by E S Richards
“Crowne Point Auto Center,” Mia mumbled under her breath, reading what was printed on the metal sign in front of them. “This is it!” she shouted, turning to look back at Jadon and Jesse behind her and smiling. “We’ve made it!”
Despite their elation, as a group they knew it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. Visibility had reduced to an all-time low and as they shuffled down the street and into the parking lot of the auto center, all four of them had to remain in contact with each other to ensure they didn’t get lost. The wind died very slightly once they made it into the parking lot, the walls of the buildings that surrounded it sheltering them somewhat, but not providing any help in terms of lighting the way.
“We need to find a way inside!” Jesse shouted, stating the obvious as the four of them stumbled into the side of an old Chevy Blazer. The car was only a year old, but it looked like it had been left out in the dark for closer to ten. The paint was scratched and scuffed, the once-white color now coated in gray dust and peeling away above the wheels and around the windows. Before the eruption, everyone knew it would’ve sold for a considerable amount. Now the car probably wouldn’t even start up.
“What’s that?” Marcus pointed into the distance, causing everyone to peer through the darkness. Mia couldn’t see anything, shaking her head in confusion as Jesse and Jadon did the same. “Come on,” Marcus urged them forward. “I think there might be a way in.”
Following blindly once again, Mia decided that Marcus must have the best eyesight out of the four of them, the young man somehow able to see things the other three couldn’t. They walked entirely at his word, sidestepping around the back of abandoned and ruined cars that filled the lot as they made a beeline for the invisible door that Marcus was leading them toward.
“Oh yeah!” Jadon suddenly cried from behind Mia. “There it is!”
Squinting into the darkness, Mia still struggled to see what was apparently just ahead of her. She didn’t need to though; she trusted the boys and allowed the pace of their group to increase as they finally reached one side of the building and came to a halt outside of a fire exit.
“How do we get in?”
“Stand back,” Marcus said, squaring his shoulders and preparing to slam into the door. The loud thud that his body made as it slammed into the metal was thrown backwards to the rest of them with the wind, somehow seeming to echo and reverberate through Mia’s head more than once. The door didn’t budge, so Marcus stepped back and righted himself once again, charging into the door with his shoulder in an attempt to knock it off its hinges.
“It definitely moved a little there!” Jesse said with an excited tone. “Here, let me try.”
Feeling thankful once again for the three strong boys—each of them impressive stars on their college football team—Mia stood by as they took turns trying to break the door down. She could see it loosening at the hinges, the metal warping from the force combined with the bashing it had likely already received from the weather. When the final blow was struck by Jesse and the door gave way, everyone cheered, excited and desperate to get inside. Although the wind might have died down somewhat, dirt and dust still whipped past their faces constantly, leaving them all feeling uncomfortable and unclean.
The hallway that they entered was dark and unlit, so Mia and Jadon both had their flashlights ready, lighting the corridor up and leading the way. Marcus made sure the fire exit was closed behind them as best he could, stopping the storm from following them inside. Then they ran. None of them knew why, but they felt the need to break into a jog as they weaved through the corridors of the auto center, finally stopping in the main showroom lobby where—even in the darkness—they were able to see the outlines of cars that had been kept inside.
“We made it,” Mia panted, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees as she allowed herself to catch her breath. The three boys did the same, each of them removing the filtration masks from their faces and gulping down the clean, indoor air.
“Do you think we’ll be able to find a car in here?”
“Yeah—there are loads. Do you reckon they’ll work, Mia?”
“I hope so,” Mia replied once she had gotten her breath back, the walk through the storm taking a lot more out of her than she liked to admit. Even though she was a fit woman, she knew her body had been running on empty for the last few days. Water levels were low and food rations were nothing like she was used to. It was extremely tiring work not only being out in the storm, but constantly being forced to think about what the best next step was and how they were going to survive just to the end of each day, not to mention all the way back to Houston. She was mentally and physically worn out, yet Mia knew she had to keep going just a little bit longer.
“We’ll check them out in a bit,” she continued, walking over to what looked like a waiting area and sitting down. “We can’t go out in this weather anyway.”
“True,” Jadon commented, following Mia over to the waiting area. “And the cars aren’t going anywhere.”
“Exactly,” Mia replied with a smile. “I think we could all benefit from a minute of quiet.” Tilting her head back so it rested against the seat, Mia closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She knew she needed to keep going and get back to her family, except she was running on empty and couldn’t do it without refueling her tanks. She told herself that her family wasn’t going anywhere—that they were safe and sound in the farmhouse and there was nothing to worry about. She told herself that, and for once, it actually worked. Mia felt relaxed and at ease, not worried about the storm that had forced them inside or how Yellowstone was slowly destroying the world a little bit more every day. She pushed all those negative thoughts to the back of her mind and just zoned out for the first time since everything began. She would continue on her journey, and before she could save anyone else, she needed to look after herself.
Chapter 21
“Team Charlie. Blake reporting. Cargo of six.”
Waiting outside what looked like an old office building; Chase held his sister’s hand as Blake shouted through the door, waiting for someone to respond. After vaulting over the low wall out of the theater district, the seven of them—Blake, Chase, Riley, Joel, Hazel, Mike, and Leo—had weaved through several streets, finally coming to a halt where they now stood. The building didn’t look like anything special, but Blake had navigated the city with a definite destination in mind, Chase unwilling to question where he had brought them. Less than ten seconds later, the door opened, a woman wearing a scarf around her face beckoning them inside.
“Welcome,” the woman smiled as they all walked in, Blake entering last and closing the door behind him. “We’ve not had anyone from your group return yet.”
“How many overall?” Blake asked, tugging off his breathing mask as the woman did, both adults indicating that the children could do the same. “Cam should be back soon too, I think. Everything is going according to plan.”
“Great,” the woman smiled. “Seven of our guys back, about twenty or thirty kids or so. You’ve done well here,” the woman paused, looking at each of the children in turn. “Hang on—Mike? Is that you?”
“Gemma?” Mike asked, stepping forward so his face was in the light a bit more. “Oh man. Hey!”
Chase watched as his friend stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the woman and holding her close. It was nice to see Mike being reunited with so many people he knew, but it caused a pang in Chase’s chest. Now that he was away from the Authority, he knew both he and Riley had to get going as quickly as possible. They needed to find a way back to their grandparents’ farmhouse and not only that, they still needed to gather up the right gear to fix the roof as well.
“Have you seen your dad?” Gemma asked, releasing Mike and holding him at arm’s length. “And is Rylan not with you?”
“I’ve seen Dad, yeah,” Mike nodded. “Not Rylan though. He was being kept in a different part of the pit than me so Dad went off to try and find him. Have they not come back yet?”
“Not yet,” Gemma shook her head. “We’ve got scouts all over the city. Your dad organized this whole thing. I wouldn’t worry about him, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
“Yeah,” Mike replied, his tone giving away the disappointment he felt. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“Who else have you come back with, anyway?” Gemma asked, trying to change the topic of conversation and steer Mike’s mind away from his father. Chase wasn’t sure how the two of them knew each other, but they seemed close. He guessed she was a family friend from before everything happened, or maybe even a distant relative.
“I can take them all through to processing,” Blake cut in, offering his continued services to the group. Jackson had told him to keep an eye on his son and Blake had a feeling that meant even once they were back to base. He didn’t want to let the boss down, especially not after how well things were going so far.
Another rap at the door pulled Gemma’s attention away at that moment, alerting the group to another intake of arrivals. “Sure thing, thanks Blake,” she agreed. “Looks like I’m needed here anyway. I’ll come and find you again later, okay, Mike?”
Mike nodded, his mind still on his missing father and brother as he allowed Blake to move around them and guide them to what he had called processing. Chase kept his wits about him as they moved, remembering how the Authority had “processed” him a week ago and what had happened following that. He was sure this place was different, but he didn’t want him and Riley to get stuck in another facility when they were more desperately needed elsewhere.
“Pretty standard procedure,” Blake explained as he walked the six children into a small office. “I just need to get your names and where you used to live before this mess all happened. Then we can figure out if your parents are here and if we can get you reunited with them. Let’s start with you, Mike. Obviously, I know Jackson’s your father; regardless, let’s get you added to our list anyway.”
Mike did as he was told, answering all of Blake’s questions clearly and quickly, allowing the adult to move on to Leo and then Joel and Hazel. By the time it came to Chase, he already knew what was coming and had his answers prepared.
“We’re not from Houston,” he started, speaking out before Blake had even asked Chase his name. “We need to get back to our grandparent’s farm out near Livingston. Do you think you can get us out of the city?”
“Whoa, hold up kid,” Blake replied, impressed by Chase’s eagerness and admiring his resolve. “Can I at least get your names first?”
“Chase and Riley Clarke—sixteen and thirteen.”
“Thanks,” Blake smiled, scribbling down the ages next to their names. “How did you get into the city then? What are you doing here?”
Chase took a deep breath and started to explain his story to Blake, feeling comfortable with the older man and trusting him to get them out of there. He wanted to get across how serious their situation was, sharing every detail of the farmhouse collapsing and then their journey into Houston, ending in them getting tricked into a capture by the Authority. Blake listened carefully, nodding along and asking questions where needed.
“All right, man,” he spoke once the story was over. “I’m sure we can figure out a way to get you back to your grandparents, don’t worry about that. You might have to hang around for a bit first though, wait for things to die down outside. It’s not really safe to be out there now, but I give you my word I’ll help you get home once it’s safe. Okay?”
Chase looked at Blake for a second, analyzing the man’s words, body language, and expression. He couldn’t figure out what it was, but there was definitely something trustworthy about him. Chase didn’t feel frightened around him and he wasn’t worried about being able to break away if the need arose. He was comfortable with Riley being there too, a feeling that made him think it was safe.
“Okay,” he decided. “We can stick around for a bit.”
“Great,” Blake smiled. “Now let’s go try and find your friends’ families at least, yeah? If you all want to follow me.”
Chase returned the smile and allowed Blake to step past him, Mike, Leo, and everyone else following the broad man out of the small office where they’d been. Just as Chase was about to leave, Riley grabbed him on the arm, spinning his body around and keeping him there with her, the door drifting closed between them and their friends.
“Are you sure about this?” Riley asked seriously, checking in with her brother and trying to figure out what he was thinking. She’d only been back with him for a few minutes. She didn’t want to lose him again and needed to make sure he was thinking clearly about everything. “Do you really trust that guy?”
“I do,” Chase replied. “And I trust Mike too. His dad set all of this up and he knew that woman back there as well,” he added. “I think we’re safe from the Authority here. Why? Don’t you?”
“I’m not sure,” Riley pursed her lips. “I don’t really trust anyone right now. And I don’t think we should waste too much time here either. Grandma and Pop need us back home. You don’t really think they’ll have fixed up the roof on their own, do you? We’ve got to get back there like now, Chase.”
“I know, I know,” Chase tried to calm his sister, understanding the angle she was coming from in regard to their grandparents. “But what Blake said is probably right, you know—the city won’t be safe to go out in now. We need to wait for everything to calm down before we head back out, or something even worse could end up happening to us.”
Riley paused for a moment, considering her brother’s words. She was so overjoyed to be back by his side again she just didn’t want anything to put that in jeopardy. As safe and put together as the place Blake had brought them to seemed, it still wasn’t their home. After so long away from the farmhouse, it was the only place Riley could think about returning to.
“I’ll give it one day,” she bargained with her brother. “Then if it doesn’t look like we’re getting out any time soon, we make a run for it. Deal?”
“Deal,” Chase replied after a moment of thought, extending his hand to shake his sister’s. He did trust Blake and Mike like he’d told her, but Chase trusted his sister more and was willing to get out of the city earlier if it put her mind at ease. After everything they had been through, he felt like he owed it to his sister to make the rest of her life as easygoing as possible. “Now come on,” he continued, “we need to catch up with those guys before they notice we’re missing.”
Rushing out into the main building, Chase and Riley managed to catch up with their group just in time, a note of excitement in the air as Blake told the children to wait where they were.
“What’s going on?” Chase asked Joel, his friend grinning from ear to ear and barely able to keep still.
“She’s here, dude,” Joel exclaimed. “Our mom is here!”
Riley squealed and threw her arms around Hazel, hugging her friend tight as Hazel beamed, her eyes already watering and threatening to spill over as she waited for her mom to be brought to them. Blake had gone off to find her, someone immediately recognizing the details that Joel had provided about where they used to live.
“Ah man, that’s great,” Chase replied. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Joel smiled. “I can’t believe she’s here. It’s so great. That means she’s been a part of this as well. She’s been here battling to get us back. It’s incredible.”
Chase clapped his friend on the back, realizing how much more exciting it was than just reuniting with a parent. He could see how proud Joel was of his mother for joining up and being a part of Jackson’s faction. It showed him how much his mom truly cared for him and Hazel, and how much she was willing to sacrifice and fight to have her children back. After everything that had happened to them under the Authority’s rule, that was the extra boost that Joel needed, filling him with enthusiasm for what was to come and confidence that they could all survive it.
“Mom!”
Chase
and Riley stood back and watched as their friends charged at the woman who appeared around the corner, Blake barely able to jump out of the way in time before he was knocked to the ground by them. It was such a touching moment to watch. It might not have been the longest Joel and Hazel had gone without seeing their mother, but after feeling like all hope had been lost and that they were never going to see her again, it was obvious how much this moment meant to them all. It was beautiful. Chase could hardly tear his eyes away from the scene until he noticed Blake talking quietly to Leo, giving him some news that no one else could hear.
Chase watched his friend Leo’s face falling and filling with disappointment. It didn’t take a genius to work out what Blake had just told him: Leo’s parents were not within the facility. They were still outside in Houston. They hadn’t joined up in order to try and save their son.
“Hey, man,” Chase walked up beside Leo, Mike still in his own little world as he worried about his father and lost brother. “Are you okay?”
Leo shrugged. “I just thought they’d be here, you know? I thought they cared about me.”
“Hold up,” Chase shook his head quickly, “just ’cause your folks aren’t here doesn’t mean they don’t care about you, bro. They’ll have a reason. These guys will find them in the city and they’ll be happy to have you back. Of course they will. There’ll be a reason why they’re not here. This place can’t house everyone.”
“I know,” Leo huffed, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. He knew his parents weren’t necessarily dead; they just weren’t with everyone else who had been trying to free their children from the Authority. He tried not to think about it, but Leo couldn’t help reacting badly to the news. He was an only child; he thought he was the most important thing in his parents’ life and now, he was starting to think otherwise. Either they didn’t care about him as much as he’d thought, or something even worse had happened to them. Neither idea filled him with any sense of relief and so, much like Mike, Leo retired into his own little bubble of emotion.
