A War Story
Part 3
Howie and Justin ran swiftly threw the woods, dodging trees and made it to the safe house before an hour had passed. With each shot that ran threw the night they prayed it hadn't found its mark. As they walked up to the mill they were met by an armed guard, AJ.
"Howie, is that you?" he asked in shock.
"In the flesh" Howie replied.
"But�how?"
"Justin saved me" he told his friend with a smile.
AJ then noticed the tall young man standing next to him and he heart stopped "Justin" he whispered.
"Hi Alex, when I saw Howie get taken and marked for death I shot the executioner knowing Kevin would rep�"
"Kevin!"
Justin sighed "I knew Kevin couldn't kill Howie so after Kevin realized it was Howie we made our escape from the camp."
"Where is Kevin?" AJ asked pulling them both into the safe house.
"He diverted the troops sent after us. He said he's meet us here" Howie said softly.
"He'll make it D, I know he will" AJ said pulling him into a hug.
"I know Aje, I'm gonna go clean up" he said walking towards the back of the mill.
"Look, Alex�I know you hate me for leaving you�"
"Just stop Justin�I don't hate you, I never could. I just want to know why?" he said looking up into the blue oceans he loved so deeply.
"I was scared, I didn't want to die and joining the army seemed like a good way not to die. I didn't think things were as bad as they are. I learned how wrong I was in the army, the troops killed innocent people, and I don't know how they did it. Now Nick and Joey are dead and I can't do it any more. I want to stop this now, before we lose anyone else" Justin cried sitting down hard on the floor.
AJ knelt down next to him "Justin, we will stop this�and Joey, he�he didn't die" he said smiling slightly.
Justin looked up at him "He's alive?"
AJ nodded "We were able to get the bullet out and get him a blood transfusion, he's at the med center right now" he told the younger man.
Just then Aaron and JC ran up to the door "Aje, we need the stretcher. We found a wounded man, and you won't believe who it is�" Aaron said quickly.
"Kevin!" Justin said getting to his feet.
"Justin?" JC questioned.
"Questions later, right now lets get Kevin back here before he dies and Howie looses it" AJ said quickly grabbing a stretcher and following Aaron and JC. "Justin wait here" he told him.
A half hour later the rescue party returned, Justin ran up to them "Is he�" he trailed off.
"I'm fine, the bullets when clean threw" Kevin said hoarsely.
"We just need to get him cleaned up" JC told him.
"Kevin!" Howie cried running from the back of the mill "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked grabbing his hand.
"I'm fine love, I diverted them by going down river, I was hit by two bullets one in the shoulder the other grazed my side, neither one lodged so I'll be fine. Calm down D" he said softly.
"As soon as he's able to move we should vacate the mill" Justin said thoughtfully.
"Why?" Howie asked.
AJ nodded "He's right, the army will send out search and destroy parties within a 5�"
"10" Kevin put in.
"10 mile radius, so it's best we get out of this area as soon as possible" AJ finished.
The next morning at dawn the rebel party made there way from the mill up river to the next safe house. AJ and Justin scouting ahead, while Howie helped Kevin along and Aaron and JC covered the rear. "Howie, do you think we can win?" Kevin asked softly as they walked threw the dense forest.
Howie shrugged "I don't know, but I do know I'd rather die fighting for the way things use to be rather than live in this country now. There is no freedom, there is only chaos."
"I'm with you till the end Howie, I should have been from the beginning" Kevin said squeezing his hand.
"What did you mean last night when you said you protected me by joining the army?" he asked curiously.
"The Sergeant that came to inform me about being drafted told me that if I did not comply he had a squad awaiting orders to take you and my family and have them killed. I couldn't let that happen Howie, not to you, not to them, even thou it didn't matter" he sighed.
"Thank you Kevin, I love you" Howie whispered nuzzling his neck a little.
