Chapter 15
T he airplane accelerated down the runway, its powerful engines roaring as it gained speed. The nose lifted, and the jet soared into the cobalt sky, climbing higher with every second.
Hannah watched it go, tears of frustration stinging her eyes. “If only that was a U.N. plane,” she whispered.
“They must’ve pulled out because of the fighting,” Tom replied.
“I thought that’s what they were here for,” she snapped, exhaustion making her tetchy. “To keep the peace.”
“They’re here to observe, not fight,” he said. “They’re not a military force.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not doing us any good now.” She blew out a breath and slumped her shoulders. They were stranded.
“They must’ve left last night.” He scanned the base. “There’s no sign of a hostile takeover.”
One day. They’d missed their chance by just one day.
“I can’t believe it.” She dropped her head into her hands. “We came all this way. Now what are we supposed to do?”
He didn’t answer.
She knew he’d tried. He’d gotten them this far. But now the Symanian Army held the base. If they set foot on it, they’d be arrested—or worse.
“First, we need to find shelter.” He glanced up at the darkening sky. The wind whipped her hair about her face. It was getting stronger.
The sandstorm. How could she have forgotten?
“How much time do we have?” she asked. She remembered the newspaper article—three o’clock.
He checked his watch. “Less than an hour.”
Crap.
They returned to the outbuildings for cover. Tom dragged the second dead soldier into the hut with the first. Hannah didn’t look at either of them.
“Come in here.” He ducked into the empty structure and spread his map across the concrete floor.
“This is us.” He pointed to a speck southeast of Syman City. “There are ruins about a mile and a half east. If we get there before the storm hits, we can hunker down.”
She glanced at the huts. “Why can’t we just stay here?”
“They’ll come looking when the guard doesn’t report in,” he said, nodding toward the body. “We’re exposed. We need to move.”
“Okay.” Weariness crept in. She wasn’t sure how much farther she could go.
“It’ll be okay.” He gripped her shoulders, steady and firm. “I’ve got a plan. But first, we reach those ruins.”
“What plan? This was the plan!” She gestured toward the base, a flicker of hysteria in her voice. “Unless you’ve got another airstrip up your sleeve?”
“Hannah, there’s no time for this.” He grabbed her hand and met her gaze. “You said you trusted me. Then trust me now. I’ll get us out. I promise. But we’ve got to move.”
She stared at him. He couldn’t guarantee that promise. But she nodded anyway.
She slung her bag over her shoulder. The fence rattled in the growing wind. Heading into a sandstorm was madness—but it beat standing still and waiting to die.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Atta girl.”
He shouldered his pack, and they started east. The airbase shimmered behind them, heat waves rising from the tarmac.
Tom set a grueling pace. There was no time to talk. All Hannah’s effort was put into keeping up. They reached the ruins in just over forty-five minutes. Red dust swirled in the sky, and sand whipped around their legs and faces.
Hannah slipped her robe back on to shield her arms. Tom wrapped his bandana around his face, and she followed suit with her scarf.
“Next to that wall’s our best bet.” He pointed to a crumbling low wall—remnants of an ancient settlement. It still offered more protection than anything else around.
He gathered heavy stones, stacking them along the wall for added defense. Hannah stared at the horizon. A rust-colored cloud loomed, devouring the distance.
“Is that it?” she asked.
He didn’t turn. Just kept building.
“It’s a wall of sand,” she murmured, transfixed. It rolled across the earth like a living thing—thick, choking, unstoppable. How were they supposed to survive that?
Adrenaline fired through her veins. She dropped to her knees and helped Tom stack rocks. They created a three-sided enclosure, waist-high, enough to provide some cover. It wasn’t perfect—but it was all they had.
The sandstorm was almost upon them.
Hannah stared at the cloud, heart pounding. It was like something out of a nightmare. The roar rose as millions of sand particles collided in the howling wind.
“Tom, I’m scared.” She moved closer.
“Sit,” he said, motioning to the base of the wall. “We’ll be okay. This isn’t the worst I’ve seen. It’ll blow over in an hour or two.”
She stayed standing, eyes locked on the wall of dust. “Are you sure? What about you?”
“I’ll be right here.” He pulled off his shirt and unwrapped his bandana. “We’ll use these to cover our heads. Give me your scarf—we need all the protection we can get.”
“Oh God.” Her voice cracked.
“Lie down,” he ordered, gently pulling her beside him. The wind shrieked. Sand pelted their legs as the storm engulfed them.
“Tom…” she gasped.
He smiled, reassuring. “I’ve got you.” He secured the fabric over their heads, tucking it tight against the wind. Then he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.
She lay still, inhaling deeply in anticipation.
“Breathe normal,” he told her. “You’ll be fine.”
The sky darkened as the storm swallowed them. The wind howled like it was alive, hammering against the walls, clawing at the scarves covering them.
She wriggled closer, desperate for his warmth.
He held her tighter. “We just wait it out,” he said. His voice was calm, steady. She clung to him, burying her face in his chest as the wind tore at their shelter.
His body shielded hers—chest to chest, hip to hip. She felt the strength in him, his heat pressed into her everywhere. She clung on, praying it would end soon.
The sandstorm raged. Time slowed. Hannah couldn’t tell how long they’d been huddled there. The air inside their shelter grew thick and hot. Dust seeped in through every crack.
Her breathing quickened.
“Calm down,” he murmured, his hand sliding along her spine.
She couldn’t. The roar filled her ears. Grit scraped at her throat. The air felt too thin. Panic seized her lungs.
“You’re hyperventilating,” he said, voice taut. “You’ve got to slow your breathing.”
“I can’t.” She clawed at him. “I can’t breathe.” The air wasn’t enough. Her vision swam. Dizziness washed over her. She was suffocating. The desert would swallow them whole.
The edges of her world dimmed. She closed her eyes, bracing for the dark.