by Mathews,Mark
In the basement of the church, Max was wracking his brains, trying to think of any way he possibly could trick Austin into thinking that Garrett was dead when he wasn’t, but he wasn’t coming up with anything. All of his ideas had loopholes in them that would bring the whole thing down in the end. He silently cursed the military for not setting him up with the training that this particular situation needed. The problem with telling Garret the circumstances of Austin’s ultimatum, was that Garrett happily would sacrifice himself for the other three if given the chance. That wasn’t going to happen. He wasn’t leaving it up to Garrett when his judgment was impaired.
Nat only had eyes for Brooke, and he was worried about her. He looked at Max, but Max was lost in thought and didn’t look back. Nat cleared his throat, and Max finally looked up. Neither one of them looked over into Austin’s corner, but he now was focused on Nat, too, as much as he could anyway, in his haze.
“Max, Garrett is badly hurt, and he might be dead already. We don’t even know. We could save them.”
Max looked at Nat like he just had turned traitor. In a way, he guessed Nat had, but he loved Brooke and he was worried about her. Nat felt more ashamed now than he ever had before in his life, and he looked away from Max’s accusing eyes. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Jenny was in the bedroom of a house, looking around for any clues of recent habitation when she thought she heard something. Kayleigh and Garrett came into the room to tell her it was time to move on, but she shushed them quickly, pricking up her ears. The others fell silent instantly and did their best to listen for what she thought she’d heard. There! It sounded like a rhythmic banging somewhere. Maybe in the basement? It had a metallic sound to it, like someone was hitting a piece of metal over and over again. They decided to try following the sound as best they could.
In the vault, all of Alice’s precautions weren’t working. Seth was crying, screaming bloody murder, and Brooke wasn’t making a dent in the wall at all. The frustration of not making any headway got to Brooke, and she threw the mop handle across the room where it bounced off another wall for the final bang.
Tears streamed from her eyes, and she broke down, sobbing. Alice was shushing Seth, and she motioned for Brooke to come over and sit next to her. Brooke did, sinking down along the wall, and letting it take most of her weight. Alice had an arm around Seth, bouncing him gently and shushing him. She slipped her other arm around Brooke, trying to comfort both of her crying children at once.
“Thank you for trying, Brooke. It’s more than I would have done.”
The words were meant to be a comfort, but for now, Brooke just was defeated. In the silence that followed, they heard what sounded like Garrett calling their names. Could it be? Had they been found? Forgetting that Seth wasn’t going to like it, Alice and Brooke got to their feet and ran to the door of the vault, shouting through it as best they could.
Garrett’s shouting was loud enough that Max, Nat, and Austin could hear it from a few streets down. Austin’s eyes widened. By the way they were yelling, he knew he’d just lost his bargaining chip. The girls and the baby had been found alive.
“Well, it looks like you just lost your whole hand of cards, my friend.”
Max smiled at Austin in a menacing way. Austin leaned forward and spit in Max’s face. Calmly wiping it off his face, he took a piece of rag that was lying nearby and gagged Austin with it. Relief rushed through Nat, and he got to his feet, yelling unintelligibly. He wanted to rush out right away and find Brooke. Max caught his arm, then pulled him right in front of his face.
“You can go to her, but we never found him, okay?”
Nat looked in the direction that Max’s thumb was pointing. Over Max’s shoulder, Austin glared at both of them. If looks could kill, they wouldn’t be there anymore. Looking back and forth between Max and Austin, he didn’t realize what Max was getting at. Then fear started to blossom on Austin’s face, and Nat understood. Max was going to kill him.
“Do we have to?” Nat’s stomach churned. All he could see was his father’s body in the back of his mind, and he knew he didn’t want to see another one like it, or like anything anywhere close, for that matter.
“Yes. If we don’t, he’ll just keep coming after us. You don’t want that, do you?” Nat had to admit that he didn’t, but he didn’t want to kill anyone, either.
“Go on out and find your girlfriend.” Nat ran out of there with an extra burst of speed that had nothing to do with Brooke. He didn’t want to see this at all. Max turned to Austin slowly.
“I’m sorry, Austin, but this has to be done. You know it as well as I do. You never would stop coming after us, whether it was for Alice and Seth, or just to hurt Garrett, and I just can’t allow that. I’ll make it as painless as possible.”
Muffled sounds came through the rag, but Max turned a deaf ear to them. He went back to his bag. There was a medical first aid kit in there that he’d packed himself. There were syringes as well as vials of medicine that could save a life in a few seconds. He didn’t need any of the medications. He wasn’t saving anyone today. Taking the empty syringe, he pulled back on the plunger, filling it with air. He advanced on Austin, who was thrashing now. Rolling him over and sitting on his back, Max took the air-filled syringe and inserted the needle at the base of Austin’s neck. He was as gentle as he could be when he pushed the plunger down, shooting the air directly into Austin’s blood stream. The man looked into Max’s eyes and stubbornly looked at him the whole time Max was pushing down on the plunger. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck, but soon Austin’s eyes went glassy. Max got a chill down his spine. This was cold, even for him, but he knew it had to be done. He cleaned the syringe, as if it had become contaminated from the man somehow, then put it back into the first aid kit.
Chapter Seventeen
Garrett and his girls made their way through the house until it sounded like the pounding was getting louder. He didn’t want them to make a sound in case it wasn’t what they thought, or in case there were extra guards around that they would need to dispatch. He had his pistol out, with Kayleigh and Jenny creeping along behind him. He found the old bank building, and after clearing the first floor, he saw a staircase in the back. Bending down to look at the floor, he saw dirt and little bits of wood that didn’t belong there at all. It looked like stuff had become stuck in a pair of boots that had been traipsing around old and burned-down buildings, then come down the stairs. It gave him a good idea that they were probably in the right place. The banging stopped suddenly. Was this a trap? Had they been lured here just to be ambushed? He motioned for Kayleigh and Jenny to get clear of the open hallway, hiding them behind a corner so they wouldn’t be in the way of any bullets, should they start flying. He took a deep breath, expecting to be shot at any moment.
“Alice! Brooke! Can you hear me?”
There was nothing at first, and he could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Then, it sounded like a soft buzz was coming from his left. Hope blossomed in him, and he started to go down the stairs. It was the fatal funnel that his training always had taught him about, but he had Jenny and Kayleigh out of sight and safe, so he didn’t really care. If he died in the rescue, so be it. It was his job to lay his life down for his family, and if it was required, then he gladly would do it. He followed the sounds, still shouting their names as he went. Fate was a cruel mistress, but if his number was up, it was up. He found himself in front of the vault. He couldn’t have…
Vaults were airtight. That meant if he didn’t come back, or he didn’t have someone watching them, they all would suffocate and die! He wanted to find Austin now and tear him limb from limb with his bare hands. He rushed over to the turning wheel, and tried turning it. The code had been entered. He kicked the door, swearing loudly.
“Brooke! Do you know the code to the door?”
He waited for a moment, hoping against hope. There was silence on
the other side of the door, and his heart started beating rapidly against his ribs. Had they run out of air? Was that why the shouting had stopped? If he couldn’t get through that door, there was going to be a big problem. He would go crazy and try to power his way through however he could.
“I’m sorry, Dad, but I don’t know.”
The voice was a balm to his ears. They were alive. They hadn’t run out of air, yet, and that made him joyful. Unfortunately, it also meant he had no idea what to do about the door. He couldn’t do anything else with it. Maybe an explosive or something would work, but he didn’t have any with him, and if he had to go make one, he didn’t know how long they would survive in that vault. He leaned his head against the door and let a tear slip down his cheek. If he’d come this close, only to lose them again, and this time for good, he was going to murder Austin. Not just in a humane way, either. He was going to tie him to the grills of four vehicles and draw and quarter him like the beast that he was. Rage filled him to the very brim, and he was pretty sure there was smoke coming from his ears.
“Garrett? How many numbers are there?” It was Alice’s voice. She seemed very calm, and he applauded her silently for that. He never expected her to grow up like this and handle a situation. He looked at the code.
“There are eight!” Even as he said it, his heart sank. The number of possible combinations was astronomical. There was no way he’d be able to try them all and get them out before time ran out. He’d never given up before, but right now he felt like he wanted to.
“Try 06182014.”
Mechanically, his hands put in the numbers. He didn’t even stop to think about what the repercussions of those numbers were. The last number clicked into place, and he paused for a moment before trying the door. It opened. He stood there like a zombie as he pulled open the door. Alice stood directly in front of him, and their eyes locked. Seth was quiet again, staring around at everything.
“How did you know the combination?” He was incredulous. To pull eight numbers out of the air like and have them be the right ones was nothing short of a miracle.
“It’s the day we got divorced.” The numbers clicked. June eighteenth. She was right. That was the day that the divorce was finalized. He swallowed hard. He didn’t have to ask the question that he wanted answered, she knew.
“It would be the one thing that would keep me away from you, and the one thing that hurt you the most.” Well, Austin had been right on that. He wanted to find the prick and tear him to shreds. Brooke threw herself around Garrett’s waist and hugged him. He immediately turned his attention to the girl.
“Hey, beautiful. Thanks for banging around like that. It helped us find you.” He wanted to tell her how proud he was of her, but the reunion was cut short as Nat came tearing down the stairs, quickly followed by Kayleigh and Jenny. He pulled Brooke into his arms and refused to let her go.
“Brooke! I thought I was never going to see you again. I’m tired of being separated like this. I have to tell you something. I love you.” Her eyes widened, but a small smile curved her lips.
“Well, I’m glad. I guess this means I should tell you that I love you, too.”
Jenny was jumping up and down in excitement. She was a big sucker for romance. Garrett and Alice looked at each other over the heads of the teenagers. This was something that they happily could support. They would be good for each other, and both were willing to learn. Garrett couldn’t have been happier for his daughter. She looked up at him over Nat’s shoulder, and he winked and gave her the thumbs up sign. Her smile was so radiant he thought he might go blind.
“Nat, where’s Max?” Garrett didn’t want to intrude on the moment, but he had to find out if his friend was okay. He didn’t want to lose anyone else he cared about. It took Garrett repeating his question before Nat actually paid attention.
“He should be right behind me. I mean, we were in the same place when we heard you yelling, Garrett, but I was a little faster when it came to getting here. I guess you could say I had a little extra motivation.”
He grinned at Brooke, and she smiled back. Leaning forward, she tentatively kissed him. It wasn’t a long make out session, just a chaste kiss, but he lit up like a beacon. The small group made their way back up the stairs and out of the bank. It was a short walk back to the vehicles, now that they weren’t going building to building. Max was leaning against one of the vehicles, nonchalantly. Garrett grinned when he saw his friend. He seemed to be all in one piece.
“What do you say we blow this popsicle joint?” Max gave his favorite line from the Aladdin movie. It had been his way of ending every mission they’d done together, and it was their way of knowing it was over. But for Garrett, it wasn’t over. Austin was still out there.
“What about Austin?” Max laughed.
“You just missed him. He tore out of here on a motorcycle so fast the dust didn’t even get a chance to move.” Garrett’s expression hardened.
“Then we have to go after him. I can’t let him get away with everything he’s done to my family.” Max put his hands in a placating manner, holding him back.
“There’s no point. I promise you, there is no point in going after him.”
Garrett wasn’t sure if he believed Max. This man wasn’t exactly normal, and didn’t fit into any of the categories of people they’d been trained to read. However, if Max said that it wasn’t worth it, then he believed his friend, no questions asked. The two of them shared the same values and morals, and if something didn’t sit right with Garrett, it usually didn’t sit right with Max, either. But if Max said it was okay, then that was good enough for Garrett.
They all piled back into the vehicles and headed back to the factory to regroup. As soon as they parked, Garrett felt he needed to go to Wren to tell her goodbye. He hadn’t been able to do that before. He’d pushed his own pain to the back of his mind when it came down to others being in danger. Alice followed him, putting a hand to her mouth when she noticed that Wren was dead. Even though the women had had their differences, she felt horrible for Garrett, and she’d never really wished for the woman to die.
“I’m so sorry, Garrett. I know how much you cared about her.”
Garrett was still broken down inside, and he needed someone. Alice held him, hugging him and trying to give him as much comfort as she possibly could. When the morning light hit the next day, Max and Garrett both were bare-chested in the back of the factory, shovels in their hands. They dug graves for Ben and Wren, both of them saying a few words after their friends had been laid to rest. Everyone held on to someone, and there wasn’t a dry eye around. An hour or so after the funerals, everyone packed up what they could, getting ready to leave the factory that held so many sad memories for them. Death and pain, two things that no one wanted to remember, practically were screaming at them from the ceiling and walls.
“Where to, Max?” Garrett stood talking to his friend after the cars were loaded up.
“There was a farmhouse that I found with a pretty good bunker that will see us through the winter. It’s a ways away from here, but it’ll do.” Garrett nodded.
“You’re the boss.” Max’s smile slipped. He didn’t want to take over Garrett’s role as leader of the group, and he hoped Garrett wasn’t trying to make that happen. He decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, and just think of it as him being the person in charge of the directions for the moment.
“I’m still worried about Austin, though. I don’t wish him any harm unless he tries to hurt one of us, but I can’t fully relax, knowing he is out there, trying to kill me and take my family.” Max looked off into the distance, keeping his tone neutral when he spoke.
“It’ll be alright, Garrett. I don’t think he’s going to give us any more trouble. Just take my word for it. I have a gut feeling that nothing is going to happen, and that he’s given up. What I saw from him when he high-tailed it out of town told me that he won’t be back.” As much as Garrett wanted to believe him, he just had the feeling
that Austin would be back. He was going to be as vigilant as possible every single day to make sure the man didn’t somehow make it back to them to cause any problems.
The group piled into the vehicles with all the supplies they’d grabbed from the town as well as what little had been left at the factory. Max led the way to the farmhouse. It was about an hour’s drive down some winding roads that Garrett never had seen, much less been on. When they parked he went with Max, who showed him every inch of the house and the bunker. Garrett smiled. This was going to work just fine for them. He clapped Max on the back.
“Well done, buddy, well done. This place is just perfect. We can set to work making sure we have all the preparations ready for the winter, and still have some time to enjoy ourselves. This is going to be a great place for our little family to flourish and grow.”
He was thinking about Jenny and Seth. This was going to be a bit of a crude way of growing up, compared to what they already had experienced in life, but it still would be a happy life. Surveying their smiling faces as they unloaded the trucks, he felt completely content. Even the thought of Austin was at the farthest reaches of his mind right now. The life he felt they could live here was a good one, and he thanked whomever was listening that they had reached this point. Granted, he wished they would have had more in their party when they reached this point in life, but there was nothing he could do about that. Freedom and security came with a price, and Athena, Ben, and Wren had paid it to keep them safe. He looked up at the clear blue sky, picturing Wren’s smiling face looking down at him. She was watching over them now, and all he had to do was sit back and let life throw itself at him.
