It was not the same for Callum, who dawdled about the room. He ran from one end to the other, searching for his boots, pants, and shirt. By the time he got dressed, they were due for breakfast, and Kat was chomping at the bit. “Can we go now? I’m starving.”
“Aye, I forget. Ye’re eating for two,” Callum said, grabbing the wheelchair.
Kat eyed the noxious object with a frown. “Do I have to? I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
“Not with that knee, yer not,” Callum said, wagging a finger. “Besides, ye heard what the good doctor said. No strenuous activity.”
“Alright, but I don’t like this,” Kat said, sitting down in the chair.
“It’s for yer own good, lass. Just think of the babe,” Callum said. He took a blanket from the bed and walked toward her.
“No blanket. I’m not an invalid,” Kat said, raising both hands to ward him off.
“Tis cold outside. It’s getting onto winter now,” Callum protested.
“I don’t care,” Kat said.
“Please, lass. For me?” Callum pleaded.
With a growl, Kat grabbed the blanket and tossed it over her legs. “Happy now?”
“The happiest man on earth,” Callum said with a fat smile on his face.
He wheeled her out of the room to the cafeteria. It was early, barely seven in the morning, but the halls bustled with activity. The dining room was packed, as well, but Sandi and Paul waved at them from a side table.
“Good morning, Kat,” Sandi said with a broad smile.
“Morning,” Kat said, still put out by the wheelchair affair.
“Don’t mind her,” Callum said. “She’s hungry, that’s all.”
“I could eat a horse,” Kat admitted.
“As long as it’s not Goliath or Violet,” Callum said.
“Just shut up and feed me,” Kat said, and Callum laughingly obliged.
“Coming right up, missus.”
Callum, Sandi, and Paul joined the queue, returning minutes later with four loaded trays. The food was simple but good. Oatmeal porridge sweetened with honey, a boiled egg, a russet apple from the late fall harvest, a cup of coffee made from ground, dried chicory, and a ginger cookie.
Kat dug in without waiting on the others. Her appetite was bottomless, and she needed to fill the pit in her stomach. She wolfed down her food, pausing only to steal Callum’s cookie.
“Hey, that’s mine!” he protested.
“Not anymore,” she said with a grin, wiping the crumbs from her shirt.
Callum muttered something beneath his breath, but she knew he didn’t mind. Not really.
After she’d eaten, she eyed her herbal tea with a frown, envious of the others. There was no coffee for her because of the baby, but the tea helped with occasional nausea—a small bonus.
“How do you feel, Kat?” Sandi asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Much better,” Kat said. “The Flux is gone, and I can breathe. It’s just the knee and the collarbone that’s giving me trouble.”
“When is your next appointment with Dr. Bloomberg?” Sandi added.
“Tomorrow morning. The baby is doing fine, but he’ll do another checkup tomorrow,” Kat said, placing both hands on her stomach.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Sandi said.
“Aye, well, better safe than sorry,” Callum said.
“Are you coming to the meeting?” Sandi said, gathering up the empty plates.
“Yes, I am,” Kat said.
“We can walk there together,” Sandi said. “It starts at eight, and I freed up the boardroom. We have a lot of extra attendees today. Not your run-of-the-mill meeting.”
“That’s why we all have to be there,” Kat said with a firm nod.
“Agreed,” Sandi said, standing up. “Are you ready?”
“Yup, let’s go,” Paul said.
The four of them exited the cafeteria and headed toward the boardroom. When they arrived, it was packed and buzzing with excitement. People milled around the snack table where water, coffee, tea, and cookies waited on trays.
Callum wheeled Kat to one end of the table and made sure she was comfortable. He fetched her a glass of water and a few more cookies before taking the seat next to her. “What a lot of strangers.”
“You’re telling me,” Kat said.
She recognized and greeted a few people. They were mainly Moran, Bruce, Patti, Lee, Casey, Ric, Olivia, David, a few head-of-departments, and of course, Paul and Sandi. The rest she didn’t know except Terri and Tony. Callum had briefly introduced them the day before and filled her in on their respective roles. Other than that, everyone she saw was a stranger.
It didn’t matter. She’d find out who they were soon enough. Munching on a cookie, she waited for the procedures to begin. For once, she didn’t have to take the lead and leaned back in her chair to watch.
Callum took her free hand in his, refusing to let go. It was reassuring to know he was there. Ever since he came back, he never left her side, and she felt closer to him than ever before.
He’d saved her life, that she knew. If he hadn’t come back, she’d be dead now, and so would their child. Instead, they were alive and well. She pressed her fingers to her stomach, reassured to feel a faint flutter. A warm glow infused her heart. From now on, it would be the three of them together. A family.
Chapter 24 - Sandi
Sandi chose a seat next to Kat and Callum. There, she settled in and waved to Paul. “We’re over here.”
“Coming!” He shuffled across the floor with an armful of ginger cookies and two more coffees.
Sandi eyed the cookies and shook her head. “Do you think you have enough?”
Paul looked down. “Why? Do you think I should get more?”
“No, silly. Leave some for the other people,” Sandi said, waving him to his seat.
He flashed her a cocky grin and sat down, looping one arm over her shoulders. Sandi leaned against his side, a warm glow in her chest. Ever since he’d returned, they were closer than ever before. Nothing could drive them apart now. They were one—a unit.
“What happens now?” Paul asked, gazing around him.
“Moran will open the meeting. As the head of the city council, it’s her job,” Sandi said.
She felt a frisson of excitement run down her spine. This meeting was bound to be remarkable. In the past week, much of interest had happened: A Lieutenant Cummings and his team arrived with Tony and David plus a bunch of supplies. Kat recovered from her illness, saved by the return of Callum. Ric and the convoy returned a few days later, filled to the brim with goods of all kinds. Even now, there was talk of a second expedition in the next few weeks.
All that remained was news of Seth, Rogue, Jessica, and Bear. Hopefully, they’d get that during the meeting.
Sandi spotted David sitting next to Ric, and she waved at him. He waved back, their childhood friendship still intact, and she hoped they’d get the chance to catch up. She doubted it, though. He was heading back to the Shanghai tunnels with Ric as soon as the meeting was over. I’ve missed him. Aret too. Maybe a visit to the tunnels isn’t such a bad idea? We could leave with Ric and David and return in a couple of weeks or so. Our parents will be thrilled to see us.
The thought was a good one, and she turned to Paul. “Do you fancy a visit to the tunnels, love? I’d like to see all our friends and family again. We can travel with David and Ric.”
“You mean now? Today?” Paul asked.
“Why not? Everything is in hand here. The city is recovering from the Flux; there’s food and water, medicine, and more. Kat’s doing well, and we won’t be gone for long. Just a week or two. Consider it a vacation.”
Paul thought it over. “You’re right. We deserve a little downtime and what better way to get it? I’ll just square it with Bruce after the meeting.”
“Don’t worry, lad,” Callum said. “I heard it all, and I’ll sort Bruce out.”
“Yes, and don’t worry about me. The ho
spital is doing much better now, and so is the city. Everything is looking up,” Kat added. “The baby and I will be here when you come back.”
“Thanks a ton,” Sandi said, squirming in her seat with excitement.
When Moran took her place at the head of the table, she had to force herself to sit still. She settled down when Moran opened proceedings, though, her interest piqued.
“Good morning, people. Welcome to our first official fall meeting, and a special welcome to all our visitors,” Moran said, smiling at everyone in the room. “Now, I know you are all busy people, and time is at a premium, so let’s begin.”
“Our gratitude goes to Lieutenant Cummings and his team. Not only did they deliver life-saving supplies, but they also rescued our very own Tony and David from certain death. We wish them well on the trip back home and hope they arrive safe and sound.”
A round of applause went up, and the lieutenant nodded with gracious humility. “It was nothing, I assure you. We live to serve.”
“Let’s give a hand to Ric, Callum, and all the brave men and women who risked their lives in search of the goods we so desperately needed. Thanks to them and the generosity of Vancouver, we will not only survive the winter, but we will thrive!” Moran said with a flourish, and wild cheers broke out across the board.
It gladdened Sandi’s heart to see so much good cheer in a room that previously held nothing but misery. Each meeting was more desperate and depressing than the last. Finally, things were changing, and they could look forward to a better future.
Once the commotion died down, Moran continued, “On a sadder note, however, several of our friends, both old and new, are leaving soon. Vancouverites Casey Hargitt and Lee Alexander will return home in their Cessna….”
“Oh, wait,” Moran said, breaking off as Patti Fry whispered in her ear. “It seems only Casey is leaving. Lee is staying with us, or more correctly, the lovely Mistress Fry. Love is in the air, ladies and gentlemen!”
Whoops and cheers surrounded the happy couple, their cheeks flushed with hot blood, and Sandi thought her heart would burst with joy. It can’t get any better than this. Can it?
But it could, and it did. For the next half-hour, the good news continued to flow. Not only was Lee staying in Prime, but he and Patti were getting married. Callum handed over command of the Watch to Bruce, determined to spend more time with Kat, and O’ Neill would lead the next convoy for supplies instead of Ric and Callum. Ric and David were on their way back to the Exiles with their share of the stores, and there was talk of rebuilding the Zoo. New crops were being planted, the Red Flux was no longer a threat, and the city’s infrastructure was undergoing a serious overhaul.
The only thing nobody seemed to know was how Seth, Rogue, Jessica, and Bear were doing. Despite Sandi’s inquiries, nobody, not even Lieutenant Cummings, could tell her much. All she knew, was that they were out on a critical mission for the mayor of Vancouver. Their success would guarantee good relations between Prime and Vancouver, and failure would likely result in their deaths.
“That’s it?” Paul asked. “Nothing more?”
“No, nobody knows much,” Sandi said, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry, babe. I know you’re worried about them,” Paul said, pulling her into a hug.
“It’s okay. I did ask Lieutenant Cummings to give them a message from us. Hopefully, we’ll hear from them soon,” Sandi said, swallowing her disappointment.
“I’m sure we will, babes. Now, where were we? About to go on vacation, right?” Paul asked.
Sandi brightened up. “That’s right. I almost forgot!”
Paul chuckled. “Tell you what. I’ll give David the news and arrange things with Ric while you pack our stuff. The meeting is over anyway.”
“Deal,” Sandi said, hurrying from the boardroom.
Despite the lack of news about Rogue and the others, she couldn’t contain her excitement. For the first time in ages, she had something to look forward to. She had a future to look forward to, and that was all that mattered.
Epilogue - Rogue
By this time tonight, we’ll be on dry land again.
That turned out to be wishful thinking. So did everything else Rogue thought she knew about the inland sea. They couldn’t cross in one night or even two. It would take three whole days for them to get to the other side. All of Ronan’s warnings were true, plus a whole lot of other stuff she never expected.
The road through the inland sea was little more than a muddy track. It meandered through the swamp, dipping in and out of the water in places. Strange, twisted trees grew throughout the area, flanked by shrubs, patches of tall grass, and reeds.
Within its depths, peculiar creatures crawled and slithered. Things she’d never seen before and hoped never to see again. Clouds of mosquitoes rose to plague the unwary, and they dared not open a window. Quicksand and bogs lined the path, ready to drown those unfortunate enough to stumble into their clutches.
In short, it was hell. That was something Daniel got right. He was also right about the crocodiles. She saw the outline of one such a beast, sunning itself on a sandy bank. Disturbed by the vehicles, it disappeared into the water with a swift twist of its tail. Though she only caught a glimpse, it was enough to make her blood run cold.
To make matters worse, they had to make camp in the middle of all that horror. A tiny sandy spot was the only dry place they could find, and now they sat huddled around the fire, the only bright spark in their universe.
Rogue shivered and rubbed her arms. A splash in the distance sent her stomach into a wild tailspin, and she almost swallowed her tongue. “Do we really have to sleep out here?”
“Uh-huh. Unless you want to sleep in the front seat of your truck,” Ronan said.
“I’m sleeping in the truck,” Imogen said, her eyes wide. She shoved a red curl out of her face, jumping at the slightest sound.
“Me too,” Rogue said.
“Are you sure?” Seth asked. “It’ll be more comfortable on the ground.”
“No, it won’t,” Rogue said, slapping at the latest mosquito feasting on her blood. She remembered the monstrous crocodile and shook her head. “Nope, it’s the truck for me.”
“What about your food? You’ve hardly touched it,” Seth asked with a touch of concern.
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll eat it,” Spook said, surprising nobody. Despite his diminutive size, he ate like a horse.
“Have at it,” Rogue said, striving to hide her misery. It wasn’t helpful and did nothing for morale. Not that Imogen shared her sentiments. The girl looked like she was about to cry, much to the amusement of Daniel. Asshole.
“Who else is sleeping inside their vehicles tonight?” Ronan asked. “Remember, even if you do, you still have to take your turn at standing watch.”
“What?” Imogen cried. “I can’t do that!”
Rogue felt the same, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud. The thought of sitting alone in the dark with those things out there was enough to make her scream.
“Don’t worry,” Jessica said. “I’ll take your turn tonight.”
“Are you sure?” a tearful Imogen asked.
“I’m sure,” Jessica said. “Now, let’s get you to bed.”
Jessica led Imogen to the transport truck and helped her into the front with a blanket and pillow. Afterward, she crawled into her blankets, followed by Bear. “Goodnight, everyone!”
“Night,” Rogue said.
Daniel watched it all with a faint grin. Finally, he snorted and stood up. “I’ll take the first watch.”
“That’s it for me. Goodnight, folks,” Ronan said, rolling up in his sleeping bag.
“Me too,” Nigel said, but he paused. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Who? Imogen?” Rogue asked, surprised. “Yeah. She’s tougher than she looks.”
“Good. She shouldn’t let people like Daniel get to her,” Nigel replied before he climbed into his bed.
Rogu
e exchanged astonished looks with Seth. “The man speaks.”
“And he has a heart. Who knew?” Seth added.
Spook said nothing to anyone. He finished his food and keeled over. Within seconds, he was snoring loudly enough to wake the dead.
“Well, I think that’s it for me as well,” Rogue said, getting to her feet. “Are you coming, or are you staying out here?”
“I don’t relish the idea of sleeping in the truck. It’s kind of cramped, but I’ll do it for you,” Seth said.
Rogue smiled, her heart glowing within her chest. “You’re the best, you know?”
“I know,” he said, planting a kiss on her lips.
Stifling a yawn, she headed toward the Jeep and climbed into the front. Moments later, Seth joined her, and she curled up on the seat with her head on his lap. “Goodnight, sweetie.”
“Goodnight, my love,” Seth whispered, brushing the hair away from her cheek.
“My love,” Rogue whispered with a smile, drifting away. Too tired to fight the exhaustion any longer, she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The following day, she woke up to a fist banging on the window. She jerked upright, blinking into the bright light. Her body was stiff with the cold and cramped from staying in one position, but that hardly registered.
Bang, bang, bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
“What? What is it?” she cried, lowering the window.
It was Jessica, her expression frantic. “Rogue, are you awake?”
“I am now,” Rogue said, growing worried. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Spook,” Jessica said.
“What about him?”
“He’s gone.”
“Gone? How can that be? He must be around here somewhere,” Rogue said, confused.
“We’ve looked everywhere,” Jessica said, shaking her head. “He’s just… gone. It’s like he vanished into thin air.”
The Extinction Series | Book 8 | Primordial Earth 8 Page 14
