hell happened out there?" she whispered. "Why would New Bern try to kill Major Beck? Or the president?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
"It doesn't make sense," Emily said, gazing out the windshield.
Heather sat back in her seat and watched as familiar landmarks began to crop up: the Wheaton farm, the Jenkins' place. She swallowed hard and blinked back the tears she felt building. She wasn't going to cry. Not now.
* * *
Heather only made it as far as the porch before she was engulfed in a hug from a worried Gail Green.
"Oh sweetheart, thank God you're home."
She closed her eyes, hugging Gail in return. "Thanks, Mrs. Green."
Pulling away, she motioned to the house. "Come in, I'll make you some tea."
She smiled faintly and followed her into the house, Jake and Emily trailing behind them.
"Maybe Heather'll keep her busy for a while," Jake muttered.
"I think that's a good guess," Emily said just as quietly, glancing at him sideways.
"Think I'm gonna head back to the station. Damage control."
"Jake." She lay a hand on his arm.
He glanced at her. "Yeah?"
"We need to talk soon."
He nodded. "Tonight?"
Emily nodded a little. "Tonight."
He kissed her lightly on the cheek and headed slowly back to the truck.
She watched him go, her eyes filled with emotions. Then she turned and headed slowly into the house to check on her friend.
***
When Jake got to the station, he frowned when he caught sight of his brother. "Eric? Did you find something?"
Eric looked at him, surprise registering on his face. "Are you all right? I thought you'd still be in the hospital."
"I'm fine. Had to go...take care of some things anyway."
He glanced around, then moved closer to Jake. "We caught one of the men from New Bern, but he won't talk."
"Take me to him."
Nodding a little, he led Jake down the corridor toward the holding cells. Hawkins was still there, though he'd stopped the interrogation nearly two hours before. He was simply staring at the man with an intensity that would have freaked most people out.
Jake studied the man in the cell for a moment. His eyes then went wide with realization. "He's not from New Bern."
Hawkins slowly turned to look at him, unasked questions reflected in his eyes.
"He's from Ravenwood," His voice became low, dark.