Chapter 38
If time had slowed down in the hallway with Kethler, it sped up afterwards. Running through the halls, soaked in Berkley's blood. My ears ring the whole time, or it could be the alarm that keeps blaring at us, like a beast in agony.
Someone in a white lab coat comes out, no doubt hearing the siren and our heavy footsteps. He startles as he catches sight of us, stumbling back against the door, and attempting to go back into his lab.
Something dark and twisted takes over Tarius's face at the sight of him.
He lengthens his baton, before smashing it over the man's head furiously.
Deacon looks over at me in shock. I shake my head, unable to speak.
Tarius doesn't look at us as he continues on through the halls, his movements erratic and angry.
The hallways take a slight incline, and my breath comes out in short desperate pants as the last corridor finally opens into the bay area. It's completely empty, except for Leo and Farra.
Farra is covered in soot, her face smudged with dark streaks and what appears to be someone else's blood. She looks me over, panicked at the sight of me.
Leo searches our group. I look over at him, his big eyes meeting mine, and I think he sees the answer to the question he's about to ask. His face drops as he shakes his head.
"Where's Berkley?" Farra asks, her voice desperate.
I feel Deacon rip off my pack, loading everything into the buggy frantically and silently. Tarius hurries to open the bay doors. They move like machines, while the three of us are unable to do much else as Farra looks between us with panic.
"He's gone, Farra," I get out, my voice not sounding like my own.
"No..." she says, shaking her head, a statement and a plea.
Leo grabs our arms, shoving us into the buggy. We don't have the luxury of time right now. Another explosion rocks the bay as we leave the facility; Farra has left some distractions, apparently, in order to gain us more time.
We're silent as we rip down the hill, the siren fading behind us, towards the front gates at the city's entrance.
The fates must align, because as we reach the big metal gates, they open. There are no guards to be seen. We had assumed we'd have to fight our way out, but it's eerily empty. Maybe Farra's distractions worked better than we'd hoped.
My stomach knots at the alternative. That they are letting us leave.
We travel for a while in silence, constantly looking over our shoulders, watching as the city gets farther and farther from our sight. The familiar rock of the buggy over the rolling hills feels like a comfort I don't deserve, as we press further away.
"Maple?!" Farra's loud voice startles me as she leans over, shoving a canteen in my face.
I refuse. "I'm good."
"You’re not good. And that's ok. But you are going to drink this." I finally look at her. She looks utterly exhausted. Dirt and soot and blood cover her face. She's still beautiful, despite it.
I grab the canteen and take a sip. She tips it up, demanding I drink more, and I scowl at her before taking a bigger gulp.
She gives me a satisfied nod and then pulls me over so I'm leaning on her.
I go to slide away; I don't have the right to the comfort, but she leans on me, and I feel her body heave a quiet sob.
So I stay, because she does deserves the comfort.
I dare a glance at Leo, who's leaning on the other side of Farra.
Wet marks streak down his dirty face, and guilt presses heavy on my chest.
Tarius drives, and he seems to have an impressive sense of direction.
The dust parts enough for us to see where we're going.
We move through the barren lands in silence, each of us sitting in our grief.
I know Farra needs to know what happened, but I don't know if I can say it out loud.
I don't want to see the look in their eyes when they realize I got our friend killed.
And I hate myself a little more for being selfish.
"The battery's getting low," Deacon says from up front, waking me and Farra up from our daze.
"How far do we have?" Leo asks.
"Not far. It's just up ahead," Tarius says as Deacon looks over the map. We figured we'd have to walk a bit of the way, but it wasn't clear how far. Ideally, somewhere with enough of a valley or hill lip that we can hide the buggy.
We're heading to a small, abandoned village the twins told us about.
There are only a few buildings—in such rough shape, and so far from the main roads that nobody with a brain wants anything to do with them.
A fire had torn through at one point, and only a few concrete or stone structures remain.
I see them finally, far ahead, in clouds of dust. Dread and anticipation mix inside of me.
What if the others aren't here? What if this was all for nothing?
The buggy sputters and Tarius veers to the left; I look and notice a large dune, a bit of rocky overhang on the far side, and although it's not much, it's better than leaving the buggy out in the open.
In silence we park, unpack, and pull on our gear.
I catch Deacon wince as he stubbornly lifts his pack without help.
We walk in a straight line over the gentle slopes.
The grey outline of the decrepit buildings slowly becomes clearer, and my heart thumps in anticipation.
My mouth is gritty beneath my mask, but we don't stop for water, we just trudge on, sinking through the soft hills.
We get to the buildings, and my speed picks up. There aren't many places they can be. We spread out, peering around the buildings, when I hear someone holler. I turn and see two familiar figures standing beside a half-crumbled concrete wall, grinning from ear to ear.
"What took you guys so long?!" Linden demands.
Relief floods my entire system. They're here. Willow and Linden are standing here, in one piece, looking ready to take on the world in the gear the twins have gave them. My body sags as Willow runs at me, nearly knocking me over as she wraps her arms around me.
"Did you grow?" I ask. I swear she wasn't as tall as me when I left, but now we're looking at each other eye to eye.
She shrugs, a big grin on her face—until she takes me in, and shock crosses her face.
"What happened?! Are you OK?" She pulls back and her eyes run up and down me, looking for injury.
"It's not mine... " I can't bring myself to say the rest, so I just shake my head.
Whatever she sees in my expression makes her pause, and Linden comes up beside us to scoop us in for a hug. He leans against me, before pulling back to take in the dirt, and dust, and blood coating me.
"You look awful," he says with a gentle smile and I try returning it.
"That is what I like to hear," I murmur half-heartedly.
Briggs and Mack appear from behind the ruins, motioning for us to follow to where we can escape the dust a little. We end up in the alcove of one of the half-buildings, covered enough that the elements will give us a break.
Once my pack is off, I head to the twins, giving them both sincere embraces, and thanking them for getting my family here safely.
"That sister of yours is hilarious. She asked me about twenty times if she could have a weapon. I almost gave her my knife, just to shut her up." Briggs laughs, wiping a tired hand down his face.
I smile. It feels empty, but it's all I can manage. Willow would wear them down. I look over to where Linden is fussing over Deacon's injuries. Everyone finds a spot, slumping down and looking exhausted. We're only at the beginning of our journey; this does not bode well.
"Where are you from? Do you have siblings?" I catch only the tail-end, as Willow peppers my friends with questions.
"Will, give them a minute to breathe. We just sat down," I sigh, slumping beside Leo, who's gawking at my sister.
"They look so much like you," he says. Nodding to Linden. "And you didn't tell me your brother was hot," he adds, wagging his eyebrows a bit.
The dullness in his tone nearly has me bursting into tears. Is this what finally breaks him?
And if so, it's all my fault.
Willow and I share a look at Leo's comment, and she scrunches up her face in disgust. Leo chuckles, but I don't miss the curious look Farra gives my brother.
"So, these are your best friends," Willow sasses.
Deacon throws a pebble at Willow. "Her other best friends," he corrects with a fake scowl, smacking Linden's hand away.
"Farra, Leo, Tarius, Deacon," I say loudly, wanting to get introductions over with in one shot. Trying to ignore the way my heart constricts at the one name I leave out. He should be here.
"Briggs, Macklin -Mack, Linden, and Willow," I say, motioning my hands across the crooked circle we're all sitting in.
Everyone gives nods or awkward waves.
"If anyone has any injuries, my brother's an almost-doctor, he can take a look." I try to sound normal, but my tone comes out flat and I catch the worried glance Leo sends my way.
"Yeah, and the almost-doctor is annoying me already, so it's someone else's turn," Deacon grumbles, as Linden continues to pester him, checking over his torso.
"How was the getting here? Uneventful?" Leo asks Mack, who looks completely comfortable sitting in a pile of rubble he's claimed for himself.
"Not bad at all. There was an old woman who scared the beans out of us, though. What was her name again? She came out of nowhere hollering with a knife," Mack shudders, and I raise an eyebrow at Willow.
"Marta" she gives me a mischievous grin. "She caught us when we were passing through. We filled her in a bit, because we didn't want her to worry; but then she came out swinging at the boys, threatening to string them up if anything happened to us."
"She's terrifying," Briggs confirms.