Authors Note: Hey guys! I am so so sorry for the long wait! (over a month, wow.) But here is the newest chapter of Tuck Everlasting! I really hope that you enjoy it. Thank you so much for sticking with the story, and staying loyal to the adventures of the Tuck family. You guys, are amazing. Thank you. -Brittany
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Winnie grunted as she was pushed down into a metal chair. Her hands were quickly handcuffed behind her back,and she shivered. The soldier who shoved her down took a step back to admire his handiwork. His face was round and sweaty and his blond hair stuck to his face. "You, no die?" he asked in broken English. Winnie's eyes grew wide, and she violently shook her head.
"No! I mean, yes, I can die!" she protested, afraid that he would test her immortality. She wiggled her hands, banging the handcuffs against the chair. This was so frustrating! She hated feeling weak! "Please, where is Jesse??" She asked desperately. The man ignored her and took a few steps to a metal table. Winnie took this opportunity to look around the room she was in. Well, actually, it was a tent. Small and bright, with a dirt floor, yet it felt claustrophobic . There was a large desk covered in papers, and a small makeshift bed in the corner. Winnie had a feeling she wouldn't be here long enough to get comfortable.
She then noticed what was on the metal table that the soldier was so interested in. Her blood ran cold.
Knives. Pliers. Saws. All sorts of medical equipment lay on the table, things that Winnie once used to treat the wounded. When she saw them laying there on the table, with that horrible smirk playing on the edge of the soldiers lips, she knew. These tools would not be used for healing.
She looked around desperately, wiggling her hands even more. She had to get out! She had to find Jesse! She had to warn Miles! She had to-
Her hair was suddenly yanked back and she stared into the icy eyes of the soldier who stood above her. She felt cold steel against her throat, and she gulped. How had she been caught so off guard? she scolded herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the horrible feeling of the knife slicing into her skin. She waited a moment, holding her breath.
"If you value your life, you will drop your weapon, and step aside." A low voice growled. Winnie's eyes shot open, and she raised her head slightly to see what was happening. She then stared in awe at a large man dressed in a Nazi uniform. His hair was bright red and was spilling out from his cap, but his eyes were squinted and determined. He was pointing a Lugar at the soldier's head as he walked to the metal table, never looking away from the soldier.
"I said drop it!" The soldier still remained frozen, the knife hovering over Winnie's neck. The red haired soldier gestured his head toward the corner of the tent, and the nazi understood. He threw the knife on the ground and backed away to where the man indicated.
The red haired soldier brushed his hand around the table, lightly touching the instruments until he found the one he was looking for. "Aha!" he said, as he triumphantly held up a small key. He rushed over to Winnie, still keeping an eye on the soldier, and quickly began unlocking her handcuffs.
"What-" Winnie stammered, "Who, are you? What is going on?" she asked. The soldier finished unlocking her handcuffs and they fell into his hand. Winnie rubbed her sore wrists as she rose to her feet, surveying the red haired soldier. He walked toward the Nazi and hoisted him to his feet by his jacket.
"My name is Bill." he said, "Friend of Miles," he shoved the Nazi down onto the chair that Winnie had been sitting in, and began to handcuff him to the chair.
"I understand your- uh- predicament," He said with a friendly glance, "and I came to help rescue you and your fiance!" He reached into his coat pocket and produced a dirt covered, red handkerchief, which he roughly shoved into the Nazi's mouth. The Nazi gaged at the smell.
"Jesse!" Winnie released a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Is he safe?" Bill finished securing the Nazi, and glanced down at Winnie.
"My God, you're only a child." he said softly. The Nazi tried to yell through the handkerchief, and Bill kicked him in the leg.
"We have to leave," he said harshly, "now." He grabbed Winnie's arm and directed her out of the tent. Reaching into his coat pocket and pulled out a brown scarf. "Here. Cover your head." he whispered. She quickly wrapped it around her hair, lightly covering her face, and he began to lead her through the camp. Tents were pitched all around. Soldiers and unhappy civilians were working hard to keep it functioning.
"Bill!" Winnie protested, trying to get him to let go of her arm. "Please. We have to find Jesse! I can't leave without him!" Bill tugged on her arm, trudging forward.
"Don't worry, he's safe!" he assured her. Winnie faltered a step. Jesse was safe. Feeling lighter, she quickened her pace, and let Bill guide her through the camp. Winnie was surprised at how large it was.
Suddenly, the sound of a loud horn was heard, and large speakers that were sticking out of the ground began to shake with the boom of an angry German voice. The voice shouted something, and suddenly the whole camp was in a panic. Soldiers and civilians began running about in every direction, and Bill broke into a run as well, pulling Winnie along with him.
"What's happening?' Winnie panted, her boots feeling very heavy. Bill continued to pull her through the camp.
"My guess?" he said, as he almost ran into a civilian carrying wood, "They found out that you are missing." Winnie rolled her eyes.
"Of course." she thought.
"Bingo." Bill said, suddenly stopping. Winnie raised an eyebrow.
"What?" she asked.
"I found a way out girly!" He said with a sudden grin.
Winnie looked to where he was staring. A large open topped jeep was parked right outside of a large tent. Winnie quickly shot her gaze back at him. "They will definitely catch us in that!" she said.
"Not if we outrun them," he said smirking.
Winnie sighed, shrugging her shoulders. Whatever it took to be with Jesse again.
They both ran toward the Jeep and climbed in. "Damn, the keys are gone." Winnie shot Bill a look, and Bill rolled his eyes.
"Winnie, it's the 20th century, I think you've heard some swear words." Winnie shook her head, pointing.
"It's not that, look!" They looked at the horizon, and saw multiple airplanes soaring through the sky, heading in the direction of the camp.
"I guess that battle in the woods was worse than we thought." Bill said. He quickly dove under the steering wheel and began fiddling with the wires. The engine reared to life, and he sat back up in his seat. He turned the steering wheel, and they were suddenly driving away from the camp, through a dirt path in the woods.
Winnie could hear the distant sound of bombs falling, and she was thankful that Jesse wasn't a part of that. The soft rumble of the Jeep was a comforting sound, and she let it sooth her worries a bit.
"So, I didn't catch your name." Bill said. Winnie smiled.
"Winnie Foster." She answered.
"Foster? Like that wealthy family in America that lost their kid?"
"That was me." she answered briskly. She removed the scarf from her head and let the wind blow her hair. Bill whistled.
"Wow," he said. "Me, driving along with a Foster."
"Not for long!" Winnie said with a smile, as she held up her left hand, proudly displaying her ring. Bill smiled.
"Right, your turning into a Tuck. Miles's brother,"
"Jesse."
"Right Jesse. Good kid?"
Winnie smiled. "My best friend."
Bill nodded. "Thats good, thats nice. Its great that you'll have that forever."
Winnie smiled and nodded. "Forever." She thought.
They continued to drive along the road, when Winnie saw someone up ahead. "Slow down," she said. Bill peered ahead.
"What is it?" he asked. Winnie squinted her eyes, and then stood in her seat, waving her arms about.
"Miles!" She yelled. "Miles, over here!!" The figure turned around, and suddenly ran down the path to meet the jeep. Winnie was already jumping out of the car as it pulled to a stop, and she ran into Mile's arms, the tears beginning to come.
"Oh Miles, it was terrible! I fell out of a tree, and they caught me, and then they shot Jesse so many times! Oh it was awful! I'm so sorry Miles, I'm so sorry!" Miles soothed her by rubbing her back, and he let her cry.
"It's alright Winnie, your safe now." He whispered. "It wasn't the first time he's been shot. It won't be the last. He can take it." He looked at Bill, who still sat behind the steering wheel.
"Had a change of heart, Bill?" Mile's asked. Bill shrugged.
"I know what it feels like to lose your family." he answered bluntly. Miles looked behind Bill, and he pulled away from Winnie a bit.
"Where's Jesse?" Miles asked. Winnie's head shot up and she stared at Miles.
"He's not with you?" she said. There was a moment of silence, before they both turned their heads toward Bill.
Miles and Winnie both shouted at the same time, "Where's Jesse?" "How could you leave him there?" "Are you insane??"
Bill put his hands up defensively. "You saw that place! There was no way! He was surrounded by guards!" Winnie glared at Bill as she walked towards him.
"You lied to me.." she said through her teeth. Bill looked away from her.
"Now girly, you needed to get out of there! You saw the experiments they were going to do on you! You wouldn't have gone with me if you had known the truth!"
Winnie slammed her hand down on the hood of the car, "Because I love him! I never would have left him!"
"Which is why I did it! There was no way!" Bill protested. Winnie turned to Miles.
"Miles," she said, "Jesse is going to lead the Nazi's to TreeGap. He doesn't know that I am safe! They could drink from the spring!" Miles looked from Winnie to Bill.
"We have to rescue him," Miles said. He looked at the sky, and put his hands on his head. There was a pause, and Winnie could hear birds chirping cheerfully.
"How?" Bill asked.
"I don't know how, Bill!" Miles snapped. Bill put his head down.
"You know Miles, I did just save your sister in law here, maybe I could get a little credit." Bill said softly. Miles threw his hands in the air.
"Credit?" Miles yelled. "Credit! You want credit?"
Winnie put her hands up between them and shouted,"Enough!"
"Miles, tell us your original plan." she said softly. Miles sighed, and he ran a hand through his hair.
"I was going to find that pilot that Eric told us about, and try to get to TreeGap before Jesse and the Nazi's do." Miles answered. "Make sure the spring is destroyed."
Bill looked at them both and spat. "How the hell are the Nazi's supposed to get into the United States of America?"
Miles looked at Bill wearily. "I don't know," he answered quietly.
"How the hell are WE supposed to get into United Stated of America while we are at war!" Bill asked.
"I DONT KNOW!" Miles shouted, scaring the nearby birds from the trees. Winnie crossed her arms and fiddled with her ring. The thought of Jesse being with those Nazi's was unbearable.
"Bill," Winnie said softly. "Eric trusted this pilot. We can trust him." She pleaded with her eyes, "What choice do we have?"
Bill's face softened, and he sighed, a heavy, tired, defeated sigh.
"Ok." he said. "What do we have to do?"