Dawn of Rebellion (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 1) Read online

  “Time to go,” he whispers as he moves past me and out the door. I get to my feet and start moving. It is as if I am in a dream. My legs feel like I am walking on clouds. My body is moving forward but my mind is elsewhere and not in control of my movements. Here we go.

  Chapter 50

  Gabby

  Outside, the sun is beginning to set. I look to the West and the sky is blazing. Oranges and pinks streak across space as the sun sinks gloriously into darkness. It’s time. We are about to find out whether this dodgy plan will work or if we will be stuck here. I am standing outside the hut watching the sky when Lee and Dawn walk out. Dawn wears a strange look on her face but now is not the time to ask her about it. I just hope she can pull this escape off. I’m not worried about myself or even Lee, but Dawn is another story. She’s never been a very fast runner or very brave. I’ve always had to take care of her. Well, we have no other choice.

  The three of us stand still for a moment looking at each other. We begin to hear noises coming from the other side of the camp. People sound like they’re actually having fun for once. This must be Amanda’s doing. One step accomplished. I nod to Lee and Dawn and start off in the direction of our escape route. I’ve chosen a section of the fence that is far enough from the bonfire that no one will see us. It leads directly into a group of trees to provide us cover. Once we reach the other side we should be able to find our rendezvous spot to meet up with these people that are supposedly out there.

  As we near the fence, there is a faint humming. This is the first time I’ve been near a working part of the fence so I haven’t heard this before. I reach out to grab the fence but Dawn jerks my hand away roughly.

  “What the hell?” I ask her.

  “You hear that?” She must mean the humming. “That’s the electricity.” Dawn has always been smart but she’s never actually acted like she was. I’m kind of put off by the way she’s talking to me; as if I'm just some stupid git and not her sister.

  “I thought your friends were supposed to have that off by now,” I snap, more harshly than I had intended.

  “Be patient.” Lee’s low voice cuts through our bickering. Patience is not one of my strong suits. The sun has completely disappeared and has been replaced by utter darkness and still the electric humming persists. We wait and begin to worry that something has happened. The longer we wait here, the better the chance of being caught by one of the patrols. I don’t want to take that chance. I turn around and start walking. Dawn grabs my arm and refuses to let go.

  “They’ll get it done Gabs.” She’s very sure of these friends of hers.

  “Yeah? Before or after we get caught and thrown in the hot box?”

  “Don’t you dare…” She doesn’t get a chance to finish that sentence because the fence has stopped humming.

  “Come on!” Lee urges. I go first. I grab the bottom of the fence and swing myself underneath it. Dawn and Lee follow me. As soon as we are all through, we hear the humming start up again. Once we are on our feet once more, we take off running through the trees. I am suddenly reminded of Jeremy and the night he was caught. This patch of forest is very similar to the one leading to the beach and, once again, it is dark. I am able to avoid more of the rocks and roots on the ground this time. Lee is ahead of me and, much to my surprise; Dawn is next to me running at about the same speed.

  My legs begin to tire. I am still not fully recovered from the box and I am in pain. My lungs burn, bringing tears to my eyes but I keep pushing. I am relieved when Lee begins to slow.

  “Listen,” he says. “We’re not being followed.” Dawn and I jog the last few meters to catch up with him and then stop and look around. He’s right. If we were being followed we would see flashlights and hear barking but the forest is silent. Where are the patrols?

  “Okay, which way to the guys?” Dawn says as I say “What now?” We look at each other and stop talking. There is no way I am going to let my little sister take charge. Lee ignores us as he turns and starts walking in the direction that I’m hoping is the right one.

  Chapter 51

  Dawn

  Oh she makes me so mad. I am not the same pushover kid that Gabby left in London. I came all this way to save her and after everything I’ve been through, she is not going to order me around and take charge. I stalk off after Lee without a backward glance. After a few moments, I hear Gabby’s footsteps behind me. I can’t believe we’re still fighting when we’re running for our lives; typical.

  When we were running, the ground seemed much friendlier than it does now that we’ve slowed down. I constantly trip over tree roots, sticks, and rocks. I even run into a tree once or twice in the dark. The moon has risen but only rarely does its light break through the branches. In the dead of night, the world is silent except for the crunching of leaves and sticks underneath our feet. I catch up to Lee and break the silence.

  “We did it,” I whisper.

  “We still have a ways to go,” he says.

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do once we reach the guys. I mean, can we really go back to London after everything we’ve seen?” This worry has secretly been nagging at my heart. Lee stays quiet for a few moments before responding.

  “Don’t go back.” His bluntness makes me pause. This thought had been in the back of my mind for quite some time but staying here carries its own set of risks.

  No one says another word as we walk for what seems like hours. Finally, in the distance, we see two fires burning a few meters apart.

  “That’s it. That’s the signal.” I say this mainly to Gabby because Lee already knows. As we get closer, the three of us duck behind one of the larger trees surrounding the clearing. There are two figures near the fires but we need to make sure it is them.

  “Eagle!” Lee says, throwing his voice towards the clearing. The two figures come closer and one of them shouts,

  “Don’t you mean American eagle you fool?” Sam’s laugh sounds like the most musical thing I have heard in years. We step into the open and can now see their faces clearly. Sam is grinning from ear to ear and Drew looks relieved. The five of us stand there staring at each other until Gabby speaks up.

  “Drew?” she asks, stepping closer to the fire to get a better look. “You cheeky bastard.”

  “Hey Gabs,” he says. She immediately runs to him and throws her arms around his neck.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” she says before planting a kiss on his lips. Her back is to me as she continues to hug Drew but I can see his face clearly. Our eyes lock and I can’t tear myself away no matter how painful this feels. He continues to watch me as he has his arms around my sister.

  Catching me off guard, Sam runs up behind me, sweeps me off my feet, and spins me around and around.

  “Hey little lady! It’s damn good to see you!” he says. I can’t help wishing that I could feel his joy. I should be happier now that I have my sister back.

  Sam keeps spinning me in his arms and I hug him with all my strength. It sure feels good to be back with this man. He has become family to me, as has Lee, and I love him like a brother.

  Chapter 52

  Gabby

  I am shocked to find Drew waiting for us. He is standing there looking all model like. It’s amazing that he can look so good at a time like this. I’m sure I look like hell. No one is saying anything so I run to Drew and pull him into a hug. Without even thinking, I kiss him straight on the mouth. He looks surprised but I don’t know why. I mean, we were dating in London. I can’t believe he came all this way for me! His father must be furious after all the effort he put into sending me away. I’m not the same girl that was so infatuated with this boy though. I hope he’ll understand that.

  As I am hugging Drew I can’t help but think about Jeremy. Jeremy and I were nothing more than friends, brought together over his dying sister, but I picture his face every time I close my eyes. I push those thoughts down deep and release Drew. I look around and some man is spinning my sister and go
ofing off. I get a better look at him. Go Dawn, he’s hot! I always told my sister that all she needed was a man. He sets her back on her feet and they walk towards me.

  “Gabby this is Sam.” I go to shake his hand but he takes it one step further, wrapping me in a bear hug. I wiggle out of his embrace and look at our little band of outlaws. Two guys? When Dawn said she had people on the outside, I was picturing more than this. Shite. I guess we’ll have to make do.

  “This is where we’re spending the night.” Drew turns and starts walking closer to the fires and I catch up to him and loop my arm through his. Even if I don’t feel anything for this boy anymore, I sure did miss him. He immediately starts working to put one of the fires out by throwing dirt on it. Sam and Lee both go to help him while Dawn and I look on. Our eyes meet but it’s not the time for words.

  There is no shelter in the clearing, only the tree cover so we sleep partially under the stars. They are beautiful tonight. Not a cloud in the sky and the moon seems to grow brighter as the night wears on. Next to me, Dawn is fast asleep. Back in London, after we had long rows, I would watch her sleep. She always seemed so at peace in the world of dreams.

  Is it the exhaustion or the stress? There is something between us. We haven’t been getting along since Dawn got here. There is something very different about her. She is no longer that little sister that would do whatever I told her to. I look around as I hear someone tossing and turning on the ground. Drew sits up disoriented.

  “Can’t sleep?” I ask him.

  “It’s been a long couple of days,” he responds. I let the silence stretch between us for a few minutes before saying anything else. There is so much I want to ask him. How did they get here? Who are Sam and Lee? Why did he come? Dawn has seemed hesitant to tell me anything so I decide to try Drew. I start with something simple.

  “Mind if I ask you a question?” I say hesitantly.

  “You're going to ask me whether I mind it or not,” he says with a smirk. I smile. He knows me well.

  “How did you find my sister in London?” He tells me about his father telling him that I was gone and setting off to find my sister. He talks about sneaking on to a plane and then wandering through the wilderness. He tells me about the man that tried to kill them and the bear that chased after them. I wince as he describes Dawn getting hurt and Sam saving her life. I am amazed to hear about the Americans living in caves and how they took care of my sister. Drew talks of the journey to my camp which is supposedly located in a place called Floridaland. The last part of the story is about separating from Dawn and Lee and waiting for two days to find out if they were all right.

  As I listen to this incredible tale I watch Drew’s face. He tells the story as if it was the best time of his life. His eyes shine from unshed tears during parts and they light up during others. There is one expression that is reserved for the mention of Dawn. At first, I can’t quite guess what it is but then it hits me like a ton of bricks. Drew has fallen for my sister. I catch him glancing towards her sleeping form and the look he gives her is one I have never seen before.

  Knowing my sister, she has no clue. She would have brushed off any advances towards her. I don’t know if this is something I should talk to her about or something I should just let go. Drew was supposed to be mine, even though I don’t have feelings for him anymore. It feels like betrayal even though it’s not. Even if I were to forgive Dawn, Drew is not the right guy for her. He isn’t good enough. He's a slag but I was OK with that. Dawn deserves better. Oh man, what do I do?

  Drew’s tale has ended and he has finally fallen asleep. I guess I should get some shut eye because who knows what tomorrow brings. As I drift off, I can faintly hear Dawn mumbling in her sleep beside me as the rain begins to pour.

  Chapter 53

  Dawn

  Running through the house is usually fun but not today. The rain is pouring outside and the thunder shakes the walls every time it claps. Tonight, our home is a dodgy building on the edge of the east end of London. Mommy and daddy have been gone for two months. I count the days, hoping that mommy will come back to me. When daddy died, she just walked away and never came home. She didn’t even come back to clean up from the party. I wanted to wait at our old house for her to come back but my big sister Gabby said that they would split us up and take us to another family if they found us. I don’t know how mommy is going to come get us if she doesn’t know where we are.

  The water is pouring in from the outside and the floor has got all slippery. Gabby is running in front of me but she never lets go of my hand, not once. There is a man running after us. I think Gabby took his food. I haven’t eaten in two days and my tummy hurts so Gabby tried to feed me. He’s not too happy right now. The storm outside is so loud that I can barely hear the man screaming at us. I really don’t like storms; they’re too noisy. There are stairs in front of us and we run up them. I haven’t been up here yet, but there are more people. They watch us run by but no one helps.

  “Ouch Gabby!” I yell as Gabby yanks me into a closet. This must be the only closet in the east end that still has its door. We crouch down on the floor and huddle together. Now that we stopped running, I am getting scared. Tears start rolling down my face and I start to weep. Gabby is always telling me to be brave but I just can’t. I feel her slip her arm around me and kiss the top of my head.

  “Shhhh, little sis, don’t worry,” she whispers. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll always take care of you.”

  Distant thunder. I wake suddenly and sit straight up. It must be pretty early because I can see a tiny sliver of sun trying to rise through the storm clouds. I am surprised to be the only one awake because we are all damp from the occasional drops of rain that make their way through the tree cover. The fire has been reduced to a pile of glowing ashes.

  I should be used to sleeping on the ground by now but my back and neck are both driving me nuts.

  I get to my feet to stretch and walk around a bit. A few short months ago, a storm like this had me cowering in the corner. Now, I am able to see the beauty in it. It is like a wonderfully choreographed dance or a brilliant symphony. Things sure have changed.

  I find a much dryer spot under a large tree. There is no way I’m getting back to sleep. I would kill for a hot cuppa right about now.

  Thunder.

  Gabby wakes and seems surprised to find me watching the storm instead of hiding from it. She curls in next to me.

  “You sure have changed Dawn,” she says quietly as she takes my hand in hers. I don’t respond. “We always have fought a lot haven’t we?” At this admission I turn to look at her.

  “Everything we fought about back in London seems so small now doesn’t it?” We lean in to each other and I continue. “Our entire lives before the colonies seem so small.”

  “Yeah, they do,” she says wistfully. Silence stretches between us. We are both lost in our own thoughts. I think of our father but the time is not right. Should I tell her? No, not yet. But about Drew…

  “Hey Gabs?” I finally have the courage to ask the question that is killing me.

  “Yeah?” she responds.

  “Do you love Drew?” I look away, unable to face her. She doesn’t say anything right away and I can tell she’s considering her answer.

  “No, I don’t. Not like that if that’s what you mean. I never really did.”

  “Oh” Is all I can manage.

  “He’s in love with you Dawn.” This was the last thing I expected to hear from her.

  Shocked, I say, “don't be daft. Of course he isn’t.”

  “Dawn, I just spent most of the night talking to him. He told me everything you guys have been through together. I can tell you that he has never looked at me with the expression that was on his face when he was talking about you. He may not know it yet, but he’s into you.” If the past has taught me one thing, it’s that people always choose Gabby over me so I don’t know what to think when there’s a possibility of things going the other way.

/>   “Oh.”

  “Can you promise me something?” Gabby is starting to sound way too much like the big sister.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Be careful with him.” She doesn’t need to explain her warning because I understand all too well. I picture the classroom back in London. It took a lot for me to move past my dislike of Drew.

  “Yeah,” is all I say.

  Sensing that I don’t want to talk about this anymore Gabby gets up to give me some space. As she is walking away she stops and turns back to me.

  “Thank you for coming for me Dawn.” She turns back around and walks away without another word.

  I follow in Gabby’s footsteps a few minutes later. The rain has stopped and the rising sun has finally broken through. The boys are waking up. We need to decide our next move and get on the road. We have no food so breakfast takes no time at all. By now, my stomach has grown used to being empty and it rarely growls anymore. This probably isn’t a good thing but we’ll make do.

  Sam is already wide awake and in a lively conversation with Gabby. Those two are already becoming fast friends but that doesn’t surprise me. Sam has that magic touch with people. Lee and Drew are arguing about our next move as I walk up. I can’t look Drew in the eyes after my talk with Gabby early this morning.

  “We could go north and head back to the caves,” Drew is saying.

  “No way. We may eventually have people after us and I am not going to put Ma and everybody in that kind of danger,” Lee retorts.

  “Well, what about west? What’s out there?”