Sanctum (The After Light Saga) (19 page)

We had about five hours before the sun set. Rhett’s men quickly used the last of the gunpowder into the cans, sealing them, and adding homemade fuses.

The rest of us went downstairs to get something to eat.

“We really need to get to the pick-up zone. If we don’t, we’ll be left behind,” Pike said.

“I know,”
I sighed. “Let’s just hope we don’t run into anymore problems. If we finish this task, we can leave tomorrow at first light.”

“
Sounds good to me,” Pike agreed.

Lunch was rice mixed with herbs, and some chili beans. Jamie, Shelley, and Nely didn’t show, and the atmosphere remained somber. Death was a hard thing to get over, and would loom in and around this place for a long time. Within a short span of time they’d lost a few people who were very close to them.

After lunch
, we still had a few hours to kill. This would be our last night here. It had to be. We couldn’t wait another day and risk missing the choppers. The doctors and the injured needed to get to the bunker as soon as possible.

Dr. Bank
s insisted on giving both me and Finn a check-up. Finn received his dose of antibiotics; his wound was cleaned and bandaged. It was nearly healed, which made me feel so much better.

I was asked a bunch of questions
about my head, but kept quiet about the extreme head pain I endured when I came into contact with the Arvies. Also, the fact I was bleeding from my ears and nose. Thank goodness Finn headed to the bathroom, because he probably would have mentioned something. I knew Dr. Banks would make me stay and lie down if he ever found out, and that was not going to happen. Dr. Banks was even stricter than my parents when it came to health issues. Yes, he was our hive doctor, but he also had a hand in raising us. They all did.

He
gave me the all-clear, but was concerned I was overexerting myself. I would be fine, as long as I stayed away from the Arvies.

I wondered if the concussion
I’d sustained was responsible for me hearing them. I’d had no issues during my first encounter with them, but now it seemed like the pain grew worse and worse. Maybe it jolted something inside my brain that wasn’t supposed to be jolted.

Either way, I
’d acquired a curse and wasn’t sure there was a cure, other than finally ridding the world of Arvies. Maybe there was a way to control it? If there was a way, maybe I could learn to use it toward our advantage, like the telepath in the last bunker.

I guess it wouldn’
t matter once we reached the final bunker. Being a female, I doubted I would be sent into war.

I sighed.

W
e still had a few more hours before the sun set. I figured I’d walk around and try and get my mind off of everything. Maybe I could see if the ladies of Sanctum needed any help in the kitchen.

As I ma
de my way down the hall, I could hear their voices talking softly, so I paused right outside of the door, just hidden from their view. I leaned my back to the wall.

“I hope they don’t stay.
If they do, others will come and want to take over our town,” Laura said.

“I agree with you, but Rhett already told her boyfriend they
could stay,” Peggy Sue whispered, in a bothered tone.

“Well, maybe they won’t, and hopefully they’ll keep t
heir mouths shut about our town,” Laura replied.

“Why don’
t you two be nice? I like Abi and Finn. They’ve been nice to us and have been helping us out a lot.” Shelley, the youngest was taking our side. I smiled at her response.

“You like them now, Shelley. B
ut what will happen when they bring others, who will come and drive us from our town? We’ll die out there. We have to make sure they don’t stay,” Peggy Sue noted.

“And
that they won’t tell,” Laura added.

I
was crushed knowing they thought we would bring them any kind of trouble. It wasn’t our fault we crashed outside their town. We came here only for shelter, and were only supposed to stay for a night. We had no idea there were survivors living here, or Arvies. The only reason we were still here was to help them.

I slowly
backed away from the door.

My heart ached.
I was hurt, but behind the disappointment I could still empathize. I didn’t blame them for being wary of strangers, or not wanting others to come in and take what was theirs. This was their home before the fallout, and they had planned to rebuild it. Plus, they’d only had each other to rely on over the past thirteen years. We were complete strangers, and I knew it would take a considerable amount of time to break into their circle of trust.

I’m glad I stumbled
in on their conversation because I now had my answer. I didn’t want to stay in a place where we really weren’t wanted. And I certainly didn’t want the residents here to feel uncomfortable because of our presence.

I
also knew I couldn’t tell Finn until later. If I told him what I’d just heard, he would go straight to Rhett with his concerns. I just didn’t want to stir up more trouble. There was already too much of it surrounding us, and I didn’t want to complicate things any more than they already were.

I quietly backed away
from the door and made my way toward the meeting room.

“
Why is my girl wandering the hall, looking so glum?” Finn called out, rounding the corner.

“
Hey you,” I smiled. “Oh, it’s nothing.”

He laughed.
“You can’t tell me nothing’s wrong. That fret line is yelling at me from way over here.”

Ugh.
Dang fret line. I’d have to find way to make it go away. But fret line or not, Finn did have a way of reading my emotions.

“
It’s just, I have so many things weighing heavily on my mind,” I said, continuing to make my way toward him.

“I think I might
be able to relieve some of your stress. At least, for a moment,” he said. His eyes locked on mine and his mouth turned up in a crooked grin.

“Oh really?”
I challenged. When I finally reached him, my fingers danced over his chest.

He
immediately took my hand in his and walked backwards, pulling me along with him into a small storage room, filled with boxes. Once we were inside, he shut the door behind us.

The room was so dark I couldn’t
see him, but I could feel the heat of his closeness. His hands reached for my face, gently and thoroughly exploring it as a blind person might. I closed my eyes, letting all my remaining senses take over.

His scent, so
strong and alluring, wrapped around me, drawing me closer. I could hear his short breaths, and the quick beating of my heart. Excitement buzzed in the air, as his fingers lightly brushed against the edge of my cheek, and gently paused at my mouth. Then, I felt his lips, warm and wet, as they barely brushed against mine, teasing.

We didn
’t speak, but he pulled me tightly against him. Our hearts beating to the same frenzied rhythm.

“Finn,” I whisper
ed.

His hand grabbed
the back of my neck and his mouth came crashing down over mine, hard and quick. His lips moved wild and frantic. I let out a moan and he paused.

“Don’t,” I breathe
d.

“Don’t what?” he whispered
.

“Don’t stop.”

His mouth immediately found mine again, his body pressed harder against me, backing me into some boxes. I gasped, and he continued to kiss me passionately as his hands roamed. His lips tasted as sweet as honey. His velvety tongue was perfectly choreographed to the rhythm of our breath and our bodies.

Then he abru
ptly stopped, breathing ragged. His forehead rested against mine.

“Abi,” he whispered
so softly. I could barely hear him over the loud drumming of my heart.

“Yes?”
I breathed.

“I want you to know
,” he paused for a moment. “Well, you should already know this, but I feel I need to tell you again. I have always loved you. The day we first climbed down into the hive, I was terrified, and thought we were all going to die. Then, I saw you descending the ladder, on your mother’s back. As soon as she set you down, you turned and smiled at me. From that very moment, I knew I would be fine.”

“Your family saved me and my mother, and that is a debt I will never be able to repay. But I plan on trying, by loving you for the rest of your life. I will always be here for you. I will always protect you, and will
always
have your back. I will also make you this promise. No matter what happens to us, no matter what the future holds, we will be together. If anything should happen, and one of us doesn’t make it—”

“
Finn,” I interrupted. “Please don’t talk like that.” The thought of life without him was too much to bear.

“
At some point we have to discuss it. Nothing in this life is certain, except for what we have right here. You. Me.” He pressed himself closer.

“Well I want you to know something
too,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“And what would that be?” he breathed
, kissing me gently on my cheek. His lips brushed against mine, erasing all thought from my mind.

“I…
”

“You love me?”
he asked

“Mmm-hmm,” I hummed on his lips. I closed my eyes and pulled him to me
. As soon as our lips connected, I was transported far-far away, to our own special place. A place of complete bliss and happiness—until he paused again, kissing my cheek, the tip of my nose, and my forehead.

Then he
spoke so softly and so surely. “But still…I need you to know, if anything should happen to either one of us, I will search for you and will find you, even if it’s in the next life. Because there is one thing I know for certain. You will always hold my heart.”

“Finn,” my voice trembled.

Then, in the pitch black, without me saying a word, his fingers gently brushed across my cheeks, wiping away my tears.

How did he know?

At that moment I realized why. Because he knew me, every intimate detail of my life. He was my best friend, and…he also held
my
heart.

A door opened and slammed shut outside. Then we heard Pike ask, “Does anyone know where Finn is?”

“He
might be in the bathroom,” another male voice answered.

“Thanks,” Pike returned
.

We st
ayed quiet, holding on to each other, until the footsteps disappeared. When it was silent, we quickly slipped out.

Rhett came in
to the meeting room looking a little perturbed.

“What’s wrong?”
Finn asked.

“
Man, if we had some fuel, I would be able to transport you to the pick-up zone,” Rhett answered.

“Transport?” I questioned
.

“
Yes, we have a vehicle. It’s an old beater we stripped and stored thirteen years ago. The engine is safe underground, sitting in the room directly under the shell, which is in one of the back rooms up top. We have a few mechanics in the group who have kept it clean and hopefully in good working order.”

“We do have fuel,
” Pike yelled from across the room.

We all
turned toward him.

“
Duh…the
chopper
. It’s filled with fuel,” he said. “It never exploded. It should still be there.”

“
Yeah, and the pilot did say it was equipped with extra fuel tanks,” Tina added.

“
But isn’t that jet fuel? You can’t put jet fuel into cars, right?” I questioned.

“
If jet fuel was put into a normal car, it would stall. But we have a first generation truck. Those beasts will swallow jet fuel, no problem,” Rhett replied.

“
But the chopper is fifteen miles out of town,” Tim noted.

“Yes, but
it’s a thirty mile trek to the pick-up zone. Because we are a few men short, we will all have to take turns carrying the injured. We need all the help we can get to make it in time,” I said.

“
Fifteen miles traveling into Hades,” Finn exhaled. “And that’s not including the return trip, lugging gallons of fuel.”

“F
inn, you and I have trained all our lives for moments like these. I know we can do this. Fifteen miles? We could be there in less than three hours, grab the fuel, and be back before it gets dark,” I said.

“Finn, are you
wussing out?” Pike teased.

Finn grinned at him. “I’ll go if Pike comes along,” he said. “Since he
likes to help, and we make a great team.”

“I’ll
go, but I call dibs on driving the truck to the pick-up zone,” Pike said.

“Have you ever driven before?” Finn asked.

“Dude, I was six when we went into the bunker,” Pike said, rolling his eyes.

“
So, you’ve never driven,” Finn said flatly.

“Umm, n
o. But how hard could it be?”

“I’ll be driving,” Rhett butted in
, “because I’d like my truck back in one piece.”

“Fine
,” Pike sighed.

“We’ll need
something to carry the gas in,” Finn noted.

“You can
use the containers we put the oil in earlier. The jet fuel will need a few quarts of oil to be mixed with it before it goes into the truck anyway,” Rhett noted. “And we also have an old sled you can tie the containers to. Pulling is much easier than carrying.”

“
Yes, that will be a big help,” I said. “Thank you.” I was thrilled. If we could pull this off, it could mean making the pick-up zone in time.

“No problem,”
he returned. “Will you three need any more assistance?”

“No, we’ve got this.
We’ll be moving at a pretty fast pace,” Finn said.

“Well, moving fast
counts out everyone in my group. They’d definitely hold you back,” Rhett belly laughed.

“It’s all good
,” Finn answered. “Like Abi said, we’re used to it. We just have to make sure our buddy Pike here can keep up.” Finn patted Pike on the shoulder.

“Well, if I can’t handle it, I’ll be jumping on your back. All that weight lifting should count for something, right?”
Pike asked, smacking Finn’s biceps.

“
Sorry. I don’t carry dudes,” Finn said in a manly voice, flexing his muscle.

“Well, then maybe Abi
would carry me,” Pike turned and winked at me.

“
Oh yeah, sure,” I answered, rolling my eyes.

“I t
hink your best bet would be leaving when we burn the town tonight. Just help us shoot as many Arvies as you can before you leave. Me and my team can handle the rest,” Rhett said.

“I’ll help too,” Tim said.

“See, we’ve got a great team. I know we can do this,” Rhett said.

“That sounds goo
d. It’ll be much easier making the journey at night anyway,” Pike said. “We almost died from dehydration coming here. That sun sucked the life out of us.”

“
No joke. We are all still trying to adapt to this real world,” Finn laughed.

“Well, it was fate,” Rhett said. “You w
ere sent here to help us rid the town of the Arvies, and in return we will help you get to your pick-up zone.”

“I
do believe in fate,” Finn agreed.

It sounded like a great plan, an
d I started to feel hopeful that we could do this. We could get the fuel and be back by sunrise, then drive our way to the pick-up zone.

At least we
had hope.

Rhett and his men still had to get the engine from the b
ottom of the bunker to the top, but he said it should be fairly easy. They did have a wench where the shell of the truck was sitting. Their only difficulty would be re-opening the hatch they welded shut, which was used to lower the engine into the lower room.

All
we
needed to do was gear up for the thirty mile quest. I was ready, knowing it would immensely cut our travel time. What would normally have taken ten hours of walking could be done in under thirty minutes of driving. And we wouldn’t have to worry about carrying the injured. That alone was worth the thirty mile foot trip for fuel.

We made sure our
ammunition was set, and filled multiple canteens. Finn figured a way to strap the sled to his back, like a backpack. He was always so clever. Pike tied the containers together with a rope and made his own type of over-the-back doohickey. I was in charge of weapons, and keeping us all alive should we run into any uninvited visitors. I slung Finn’s shotgun over my shoulder, and holstered Hellfire. Pike also had his handgun holstered at his side.

T
he next hour was spent in the meeting room, resting. Tina and Pike were sitting, curled up in their corner. They were whispering and laughing.

I was leaned up against Finn, resting between his legs, with his arms wrapped
tightly around me.

“
Have you thought about what we talked about the other night?” he whispered in my ear.

“Constantly
,” I answered.

“Have you decided?”

I shook my head and sighed.

“I will go wherever you go. There is no
right or wrong answer,” he breathed. “I’d just like to hold you, like this, whenever I want.”

His gesture made me smile and warmed my insides.

“Me too,” I sighed.

“Well, t
here is one
other
way we can make that happen,” he said, confidently.

“How?” I asked.
I craned my neck back so I could see his face.

There was a twinkle in his eye, and I knew he probably had a snarky answer.

“Marry me.”

I gasped.

Those two words completely threw me off. The sound of them both exited and terrified me.

“
Marry you? But, I’m only seventeen.” Those were the first words to escape my mouth. “And I don’t think my father will allow it.”

“You’ll be eighteen in a few months. Then, you’ll be able to make your own decision. It’s the only way we will be allowed to be together
if we are in the bunker.”

I turned to him and smiled, my heart was on the verge of bursting.

“Come with me,” he said, getting up.

He took me by the hand and led me out of the room.

Tina glanced at me with a questioning look, and I shrugged my shoulders. My heart raced, as his fingers laced with mine and he dragged me down the hall.

“
Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” he said, turning back with a
grin. He led me toward the stairs, where we began ascending toward the sanctuary. In our old hive, he would do completely random things like this, but that was only to drag me off to the park, or the training room. Right now, he was on a mission, and it had my mind swirling with questions.

When we reached the top
, and opened the door, he pulled me past the old pews, and up the next stairway to the lookout. The sun was nearly setting.

The sky was painted with the most beautiful bri
ght colors I’d never seen; vivid colors blending perfectly together to create the most beautiful backdrop of lavender, pink, and orange against the bluest sky.

“Oh my goodness,” I breathed. “This is
so beautiful.”

Finn turned me around, his e
yes were soft and filled with so much warmth it melted my heart. “That sky… is dull, compared to you, Abi.”

He dropped
down on one knee, and took my hands, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Finn,”
I whispered. My insides started to tremble, and hot tears stung my eyes.

“
Abi, I want to make you a promise; a promise that no matter what, we will be together. You’re the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. This crazy world doesn’t promise us tomorrow, so right here, right now, I pledge my love to you. I want you to be mine, forever. It was always you, from the very beginning.”

“
Abigail Park, sometime in this unforeseen, but near future, will you be my wife?”

Tears streamed
in waves down my face. These past few days were so exhausting and so emotional, but Finn was the only sure thing in my life.

“Yes. Forever and always, yes,
” I answered, and fell into his embrace.

He took my right hand
, slid off my promise ring, and gently lifted my left hand, pushing it onto my ring finger.

“
Even if it never happens, you have made me the happiest man on the planet.”

“
And because of you, I am the luckiest girl on the planet. You are my life, Finn Armstrong. You are my strength, my best friend, and the love of my life.”

He pulled me to him
, our bodies pressing tight, and kissed me.

“One day, you will be mine
,” he breathed.

“I alre
ady am,” I whispered.

“I know, but I want everyone else to recognize i
t, so we won’t ever have to be apart.”

I nodded and kissed him again. I would never get tired of his lips against mine, or his strong arms wrapped around me.

Finn led me to the window
and we stood in silence and watched the sunset. I would always remember this moment; a brief speck in the span of eternity, where I felt complete. I was happy. I was safe, and I was wrapped in the arms of the one I was destined to be with.

A dull ache throbbed in my head, and it reminded me of the horrors which lived just beyond the walls of Sanctum. Would we ever be free?

“It’s just about time for us to be heading out. Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked.

“
With you, I’m always ready.”

He smiled a
nd kissed me once more, then led me back down to meet the others.

Everyone
was already in the meeting room, dressed in combat gear, pumped up and ready to go. The atmosphere was buzzing with optimism, and it was energizing. Rhett and Revek wore the night-vision goggles around their neck, and the rest of his team, including Tim, had painted their faces with black.

Tina leaned
over and whispered in my ear, “It’s war paint.”

“Ahhhh,” I
said, nodding my head. I didn’t understand it, but they did look scary. Their eyes seemed to pop, and their teeth were remarkably white.

We all gathered in a circle, and
Rhett asked everyone in the room to bow their heads while he said a prayer. I could tell he was still struggling, but he managed to get through it. Everyone in the room offered an ‘Amen’ when he was done.

We all knew what we had to do. Peggy Sue hugged and
kissed Rhett, and Revek gave Laura a hug. I scanned the room for Jamie, but I knew she was still mourning the death of her husband. Nely and Shelly stood quietly in the back.

Tina and Pike also said their goodbyes
. He hugged and kissed her sweetly.

I admitted to myself that I was pretty damn lucky. I was blessed to have grown up in a hive which not only taught us abo
ut survival, but also trained women to fight. This allowed me to be with Finn. Each one of us could hold our own.