“I don’t, so we’ll take turns guarding it,” Bill says. “Meanwhile, I say we rest some.”
Outside, occasional engines growl in the street, whispers of voices travel, and feet scamper past. Birds caw and scream in the sky. The flies fester on my flesh and buzz about my head. And in the distance, I hear the marching of boots and the scuffling feet of Sinners.
I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes.
Tonight will change everything, forever.
It’s dark, but I’m awake. My eyes quickly adjust to the darkness. Bill stands, wide awake, staring outside the hut. His head moves from left to right, scanning for trouble. He holds his gun in front of his midsection.
“Fifteen minutes until go time,” Bill says, not even glancing my direction. “Rise ’n shine sluttastic,” he adds, even though he sees I’m already up.
“Sluttastic? That’s a new one.” I crack my neck.
Cole slowly wakes, blinking and sitting up straight. When he lowers his dirty fists from his eyes, he resembles a raccoon.
“Where’s the fire?” Cole asks. I snort, not looking at him.
“There’s no fire, dipshit, just the normal world exploding. Nothing new and exciting,” Bruno says.
“Explosions cause fires,” Cole says.
“Always gotta be a smart-ass, don’t you?” Bruno asks. He takes Grace’s hand and pulls it to his lips. She smiles at him as he kisses it, his fingers interlocking with hers.
Cole watches them too, but if he thinks I’m going to allow him to do that to me, he’s wrong. He looks at me, and I glance in the opposite direction.
I remember the conversation Grace and I had in the shower room. I asked her about the female guard who helped us get into the Hole. I felt there was a connection there that Cole and Bruno weren’t willing to talk about and couldn’t resist sticking my nose in it. But, as usual, Grace lived up to her name when answering me. She explained that Bruno had dated lots of other women before, some quite beautiful. But, she said, she didn’t play his games. And because of that, he chased her and practically begged her to be his wife. The other women were his past. She was confident she was his future. And when I see the gentle way he handles her, I can tell she’s right.
“Pack it up; it’s game time boys. Oh, and ladies, sorry,” Bill says. The corner of his mouth lifts up, giving away a sly smile as if he’s enjoying this.
A combination of groaning and equipment clunking around fills the shack as we jostle about. My muscles feel stiff, and my tendons crack when I straighten my knees. I’d stretch, but our elbows are already knocking into each other as it is.
“Okay, listen up, here’s the plan,” Bill says. From one of his pockets, he pulls out his bottle and tosses the liquid down his throat. “We’re going to split up, taking two different routes to the hospital, and meet up in the basement. Hopefully.” He shoves the bottle back into his pants.
“And why are we separating, exactly?” Cole asks.
“It’ll better our chances,” Bill says.
“And by that you mean one of us making it there alive?”
“Precisely.”
Not one of us seems fazed by the fact that he’s giving instructions while swigging alcohol. In fact, Bruno and Cole both nod.
“Grace and Bill, you’re with me,” Bruno says. “Roméo, you go with Lexi and Cole.” Zeus woofs. “Seriously, dog? Go with your twosome.”
Grace and Bill line up behind Bruno as he stands in the doorway. He glances all around, then disappears into the night, followed by Grace. Bill squints his eyes, taking one good look at Cole and me, before moving out through the narrow doorway, his footsteps fading away.
Cole’s posture is strong and his face relaxed as he straps on his helmet and pulls the night vision over his eyes. He exudes calm while double-checking everything, including us, before squatting in the doorway. His head swivels left, right, up, and down. His jaw twitches, and he runs outside, pausing in the alley between buildings for me to catch up with him. But instead, I push Roméo in front of me.
“What’re you doing?” he asks.
“Putting you in the middle. Zeus and I will hold up the back,” I say. “It’s easier to protect you this way.”
“Okay, good. Just tell me what to do because this is way out of my comfort zone.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to keep you alive.”
“Thank you.”
Roméo rubs his chin and exhales nervously. He looks smaller with his equipment on, less confident carrying a gun, and it’s obvious he’s not used to combat. After all, he wasn’t sent here for that. He peeks his head out the door and runs.
Last, it’s Zeus and me. I look down and pat him on the head. This is it. The moonlight reflects in his shiny brown eyes and his tail stills. His ears stand up like antennae. I give him a weak smile and then move with him galloping at my side.