Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
The radio house was buzzing with activity. It seemed Bastian had invited a few guards over for food. We were a close-knit bunch, more males than females, but that was more because the females didn’t usually apply for the guard. Still, the guys never let gender divide us.
We were a team, and it felt that way even more right now as sweepers and scouts mingled, drinking the crappy liver-searing alcohol from metal mugs while the delicious aroma of cooking meat drifted into the room through the back doors that led to the tiny yard.
Jamie stayed close, his hand on the small of my back in a way that some might consider possessive but to me felt like home.
Javier approached holding two metal mugs, his warm brown eyes filled with compassion.
“Here. For you.” He held out the mug and I took it gratefully.
“Thanks, Javier.”
“I liked Bee a lot. I hope she’ll be very happy in the golden city.”
“Me too.”
He dropped a nod in Jamie’s direction before melting into the crowd.
I glanced about at the crush of bodies. “I thought this was a small gathering?”
“I didn’t say that,” Jamie said with a smile. “Come on, let’s go outside.”
We wove through the guards, greeting people as we went until we got to the yard. Bastian stood over the barbeque flipping steaks like a pro and Ryan sat on a wooden stool, metal cup in hand, watching him.
A couple of other guards had parked their asses on the battered wooden chairs that dotted the outdoor space.
The radio tower was our hangout, and even though it was Bastian’s domain, everyone worked to keep it tidy.
Bastian glanced over his shoulder as we approached. His gaze zeroed in on me, scanning my face in that expert assessing way he had.
“Sit.” He indicated a chair pushed against the wall. “Jamie, get this down her.” He passed Jamie a plate.
I didn’t have the energy to protest at being ordered about. Besides, it felt nice to be looked after.
I parked my ass and took the plate.
“Medium rare, just how you like it,” Bastian said.
“Thanks.” I set my mug down and dug into the food.
“Javier was thinking of switching from sweeper to scout,” Bastian said. “He’s taking a sabbatical to decide. If you want him on your team…”
His words brought pain to my chest, a reminder that Bee was gone. My second, my best friend, my sister, was gone.
“For fucksake,” Ryan snapped. “Bee’s only just left.”
“And her position needs filling,” Bastian said coolly. “You have scout patrols tomorrow, right?”
I swallowed my mouthful of food. “Yeah, and yes, Javier would be good.”
Better than a newbie for sure. Plus, he had sweeper skills, although whether he got a transfer would be another thing. After what my father had told me, I doubted they’d be letting any sweeper go.
Ryan stood, mouth twisting in disgust. “You lot are cold, you know that?”
Anger starburst in my chest. “She’s not dead, Ryan. She’s saved, okay? No more running from monsters. No more shit. Being upset about that is just fucking selfish. We should be happy for her.”
Ryan glared at me for a long beat, fists clenched, and then his shoulders relaxed and he dropped his chin to his chest. “Fuck. Fuck it. I loved her, okay. I loved her and I never got to tell her.”
Aw, shit. This was exactly what I’d been arguing with Bee about. This love shit. The pain, the fucking pain… “Hey. Look at me.”
He sniffed and met my gaze.
“She loved you too.”
He exhaled sharply. “She did?”
“Yeah, and you can tell her how you feel once you get chosen.”
“You think…you think she’ll wait?”
I had no fucking clue. “Sure she will.”
His chin trembled and he nodded. “Thank you. I just need to…” He walked back into the radio tower.
“Did she?” Bastian asked. “Did she love him?”
“Damned if I know.” I picked up my plate and continued eating.
Being around my colleagues and friends was a buffer, and that would be taken away once I went back to the rooms I shared with Bee. As the gathering wound down and guards drifted back to their barracks, an empty feeling opened inside me.
Jamie had ducked inside to help Remi clear up and Bastian had closed the grill a half hour ago. The garden was empty except for the two of us.
He’d claimed the stool Ryan had vacated and sat with his head tipped back, looking up at the stars, an empty metal mug dangling from his fingertips.
“You can stay with me tonight,” he said gruffly. “I have a sofa bed I can make up for you.”
My stupid eyes filled up again. “Shit, Bastian, way to make a girl cry.”
He cleared his throat. “Didn’t mean to make you cry, Rue. Just want to help.”
I nodded, dashing the stupid tears from my cheeks. I wasn’t a crier, at least not usually, but I guess there were exceptions to every rule.
“Thank you, Bastian. I’ll take you up on that.”
He nodded and stood. “Good. I’ll get you settled and head back.”
I sniffed and looked up at him. “You still on shift?”
“I’m always on shift.” He held out a huge hand and I took it, allowing him to haul me up.
We stood chest to chest for a moment, and the urge to lean into him, to let him carry the weight of my loss, was almost too much.
“It will get easier,” he said softly.
My gaze whipped up to snag with his. “Will it?”
“It has to.”
A low rumble filled the air. I looked down at Bastian’s chest. Had he just—
The ground beneath my feet began to vibrate and then tremble. I grabbed hold of Bastian’s arms on reflex.
“What the heck?”
“Earthquake,” Bastian said.
“What? We don’t get earthquakes.”
“No, we don’t, except the one we had twenty years ago.”
Oh, fuck.
The ground shook again and the world rumbled as if a monster was rising from beneath its surface, which as far as we knew, it very well could be.
Bastian grabbed my hand and tugged me into the radio tower where Jamie met us, eyes wide with shock.
“What is this?” Javier asked. “What does it mean?”
Bastian was at the radio, headset on, fiddling with the dials. “Static.”
The floor shook, throwing me against Jamie. He steadied me and I planted my feet wide to try and keep my balance.
Bastian tore the headset off. “Comms aren’t working.”
“We need to get outside,” Javier said. “In case the building falls on us.”
Shit, good point. There was no protocol for this. Earthquakes didn’t happen in this country. Not naturally, anyway.
We ran outside and stopped as we were hit by another tremor. Guards spilled out of barracks and screams drifted through the gates from the civi sector.
“We need to calm everyone down. Get them into the quad!” Jamie said.
Bastian began barking orders.
Another tremor had my stomach shooting up into my chest. If this meant what I thought it meant, we were screwed.
The lights went out and we were thrown into complete darkness. The quake must have knocked out one of our generators. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the moonlit night.
“Everyone remain calm.” My father’s voice blared over the speaker system we had set up outdoors. “We are safe within our walls. Get low to the ground, cover your head and neck. Stay clear of large pieces of furniture. If you have a table, get under it.”
Shit, had we done the wrong thing running outside like this?
My teeth rattled as another stronger tremor hit us. Jamie grabbed me and dropped into a crouch, covering my body with his, and then a moment later Bastian got down beside us, wrapping his arms around us both.
The world shook and my insides trembled with foreboding and fear. Monsters. This meant more monsters.
How much more could we take?
Long seconds dragged by, turning into a minute, then another. Silence settled over the base like a fire blanket.
“Is it over?” someone said.
Bastian unfurled himself from around us. “I think it’s over.”
Jamie relaxed his grip and stood, bringing me with him. The world looked normal, and if not for the fractures in the radio tower’s outer wall, I’d have thought we’d just experienced a collective hallucination.
“Shit.” Jamie dragged a hand down his face. “I’ll check the satellites. Javier, check the generators. Bastian—”
A shrill scream pierced the air followed closely by another, then another.
Bastian and I exchanged glances before breaking into a sprint toward the civi gates.
Screams ripped the air, along with another sound, a chittering that was both familiar and terrifying.
A man ran toward the gates, a child clutched in his arms. Jamie was already there, about to haul it open, when a huge black shape landed on the man.
No. No, it couldn’t be.
Blood sprayed, flesh rending.
The monsters were inside the base.