Addison switched on the GPS and took a moment to gather her bearings. She calculated how far they had to travel, then set a mental countdown clock as she powered the device off.
They set out. Addison led while Jenny carried Paige. An hour into their trek, Addison turned the GPS on again and left it running. Thirty minutes after that, they reached their destination.
She stood at the edge of the woods and stared out over the empty field. Scorched earth indicated there had been a fire there. She wondered if it had been started by the storm. Or had man had a hand in it.
“Where is it?” Jenny asked. “Think it burned down?”
“It’s a bunker,” Addison said. “It’s underground, I guess.”
“Think he’ll see us?”
Addison shrugged. She hadn’t thought about how Turk would know they were there until that moment. Could he run some sort of a security system? Had Sean and the man worked out a system to let Turk know Sean had arrived?
She noticed that Emma had left the group. Addison clutched a tree while she scanned the field for the girl. She spotted her several feet away.
“Get back here,” Addison called out.
The girl kept going as though she hadn’t heard Addison. A few seconds later, Emma stopped. She hunched over and stared at something on the ground.
“Come on.” Addison grabbed Jenny and the two women rushed out to where Emma stood.
“You can’t just do that,” Jenny said.
“Look.” Emma knelt and tugged on the earth. It pulled up like a rug.
“What is that?” Addison bent over and helped lift the section of grass and dirt. She peered into a hole that glowed with faint red light. “Must be the entrance to the bunker.”
The women stared at each other. Addison saw confusion and fear in Jenny’s eyes, and she knew the look on her own face matched. But Sean had led them there. Of everyone she’d met in the post-afflicted era, he was the only one she trusted.
“It’s okay, Jenny,” Addison said. “Let’s go.”
Jenny climbed down first. Emma next. Addison lowered Paige to them. Then she stood, turned in a circle, checking the field’s perimeter. No one approached. No one watched. They were alone. She lowered herself into the hole, pulling the earthen hatch over top before finally descending to the floor.
At the bottom, the space expanded into a tunnel that had been carved into the earth and stretched as far as Addison could see in the red glow. She found a flashlight along the wall, grabbed it and turned it on. They followed the passage, plucking two more flashlights for Jenny and Emma. After a few minutes, the group halted and stared at the door a hundred feet away.
Emma broke free from the pack. Addison called after her, but the girl ran without stopping.
“Jenny,” Addison said. “Stay with Paige.”
Emma reached the end of the tunnel. She pounded her fists against the door, then picked something up off the floor. Addison saw the girl drop a piece of paper, then pull a device up to her mouth.
“Hello?” Emma said.
A burst of static came through the radio’s speaker. A deep voice silenced it.
“Who’s this?”
“Emma.” She paused, bit her lip. “Emma Ryder.”
“Sean Ryder’s daughter?”
Her voice cracked. “Yeah.”
“It’s good to hear your voice, Emma,” the guy said. “Put your dad on.”
Addison leaned against the wall next to Emma. Tears flooded the girl’s eyes. Emma extended the radio to her.
Addison stared at the device, listening to the hiss, trying to figure out how to tell the man Sean was not with them.
“Is this Turk?” she said.
“Yeah,” he said. “Who’s this now? Where’s Sean Ryder?”
“Sir, my name is Addison Bowen. Sean rescued me, and a couple others, who are with me now. But, unfortunately, he, uh, he didn’t make it all the way.”
Static filled a long pause. The radio went silent for a few moments. Then Turk spoke.
“Okay, you stay put.” He paused a few more seconds, then provided them with the lock code and instructions on how to enter the bunker. “I’m going to be there in a few hours.”
“Where are you now?” Addison asked.
“On a boat. We’re going to take it to the Bahamas. Got a place where we’re welcome. Somewhere the virus didn’t hit. Gonna take you all with us.”
Addison looked at the saddest smile she’d ever seen. Emma had found freedom at the cost of losing her father.
They were rescued.
But I’m not.
Addison decided at that moment she couldn’t leave the country without knowing her grandparents were safe. She’d make the trip to Charlotte.
Alone.
The story continues in Affliction Z Book 4. Anticipated release: Spring, 2015.
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Other Books by L.T. Ryan
Affliction Z Series
Affliction Z: Descended in Blood
Affliction Z: Books 4 & 5 - in development
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Mitch Tanner #2 - Coming late 2014