TYRANT: The Rise Read Online Free Page B

remained ever so still.

CHAPTER VI
    Jessica regained consciousness and found herself in what appeared to be a dark room. It was humid in the room and stank of body odor and human waste. She lunged to her feet and began feeling her body for her belongings. She heard voices and could only make out shapes. She was not alone and perceived that she was being held captive.
    “Easy,” a male voice said from the darkness.
    “How long was I out?” Jess asked.
    “Not sure. Can’t see who’s awake and who’s asleep in here. I know you were tossed in here not long after we were.”
    “We?” Jess asked. “Where are we and what’s going on?”
    “Do you want the long version or the short version?”
    “Throw me a bone, here. I have nothing,” Jess said.
    “Well, the long and the short of it is that we were out there resisting and now we’re in here.”
    “Where’s ‘here’?” Jess asked.
    “We’re being held in shipping containers docked near the bridge in Chester. You were brought here by a UN troop and deposited with us. We’re prisoners now.”
    “How many of them are out there?” Jess asked.
    “I’m not too sure anymore. We’ve been eavesdropping on the soldiers outside. Not all of them are foreign, at least as far as we can tell. Some of the voices use perfect English.”
    “What have you heard so far?”
    “Well, from what I can make out, they’re staying docked here until they can root out any resistance, disarm them, and fill these containers. There’s only thirty or so of us in here now, and by my estimations, they could probably cram in over two hundred.”
    “Oh Lord, why is this happening?” Jess sighed.
    “I’m not the Lord, but I’m betting one of two scenarios. One, the United States has been invaded, or two, they were invited here.”
    “Either way’s not good,” Jess replied, “but we can’t just lie down. There’s got to be something we can do. Did you happen to see where the weapon cache is?”
    “Nope. Didn’t get a chance. We were outnumbered and outgunned when we surrendered our weapons.”
    “You surrendered your weapons?”
    “Didn’t have a choice. It was that or death,” the stranger said. “By the way, I’m James.”
    “Glad to meet you, James. I’m getting out of here, and when I do, I’m not surrendering.”
    “Then you’ll be killed. We’ve already lost one in front of the courthouse.”
    “Yeah, I watched your little escapade from the roof of the courthouse. Real classy, by the way, dropping your weapons and putting your hands over your head. Way to defend liberty, James,” Jess remarked.
    About that time, there came the sound of gunfire from outside the container. There were only three near-simultaneous shots then silence.
    “Sounds like they killed some more civilians,” James said in a saddened voice.
    “I don’t know,” Jess replied. “Those gunshots were Colt rifles. I’d know that sound anywhere.” There were a few moments of silence as everybody in the container listened for more action.
    Jess broke the silence. “Those shots were consolidated, as if synchronized.”
    “What are you talking about?” James asked.
    “My research has shown that Colt weapons are not the weapons of choice for UN troops. I’m guessing something’s going down out there.”
    Jess had the idea that if she started banging on the wood panels and yelling at the top of her voice, she may just get a response. What kind of response, she wasn’t sure, but she figured if there were enemies outside, she was already contained, so what was there to lose?
    Jess began beating on the walls of the container with the palms of her hands and started screaming, “Help! We’re in here!” Jess was joined in chorus by everybody in the container. The sound was heard and other shipping containers came alive with the sounds of screams for help.
     
    Nathan, Todd, and Denny remained motionless after they took their shots dropping both guards. All three of them shifted their