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Jack fit the communicator into his ear and nodded. “Okay, this is the last drop into New Mexico,” he said. “Most of the population has already been evacuated, but a lot of people went underground when the omnics showed up. We’re to escort them to the surface where an evac team is waiting to get them out of Santa Fe.”
“This is supposed to be a simple extraction,” Gabriel nodded as he holstered a shotgun. “There’s been no omnic activity for months, but don’t let your guard down. We don’t know what to expect down there.”
The transport touched down and Gabriel ordered the soldiers out. They moved quickly through the abandoned streets, securing everything so that the evac team behind them could safely travel to the rendezvous point.
Jack looked down the stairs to the underground and let out a sigh. He was thankful people had managed to escape the omnics, but he didn’t like the thought of walking through abandoned subway tunnels. An irrational fear of being struck by a train even though there was no power supply itched at the forefront of his mind.
“You okay there, cabrón?” Gabriel asked as he nudged Jack’s shoulder.
“Don’t like the thought of going down there,” Jack shivered.
“Hey, I’ve got your back,” Gabriel smiled.
“I know,” Jack chuckled and leaned forward.
They shared a quick kiss, Gabriel’s hand sneaking around to grope Jack’s ass. Jack groaned into Gabriel’s mouth and pulled away slowly. He teased Gabriel’s bottom lip between his teeth before they both turned and started down the stairs.
It took two trips into the tunnels from one platform to another before they found the holed up citizens. They looked relieved to see American soldiers and gratefully gathered up their families. The designated leader of the group gratefully shook Jack and Gabriel’s hand, gushing about how grateful everyone was.
“Are there any other survivors down here?” Jack asked.
“There might be a few loners,” the leader said as he ran a hand through his dark hair. “Not sure why they didn’t want to be with a group. Well, we know why the McCrees took off, but the less said about them the better.”
“Follow the soldiers; they’ll escort you to the surface,” Gabriel said. “Jack.”
“Right behind you,” Jack said as he followed Gabriel back into the tunnels.
They headed down the tunnels searching for any stragglers. There was a fork in the tunnel and they contemplated their options. In the end, they split up and kept their communication channel open. Jack travelled a good distance down the tunnel before he detected movement.
“Got something,” he said over the comms as he pointed his gun at a boarded up door. “Movement. Don’t know if hostile or not.”
“On my way; don’t do anything stupid, Jack,” Gabriel replied.
“Like open it without you?” Jack asked as he reached out and grabbed one of the boards.
“Like unleash omnics on the underground,” Gabriel snorted.
“I’ll be careful,” he teased as he ripped the board off of the door.
He ripped a few more boards off before slowly easing the door open. He heard movement and brought his gun up as he stepped into the room. His flashlight shone through the gloom and he heard someone hiss at someone else to move. He snapped towards the source of the noise and tensed in surprise.
Two sets of terrified brown eyes stared at him before the girl lifted the too-big rifle at him. The boy hid his face in her leg, whimpering as the girl kept the rifle trained on Jack. He could tell by the way she was holding the gun that she wasn’t afraid to use it. How many times had she shot someone that threatened her and the boy?
“I’m going to put my gun down, okay?” Jack said gently. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
The girl narrowed her eyes but didn’t move as Jack slowly set his rifle on the ground. He knelt down so that he was more on eye-level with the girl and lifted his hands and turned his palms towards her. Unarmed and not a threat; he wanted her to understand that.
“I’m with the United States Army,” he said. “My name is Captain Jack Morrison. I’m here to get you out of here and to a safe location.”
The girl chewed on her lip and lowered her gun. The boy lifted his face and Jack smiled. Siblings, there was no doubt about it. They looked so similar it would surprise him if they were anything else.
“You’ve been taking very good care of your brother,” he said gently. “You’re a very brave little girl. You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
The girl puffed her chest out proudly and the boy giggled, smiling widely. Jack moved a few inches forward and held his hands out.
“Come on; let’s get you topside. You know where your parents are?” he asked.
The girl bit her lip before she brought the gun up again. The boy gasped and hid behind his sister’s leg, shaking as someone pushed their way into the room. Jack held a hand out towards the newcomer and slowly balled his hand into a fist. Gabriel stopped and holstered his shotguns before approaching slowly.
“It’s okay,” Jack soothed. “This is a very, very good friend of mine. Gabriel won’t hurt you.” He smiled as Gabriel knelt down beside him. “I know he looks scary, but he’s a good man.”
The girl lowered her gun and glared at Gabriel. The boy whimpered and pressed himself closer to his sister’s leg. Jack shared a look with Gabriel before Gabriel sat down and crossed his legs.
“I’m not gunna hurt you,” Gabriel reassured them. “We just want to get you somewhere safe.”
“There isn’t anywhere safe for us,” the girl murmured and shifted uncomfortably. “They don’t want us.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Jack soothed. “Come on. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”
“What’s your names?” Gabriel added as he held his hands out.
“Vanessa,” the girl said before she nodded to her brother. “He’s Jesse.”
“Last name?”
“McCree,” the girl whispered.
“Aa good a last name as any,” Gabriel smiled.
“Jesse, go with Gabriel,” Vanessa said.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Gabriel inclined his head.
“I don’t,” Vanessa lifted her chin. “Yer just scarier than anyone else here.”
“How old are you, Vanessa?” Gabriel asked as he coaxed Jesse forward.
“Ten,” she lifted her chin a little bit higher. “More than old enough to talk with adults.”
“Ten years old,” Jack smiled. “And you know how to use a gun.”
“Pa made sure I knew how before he left,” she murmured softly. “I haven’t seen him since we came down here. Tommy went to find him…but he never came back either.”
Gabriel and Jack looked at each other. This war had torn so many families apart. They had to get Vanessa and Jesse to safety and then worry about what would happen to them.
“We’ll help you find out what happened to them,” Jack promised. “Come on, Vanessa.”
“Can I get a piggy-back ride?” Vanessa asked softly.
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Jack smiled as he turned around. “Just don’t choke me out.”
Vanessa giggled as she climbed up onto his back and wrapped her arms securely around his neck. He hooked his arms under her knees and hoisted her up higher on his back as he grabbed his rifle. Gabriel swung her rifle over his shoulder as Jesse clung to his front. Jesse grinned shyly at Vanessa before he tucked his face into Gabriel’s chest.
The walk out of the tunnels was uneventful. There was no one else down there. If there were other survivors, they were too well hidden for them to get at. They’d send drones in later to detect signs of life and start digging them out. Vanessa kept her face against Jack’s neck, her breathing slow and even. Jesse fell asleep against Gabriel’s chest, snoring softly as they walked.
They checked the kids into the evac team’s database and rode with them to the camp. Everyone else gave the kids a wide berth, eyeing them mistrustfully. Jack only had to watch the interactions for a few minutes before he pulled Gabriel off to the side.
“We’re adopting them,” he said.
“Jack,” Gabriel groaned. “We can’t….”
“They’ll die here, Gabe,” Jack whispered and grabbed Gabriel’s hand, squeezing tightly. “You’ve seen the way they’re looking at Vanessa and Jesse. They want them dead. They haven’t done anything to them, but they want them dead.”
Gabriel let out a deep sigh and rubbed his eyes. “Jack…I don’t want them to get hurt either. But do you really think we can look after them?” he asked.
Jack grinned. “Between the two of us, I’m sure we’ll be fine. Vanessa’s already ten and Jesse clearly adores you,” he said.
“Vanessa’s scared of me,” Gabriel pointed out.
“Gabe, everyone is scared of you,” Jack laughed.
“Okay, good point,” he sighed. “You really sure about this?”
“Yes,” Jack nodded. “Until we can figure out what happened to their parents, we’ll care for them. Like our own little babies.”
Gabriel sighed and shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?” he teased.
“Love me,” Jack smiled and kissed him. “For all my terrible, terrible flaws.”
Gabriel chuckled and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss as much as he could. They were still in a civilian sector; it wasn’t a good idea to let their guard down.