Take Over Chapter 5 "A Plan"

A Plan

Kyle was furious that someone had invaded his town and taken everything that was important to him.  He began to make his way to the door, fist and jaw clenched.  At first he had been scared because he had not known where everyone was or what had happened.   He had no enemy then. No one and nothing to lash out at, but now…now he knew that there were men behind this and they were hiding in some hole in the ground.  Well, he would fix that. He would go and get his family back if it was the last thing he did.

“Where are you going?” Steve asked.

“To get my family,” Kyle said. 

Steve rushed to get between Kyle and the door. Kyle was not just a little bigger than Steve; he was a lot bigger.  Steve knew that when Kyle was mad you did not want to get in his way.  He also knew that it was foolish to go off halfcocked against armed men, possibly trained soldiers, all by yourself.  He was about to put his hand on Kyle’s chest when he saw the look in his eyes. He thought better of it and leaned back against the door. 

“Move, Steve, or I’m going to move you,” Kyle said between his teeth.  Kyle was trying hard not to lash out at his friend but he was not going to let anyone stop him now.

“I can’t, Kyle.  They are soldiers with guns.”

“I have guns.”

“We don’t know how many there are.”

Why doesn’t Steve understand? Kyle thought. I don’t care how many of them there are.  I am getting my family back.  He was full of anger now and was about to put his hands on Steve and move him, just like he would soon put his hands on the ones who took his family and friends. Bren grabbed his hand.   He wrenched away, “Stay out of the way, Bren”

“No, Kyle. Listen, I have lost my family and a lot of my friends. I don’t want to lose you too.”

This caused Kyle to pause. “Aaah!!” he screamed with rage.  He had felt so helpless, so powerless when he discovered that his family was missing.  Now it seemed his own friends were against him.  They would not let him help his family. 

Steve and Bren were shocked by the display and a little afraid of their friend.  They knew he was strong and very capable of hurting them both.  Bren moved to Steve’s side and put her back to the door also.  While she was scared of what Kyle could do to her, she was more scared of what might happen to him.

Kyle felt a hand on his shoulder he turned, fist raised.  TJ stood there looking him eye to eye.  The two were about the same size.  TJ was just a little broader in the shoulders and had muscles hardened from hard work.  TJ looked him in the eye, “Steve, Kyle is right.”

Bren and Steve looked at each other, eyes wide.

“What?”

“Kyle, I agree we have to get our families back, but Steve is right in that we also have to have a plan… and I think I just might have one,” TJ said. 

Kyle stared back at TJ.  The realization that he was going to try and harm his best friends began to dawn on him.  Slowly he unclenched his fist and sank to the floor.  He placed his head in his hands and breathed out a heavy sigh. 

Bren walked over, sat beside him and put an arm around him. 

“We have to get back to the city and get some help,” Steve said urgently.

TJ shook his head, “Steve that won’t work.”

“What do you mean it won’t work?  We have the jeep. We can head straight to the city and tell the police what happened,” Steve said exasperated.  Steve had always been the undeclared leader of the three boys as he was the oldest and tended to be the most level-headed. In this situation there was definitely a need for a level head.  He thought TJ had brought back some sense to the conversation but now he was beginning to sound like Kyle.

“OK. Look, four teenagers show up at the police station ranting about how their entire town has been drugged and kidnapped.  After the cops stop laughing we would be lucky if they didn’t put us in jail. No, that won’t work,” TJ said.

Steve had to admit that TJ had a point.  He was not ready to give up so easily though, “TJ, we can’t go against an army.  I know you and Kyle know how to shoot but what about Bren and me? What are we going to do? Do you expect us to…”

TJ cut him off, “Hey, I’m not saying we go in there and shoot up the place; that would be suicide.  I think we need to take our camera and go film what’s happening.  You know, get some shots of the town and then we can go get help.”

The tension in the room seemed to let up at this.  Steve began to nod his head. It was a good idea.  They could go film what was going on, and then they could take it to the authorities.