Chapter 13

The flare was like a shooting star but going in the wrong direction. Heading upwards into the sky, it was a bright beacon and it was telling Jake the thing he was dreading. He felt his chest constrict as he stared at the ball of light shooting into the sky. They didn't have much time left.

Turning he warned, "They flare! They're coming!"

Hawkins heard Jake's voice. He glanced at Gray and said, "We've got two minutes. Still have to run the trunk line."

Jake ran to join Hawkins and Gray. He got down to finish what they were doing. "Eric and Sari are out there."

"There's no time, Jake," Gray urged.

Jake had and could say something about that to Gray. He knew that they were short on time, but his brother and partner was out there. Despite the disagreement, they were still family. Maybe he could buy some time. He took a breath and said, "Get everybody off the bridge. Get as far away as you can."

"What are you doing?" Gray didn't understand what was going on.

"Go! Go now! Go!" Jake went to help Hawkins finish. He shot a look at the man. He had learned quite a bit about him. At least the fact that he was more than what he appeared. Jake had some questionable things too and Hawkins had picked up on it.

The first time that Jake learned Hawkins was more than meets the eye was when he spotted Hawkins with a satellite and was accessing it through a computer. He hadn't intended to find out. He and Stanley had been trying to override the lock on the water pump to try and save Eric and April's house. Since then, it was more of those subtle hints and asides. Jake hadn't quite figured out Hawkins but accepted for the moment that he was there to help.

As he finished rigging the line, he shot a look at Hawkins. Again, he had that reassurance that he would help and that he understood the situation. Together they finished rigging the last of the lines to the dynamite. Jake only had one thing left to do and remained where he was as Hawkins joined in getting the people off the bridge. He surveyed around him as his fingers worked from memory.

It was another one of those things that came from those five years he was gone. He was surprised that none of his family and friends questioned closer about the things he knew and said. He was in agreement with Mimi about the secrets of a small town. There really were no secrets. The exceptions were those that were in plain sight and people did nothing about them. Jake learned and did things that he would never be willing to share, and they haunted him. He was distracted with the pressing needs of the town, but in the end, they were still there and what he knew might just help keep Jericho safe.

In major operations, two minutes seemed like a lifetime. In this case, it seemed that it was too short. Jake was just finishing the last of the rigging when Ravenwood's trucks pulled up. He quickly stood up and held his arms out. He made sure that the detonator was in plain sight so they could see that he meant business. He took a couple of deep breaths and stood there, aware that everyone was wondering what he was doing.

He saw the commander of the unit get out and step in front of the lead truck. He swallowed back any fear or nervousness he had declared, "The bridge is wired. You just parked over a couple of pounds of dynamite. Turn your trucks around or I blow it."

There was no preamble but a sound position. Jake was aware that his approach to this situation was vastly different from Sari's. She tried the legal card. She asked for a legitimate claim and even stated that she was unwilling to believe Ravenwood unless she had real proof. It didn't help that they recognized her, and it occurred to Jake that they may have crossed paths at some point. It was odd since he would have remembered seeing her. It was something he wanted to ask but was afraid and he wasn't ready to ask. Right now, he was standing there, ready to show he meant business.

The commander looked at Jake and said, "We're on government orders to collect food and medicine for a refugee camp near the Rogue River."

Jake knew lies when he heard them. That was a blatant lie since he had been there in Rogue River. Not budging, he countered, "Sam government that ordered you to kill all those people in the hospital?"

"It's been a crazy few weeks. A lot of confusion out there."

"Which is why we didn't let you in the last time."

"Which reminds me," the commander said as he adjusted his position, "Where is Captain Hassan? I'm sorry, your sheriff?"

Jake stared at the man. "Sheriff Hassan is taking care of a situation in town." He stood there indicating that he was the one that was left in charge.

"Just step aside, we'll take what we need and be on our way."

Jake knew he had to stall a little and he had to at least show that he was following Sari's move. "Did you bring anything that says you are on government orders?" He pursed his lips and gave a firm look at the man before him.

The commander was clearly annoyed at the situation. Jake could see it on the man's face even though he didn't answer his question. Jake shook his head slightly that clearly indicated that he wasn't going to move; that he was going to blow the bridge. He could feel the tension rising and knew that the men from town were positioned to make a stand if necessary. It was then that Jake saw movement from one of the trucks.

It was more like out of the corner of his eye since his gaze was focused on the commander. He saw the movement and spared a glance downward. He noticed the red dot that was in the middle of his chest. A kill shot, meaning a sniper. He figured that if he resisted they would do what they had to in order to remove the obstacle. Here, it was to kill him before he pulled the trigger on the explosives. He looked at the commander with a narrowed gaze and received a look that said he didn't have a choice.

Jake wasn't one to take defeat lying down. He was the kind to go down swinging when it counted. It was as he told Hawkins, that every choice he made was to protect his family. It was the one thing that they could agree on. He was not going to surrender Jericho without a fight. His response was, "Okay. Go ahead and give the order. If I go, you go."

It was a standoff and Jake was aware that the odds were not in his favor. The commander knew that too despite the fact that Jake's hand was ready on the trigger. You could literally feel the tension between the two sides. Jake just hoped it wouldn't turn out like last time where Sari almost got hit. She had been lucky that she dropped when she did and avoided firing altogether. That was luck. Jake doubted he would have the same as she did.

The commander looked at Jake. He figured the man was serious, but he also figured that he was stalling for time and was going to make things harder. Besides, he didn't see how these people thought they were going to win if a fight broke out between them. He started chuckling.

Jake narrowed his eyes upon hearing the man laugh and demanded, "What? Is something funny?"

"Yeah," the commander replied with a smirk, "This whole thing. You're not going to push that button." He paused to gauge Jake's intention before stepping forward, "Here's how it's going to go. You and you farmer buddies… you stand down, we get back in our vehicles, we drive into town, take what we need and never come back. Nobody has to die."

Jake wanted to scoff at that last remark. He had seen what Ravenwood did to those people in the hospital. They killed the ones too sick to move and the people that would have helped them. They raided the place. These guys were as Sari had called them, miscreants. Jake had a more colorful word or set of words to refer them by, but in this case, he would mentally stick with Sari's definition. He didn't want to die. He knew his mother would never forgive him for this if he had to do it. Yet, he was going to protect her and the rest of Jericho if it came to that.

The shot came from their side, but no one heard it. They just heard the thump of a body dropping. Jake stayed where he was as the Ravenwood guys looked around. It was then that Jake saw the sniper that had been aiming at him. The guy had done a face plant on the roof of the truck. He was dead.

"Man down!"

Jake held his ground and watched as a red targeting light appeared on the chest of the man in front of him. He didn't have to guess to figure out who it was that had the man in his sights. Jake didn't have to tell the commander that he was in someone's sights. Rather, the man followed his gaze to his own chest and spotted the red targeting dot.

Jake knew that the dynamics of this standoff were going to change. He didn't have good odds in the first place and they changed drastically against him when the commander sighed in a bored fashion and signaled his men. Jake watched as Ravenwood operatives climbed out of their vehicles with their weapons. He could hear the shotguns from his side getting ready. It was actually sad. Shotguns weren't going to be much against the assault rifles Ravenwood was packing. That was what he was concerned about when he and Sari argued over whether or not to blow up the bridge.

Now Jake was caught in the middle. He knew that if they started firing, he was going to be the first one hit. And it wasn't just one guy. There were at least sixteen, maybe more aiming. Definitely it wasn't good odds for him. He couldn't run from this, so he stood there, with his hands out and his hand ready on the trigger.

"You're gonna need a lot more snipers, pal," the commander sneered. "And I don't see your sheriff riding to your rescue." He narrowed his eyes at Jake to give him a final warning before they started shooting.

Jake didn't budge. He couldn't. Even if Hawkins got off a few more shots, he would be dead and the rest of the town would be in a firefight that would kill a lot more people. This was what it was like being in between a rock and a hard place and the price would be his life. He was willing to accept this fate even though he didn't want to die. He wasn't going to budge. He would just have to be faster than the guys with the hair-trigger. It was then that he heard it.

It was a roar of an engine. Not just any engine, but a motorcycle engine. Jake swallowed slightly as he heard someone shouting, "We got cars coming!"

The commander heard the noise too and turned to look behind him and his convoy. He didn't have to tell his men twice. They moved into action, getting into positions, but he was focused on the sound that was growing louder by the second and it sounded like it was accelerating. He moved to get a better look to see a motorcycle being followed by a couple of vehicles.

The rider had a helmet on and was armed. The commander blinked when the rider skidded to a stop and pulled out a shotgun and pointed it right at him. The rider held the position as the other vehicles stopped and out spilled men with guns.

Jake stared at the scene and blinked. It was Eric and he brought Jonah and his men. His gaze then centered on the person with the motorcycle. He felt his heart stop as he realized who it was. His breath hitched as Jonah and his men readied their guns and leveled them to fire. It seemed the odds tipped again.

~0~0~0~0~

Sari knew she was short on time when she went to see Jonah Prowse. It was driven home when Eric came barging in to tell them that it was going down. She gritted her teeth since she felt like slapping Jake for going ahead with it. She kept her cool though and looked towards Jonah and queried, "Well? Our bargain?"

Jonah toyed with the idea of teasing her about it, but decided against it. He didn't want to inflict wrath that he was certain was to be directed at someone else. He nodded and turned. Giving a shrill whistle, he yelled for his men to get ready and to bring plenty of ammo. He then turned back at Sari and said, "You ready to make a stand, little girl?"

"I'm not so little anymore," Sari replied as she looked straight on at Jonah. "Are you going to uphold your end, or not?"

Jonah smirked at her, "I'm a man of my word, Sari. You know his." He gestured at himself. "I can't speak for your town, but I know you hold your end of the bargain."

"Then why are we wasting time here?"

Jonah smirked at her and gestured for her to follow him. He didn't entertain the possibility that she wouldn't. She had her pride like everyone else and she knew when to brush all the other stuff aside when it came to what really mattered. He waited until she was within earshot and said, "My guys will bring the truck back to Jericho."

"I am not riding in the same vehicle as you," Sari replied firmly.

"I'm not saying you are," Jonah replied turning to look at her. He had stopped in front of a tarp covered lump. He raised his brow to dare her to speak up. When she didn't, he continued, "What I'm saying is that I think the sheriff of Jericho needs something to make a statement."

"So dropping to the ground and letting a firefight fly over me isn't statement enough?" Sari raised her brow at him, being deliberately glib.

Jonah didn't react much except to smirk at her. He turned and grabbed he tarp and pulled it away saying, "I was thinking this."

Sari shifted to look at her motorcycle. She had left it behind when she went to find Jake after the bombs and didn't think twice about it afterwards. It had always been one thing after another keeping the town together. It shouldn't have surprised her that Jonah would have scavenged it, but it did a little. She looked at Jonah with a raised brow.

"Like I said, the sheriff needs to make a statement," Jonah said, taking in her expression. "Like the Roadster, call it a gift."

Sari looked at Jonah, trying to gauge the sincerity of the 'gift'. Like Jake, she knew Jonah and she was trying to see if there was any duplicity, a hidden motive behind the act. She raised her brow in a silent question.

Jonah read the expression and replied, "It is a gift. Nothing more."

Before Sari could say anything, Eric came running up saying that they needed to get moving and that there wasn't much time until Ravenwood came. She nodded at Eric and turned back towards Jonah and said, "I am holding you to that."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jonah replied with a grin as he pulled out a helmet and held it out to her. He chuckled when she plucked it out of his hands and held it in hers. He added, "By the way, I got you a bigger gun."

Sari snorted at him as he turned to grab his own gun. She shook her head and sighed. This was going to be interesting once it was over. She looked at the bike and turned when her name was called. She raised her hand when a set of keys came flying her way and caught them. She made a face at Jonah when he smirked at her.

There wasn't time to argue. Along with Jonah and his men, Sari steered the bike towards the gate of the compound and found the truck she drove over loaded up. Jonah was getting into the truck Eric drove over and everyone was armed. Looking at one other vehicle, Sari nodded before putting the helmet on. Checking to make sure that the shotgun was strapped on as well as her handgun, she gave the signal and led the way out.

The flare was easy to see once they were on the road and Sari figured that they didn't have a whole lot of time. It would be cutting it closer. It was a risk since gas was now a precious commodity, but she decided that it was worth it. She increased her speed, knowing that they others would follow. She was faster anyway since she was on two wheels and could do things that a truck couldn't.

Tacoma Bridge was dead ahead and she could see the army trucks. She could also see the bridge intact. It looked like Ravenwood just arrived or the town was stalling. She prayed that Jake was doing what he could; she suspected he would do something like that. She wouldn't put it past Hawkins either. In any case, there was still time to save the bridge. She pushed forward even when Ravenwood noticed them. Like she intended to sneak on them.

The foolish thing would have been to charge the line. That was just suicide and it looked like it at the speed she was going. She needed to make a stand. So, she eased on the throttle and prepared to execute her maneuver, which would no doubt impress Jonah. Another thing that he would probably taunt her about the next time they met.

Seeing the guns trained on her, she turned the bike and skidded to a stop. It was something she hadn't really done before and probably something people would see in the movies. The maneuver allowed her to be in a position to move quickly if she had to make a quick getaway and put her in a position to have a clear shot at the commanding officer of the mercenary group. She had her shotgun out and pointed in that direction by the time she came to a complete stop, the motorcycle still running.

It was certainly dramatic looking when Eric caught up with Jonah's men. They spilled out of their vehicles drawing their guns. Jonah came forward deliberately while cocking his shotgun. Sari didn't pay attention to that. Her eyes were on the mercenaries and their leader. She didn't remove her helmet as she eyed them and asked, "What's this town worth to you?"

It was tense as Sari could see Jake standing there on the bridge, arms out with the detonator in his hand. He was smirking at the commander, but she could tell that he didn't expect this but was going to roll with it. She didn't change her position and held it, while looking at the Ravenwood men. The leader turned back towards her and walked towards her group saying, "You know, pretty soon, things are going to start getting back to normal. The government will put itself back together. And they'll be looking to help all you get back on your feet. And you know who they're going to send?"

Sari didn't need to guess. She had dealt with Ravenwood enough to know that they would lie between their teeth. They were the kind to sell their own mother if it were in their interests. The government didn't care. There was no oversight with the PMCs and it let that arrogance breed. She didn't like them and the men and women she worked with didn't like them much either. It may be true that this wasn't the end of Ravenwood. For now though, she was not going to let her town be plundered.

"Me," the Ravenwood commander said, when he got no answer.

Sari held her position. She glanced over at Jake even though no one could see because of the helmet. Her gaze went back to the Ravenwood commander and replied, "And if that day comes, you better have some damn proof, more than your word before I let you back into Jericho."

It was a standoff for a few more seconds as the commander smirked at her. Sari knew that she was a stubborn woman. It had gotten her into trouble more times than she could count. Yet, that stubbornness was what ended up staving off the worst case scenario that could happen, depending on the situation. In this case, it staved off the plundering of town and the blowing up of one of the major ways in or out of Jericho.

In the end, the commander looked at his men and signaled, "Let's go!"

Sari held her shotgun at the ready, but lowered as the Ravenwood guys fell back and crawled back into their vehicles. She watched with a narrowed expression, tracking the mercenaries as they got in to leave. She only moved in order to provide a clear path to let them out. She stayed on her bike, straddling it and watched. To some, it looked like she was bored, but in truth, she was just waiting. Waiting to see if Ravenwood was going to try something. They did have a chain of command, but they were trigger happy idiots.

When the last of the trucks was getting smaller down the highway, she holstered her shotgun and removed her helmet, giving a slight shake of her head to shake her hair free. Placing it on the bike, she got off to walk with Eric and Jonah to meet Jake. She wasn't in a good mood at how things went down and it showed on her face.

"Next time you want to destroy my route into town, I'd appreciate a heads up," Jonah drawled as he rested his shotgun over his shoulder, strolling towards Jake. He looked at Jake and Gray, Jimmy and Bill and back to Jake again. "You're welcome. Really. Don't mention it."

"Thank you, Jonah," Sari said as she glanced at the man, ignoring the look she was getting from Jake.

Jonah smirked at the men and nodded at her before turning away to head back to his compound. He paused after a moment and turned back around, "Can I make a suggestion? Start figuring out how to fight for yourselves. If Eric and Sari hadn't come to get me, you'd all be burying Jake in a shoebox tomorrow."

Sari didn't say anything. She did give a slight nod to Jonah to indicate that their bargain would be kept. She got one of Jonah's proud smirks in return as he turned back to walk go with his guys back to his compound. She shifted slightly when he paused again and turned. She was ready to catch the keys to the truck.

"Like I said, we'd bring it back."

Sari couldn't help but give a slight smirk in return as she held the keys in her hand. She ran her thumb along the cool metal as she turned to face Jake and the others. She lingered on Eric to silently convey that she stood by with him on their decision. She had his back. He nodded to indicate that he had hers, even if she had to jump through some hoops that weren't going to go over completely well, but it was a deal that had to be made and she had the power to do it.

Eric was relieved that the standoff was over, but the issue itself wasn't. It was driven home that if he hadn't gone to get Sari and Jonah, the situation could have turned out vastly different. He didn't regret his decision on this, but a serious discussion was needed and it would need to involve the mayor of Jericho. Taking a breath, he started walking towards town. He barely felt the thankful pat from his brother as he passed Jake.

Sari stayed where she was, watching the men that decided it was a good idea to put this plan into motion. She stared at them with a look that said nothing, but the weight of everything could be felt from that gaze. She noticed Jimmy and Bill shuffling a little uncomfortably from her look. Gray was speechless about what happened and her look was keeping him silent.

She didn't have much to say on the matter and made a gesture more towards Bill and Jimmy to get everyone back to town and clear the bridge. She glanced over at Jake who was looking at her with an expression she had never seen before on him; like he was proud but upset. At least that was what it seemed like to her. There was more, but she couldn't tell and didn't want to try.

"Pretty gutsy more there, Sari," Hawkins said as he walked up as everyone was leaving.

Sari looked at Hawkins and gave a slight movement of her head, "Extreme measures to stave off disaster are pretty gutsy by nature." She glanced over at Jake and then back to Hawkins. "Including turning the tables with a sniper." She gave a slow smile.

Hawkins felt a grin come out and made a face, "And you should know about providing over watch."

"Secrets of a small town," Sari replied. She gestured, "Come on. This isn't over. Let's get back to town." She handed Jake the keys to the truck she used before heading back to where she had put her bike. It was far from over.

A/N: Ravenwood comes back en mass and Jake makes a stand. Things look dire until help comes from the other direction led by a woman on a motorcycle. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Forces Banding Together...