This Is War [sequel to So Cold]

14: Gateway to America

Laura’s POV

Our many attempts had failed miserably, much to my despair. The plans we had written on paper were now to be torn apart and thrown into the fire before me – that’s where they belonged. They were meant to be ashes. I could feel nothing throughout my body – my ability to feel anything had now vanished. I’m was a pile of bones and muscle. I felt as if I reached out and attempted to stroke the hot flames ahead of me that I wouldn’t feel the burn - the awful sensation of burning flesh. Because of me, because we were all taking our time and delicately avoiding the things we didn’t want to see, we killed innocent people.

This problem could have been easily avoidable. Our carelessness to escape the wrath of those men led us to this. They tracked us down, stole several of our people including Theo, and they killed many. We were the reason that those people were dead. We were the reason for the pain that their families would suffer.

Over two hundred people were killed from the major explosion at the airport, leaving over another three hundred injured. I wasn’t even sure if everyone in the group had made it out alive. I was only assured of Liam and Niall’s safety – everyone else had darted off into different directions as we evacuated the plane.

Now I was sitting at home in the backyard, tossing the written ideas and plans on paper into the dancing flames of the fire in front of me. They were no longer needed – they would be no help to us. Liam and Niall claimed that they would leave me alone as they prepared dinner in the kitchen. I could only assume that they made the excuse to let me sit alone and think about things – to ponder and imagine what could possibly happen next.

Liam and Harry really had gotten into some serious trouble with Carlisle. For that man to do something so blatantly obvious and to show the public that some sort of conflict among a small group of people was existent showed us that he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.

I felt Rori’s wet nose nudge against the back of my hand, asking for my attention. I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from the orange and yellow flames. I felt hypnotized, and my eyes were beginning to sting. Without ripping my attention away from the lively fire, I reached out and ran my hand over Rori’s head as she rested it upon my lap. Even she couldn't give me any comfort.

“Laura,” Niall called from the door, his feet shuffling against the back porch and scuffing against the small dirt path as he approached me. As his presence came near, Rori lifted her head off from my lap and whipped her tail to the sides, excitement rising within her at the sight of Niall.

Niall let out a small sigh, hovering a plate filled with food in front of me – specifically a lump of mashed potatoes and a burger on a bun with my favorite condimentss. After glancing up at him once, I tossed the last remaining paper into the fire and took the plate into my hands, resting it on my lap. After receiving the plate, Niall pulled Rori back and took a seat into a nearby chair set up about three feet away from mine.

After seating himself, Niall had Rori sit in front of him, scratching behind her ears and running his hands down her sides. He decides to remain quiet, not wanting to interrupt the peaceful fit of silence that we were currently bathing in. It was… peaceful. The soft crackle of the fire and the small jingling of Rori's dog tag where the only sounds flooding my ears until the back porch door creaked open again, signaling Liam's arrival outside.

After walking his way over in no rush, he took a seat in the last open seat beside Niall. He settled himself down into the chair, holding a plate of his own meal in his lap. His spoon scraped against his plate as he scooped up his mashed potatoes and shoveled them into his mouth in slow spoonfuls. He remained quiet, gazing at the fire as he savored his food.