Chapter Four
M y muscles were locked tight. The throbbing of my thighs seemed to increase, spreading to my heart that beat a mile a minute. And yet, I knew there was nothing physically wrong. At least, not more so than there already was.
No, all the pain was internal, growing and growing as I took the first step off the rough ground and onto smooth pavement. I may have not recognized where we were in the woods, but this spot, I knew. Only a week ago, this path had been my salvation, and now I was back.
The others had all walked ahead, traipsing across the cement with no worry in the world except for where to go next. But I couldn’t bring myself to move. Couldn’t bring myself to take one step closer.
I thought I had been strong. Able to make it through the torture at Vex’s hands. But all the memories bombarded me and I knew I was finally about to crumble.
A soft hand reached for mine, Mina’s soft gaze on me. No one else had realized I had all but turned into a statue, but Mina had. She didn’t speak any words, only squeezed my hand, and together we took the next step.
One step after the other, we caught up to the others, Mina never letting go of me even with the awkward position as my hand also held onto the crutch. My crutches were loud against the pavement, alerting the others to our position behind them.
“We can’t draw attention to ourselves,” Rainer whispered, and even if his eyes weren’t trained on me, I would have known what he meant.
Each of my steps in the silent night was a blaring signal of our position. We were still at least a mile out from the camp, but if any of the guards were sent out to look for more people, they’d find us immediately.
Murphy came over to my side then, brushing a hand over my back. “Can you walk without them?”
I nodded my head as Aiden said, “No, she can’t.”
Shooting a warning glare his way to stay quiet, I gathered the crutches into my arms, putting weight on my legs for the first time in several days. The pain was immediate, traveling up my thighs and right back down.
I clenched my teeth through the pain, putting one foot in front of the other and mentally congratulating myself when I didn’t stumble. The walk would be easier here than through the woods without the worry of tripping over a branch or loose rock.
Aiden, Murphy, and Mina hovered at my sides, waiting for my legs to give out, but I was determined to prove I could do this. The mental hurdles were harder than the physical. And I was going to overcome both.
Rainer nodded his head once and then went to take the lead again. However, Emmanuel held up a hand to stop him, drawing all our attention.
“I think it would be best if we split into smaller groups for the rest of the way. A group as large as ours will be harder to hide if we do draw attention.”
Warner and Rainer shared a heavy look, a silent pause permeating throughout the group. There had already been inklings of distrust spreading throughout us and I wanted to shake Emmanuel, ask him if he realized what he was doing.
Of course, I kept my mouth shut. Now wasn’t the time to have that discussion, not when we were currently standing in the middle of the street like sitting ducks. And although Emmanuel’s suggestion seemed strange coming from his mouth, in reality, it wasn’t a terrible idea.
Smaller groups would have an easier chance of hiding if we stumbled upon guards from the camp. Or if we happened upon someone that had managed to escape their grasp and was still hiding out.
Finally, the silence ended, everyone voicing their agreement. The split was chosen strategically, Emmanuel, Rainer, and Murphy, each to lead a group. Emmanuel solely because he knew where we were headed and Rainer and Murphy because they both had the knowledge to figure out the directions Emmanuel was doling out.
Emmanuel refused to split from his family again, holding tight to Stephanie and Lucas’ hands. Murphy, Warner, Sasha, and Mina created the second group, leaving Rainer, Aiden, and me together. Aiden and I didn’t want to leave each other’s side after months apart. We were the only family we had left.
“Alright, everyone, head out. We’ll see you in two days.” Rainer started heading to the right, our group choosing to take the shortest route due to my wounds. Emmanuel, Elizabeth, and the twins making their way to the left.
Aiden followed suit behind Rainer, but I found myself glued to my spot once more. I knew the uncertainty that came with separation, wondering if you’d ever see them again. And I knew the agony when you realized you never got to say goodbye.
Swallowing roughly, I prepared to say goodbye to the four people before me. But when I met Murphy’s haunted eyes, I choked on the words. Saying goodbye was preparing for the worst and none of us could handle that right now.
“I’ll see you in two days,” I finally managed, meeting each of their eyes.
Mina and Sasha waved with sad smiles, entwining their hands as they turned into the center of town. Murphy swallowed before croaking out, “See you then.”
He then turned too, hurrying to catch up to Mina and Sasha. Warner and I were left, standing several feet apart in the vacant street.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Warner told me, his signature smirk haunting in the moonlight.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I taunted back, his smirk morphing into a smile.
Tilting his head over my shoulder, he said, “Better hurry up before he starts to worry.”
Glancing behind my back, I spotted Aiden and Rainer standing in the shadows of one of the dilapidated buildings, waiting for me.
“Aiden knows I can take care of myself,” I defended, meeting Warner’s gaze once more.
Turning on his heel, always the first to walk away, Warner called out in a hushed whisper, so quiet I could barely hear, “He’s not the one I’m talking about.”
My steps were weak. Aiden hovered at my side, the makeshift crutches in one arm, while the other was constantly ready for me to fall. However, there was no chance I was about to fall, given my snail’s pace.
If it were only Aiden and I, I doubt I would have cared. Unfortunately, the third person of our little group was impossible to ignore. Even as he walked ahead of us, not once glancing behind, I could see the frustration building in the way his shoulders bunched.
We had to have been walking for several hours at this point, the sky beginning to turn pink as the sun rose. However, we were no closer to the edge of town than we had been at the start of this night. And I knew that was because of me.
Growling under my breath, I stopped walking, knowing what I would need to do. My cheeks reddened with embarrassment, hating that I had to rely on others once again.
“I need you to carry me,” I whispered to Aiden, hoping Rainer wouldn’t hear.
So far, he hadn’t bothered to check we were still following him and I hoped that trend would continue. No matter where this journey took us, one thing would never change. I hated looking weak in front of this strong man.
“Lessy, we can take a break if you need to. Or even walk slower. Or hell, use the crutches. Rainer has a gun, he can keep people away.” Aiden shoved the crutches at me, but I shook my head adamantly.
“Aiden, you know what happened in those camps as well as I do. Those aren’t some random people they armed. They’re trained professionals. One guy with a gun isn’t going to stop them.”
Aiden and I stared at each other, our mother’s stubbornness bleeding through us both. Finally, Aiden gave in, much like he did throughout our childhood. “Fine, you win. But I can’t carry you and the crutches at the same time.”
Holding my hands out, I went to grab the sticks, but a set of large hands pushed mine out of the way. Rainer was suddenly at our sides, his movements silent as a predator stalking its prey.
Before I could ask what he was doing, my legs were swept out from under me and my side was pressed against Rainer’s firm chest. The strong planes I rested against were familiar. The muscles had pressed against me before, during the few training sessions we had prior to the kidnapping. However, under the dusty sky, surrounded by silence, my heart beat faster, an unsteady rhythm I wasn’t familiar with at all.
“Aiden was going to carry me,” I told him in protest.
“I’m faster.”
I knew that was the only response I was going to get, and I knew fighting with him was futile. I may have been able to beat out Aiden’s stubbornness, but Rainer was an entirely different entity.
With the change, the three of us were able to cover more ground in the next hour than we had in the first few. Eventually, the sun was officially above the horizon, the sun bright in the early August morning.
“Let’s find somewhere to stay for the next few hours. We can try to get some sleep, as well as eat and drink,” Rainer suggested, although as he began walking toward a crisp building, I knew it was more of an order.
The three of us entered the building through what used to be a door, the glass now shattered around our feet. Once we were inside, Rainer set me on my feet and I wobbled slightly after not using them. Rainer’s palm gripped my hip, steadying me. Looking up into his gaze, I caught a flicker of worry before it extinguished.
Shaking off the knot in my chest, I took in our surroundings. The sign outside the building had been charred, unable to read, but it was clear this used to be a restaurant. The tiled floors were covered in soot and dirt, the walls still standing, not faring much better.
Tables and chairs were flipped onto their sides, signs of the rush of customers when the initial fires had started. Booths dotted the back walls, a few of them charred, but the ones that weren’t were calling my name. How long had it been since I hadn’t slept on the ground, whether with a sleeping bag or not?
“Think there’s any food in here?” Aiden asked, leaning my crutches up against a wall.
Rainer was poking around, his eyes continuously darting to the doors and windows. “I doubt it, but I’ll go check. You two get some rest.”
If I hadn’t already been dead on my feet, I may have resisted, but given the circumstances, I gladly wandered toward a booth. Laying down on the firm plush, my body sunk into the softness. Aiden laid on the opposite bench, our gazes meeting beneath the table.
“Remember when we used to pretend to fall asleep every time Mom and Dad took us out to dinner?” He whispered, and I smiled at the memory.
“Alex would complain that we were squishing him and Mom would try to wake us up,” I added, reminiscing. Every Wednesday, for as long as I could remember, the five of us would go out to dinner as a family. It was a night I always looked forward to. Even when we were all out of the house, we would still meet up for Wednesday night dinners.
Aiden laughed quietly. “And Dad would tell them both that we needed the sleep to make sure our brains grew.”
My smile turned watery as I thought of my family. All three of them had been so vibrant. They made this world a better place, especially mine. And yet, they were gone in a moment. With a single bullet, their lives were taken from them.
“Do you think we would be better off if we were with them?” I whispered even lower, ashamed of my question.
Ever since we had read those documents, the thought had been traipsing around my mind, but this was the first time I dared to utter it out loud.
“Why would you say that?” Aiden asked, his eyes watering along with mine.
“All the pain, all the struggle. What’s the point, Aiden? We know what’s coming. And we know we aren’t going to survive it.”
I mean, how would we? All we know was that a meteorite was going to hit the Earth and most likely wipe out all life that wasn’t encapsulated in those bunkers. What were we trying to survive for? For a few more months of something that wasn’t even similar to a life?
“We don’t know that this is the end, Lessy,” Aiden began. Reaching out with his hand, he gripped mine in his own. “And even if it is, wouldn’t you take one more day with Mom, Dad, or Alex?”
Tears slid down my cheeks, the salty taste hitting my lips. Nodding, I agreed with his statement. Screw one more day, I’d taken even one more minute. And with those words, I knew where Aiden was going.
“If we only have a few more months, I’m going to survive them for you. And I need you to survive them for me. Because I don’t think anyone deserves to leave this world alone.”
Both our faces were streaked with wetness, my heart aching for how much we had lost. But we still had each other. Holding tightly onto Aiden’s hand, I rolled onto my back, catching sight of Rainer out of my peripheral.
He stood still as a statue against one of the walls. I wondered if he had heard any of what we said, but I didn’t have to guess when I spotted his eyes trained on me. There was no pity in his gaze, I would never expect that from him. But there was an understanding, sympathy for the situation we were all desperately treading through.
Refusing to let go of Aiden’s hand, I let my eyes close, knowing I was safe under Rainer’s watchful gaze.