The Sleeper Cells: A Terrorism Story

Chapter 17: Lindsey's Not Lindsey Anymore

The gunshot echoes through the night air. Bouncing through the cold trees. Maybe even making its way across the river. Kris, Kennedy, and I step away from Caspian's body, letting him fade into the darkness.

"Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason," I say.

"Sometimes you have to do the right thing for the right reason," Kris says, making Kennedy turn her head away from Caspian's dead body. "You guys have to protect yourself. This evil will always be in this world. The Caspians and the sleepers of the world will never go away. But you can fight it, and you can overcome it. Promise me you will fight that evil and pull the trigger if you have to."

Kennedy crosses her arms. The way she stands, it's a new level of confidence I haven't seen in her before. Her head held high, shoulders back.

"I will," she tells him.

"We both will," I announce.

Kris nods his head and opens his arms. There's a new side of everyone coming out. Brokenness leads to beautiful things sometimes. Sometimes those horrible things are hiding something...maybe something good in you.

"I'll take care of his body. Keep watch." Kris grabs Caspian's wrist and drags him off beyond the distant trees. It's the last time we'll see him. His death lifted a weight off of all of us. No more fighting. No more hostility from every angle we look at things. Caspian thought he always had this power of veto to do whatever he wants. He thought he could just run over us. We are not doormats, and I guess he knows that now.

Kris comes up to us, "the plan stays the same. We're waiting for another day. I'll take watch. Get some rest." He gives us a group hug—a long and needed hug.

"I've got it. There's no way I can sleep after that." It's true. I just stabbed someone and saved my uncle's life. Nothing's changed from when I first pulled the trigger. The same adrenaline runs through my blood. It's scary, but that adrenaline means I'm alive. It means we're doing something to stay alive. When I stop feeling that adrenaline is when I know the end is near, and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

"We've got it, Kris." Kennedy sits with me just like before, back to back. We wait and we hope. Mika, Owen, and Lindsey...please come back soon.

__________

The next morning passes quickly. I'm finally getting rest. I don't know if it's because Caspian is gone or what, but I feel like I am finally surrounded by people I trust. I suppose it's almost noon since the sun is right above us. The shade is sparse—barely enough to make a difference. And the temperature is hotter today than it has been in the last two weeks.

"There!" a familiar voice says from behind the distant trees.

"Thank God!" Mika screeches as she runs into Kris' arms.

They're back! They survived! Owen embraces me. His wet clothes still dripping from the river. Mika flops her wet hair behind her shoulders. It's truly a miracle they're here. They're desperate and have dealt with something—something horrible. Mika leans away from Kris' hug with a confused face. I think she noticed we've dealt with something, too.

"Where's...Caspian?" Mika lets his name gradually fall from her lips.

Owen drops his bag from his shoulder and flops it in the dirt, "is he?"

"He is. I killed him," I tell them.

Kris shoots me a look. Technically, I didn't kill him. But I want to take the responsibility. It's something I want to be able to say I was brave enough to do. "Ken and I were on watch and letting them sleep. Then, I looked over and there he was. Caspian had a gun at Kris' head and he was about to pull the trigger. I jumped up, grabbed my knife and stabbed him in the stomach. Caspian shot and barely missed Kris. Of course, Kris woke up and it was three on one. As you can see... Caspian isn't here."