World Ashen

Chapter 14 - Jensen

I didn't know what was better, throwing yourself into a huge snowdrift and being soaked or being hit by a moving vehicle and getting hurt. Death might claim our souls either way. The vehicle stopped, and we realized it was just someone on a three-wheeled bike pulling a canoe with a rope behind it. The boy driving it saw us and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry about that. I'm not used to seeing people walking."

I stood up and then helped Piper, "It's okay, but who are you?"

"Oh, Dawson Faws."

I smiled, even though I couldn't trust this Dawson as far as I could throw him. "Jacob Jensen," I said with my mother's maiden name and my middle name.

"Robin Stern," Piper said, clearly catching on to what I did. "How did you get that vehicle of yours?"

"I work for the President, Ms. Stern."

"President? I thought—"

"Well, you thought wrong."

I scoffed, "Sir, you look like you're barely even seventeen."

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

I began shivering, then realized if he wanted to kidnap us, he would've done so already. "Listen, you two look frozen. I'll give you a ride back to my place."

"S-sounds great," I stuttered, not wanting to die of hypothermia. I squeezed Piper's hand as if to say it was okay.

As we climbed into the canoe, Dawson turned to me. "You fit the exact description of someone my friend gave."

"Who?"

"Shiloh Kane."

"Oh, she's my friend's cousin." I lowered my voice because Piper was asleep against me. "My name is Jensen Michaels, and she's my wife, Piper. Sorry about that back there."

Dawson shrugged. "I get it. You're cautious fellows."

"So. What brings you out here, Dawson?"

"My job is being a cartographer, so of course, I'm trying to find unknown places."

"Well, you're in luck. I'm the mayor of a town called New Haven."

Dawson smiled as he pulled up to the gate, said his name, and waited. I sat there and marveled as the gate lifted. "Pretty cool, huh? Our mechanic, Lindsey, built it." After parking in the garage, Dawson and I got out. I had to carry Piper since she was out cold. She was extremely light, scaring me. Dawson took Piper to a hotel room, and I just stood in the lobby. There was a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling. White couches lined the walls and red curtains were on the windows. The lights were on like Yellowstone had never happened. "Oi, Jensen. Should I give you that tour of Sternenstadt?"

"Sure. Is the name of this town in German?"

Dawson nodded. "Yep. Do you know German or something?"

"Nah. Piper does though."

"Cool. I thought I recognized the last name, Stern. Isn't there an actress with the same last name?"

"Hmhm. Ready for that tour?"

"Yeah, sorry. You're just great to talk to. Oh, here," Dawson said as he threw a pair of clothes at me. "Change into these, then we'll start the tour." I walked into the bathroom, locked the door, and changed into new clothes. It felt weird wearing non-ashy clothes, but it also felt great. The tour was brief and gave me plenty of ideas for New Haven. The last part of the tour was meeting the President.

The President's name was Elliot Brockman. "Madam President, this is Jensen Michaels, Mayor of New Haven." Elliot smiled and beckoned me toward her, her green eyes twinkled as I stepped forward. With my military background, the best thing I did to show respect was to salute, so I did. Afterward, Elliot just laughed.

"There's no need for that. Welcome to Sternenstadt!" I nodded, realizing she sat at a normal desk with a white flag having a huge S in the middle behind the desk.

"Thank you, Madam President. Uh, a fourteen-year-old boy in my town has the flu. May I have some help? We could form alliances. Thank you." I swallowed. Everything I had said was horrible. Only one sentence came out as planned, and that was, thank you. I don't even think thank you is a sentence, but more of a phrase. It was too late to fix anything. Now I could just hope.

Elliot turned to Dawson. "I know you're just a cartographer, but go with Jensen to New Haven and give the fourteen-year-old some medicine. Also, map the town, please." She turned back to me. "Yes. We'll form alliances since there is a group called Lux planning to attack a day now, so the faster your people get better, the faster we can win this war."

"Madam President, thank you. We have the best doctor, so we won't let you down." After leaving the President's office, Dawson and I went to pick Piper up from the hotel. I ran up to Piper's room and opened the door. "Bonjour, madame," I said with a smile.

"Bonjour Jensen, Where are we?"

"Sternenstadt. The President, Elliot Brockman, lives here. She gave us medicine for Parker to help them fight a war against a group called Lux."

Piper stared at me for a second and at first, I thought she was going to yell. "Jensen, I have an idea," she said. "If the people of Sternenstadt can move to New Haven, then the attack might not happen."

"And if it does, then the injuries will be closer to August, and then fewer deaths should happen," I said, kissing Piper on the cheek. The two of us ran downstairs, then told Dawson the plan, which he agreed to. He even dropped Piper off with Elliot, so Piper could inform the President about the plan. Dawson and I went to get the medicine at their hospital.

To my surprise, Shiloh sat behind the front desk. Filing paperwork and wearing scrubs. "Hey Shy," Dawson said, making Shiloh look up, and she was breathless seeing the two of us.

"Jensen, Dawson," she gasped, getting up. The young girl ran over and hugged me tightly. Her ribs dug into my side.

"Hey, Shiloh," I said weakly. "Um, can I have some medicine for the flu?" Shiloh nodded and ran to get something.

There was a crackle in the air, then Elliot's voice filled the air. "May I have your attention, please? Citizens of Sternenstadt, we will move to the town of New Haven, hoping to be safe from Lux. If they attack, then we will have more men and a "real" doctor on our side. We will leave in a couple of days. Thank you." Then she repeated the message in German. Shiloh came back with some pills and said she'd see me in a couple of days. I had become super worried about how skinny she had gotten, making me wonder if she'd even survived a couple of days.

"Shiloh, you're dangerously thin. Have you eaten anything at all this week?"

She nodded, but it felt like she was lying. "Yeah, of course. Do you really think I'd starve myself?"

"Ever since Nick died, yes," Dawson said, and I stared at him. Nick the Deaf Piano Boy, as Kenneth called him, was dead?

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said.

"Thanks," Shiloh said. She turned to Dawson. "The very thought of food is nauseating." She packed stuff up. "If I wanted to die, don't you think I would've just taken a bullet to the brain? Or maybe I would've jumped off the church!"

"I think you just answered Jensen's question and countered your last answer," Dawson said, and I shook my head.

"Dawson, I think her statement about the thought of food being nauseating was sarcasm. Anyway, I think Piper and I should get going and notify New Haven about the plan." He nodded, so we said bye to Shiloh. I got into the canoe, Dawson pedaled the bike, picked Piper up, and headed back to Safe Haven.

Dawson, Piper, and I all went into the Hayner House. "This is Dawson," Piper said, introducing Dawson to August, as she gave the pills to the doctor. "We came back with medicine for Parker." Piper then explained what was happening in a couple of days. Dawson and I left to tell the others.

Sadly, we needed everyone on the battlefield, including Paige and Parker, if Parker got better in time. Thomas, Jace, Sarah, Cayler, and I gave everyone shooting training. Even though Angel hated guns and had Cerebral Palsy, she still trained. Luckily, Tony, Alex, Jack, Wyatt, Dan, Cameron, and Atticus all returned from their trip to the private airport and hospital yesterday. They all knew what was going on with Sternenstadt and were eager to help. Parker got better after we had been back for a week, and about five days later, he was as ready as he could get him.