Holding onto my sister I let myself feel. I feel the pain and panic that Avery feels, I hold onto it for several moments before I let it go from my mind. I steel myself. I needed to be here in the moment and protect my sister from any more danger and hope that our parents are safe somewhere. I pull away from Avery and look at her, "We will be fine, I got the training for it and dad will keep mom safe I know he will", I said with confidence and composure for my sister sake. I step back from her and wiped her face from the tears and hugged her again. "I'm going to dad office to get the safe open and I'll show you have to use the handgun he has", I step away from her and crossing the hall to dad's office.
His office was full of odd things and wildlife photos from his time as a nature photographer and video editor for national graphic. Stepping into his office I felt a rush of memories of sitting in his lap watching him edit his photographs and cutting film. I felt my heart grew heavy and shook those feelings away. I stepped deeper into the room and pulled off a large frame photo of a silverback guerilla and saw the dull sliver of the safe that held my father's small weapons collection. I reach for the keypad and put in my grandmother's birthday and the last two digits of my sister's birthday, and the safe click open. Reaching for the cold metal door I hear my father voice telling the importance of weapons safety and to never point the barrel at someone or something unless you plan on doing harm to them or it. I closed my eyes hearing my drill sergeant voice yelling about weapons safety on the gun range as well.
I take out my father's Glock G43, his hunting rifle and my own Beretta PX4 Storm with attach flashlight I got after completing basic training two years ago. I grab my mom's revolver a classic smith and Wesson and her small Sig Sauer P365 for my sister. I grab the holster for the Glock and put it on my side hip and shoulder the rifle, I use the conceal holster for the revolver and taking the sig and its accessories I call Avery to our father office and hand her the weapon barrel facing down and safety on. "I don't know what's going on but we are not leaving this house and we will defend ourselves," I say to her handing her the gun. She nods her head staying quiet and clipping the hostler to her left side. "Should I pack a bag just in case we need to leave?", she asked, her voice small. I take a deep breath closing my eye nodding my head yes. "We need to be ready to bug out if everything fall to shit, I'm sorry this is happening but I will find out parents and protect you". I pull my sister in for another hug, and I feel her arms around my body holding tight.
We step out of the office and I head to my room with my still pack back from Iraq. Seeing that beat-up and covered bag, I hear the screams of hurt soldiers and plead for help. I shake the memory from my mind and dump the contents of the bag to the ground. Nothing but uniforms and old clothes fell from it. I need my boots, and my jacket and the molle vest and tactical belt I have. Making the mental checklist I grab what I need from the floor and unpack my other bags looking for anything useful.
After about an hour I carry a bag half full of clothes, and other thing to keep my feet dry and my teeth clean and fill it up with ammunition boxes and the magazine from the gun safe in the office. I attached my med kit to the back of the best and some and the two double mag pouches my dad had. With the molle vest to my liking I double check the first aid supplies I had, and 2 double mag pouches were fill with the right magazine and a flashlight for easy access and light. Putting on my tact belt I attach the large utility pouch I had to my back right side. I went to my closet to find my own gear from camping and found my survival knife attacking to my belt as well. I grab my ode green hat and place it on my head and my dusty goggles.
After gathering all that I need I went to Avery's room to find her sitting on her bed with her phone in her hand and tears in her eyes. "None of my friends are answering not even Greg and he's a butt whip but still my friend," she starts to cry again. I rush over to her and hold her again for the third time today and let her cry.
Suddenly I'm thrust back in the hot desert of Iraq, and I see a little girl crying over a mangled body with a dark puddle of red steeping into the desert ground. Feeling something hit me center mass pushing me to the ground the breath knocked from my lungs, grasping for air hearing medic down from somewhere. Feeling someone grabbing my vest and dragging me backward and I'm behind cover now struggling to breathe.
I'm brought back from the memory as a hear a loud beeping of my cell and rush to my room to get it. Struggling for air I grab my phone to see a name flashing n my screen. "Dad," I answer breathing deep into the phone.
"Sweetheart listen to me we are safe for now I know I messed up by not leading you and your sister to safety be your mother and I are safe, please tell me you made it home, tell me your sister is safe." His voice desperate to hear we are safe and sound.
"I am dad we made it home and I am safe I open you safe and am arm to the teeth to protect too little bug of a sister and I swear I am safe we are safe", I let a single tear fall from my cheek walking back to Avery room. I wipe it away, putting my phone on speaker.
"Dad you are on speaker Avery needs to hear your voce," I look to the tear stain cheeks of my sister.
"Honeybun we are safe please listen to your older sister and please don't do anything reckless", I hear dad say. "Sweet bug its mama please remember to breathe and listen ok we are safe we will be together again I promise," I hear mom's voice. I took a deep breath glad to hear they were safe. They told us goodbye. I sigh with relist that they were safe and together. I felt Avery's hand in my own and her looking to me with my gear on, I smile at her and told her we need to be ready for anything and to pack a bag with the important stuff. She listen to what I said and started to pack her school bag. I also handed her the sig and told her to put it on.
I've seen children younger than my sister with Ak-47s and other weapons but it's different to see my sister with a weapon on her side and not in a warzone but in our home in our city. It was a weird sight, but I had to get used to it for now, until things got better. I went back downstairs to grab some food and to watch more new stations talk about what's going on.
The sun was rising over our city now and the situation hasn't gotten anyone better, there was rumor that it was three different groups at work for bombing the parts of our town and reports of people attacking for no reason. I worried for our parent being alone in the streets with nothing to protect them and I worried about Avery and how she is handling all this. I call Avery downstairs, hearing her coming down with her bag in hand and weapon on her hip. "Let's practice how to use your side arm and how to work it in a fast motion in case anything happens", I tell her and she nods following my lead. I didn't want to risk being seen outside so I push the coffee table and crouch out of the way and show her simple holding stances and how to aim down the sights properly. Showing her how to clear the chamber and reloading with efficient speed. Remembering how my instructor show me at combat medic school and how my captain and others show me how to shoot and what I learn on the fly being in Iraq.
After some time, I stop teaching her and show her how to take apart her weapon and to clean it and how to fix a misfire or jamming station with ease. Listening to CNN I hear the stories of random acts of violence and the fear and threat of more bombing until they said Breaking new with urgency, that the governor of Louisiana was activating the national guard and declaring martial law in New Orleans and setting of road backages to prevent further madness from spreading throughout the state. I stare blankly at the screen feeling Avery's hand in my won worrying for our city and for our parents.