Johanna Mason & The Rebel

Chapter 15 - Paralyzed

Johanna had mingled back with the crowd of people that were still antagonizing the peacekeepers. Her fellow victor had accepted the Head Peacekeeper's 'encouragement' to go back to the Victor's Village, but Johanna wasn't one to bend that easily. Whenever she positioned herself between the peacekeepers and the people, the peacekeepers were hesitant to shoot. They had been strictly instructed not to. It was paining the Head Peacekeeper to have to deal with a less than cooperative Victor, but he knew it wouldn't be for that much longer.

Eventually, the crowd started thinning itself out. Johanna stayed until she knew that every single person was safe-ish from the Head Peacekeeper. The Head Peacekeeper took a few menacing steps towards her, followed by a few of his men.

"This is over, you go back to your hidey-hole now. I will see to that you no longer get in the way."

He said in a harsh tone.

"I always find a way, just watch me."

Johanna responded cockily before turning her back to him and made her way towards the Victor's Village. As much as she had been kept busy by trying to maintain the crowd, she thought about Marshall, not knowing who he really was or where he came from, praying that he was waiting for her in that old, worn-down cabin.

Once she got the Victor's Village, she noticed that two peacekeepers would stay outside her house. It would make it difficult for her to sneak out, so she instead spent her time preparing a backpack with some food, warmer clothing, bandages and whatever else she thought Rorke would need. She had to think that he had made it, if he hadn't, she wouldn't know what to do. Hopefully, she had scared him enough to succeed.

She made sure to wait out the peacekeepers in front before leaving. They were guarding the gate of the Victor's Village, but Johanna knew how to sneak away when nobody was watching and did so successfully. Still, she would have to be careful walking through the forest in the middle of the night. As the peacekeepers didn't know about the secret cabin, Johanna didn't want to draw attention to herself and expose it.

She kept a wary eye around her and made sure to stopped every now and then to listen for unwanted company. Once she got to the cabin, she carefully knocked the door out of position and jumped inside, expecting to see Marshall slumped up on the old, springy bed. Except, when she turned around, there was no one there. She was all alone.

"That got out of ha-..."

She said to herself. Panic was starting to arise within her.

"Don't you dare to this to me, you idiot."

She said to herself as she dropped the bag and walked over to one of the windows, looking in the direction of where she thought he'd show up. She tried to get positive thoughts into her head. Perhaps he had to hide from the peacekeeper and was waiting them out. Maybe he was on the move right now, and if she just waited for a little while longer, he could show up. He had to show up.

"Get down on your knees, hands above your head!"

One of the peacekeepers called out as they caught up to Rorke. Rorke felt the edge behind him as his left foot was tipping over. Rorke did remain standing however as more peacekeepers came and aimed their guns at him. In the distance, he recognized the commander making his way to the scene.

"You have misplaced spirit. You are not getting out of this, and you know it. You either die falling down the hill behind you, or we put a bullet through your skull."

The commander said, removing his helmet. As Rorke was going to play tough, he also started to grow dizzy, and the wound in his shoulder was as painful as it had ever been now that the adrenaline from the running was wearing off. He was struggling to hold the gun properly as he looked at the peacekeepers around him, before glancing at the hill behind him.