The Suns of Liberty (Book 2): Revolution (41 page)

Boston was free.

The members of the Suns all
dressed in black uniforms, except Ward. He no longer had the secret identity
anyway. And there was no way he was going to wear the bug suit to Alison's
funeral. The Suns sat together on the front row of the pews: Revolution, Ward,
Lantern—helmet and all, with his leg in a cast. Rachel was there—though you
couldn't see her—and Sophia was resting in a wheelchair on the end. They were
all just beginning the healing process. As Leslie Gibbons looked out at them,
she hoped that she could bring some words that would help them along that road.
But she knew it would be a long one.

“Today we honor our fallen
heroes,” she said, the emotion rising in her voice right away. “Today we say
good-bye to our friends, to our loved ones...” 

After the funeral, the Suns held a private moment
on Castle Island, just off Pleasure Bay and the home of Fort Independence. In
the center of the large, open parade grounds they built up a small hill. It was
christened Heroes' Hill. At the top was a modest monument in solid white.
Engraved into the stone were names. At the front, two prominent names stood
out:

John “Saratoga” Bailey
and
just below it
Ramsey “Hunley” Hollis
. As the Suns visited the site
alone—the public kept far away by the dutiful work of the Minutemen—they each
thought of the words Leslie had spoken at the memorial service.

Their voices will echo through
the ages. Their blood is the blood of all who have died for our country.

Somewhere in the granite was the
word marked: MINUTEMEN, with a long list of names below, including
Parker
Hudson, Donald and Cynthia Capers
. And Ward found the name he was searching
for on yet another part of the stone:
Alison “The Source” Mitchell
.
Revolution, draped in a black cloak, stood beside Ward. They lowered their
heads after a while. Neither spoke. Instead, they listened to their own hearts,
with Leslie's voice echoing in their ears.

Those who would not be
silenced.

Lantern lumbered up on crutches.

Those who would not back down.

Leslie pushed Sophia beside them
in a wheelchair.

Is the measure of a country's
greatness its wealth? Its ambition?

On the other side of the hill,
Fiona stood alone in a long white coat. The Suns of Liberty stood together for
one brief moment. Fiona turned and walked away. After a while, the Suns began
to go their separate ways. 

Or is it instead the sacrifices
its people make to one another? Is it instead the ideals of a people who dared
to be free? Who dared to be equal. Who dared to be Americans. 

One day we will be free again.

Old Glory waved at the top of the hill, stretching
out over the crest of the pinnacle-like monument. It beckoned against a bright
blue sky, overlooking the harbor. And somewhere out beneath the gleaming waves,
the resting place of Ramsey Hollis. Revolution thought it was fitting. He
thought it was majestic.

After a moment, Ward and the
Revolution were alone. They just stood there taking in the serenity of the
spot. The ocean-lined hill that would stand forever as a monument to those who
had fallen. Finally, Ward turned to him and grinned.

“So. Now that we've come this far,
I have to ask. Who is the Revolution?”

Revolution was silent for a long
moment. Then he turned and put his hand on Ward's shoulder. “Isn't it obvious?”
He slipped his coat off his shoulders, revealing his normal attire, cape and
all. And then he strolled away back down the hill, holding the coat. His cape
billowed behind him in the brisk New England wind. He turned his head back
toward Ward but never broke stride as he spoke.

“We're all the Revolution.”

DON’T MISS THESE OTHER

THRILLING NOVELS COMING SOON

by

MICHAEL IVAN LOWELL

THE
SUNS OF LIBERTY: LEGION

With
Boston no longer under Freedom Council control, a new Chairman recruits a team
of “heroes” known as
the Legion
to do battle with the Suns. But the
Council’s true aims are hidden and much, much darker. And they will shake the
Suns of Liberty and their precious resistance to the core.

SARATOGA:
A SUNS OF LIBERTY
PREQUEL

CIA
agent John Bailey discovers a conspiracy, saves the President’s life and
attempts to thwart a massive terrorist plot on the road to becoming the leader
of the Agency’s secretive organization known as
SHADOW
.