The men were in a state of merriment on the return journey to Haven. The convoy travelled with haste for most of the day and despite still being in Royalist territory they stopped for the night when they were sure they weren’t being pursued and when some distance had been placed between them and all hostile garrisons. Alister and his men possessed a burning hatred for the Royalists like none other, and with the weapons stolen from the prison armoury they now had a means to fulfil that hatred. If they came near the enemy now July feared he’d be unable to control them, but that was, after all, why he needed Alister.
They set up camp just beyond view of the Royalists garrison that held Haven captive, taking comfort in the thought that before sunset the following day the Royalists would be gone.
When Thomas stepped out of the tank he embraced Alister like a father, they had been close before, closer then Alister had been with July. Tom and July introduced their companions to Alister who was wary at first of outsiders but grateful for their part in helping with the escape. Charlie seemed to impress him most of all when she revealed that she had shot the hangman’s noose from afar in the warden’s tower.
Once again July and Thomas recounted their exploits of the ten years they had been away, paying particular attention to the towns and villages they searched around their bunker. They also explained how July stole The Bible from the Christians which resulted in July losing his leg. Alister responded exactly how they wanted him to. “Scavengers aye? Most of the stuff you collected might be junk, but some of it may be real valuable to the right people.” Maybe prisoner had changed Alister, his thoughts were now big-picture, which is what they’d need for their plans to be successful.
The conversation eventually shifted to more recent events such as the Royalist occupation of their home, the death of Sophia and her husband, and the current plan for Haven to take back its independence. July explained how, now that Alister and his men had been recovered, they would move on to the next stage of the plan. At first the men were doubtful, but July had thought of nothing else but destroying Sophia’s killers since he arrived home, so his plan to do so was foolproof, and besides he hadn’t failed them at the prison.
All he had to do was convince Alister and the others would readily follow along. They discussed it long into the night until finally Alister agreed.
ns 172.70.131.142da2