The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 60 - Lie in the Bed You Make

AUTHOR'S NOTE (01 Apr 2022):

Thanks in advance, readers, for taking a look at this next installment of my soldier story!

Chapter 60 - Lie in the Bed You Make

Sam sat in the wagon box by herself, behind the bench seat where Skylor would soon sit. She waited for Skylor and Jules to bring Jake out of the cottage. Skylor had already brought out his uniform jacket and his boots to the wagon. She and Jules planned to return the jacket to him at some point on their journey, and to give him back his boots and empty gun belt when they kicked him out of the wagon, but for now they needed him to feel cold enough so that he would be willing to cooperate with them. Besides their guns, they had no other good way to restrain him.

Soon the cottage door opened, and Skylor exited, walking backward and pointing her gun at the bare-footed Jake, the next one to exit. He was dressed in his uniform pants and shirt, and his hands were in the air. Sam knew that Jake's gun was currently located in the pocket of Skylor's cloak.

Jules was the last one out the door. His gun was planted between Jake's shoulder blades.

They reached the wagon and Jake looked in at Sam.

"What the deuce! I know you imbeciles consider this woman and me to be inconsequential victims in this kidnapping scheme you've conjured up, but she's carrying a child, and you're taking us on a journey to some undoubtedly wretched place with only a few blankets to keep her warm! Tsk tsk. She needs her cloak and shoes, and I know where they are. I stuffed them in the rafters of the stable."

Skylor and Jules looked at each other, wordlessly sharing their annoyance with Jake. "You all stay here. I'll get them," Skylor announced.

Jake guffawed. "My dear Skylor, you aren't tall enough to reach that high, and besides that, you can't climb stall railings in a dress. Either I or this...gentleman will have to retrieve her things."

"Fine," Skylor huffed. "The three of us will go to the stable."

The redhead was starting to feel anxious about the increasing length of time that had passed since she and Jules had arrived at the cottage, but she knew Sam would be better off with proper outerwear, so the couple and their hostage proceeded to the small empty stable next to the cottage. Both buildings flanked the head of the narrow path to the Ninjago River. As they walked, Jake prattled on about how pregnant women should be treated.

They went into the stable. "All right, Jake, where are Sam's things?" Skylor demanded.

"I put them right here, just above the door," he pointed.

The items could be seen resting on a rafter. "So climb up and get them, peeshwank," Jules ordered.

"I will. I will. No need to be testy," Jake retorted. He stepped gingerly on a stall railing. "This is harder to do when one's feet are bare," he complained.

Skylor rolled her eyes. "Just do it."

Jake positioned himself on the next higher railing, and the next higher one after that. Then one more.

"All right, let me reach..." Jake stretched out his arm.

All of a sudden, Jake let out a wail, and ladies' boots flew into Skylor's face, hitting her nose and her right eye with force. She stumbled backward and her eyes watered from the pain. As she recovered from the shock a few seconds later, she discovered it was difficult to open her right eye. Her good eye observed that Jake had fallen onto Jules, and both of them were on the ground.