"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
There was a peaceful atmosphere in the cabin as Arden and Ezekiel have started to tolerate each other. Ezekiel greeting him sincerely a few days ago really soften and melted Arden's icy treatment of him.
The crops looked well on their way to a healthy and fruitful growth. The family couldn't help but be excited to be able to eat fresh produce once again. "Are you okay?" Aliya fluttered her eyes open and sat up to check who asked. "Jamie! Yes, I'm okay. Just tired. What about you?" She gave Aliya a shy smile before giving her a glass of water. "I'm okay, just bored since Jericho is also taking a nap." Aliya smiled as Jamie pouted and scratched her neck.
"Well, you wanna hang with me?" Jamie's eyes lit up and widened, she couldn't believe that the woman that she has been idolising is willing to hang out with a kid. "Are you sure? I don't want to disturb you." Aliya shrugged and drank the water, wiping her lips dry. "Ask mamas and pops first." Jamie was giddy and excited. Aliya couldn't help but chuckle when she eagerly nodded and ran towards Vincent and Meredith to ask for permission.
She was feeling a little nauseous and tired after being on night watch for almost 4 days straight. They encouraged her to take a rest after she fell off the ladder and vomited violently. Ezekiel was the one to call everybody for help while Arden was the one to carry her to the bed. After a short while, Jamie came in the room with Meredith in tow.
"Hey, Aliya." Meredith had a bowl in her hand while Jamie had another glass of water and some pills. She fixed her pony tail and sat up straighter, "Thank you guys." Meredith sat on the bed, close to her while Jamie climbed on top of the bed, laying her back on the wall. "The lack of sleep and food is catching up on you, Aliya. Eat this and take your medicine. You're off the watch today." She wanted to protest when Jamie became too eager and just jammed a spoonful of food on her mouth.
Her eyes widened a bit and chewed frivolously. Meredith tapped her daughter's back, "Baby, not like that." Aliya just shook her head and waved them off. It wasn't a big deal but it did make her choke a bit. "I'll finish this, thank you." She gently took the bowl from Meredith and started eating while Jamie watched her, patiently waiting until she finished eating so that she can give her the medicine.
"Thank you, Jamie." Meredith took that as her cue to leave the two ladies to hang out. After Aliya has completely finished eating and taking her medication, Jamie sat up straight. "I forgive you." It was so sudden that it momentarily made her deaf, making her still in her position. "What?" Jamie noticed that Aliya became breathless as she grew more confused. "For trying to push us away." Aliya could only bite her lips as she stared ahead.
"Aliya?"
"I'm so sorry, Jamie. To you guys; pops, mamas, and baby Jericho." Every night, she thought about the trauma that her violent outburst and negative first impression gave to the kids. And yet, Jamie chirped happily, "That's okay! We forgive you!" A smile gradually overcame the frown on her lips when Jamie jumped up to hug her. "Did you know that you're my favourite?" Her brow lifted in amusement, she couldn't believe it.
"But Jericho can be really mean. He says that Arden is better." She let out a guffaw for a brief moment, startling Jamie. "Sorry, love." Jamie giggled in return, putting her tiny hand on her mouth. "Arden can be better than me in some aspects, just like I am better than Arden at some other things." Jamie nodded eagerly, her ears wide open and attentive to everything she says.
Both spent the day talking about seemingly all things, be it how Jamie and Jericho fight or what they fight about. How Aliya ended up here instead of New Zealand, where her family resides in. How she and Arden met and how they discovered the cabin.
It seemed as though it ended up on a great note. Because, well...Jamie's respect for her seemed to have expanded, exponentially.
==+==
Aliya was still bound to the bed since her condition seemed to spiral down a bit. After being okay a few hours ago, her body just shut down, leaving her bound to the bed and sleep. "Hey." She weakly opened her eyes and saw that it was Arden who came in. She tried to croak out an answer but she felt too weak to do so. Arden immediately came near her, telling her not to speak.
"I just wanted to check up on you. Don't use your voice yet and rest. We've all got it under control." He sighed and wrung out the towel from the cold water basin that he brought. "I'm up for night watch tonight." She groaned when she felt him dab the cold and damp towel on her neck. "Vincent's with Ezekiel and Meredith and the kids are cleaning up." He knew that she was too weak to respond so he just continued cooling her off.
They have been worrying about her the whole day. Especially since she fell off the ladder quite violently, according to Ezekiel. He was grateful that Jamie distracted her from the pain a bit. "I'll let you rest up. Check on you in an hour." He tapped her thigh gently before standing up and going out of the room. He was hesitant to leave her alone but he knows that it would be unfair to the others if he skipped his shift on the lookout just to watch his close friend sleep.
Not only unfair, but extremely creepy.
When he finally managed to perk up on the roof, Vincent and Ezekiel fell into a deep conversation.
Ezekiel chuckled quietly, "So, what story did you tell them?" Vincent's jaw ticked as he glared at him through his lashes. Ezekiel found this ridiculous, "Don't you think it's finally time for us to have this conversation?" It was a miracle that Ezekiel has waited this long. The fact that Ezekiel seemed to have taken an interest with Aliya sent shivers down Vincent's spine.
Fear clouded his mind and his heart, he needed to drive Ezekiel out of here. Whatever he wanted Vincent and the family to do, they will. "The ambush. How we escaped." His bottom lip protruded as he nodded, amused that it was truth in a sense. "I'd assume you just didn't tell the truth about which side you were really on." There was a malicious smile on Ezekiel's face as Vincent gulped.
"Do they know that you set that group up?"
"How you drove that group into that ambush?" Ezekiel was very impressed at how Vincent managed to get the group wrapped around his fingers enough for him to convince them to leave their perfectly secure land. "And it only took a little motivation!" Vincent lunged for his throat but Ezekiel was faster and stronger.
"Don't be goddamn stupid, Vincent. You know damn well I could kill each and every one of you right now if I wanted to." Hopelessness slithered its way into Vincent's heart, causing his knees to buckle. "Right." Ezekiel chuckled and patted his shoulder, mocking and belittling him. "Honestly wanted to kill those two the first I saw them." Ezekiel pulled back from him and casually sat back down, motioning for Vincent to take a seat as well.
It was taking everything in Vincent not to burst or snap at him. "But she's something else." He chuckled, shaking his head while waving a finger in the air. "Shit, I was supposed to take you guys back 2 weeks ago!" Ezekiel seems to be in a great mood, laughing at his own antics. "She distracted me a little too much." This made Vincent scoff, finding him ridiculous.
"The f*ck is that for?"
Vincent looked him straight in the eye, "You couldn't get us back sooner because she had you on a leash." Ezekiel's eye twitched at the challenging tone in his voice. "The b*tch also helped you grow balls?" It was amusing to Ezekiel that Vincent was defending Aliya greatly. From what he has gathered, it wasn't that long ago that the family and the two were strangers to each other. They seemed to have grown quite the bond.
Ezekiel shrugged, going back to what was said earlier. "Can't deny that. She was all over me." If Aliya was here to hear just how much bullish*t he was saying, he would've been knocked out cold on the floor. "Let's not forget the stunt you pulled that day. Don't think you putting your hands on me will go under the radar." Vincent casted his eyes down on the ground.
He already knew what was awaiting them back in the strip. Ezekiel could already see the fear and anxiety behind Vincent's face. It made him giddy, "Tonight's the night, Vincent. We have to be ready to leave in the morning." Vincent's fist tightened as he thought it over. He could kill him and get it over with.
Leave his body here, take the kids and Meredith, with Aliya and Arden in tow. Never stop driving for at least 4 hours, ditch the car, transfer into another car and move further north. "Don't even try and think of doing something stupid, Vincent. You know what they'll do to the kids when they find out." Ezekiel's patience was slowly wearing thin. They needed to strike while the iron was hot.
In this case, while Aliya's temperature was hot.
"What do I have to do?"
Arden's head whipped in the direction of the ladder when he heard heavy footsteps thudding. "Vincent!" He had a grin on his face when he lifted his rag up to acknowledge Vincent. "Hey, bud!" The tone of his voice was light but his heart was heavy. He was trying hard to work up the nerve to do what he used to do best.
Arden offered him the bottle of water that he was drinking out of to which he slightly shook his head at. "Drank a lot of water downstairs." Arden nodded, "What do you say you get me some of it later?" He chuckled at Arden's slyness but nodded nonetheless. "How's Aliya? Is she sweating the fever off?" His forehead creased with worry as he looked back down the house before bringing his attention back to Arden.
"Last we checked she was sweating profusely. She'll get out of the fever soon." Meredith checked on Aliya every 30 minutes or so but it was almost 2 hours since Vincent himself has checked up on their friend. "Do you want to check on her? I'll give you an hour." Arden's face lit up before nodding once. "I'll be quick." He could only nod back and watch him descend the ladder into Ezekiel's arms.
"What the hell? Ezekiel?" He was confused as to why Ezekiel was waiting for him downstairs. Even more confused and unsettled when he had a giddy grin on his face. "No hard feelings, bud." Taking advantage of Arden's confusion, he lifted the board of wood up and whacked him in the face. Vincent heard the hard thud and immediately ran down to check what had happened.
"I ought to kill you, Ezekiel! You said they weren't gonna get hurt!" He snickered and dropped the board. "Well, I did tell you that they had to be unconscious so we can tie them up." Vincent raised his fist to hit him in the face when Ezekiel speedily picked the board up and hit him on his abdomen, causing him to curl up and drop to the floor. "Goddamnit, Vincent! Drag him in and tie him up before I go in there and bash J and J's faces in." Vincent struggled to get up while Ezekiel stormed into the cabin.
Meredith's eyes widened when Ezekiel's figure came into view, she was on her way to check up on Aliya when he came into the cabin. "E-ezekiel!" He rolled his eyes at her as he marched with purpose towards the door to the room where Aliya was staying at when Meredith intercepted him, blocking the door with her body.
"Are you really doing this, Mer? Do you really want to kiss the floor so badly?" She gulped in nervousness as she gripped onto the towel tightly. "She's too weak, please. Don't hurt her." Ezekiel towered over Meredith, making her shrink in her stance. "She can't even open her eyes! Let alone stand up!" He grinned at her and took the towel roughly out of her hands. "Even better! No need to put in much effort!" He roughly pushed her down to the ground as he kicked the door down, starting Aliya awake.
Aliya groaned as she tried to lift her head up to look at what caused the noise when Ezekiel walked towards her with a towel. "Thank you." She whispered thinking that he was there to help her with her fever. This made him slightly pause before chuckling, "You entertain me." Aliya frowned in confusion, "What?" It was a breathless and weak question to which he answered by roughly pulling her up and dragging her into the common space.
Aliya hit everything in their path, her body was too weak to try to lift herself up. Ezekiel knew this and didn't care. "Aliya!" Meredith tried to go to Aliya to help her up when Ezekiel tugged on Aliya even more, causing Mer to stop in her tracks.
Ezekiel looked for Arden who was tied up and now kneeling on the floor, "Vincent! Tie her up too!" He dropped Aliya carelessly on the floor next to Arden who was still unconscious with dried up blood on his face. Vincent was with the kids in the other room, "Vincent ain't coming?" He directed his question towards Mer who was just looking at him cautiously.
"Well, congratulations sweetheart. You're promoted! Tie her up! Hell, you can check up on her while you're at it!"
Ezekiel stormed towards the room where the kids were in and used the knife to open up the locked door. Jamie and Jericho let out a haunting scream when they saw Ezekiel and the big kitchen knife he sported. The one he snatched before giving Mer the task to tie Aliya up.
"Please, Ezekiel. I'm gonna do everything you want me to. Just leave the kids alone." He pouted as if offended and put both his hands on his waist. "I haven't even done sh*t! I just came in the room, goddamnit! Always dramatic!" Ezekiel remained in the doorframe, nodding in the direction of the common area. "I need you outside. Now." Vincent sighed and hugged Jamie and Jericho.
"I'm scared, dad."
His eyes closed for a second, "We'll be okay, baby. Just stay here." When he let go, Jamie immediately went to hug her brother tight, glaring at the man in the doorframe. "Damn." Ezekiel muttered as he turned the lock and slammed the door before following Ezekiel into the common room.
"Don't worry folks! I already hid all the knifes, the sharp things, anything to harm anybody!" He waved the big kitchen knife around, he already knew that Vincent purposely didn't wait for Ezekiel so that he can go into the kitchen to get a weapon.
Even if his back was turned to him, Ezekiel knew that Vincent's jaw was ticked, his forehead was creased and his eyes were dark in anger. He walked towards him and tapped him on his shoulder, "Let's get this show on the road!" He gave a thumbs up at Meredith who had a bloody and damp towel on her hand.
"Mer, be a dear and start packing all the sh*t in the kitchen into the truck." Mer stole a glance at her husband who just dipped his head telling her to do whatever Ezekiel says. She slowly stood up and made her way to the kitchen.
Arden suddenly woke up and attempted to shake the rope off of him. Whatever he was saying came off as a mumble, the thick cloth on his mouth preventing him to speak properly, much to Ezekiel's delight. "They better be here when I come back." Vincent looked at him, puzzled. "I'm gonna put J and J into the truck. I don't trust your ass. And don't protest, Vincent. I'm in a good mood. Enough to not even frown at the kids." Arden tried hard to catch Vincent's gaze but Vincent kept his gaze on the ground.
It wasn't long before the cabin was swiped clean of supplies. All the guns and weapons were packed by Ezekiel into the trunk of the truck. He was now measuring Arden up, pointing the gun at him, about to pull the trigger when Vincent protested.
"Let me do this! It's the least I could do!" Ezekiel dropped the gun and raised his eyebrow at him. "For real?" Vincent nodded, staring straight at Aliya who has since sobered up and realised what was happening. "Well, then. Meredith!" Meredith walked up to him and let out a shriek when he suddenly took a hold of her and put a knife against her neck.
Vincent froze in his position, heart beating wildly at the image of his wife in danger. "For assurance." Ezekiel smiled before dragging Meredith out of the cabin, to check on the truck.
When Vincent was sure that he was out of the cabin, he instantly took out the gag and told them to be quiet. Aliya looked up at him, staring him in the eye as Vincent's gun aimed on her head.
"You best pull the f*cking trigger, Vincent." There was a torn expression on his face, tears were streaming down. "I told you. I would do anything for my family." Arden violently jerked from his position. He too, was bounded and forced into a kneeling position. Vincent looked desperate, his hold on the gun was wavering until Ezekiel called him out from the balcony.
"We gotta go! They're waiting on us!" Aliya's eyes shut when two shots rang out. Vincent quietly put down a knife on the floor some steps away from their position. "Act dead. Leave this place after we leave. We will come back to check." He hoped that her stubbornness won't overpower her logic here. She only stared at him coldly, challenging him to pull the trigger. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and his tears away, "I hope you can forgive me one day."
He ran out, Meredith and the kids were already in the truck with Ezekiel. Ezekiel's chuckle was like nails on a chalkboard. She wanted to rip his throat out.
When they heard the engine run, Arden immediately crawled towards the knife that Vincent dropped. "Aliya, are you alright?" He struggled cutting the rope that bind his wrists together before cutting the rope on his ankles. When he finished, he looked to her, "Aliya, say something." But she just stayed staring out of the window while a tear rolled down her face.
"I'm gonna f*cking kill him."