by Jamie Zakian
His lips scrunched together, his mouth denying the thoughts of his brain to pass. Joey stomped toward him, and his gaze crumbled to the floor. He could only stall so long. If he watched her foot tap for one more second, he’d feel like a complete coward.
“There’s a solar flare,” he said, looking into her eyes, “three times the size of the one that blasted the atmosphere from Earth sixteen years ago.”
In the midst of his speech, Joey shimmied backward. Her hands lifted to cover her ears, stopping midair when her back hit the wall behind her.
“It’s supposed to release the maximum amount of radiation in nine days.”
Her body wilted lower at every word. A tiny whimper seeped from her parted lips, and she looked at Jesse.
“Why didn’t you warn your parents?”
“They know,” Kami said. “We’re not supposed to know. We just … happened to intercept all their transmissions.”
“So why aren’t they here?” Joey glared at them both. In the blink of an eye, her sorrow seemed to twist into fury. “They just stayed on Earth to die?”
“No.” Rai shifted on the bed under the weight of Joey’s stare. “They just got their hands on this underground shelter that’ll withstand the flare.”
“And they’re working on a small shuttle,” Kami added. “My mom hand selected a large group. They’re all supposed to takeoff for Mars, I think, maybe next year.”
Joey dropped her head into her hands, a sarcastic laugh flitting from her mouth. “You people. You just do whatever you want, huh, because nobody tells you no.” She stomped toward Rai, her hands tight across her waist. “Has anyone ever told you no, Rai?”
He hopped to his feet. His hands flinched at his sides, wanting to reach for her. If only he could tell her the truth. That her face etched into his mind the moment his eyes took it in, but he couldn’t tell her that. Or … screw it. He was going to tell her.
His palms hovered just above Joey’s arms, inching closer to her skin. “You don’t understand. I picked you because—”
Joey thrust her hands up. “I don’t care why you picked me.” She backed toward Jesse’s bed, avoiding Kami’s stare. “So now I’m here.” Almost as fast as it had fled, her sadness returned. “My brother might never wake up again, and my mother is going to die all by herself.” Her eyes welled with tears. She cast her gaze to the ceiling, taking a big gulp. “That’s great. Thanks, Rai.”
“Joey,” Kami said, but that was as far as she got before Joey started yanking at Jesse’s arm.
“What are you doing?” Rai asked.
“I’m taking my brother to my room.” She grunted and groaned while tugging, but Jesse hardly budged. “I don’t wanna see you two right now,” she said in a squeaky yell, fighting to lift Jesse. “And I’m not leaving without him.”
“It’s all right.” Rai grabbed his laptop first, then Kami’s arm. “We’ll go.” He pulled Kami toward the door, even though she resisted.
The beep of a keypad halted Joey’s struggle. She stopped lugging Jesse’s limp body, dropping to her knees beside the bed.
Rai shoved Kami into the hall, then looked back into his room. The door slid shut, cutting off his view of Joey dropping her head onto Jesse’s chest.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kami stopped outside her mauled, scratched, dented door. It was hard to walk by without envisioning a giant monster clawing its way out. Jagged metal snagged her shirt as she squeezed inside. Her toes sank into squishy carpet, and she looked down, into a puddle of blood. She leaped away from the icy stain, stumbling over a suitcase. Her room was a bloodbath. The red splatters painted on the walls matched her appearance perfectly. She cringed, then hurried into the bathroom to change into something less slasher chic.
“I need to find out what happened in this room,” she yelled to Rai over the flow of rushing water as she scrubbed her hands and face. “Pull up the video feed.”
“There aren’t any cameras in the bedrooms.”
She dried her hands, then changed into the first non-bloody clothes she saw. “I know you planted a camera in here,” she said, pulling on a pair of sneakers. When she walked from the bathroom, he was already stationed at the desk and zoned into his laptop.
“Don’t tell Joey,” he said softly. “She already hates me.”
“Oh, please. Do I look like big-mouth Sabrina to you?” She dashed to his side, slapping him on the arm. “And why’d you cover for me? This whole scheme was my bright idea.”
Rai kept his gaze locked on the laptop’s screen, keys clacking beneath his touch. “There’s no reason for her to hate us both, especially now, with Jesse and all.”
“You’re so in love with her,” Kami teased. “Were you really gonna tell her about that picture of her you stared at for two weeks?”
“Shut up, Kami.” The clicking of keys stopped, and Rai hurled a barbed glare. “You’re the one who hacked into her webcam so you could watch her sing and dance around her tiny house.”
Kami shrunk back, gasping, and Rai grinned. “Yeah, I saw you do that,” he said with a wink.
“You better shut up, Rai!”
“No, you shut up. I have important things to do.”
She gave him a little shove, and he elbowed her back, so she pushed him harder. His finger missed its intended key, and the growl that followed locked her muscles stiff.
“Dammit, Kami!” Rai hopped up from his chair and seized her by the wrist, twisting.
“Stop it, Rai!” Kami hunched under his tight grip yet slanted her chin high. “You have important things to do, remember.”
With a shove, he released her arm. “Come here if you wanna see this video.”
After he sank back into the seat, she trotted over. Her arm rested on his shoulder, and she leaned in, fully aware of how much it irked him.
***
Reyes stood outside the cafeteria door, peering through its window. Chaos filled the room, but his eyes remained on Sabrina. The shine of her golden hair. The sense of chivalry, which vibrated the air around her. The smile she forced onto her lips when she attempted to comfort someone. He found these things incredibly annoying and completely irresistible.
“Do you need something, sir?”
Reyes flinched, looking over to find a young officer beside him. “No.” His gaze trailed faint whispers to a small group of officers staring at him. “I’m good, thanks.”
Turning back to the door, he stifled a grumble, then stormed inside. When Sabrina caught sight of him, she rolled her eyes. The corner of his lips raised, but he pushed them down and stepped in front of her.
“Aren’t you busy?” she sneered, her words sharper than her brief glare.
“I’ve finished. Large tasks are easy to accomplish when you have friends.”
“You have friends?”
“Yeah, I do.” He moved closer to Sabrina, ducking into her line of sight. “Do you have friends?”
Her body grew stiff, and she lowered her hard stare to the medical bag in her hand. “Guess I deserved that.”
“No, you didn’t.” He backed up a step, but a sense of douchery followed him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come in here to pick a fight. I just wanted to make sure all the survivors came through.”
Sabrina looked into his eyes, and a softness melted her glower. The affectionate gaze only lasted a second before her hallmark Sabrina-scowl returned.
“Everyone’s awake.” She swept her hand around the room, the children now alert yet full of sorrow. “All got a clean bill of health, except … Jesse.”
“What happened to Jesse?”
“He’s got a bad case of toxicity. He’s back in his room. I was just going to check on him before I round everyone up.”
“Round ‘em up? Has something else happened?”
“Not yet, and it’s not going to.”
She stared him up and down, probably looking for a good place to stick her blade. Then to his surprise,
she inched to his side. “I’m gonna lock everyone in here, crew and all.” She slinked even closer, lowering her voice to a near whisper. “When they’re all here, I’m going to send a text using that psycho’s handheld. Whoever reaches in their pocket first is getting pummeled.”
“That’s a good plan.” Reyes turned to face Sabrina. She didn’t shy away from his stare, or flinch when their chests pressed together. “Can I help you?”
For the briefest of seconds, a warm smile lit her face. “I suppose surviving this flight would be easier with a friend.”
Her body slid along his own, clouding that little portion of his brain reserved for self-control. The people and their voices, which circled around them, faded to a low buzz. Only her frosty-blue eyes and his rapid breaths remained. This was the worse time. Lives literally hung in the balance, yet all thoughts reeled back to the woman before him.
He gripped onto her waist, and her hands slid up his sides. The moment their lips touched, snickers and giggles infiltrated his ears.
She drew back, and a small group of girls scattered while chuckling. Her stare darted from his face. The pinkish hue in her cheeks was adorable. It left him yearning for a kiss, but … the timing.
“I gotta go,” Sabrina said, backing toward the door. “Check on that kid.”
“I’d like to,” Reyes said, joining her as she bolted for the exit. “If you don’t mind?”
“Sure.” She stopped in front of the door, her palm resting on its flat metal handle. “If you sent a message over the loudspeakers, would all the crew members hear it?”
“Yeah, except for the staff on the flight deck. Why?”
The slightest smirk crooked her lips and she pushed the door open. “I want you to send out a communiqué.” She stopped in the landing as groups of officers began to creep forward. Her hand cupped his arm, and she pulled him into a corner. “Just say I’ll be making an important announcement in twenty minutes. That all persons onboard should report to the cafeteria.” She glanced back at the awaiting officers, eyeing them over. “Do you trust any of them with your life?”
He followed her stare to the men and women nearby, desperately attempting to eavesdrop. “Four of them for sure.”
“Have them patrol the halls after everyone is inside. Anyone left straggling, and I mean anyone, knock ‘em out, then lock ‘em up. I’m gonna go round up everyone on the flight deck.”
“Wait.” He grabbed onto her arm, stopping her hurried steps before they could begin. “If you commandeer the flight crew, who’s gonna pilot the ship?”
“Rai.”
“A kid?”
“At this point, I don’t think I could stop him. Even if I wanted to. Meet you back here in twenty.”
She turned in a whirl, and he caught the scent of her hair. He grinned, crossing his arms. His eyes lingered on the sway of her hips, the smell of coconuts still strong in his lungs. The eyes of his fellow officers blocked his view, and he stepped forward to assign tasks.
***
Joey lifted her head, propping her chin between Jesse’s ribs. A hint of red peeked through his indigo-shaded lips, bringing the smallest shred of hope with its deep color. There had to be something she could do to speed up this waking process. According to Jesse, the only thing that could rip him from sleep was the grate of her voice. It was worth a try.
“So I don’t know if anybody told you,” she said, as Jesse remained in his comatose state, “but we were attacked. Someone tried to kill us all, and they almost did.”
She sat up, scooting closer to his face. “But you were right. I am Special Ed, ‘cause I saved a bunch of people but almost killed myself doing it.”
Chuckles and snippy comments did not commence. Except for the low hiss of O² streaming from the vents, no sound interrupted the silence.
Her head drooped. Dark stains covered her silky outfit, which she borrowed, making her list of loser moves even longer. “And I ruined Kami’s fancy jammies, and Rai … and Mom … ” She seized Jesse’s hand, squeezing tight. “I miss you so much.”
Jesse’s head rolled to the side with her light tug and she lurched back. His hand slipped from her grasp, bouncing on the mattress. This was maddening. To have him breathing in front of her, unable to respond, not knowing if he could hear her voice. She wouldn’t make it through the night without him, let alone one day on Mars.
“You’ve got one more hour. Then, I’m throwing a bucket of water on you.” She rose from the bed, walking to his dresser. “And I’m stealing some of your clothes.”
Still, not even a grumble trickled from Jesse’s mouth. She fought the urge to kick and scream. There was no point anyway. It wouldn’t save her mother’s life, or bring Jesse back.
A heavy layer of anguish cloaked her mind, but her body continued through the motions. She looked down, into an opened drawer, and a knot swelled inside her throat. There sat Jesse’s favorite shirt, a decal of a dragon gleaming in the overhead light. Her fingers shook. The room took a quick spin around her. She swallowed, hard, then rifled through the neat pile of clothes.
At the bottom of a stack of shirts, she found a pair of her jeans. A little deeper, and she uncovered one of her old shirts.
“Of course. You packed spare clothes for me.” A soft laugh slipped past her lips. “That’s so like you.” Her body trembled, the hoarse chuckles twisting into deep sobs. She pulled the folded clothes close to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As she slumped to the scratchy carpet, a knock rattled the door. She shot up with a jolt. Her wails caught in her chest, causing her shoulders to twitch.
“Who’s there?” she called out, her attempt at tough turning into more of a croak.
“It’s Mr. Reyes,” a man’s voice called out through the closed door. “Head of security. I came to check on Jesse.”
Her shoulders slumped. She cursed her dumb, irrational mind for chasing Kami and Rai away. Then she remembered what Jesse said about Mr. Reyes. That he’s the type of guy their father would’ve been like.
“Just give me a minute.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and hurried into the bathroom. After stripping off the sullied PJs, she quickly dressed.
Her bare feet scuffled along the carpet as she made her way to the door. She stopped, looking back at Jesse. When finding him in the same exact position, her frown hit maximum capacity. Slowly, she turned and tapped the keypad.
As the door slid open, she hurried back to Jesse’s side. That muscleman squeezed through the threshold, and she shrank down.
“It’s okay. I’m a friend,” Mr. Reyes said with a warm smile. “How are you doing, Joey?”
Horrible, miserable, fed-up. “I’m fine,” she muttered, sinking onto the mattress.
“And Jesse?” Mr. Reyes took a step and paused. “Do you mind if I come in?”
She shrugged, and he traipsed inside. When he knelt beside the bed, she scooted closer to Jesse.
“He’s still the same,” she said.
“His color looks good.” Mr. Reyes placed his hand on Jesse’s forehead, then cheek. “No fever. That’s always a good sign. Jesse’s a fighter. He’ll pull through.” He rose from his knees, sitting in the chair beside the bed. “Did you hear the announcement over the loudspeakers?”
She nodded. Although it would’ve been nice to plead ignorance since she had no intentions of going to the big announcement.
“You don’t have to be there, but if anyone you don’t know knocks on the door during that time, don’t answer.”
“Are we gonna get attacked again?” She grabbed Jesse’s hand, his fingers limp in her grasp.
“No.” Mr. Reyes shook his head, a serious glare within his eyes. “We’re gonna get the bastards who did this before they strike again. That’s why we’re gathering everyone in the cafeteria, for their own safety.”
“Well, Chuck should be there then.” She climbed to her feet and Jesse’s hand flopped to his chest. “He’s been in me
dical with his dad. He probably doesn’t even know what’s going on.”
Mr. Reyes stared into the corner, his brow scrunched. “You know what, Chuck should be there.”
Joey walked to the door, slipping on a pair of Jesse’s old shoes. “I’ll go get him.” She paused mid-step, glancing back to the bed. “Can you stay here with Jesse while I’m gone?”
“Make it quick.” Mr. Reyes looked at his watch, eyes opening wide. “You got thirteen minutes.”
“Thanks, Mr. Reyes. I’ll be right back,” Joey said on her way out the door.
***
“Do it,” he said, staring into the dark eyes in front of him. His handcuffs scraped against the chair’s metal back as he leaned forward. “I’m ready.”
The edge of a blade neared his neck, and he lifted his chin. “I served our Father well. He will be pleased.”
A chill ran through his body as the knife pressed against his throat, only to be replaced by a fiery burn once the blade ripped its way along his skin. Warm blood flowed down his chest, pooling in his lap. He gagged, gasping for breath that never came.
Such a gentle face rested in front of him, casting a warm smile his way. When that face moved aside, he caught his own reflection on the shiny wall. He expected to see blood gushing from his neck, but never anticipated to find such a heightened level of fear in his eyes. Now that life drained from his body, he wasn’t sure if he’d done God’s work or the Devil’s deeds.
“Enjoy your reward, brother,” was the last thing he heard before an icy darkness settled over him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Joey peeked through the open door of medical, squinting to see in the low light. She crept inside, and Chuck walked from the back room, closing the door behind him. When he spotted her, he nearly jumped off the floor. “Joey!” Chuck took a quick look around, then stepped toward her. “I must’ve forgot to lock the door. What are you doing here?”
