T/W:

****

"Get inside! NOW!" Rafferty ordered.

"No!" Everly snapped. "I'm not leaving you all alone out here, completely vulnerable!" Rafferty sighed loudly.

"Okay, okay! Then go get us some weapons and ammo at least, though." Everly raced inside the house and snatched up several boxes of ammo and all the rifles and torches. Her hands were trembling so badly she couldn't hardly keep a tight hold on anything. She dropped two boxes of ammo, scattering all the bullets on the floor. She scolded herself, trying to gather her courage for Rafferty's sake.

Dropping to her knees, she began collecting the scattered ammo. He needed her now. She couldn't afford to fall apart. She'd made a vow to stand by his side and Everly fully intended to do just that. She might be scared out of her mind, but Everly refused to allow Rafferty to face those horrible people alone. Whatever the cost. Everly stood from collecting the loose bullets and put them back into the boxes. She suddenly felt a strange sense of calm wash over her as she returned to Rafferty’s position.

****
Rafferty was using a pair of binoculars, watching as the trucks stopped and parked about a mile away from the house. Everly stood next to him, peering out the window, a rifle in her hands. Rafferty glanced over at her for a split second. She seemed awfully calm for someone who could be dead shortly. Rafferty returned to watching the trucks.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"About as well as I can be, given the circumstances," Everly replied. Rafferty just nodded.

"What do you suppose their waiting for?" Everly asked.

"Nightfall," Rafferty replied.

"If they were aware of the Grunds, they'd attack us now."

"Very true," Rafferty agreed. "If the Grund are more likely to attack once darkness falls, that could be to our advantage."

"Maybe, maybe not," Everly said. Rafferty lowered the binoculars, turning to look at Everly.

"Hey, we know about those beasts. Those idiots out there don't.  We should be able to avoid the Grunds They might not be able to."

"Do you honestly believe we could use those awful creatures to our advantage?" Everly looked skeptical. Rafferty nodded confidently.

"I do."

"It could," Everly agreed. "Until they realize the Grund are out there. Then they'll be just as aware of the beasts as we are."

"With any luck, the Grund will do some of the dirty work for us. If they manage to take out a good percentage of the team, we might actually stand a chance against whoever is left," Rafferty said. Everly smirked.

"What?" Rafferty demanded.

"I think you've spent too much time thinking about that."  Rafferty allowed himself a quick grin.

"Guilty as charged."

***
"Sir, when will we make our move?" one of the men asked the commander.

"Nightfall," he replied. "We'll have the upper hand. They won't be able to escape in the darkness."

"Yes, sir." The commander was keeping close tabs on any movement from outside the house. He still wasn't one hundred percent certain this was their guy. The commander had only caught a brief glimpse of the man as he had darted back into the house. The guy appeared to fit the boss's description. Five-eleven, trim build, longish dark brown hair and a patchy beard. This man walked with a limp, though.

Of course, that could have happened after those rogues beat him. Or maybe he injured himself after coming to this house. The commander didn't really care, truthfully. He just wanted the privilege of putting a bullet into the guy's brain. And finally putting an end to this witch hunt.

***
Everly went through the motions of dinner preparations, although food was just about the last thing on her mind right now. Rafferty didn't speak much and Everly knew he was thinking about whoever had come for him. Rafferty dropped some bullets on the floor and the noise neatly sent Everly through the roof. The pan lid clattered to the floor as well.

"Sorry!" Rafferty called out from the living room.

"I just wish they'd get it over with," Everly growled, replacing the pan lid. Rafferty joined her in the kitchen.

"So do I."

"We know they're here, so I honestly don't see the point of waiting," Everly said. "I mean, they could just pull up close to the house and start opening fire. We'd be dead and their job would be over."

"They could," Rafferty agreed. "But like I already mentioned, they'll want answers from me. I can't give them answers if I'm dead." Everly slammed some plates down on the kitchen counter.

"You wanna know what I think? I think they don't really want answers! I think they just wanna torture you for the heck of it because they're nothing but a bunch of bullies with anger management issues!"

"It's about power, Everly," Rafferty said quietly. "They enjoy flaunting it. They want us to know that they're the ones in control, not us. And therefore, they can do whatever they want to us."

"Oh, what a load of crap!" Everly snapped.

"It may be a load of crap, Everly, but it's how the world works."

"It sounds like a load of political crap to me." Everly was angry at herself. She shouldn't get so upset. It was what it was. She couldn't change how things were.

"I apologize," Everly murmured. "It's not your doing." Rafferty moved to her and Everly immediately pressed close to him. He held her for a few minutes. He wished with all his heart he could stop this madness. Maybe he should just turn himself in. That way there'd be no fight, no needing to worry if Everly might not..make it out of this thing...alive.

But Rafferty couldn't do that. He promised Everly he'd do whatever he could to stay alive and not go with those men who'd come for him.

"You have my word, Everly," Rafferty said quietly but firmly. "I prevail against these monsters.  We both will."

***
Everly didn't understand how Rafferty could just sit there, eating his dinner, as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. She tried to eat, too, but the food kept getting caught in her throat, causing her to begin coughing.

Rafferty kept shooting her sympathetic glances, which only annoyed Everly all the more. At last, she decided to give up on eating. If they managed to actually survive this nightmare, Everly figured she could eat later. It was nearly dusk and Rafferty was certain the men would attack. Everly didn't want to consider the 'how' of it. She figured they'd probably just bust in, weapons drawn and ready to fire. Everly felt faint at such actions.

A rush of anger courses through her body. Why? Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone? Was it so important to have Rafferty? Those provisions were gone. Beating some man senseless wasn't going to get them back. She thought of Rafferty's words.

It wasn't about losing the provisions. It was about power. Their power. And lording it over weak people. Just thinking about that made Everly's blood boil. What was the matter with people? Didn't they realize that showing respect to others went farther than control? Apparently not.

For centuries, leaders were always falling into the same trap. They wanted power. They wanted control. They wanted to force people to follow them. If they'd only treat their people with respect instead of thinking they always had to have the upper hand, they'd get so much farther along in their reign. It was just sad that most leaders only considered themselves instead of the people they were supposed to be governing. And rather Everly liked it or not, she and Rafferty were smack dab in the middle of it.

****
The commander instructed his team to prepare their weapons and follow him to the front of the house. This would soon be over. The commander had been instructed to bring Rafferty Greer in alive. He smirked. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't.

If things got ugly, which would most likely be the case, the commander wouldn't hesitate to take Rafferty down. Once the commander had the place surrounded, he called out to Rafferty.

"Rafferty Greer?" He waited. Nothing. The commander called out again. Still nothing. He could feel his temper getting the better of him.

"Are you going to answer me?" The commander shouted angrily. The front door slowly opened. But it wasn't Rafferty that stood there. It was...Everly. The commander stepped backwards, his mind reeling.

"Jackson?"

***
Everly couldn't believe it. Her mind was racing. No. This wasn't happening. It couldn't  be...Jackson. No, no, no. Rafferty was frowning.

"That's your husband?" Everly just stared at him. No, no, no. This wasn’t Jackson. This wasn’t the man she fell in love with and married. No, no, no.

"Everly!" Rafferty was scowling.

"I-I-I," Everly couldn't even put a sentence together. Rafferty moved, grabbing her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake.
"I..don't know what to..say," Everly whispered.

"You didn't know?" Rafferty asked, looking slightly bewildered and somewhat angry.

"I told you I didn't!" Everly snapped suddenly. Then she was...crying. She leaned against the wall, her shoulders heaving, tears running down her face, snot sliding out of her nose. Rafferty stormed off.

He couldn’t believe this! Had Everly been in on this the entire time? Had she known the entire time that he was wanted by the local militia? Had her husband been in contact with her secretly so they could trap him?

"I had nothing to do with this, Rafferty! You have to believe me!" Everly was still crying. She looked absolutely pitiful. Rafferty marched over to her, roughly taking Everly by the shoulders, yanking her lithe body upright.

"I don't have to believe you, Everly! Do not tell me that!" Everly wretched herself free from Rafferty's tight grip.

"If I wanted you dead, Rafferty, I could have just let the Grund have you!" She snapped. Rafferty turned away from her, rubbing the back of his neck and wrestling with rather Everly was being straight with him. He felt her hand on his back. Rafferty thought of all that Everly had done for him.

Her seemingly genuine frustration towards people in power.  Her naivetey. Surely that wasn't an act. He decided Everly was telling the truth. He turned back to face her, a look of remorse on his weathered face.

"I'm sorry," Rafferty said quietly. "You had nothing to do with this." Everly gave him a tiny smile.

"Let me talk to him. He'll listen to me," she said. Rafferty had his doubts. But he figured he didn't have much too lose.
"
"All right," he agreed. Everly wiped her face and went out.

***
Jackson's usual control was floundering. Seeing Everly again had put a crack in his defense. He couldn't understand why Everly was still here. He had seen another person with Rafferty Greer. But only briefly. He'd assumed it was Rafferty's wife or girlfriend. Or even perhaps some accomplice. Jackson had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that his wife was helping a wanted man.

What was Everly still doing out here? She could have left. The car was still here.

"Commander?" Jackson turned his head, struggling to fight through his conflicting emotions.

"Shall we open fire?" Jackson glared fiercely at the man, who immediately dropped his gaze.

"No!" Jackson roared. "You most certainly will not open fire under any circumstances! Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" All the men replied together.

Jackson turned his attention back to the house. He may want Rafferty Greer in a body bag. But he would not put Everly in the line of fire to do so.