by West, Kyle
“If we go to the Command Center, wouldn’t the Lords know where to attack us?” I asked.
“Let them try,” Makara said. “They’ll be fighting on our turf, and it won’t be easy for them to approach when we have cameras watching.”
“A lot of Angels would have to fight against Lords to even make it to the Command Center,” Damian said. “And not everyone who got out is a fighter. There were women and children, too.”
“That’s where Ashton comes in,” Makara said. “He can pick up any Angels who can make their way outside. It would be easier to just head outside rather than fight through the Lords’ positions. Ashton can ferry groups to the Bunker entrance at the top. From there, they can head down to the Command Center.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” I said.
“We heading up?” Grudge asked.
Makara nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get to the Command Center and I’ll get Ashton on the line.”
***
We found a stairwell and made our way up. Before we reached the stairs, we heard voices drifting down the hallway. As we raised our guns, four Angels walked around the corner. It was clear they were surprised to see Makara, Samuel, and the rest of us alive and well. I recognized one of these men, Nathan, who was an Exile. He seemed to be leading the other three men.
“Makara!” he said. “You’re alive.”
“Good to see you, Nathan,” she said. “Any news of Marcus?”
He shook his head. “They got him and Char on level one.”
“They’re not dead?”
“They might be,” Nathan said. “He and Char stayed behind to fight, even as they told us to run. Haven’t seen them since.”
“Alright,” Makara said. “We’re heading up to the Command Center. Is there anyone else on this floor?”
“We’re the only ones on this level.”
So far, everyone in the inner circle that had stayed in Bunker 84 was unaccounted for. We had no idea whether Char, Marcus, Ruth, or Lauren were still alive.
We walked the rest of the way to the Command Center without incident.
Makara nodded to Lionel. “Take a few of your men and post a guard.”
Lionel nodded. “On it.”
While Lionel left with a few fighters in tow, Samuel opened communications with Perseus.
“Ashton?” Makara asked, once the line was open. “Ashton, you read?”
It was a moment before Ashton’s familiar voice came through the speaker. “Makara! Everyone alright down there?”
“It’s rough,” she said. “We’ve found some Angels but a lot of our people are still missing. This is going to be a long fight.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Have you seen the north face of the mountain?”
Ashton paused. “No. Haven’t flown out that way.”
“Well, you might be surprised by what you see. A nuke must have hit it back when the Bunker fell. There are lots of openings leading out of the Bunker.”
“Alright,” Ashton said. “Where are you going with this?”
“We’ve restored power, which means we should be able to make an announcement to the whole Bunker: telling any Angel who can, to go outside.”
“And you want me to pick them up?”
“That’s right. As soon as you see anyone, pick them up and land them by the entrance. From there, they can walk down to the Command Center on level three.”
“What about our people at the bottom, though?” Ashton asked.
Makara sighed. “They’ll have to hold on a while longer. The goal is to gather as many as we can and put weapons in their hands.”
“When are you planning on moving?”
“We’ll be making the announcement soon. Stand by for further orders.”
“Copy that,” Ashton said.
Chapter 12
“It’s set,” Samuel said.
“Citizens of Bunker 84,” Makara said, pausing for a moment. “This is Makara. Yeah, I’m alive, and no, this isn’t a trick. We’ve restored power and the Angels’ numbers are swelling by the hour. If you’re an Angel and you’re hearing this, make your way to the Command Center on level three. If you can’t make it there safely, go outside. Dr. Ashton will see that you’re brought safely here.”
Makara looked at Samuel, as if for confirmation. Samuel gave a thumbs up. Makara went on speaking.
“Things have changed drastically on the outside. The Great Blight is about to annihilate us all. Oasis has fallen, and Los Angeles will go soon. The Empire and the Reapers are no longer allies – they are enemies. They fight in the ruins of L.A. even as death presses in from the east. This is my message to Jade and the Lords: the only way you will survive this is if you lay down your arms and negotiate peace. If you do so in the next six hours, your lives will be spared.
“You were all Angels, once. I’m going to attempt a chance at reconciliation. I understand how panic might have led some to make a stupid decision – a decision you now regret. That’s why I’m giving you this chance. I invite Jade, Rey, and Cain to the Command Center to parley. You have my word that you won’t be killed.
“If you choose to continue this senseless war, you will lose. We have a spaceship and have unlimited access to resources. Starvation is no longer an issue. From the Command Center, we can cut off your power. Maybe you have backup generators you’ve been using to get by, but they won’t last. We don’t have time for this war. Augustus in Los Angeles needs our help.”
Makara paused a moment for her words to sink in.
“Angels: make your way upstairs or outside. Lords: you have six hours, starting now.”
With that, she cut out.
***
Makara sent a heavily armed patrol to assist any Angels making their way upstairs.
The first round came from the seventh level, fifteen minutes following Makara’s announcement. Meanwhile, Ashton was ready to pick up anyone at the north face of the mountain.
As the minutes and hours passed, the barracks filled with survivors. When the head count passed one hundred, they still kept coming. There were far more survivors than we’d thought; they’d all been separated by the Lords’ relentless attacks. Michael and Julian started passing out canned food they’d found inside a kitchen connecting two of the barracks. As Damian had said, many were women and children. And they were hungry.
I helped with a can opener I’d found in a kitchen drawer. I was in the middle of uncapping a can of pineapple when it happened.
“Daddy!”
Callie crashed into Michael’s leg, wrapping it in a viselike grip. Michael pulled the little girl free and held her to his chest.
“Callie, baby, you’re alright!”
The girl laughed and Michael looked past her to see his wife, whose blue eyes were flooded with tears. Blood and dirt were smeared on her face, and her cheeks were gaunt. She gave a small, pained smile.
“Lauren...”
Michael walked forward and embraced his wife, holding her like he’d never let go.
Callie walked up and looked at the half-opened can of pineapple I was holding. I continued to open the lid, and when it fell off, I tossed it aside and handed the can to her. Immediately, Callie gulped it down. By the time I had another can open, this time beans, she was already done with the pineapple. Others in line watched hungrily as Julian worked quickly to open all the cans he could.
“Share this one with your mom, alright?” I asked.
Callie nodded, carefully taking the can of black beans and returning to her parents.
Michael parted from his wife. I opened a few more cans, one with beets and another with spinach. I know it wasn’t gourmet, but it would have to do. The food had nutrients and calories, and that was what everyone needed.
As the people ate, I continued opening cans. We had only found two can openers, so we worked as quickly as we could. After about fifteen minutes, everyone had eaten one can of food. Still, we continued to open them. Lauren and Michael went to the kitchen to see i
f they could find any more can openers.
When they came back, Lauren had another can opener, while Michael toted another armful of cans. She set to work as people came by for round two.
“Is Ruth alright?” I asked.
“I think so,” Lauren said. “We were together...until we weren’t. We got separated in the chaos.” Lauren paused, reaching for another can of food. “She knew how to work Hydroponics, so they couldn’t do anything to her.” She paused, opening another can of beans, which was quickly taken by a muscled Raider. “I’m worried about her for other reasons.”
It wasn’t hard to imagine what those reasons might be. Ruth was a good-looking woman, and she was surrounded by a bunch of unscrupulous men – men without honor and principles.
“We have to get her out of there,” I said.
Lauren nodded. “I know. It isn’t going to be easy. I don’t think Rey is going to accept Makara’s terms.”
“So Rey is the one in charge?” Julian asked.
Lauren nodded. “Yeah. Jade is sort of their lackey, but they do give him some rein. It’s more Rey and Cain working together. To what end, I don’t know. They must know they’re done, with Makara back. They still hold some pretty powerful cards. Ruth is one of them, and they also have Char and Marcus.”
“If they’re still alive,” Michael said softly.
“I think they are,” Lauren said. “They need that leverage, especially now when the balance is shifting so much.”
I hoped Lauren was right. I couldn’t imagine the Lords keeping either Char or Marcus alive. Still, maybe they’d agree to parley sometime in the next few hours, as Makara had laid out.
“We’ll find a way,” Michael said.
Finally, we were opening cans faster than people could take them. A minute later, we gave our hands a break. I took a can of pork and beans, grabbed a nearby spoon, and started to eat. It was the first food I’d had since breakfast, all the way back in Los Angeles.
With the realization of how busy my day had been, I felt a wave of fatigue. I checked my watch, seeing that it was 21:00 on the dot.
I uncapped another can, taking a cue from Callie and favoring pineapple. Callie watched with wide eyes, sitting on Michael’s lap.
I ate the pineapple, draining the rest of my juice, and set the empty can on the floor. I noticed that a lot of people were hanging around, even if they didn’t want more food for the moment. It took me a minute to realize why they were.
“They want to take some of the food for themselves,” I said. “We should probably keep it in a secure location.”
“Can’t we just trust people to take the right amount?” Lauren asked.
Julian and Michael answered at the same time. “No.”
“Alright,” Lauren said. “What do we do, then?”
“We could keep everything in the Command Center, where it would always be under watch,” I said. “Most people would take the right amount, but some will hoard, which would punish the people who follow the rules.”
“I agree,” Michael said.
“I’ll talk to Makara,” I said.
I left the barracks, following a short corridor leading to the Command Center. Once there, I found Makara, Samuel, and Grudge on the Command Center floor. I went downstairs. They saw me coming down and waved me over.
As I approached, Makara gave me an update.
“Ashton picked up twenty or so, and they should be heading down soon. You might want to get some more food ready.”
“About that,” I said. “We were talking about keeping the food in the Command Center. It would prevent people from taking more than they need. We could take inventory and hand it out only at mealtimes.”
Makara nodded. “Yeah, good idea. Find a way to move it in here.”
“That won’t stop people from going out and finding their own,” Samuel said.
“No, we can’t stop them from doing that,” Makara said. “But we can forbid anyone from leaving level three without an escort. We can widen our range once we start securing more floors.”
“We’re probably good down to level six or so,” Grudge said.
“Probably,” Makara agreed. “But I’m not taking any chances. And that’s too much ground to cover with what we have.”
“Alright,” Ashton’s voice said, coming out of the computer speakers. “I’ve landed outside the canyon. The refugees are worried about the snow, so I’ll be escorting them to the entrance. I’ll be out of touch for the next ten minutes.”
“Copy that,” Makara said. “Good job, Ashton.”
“What’s the head count?” he asked.
“122, so far. 142 once yours arrive. About half can use guns.”
“Copy that. I’ll make one more flyby before calling it a night. I think I got everyone I could on this round, but another sweep won’t hurt.”
“We’ll make the announcement for the last sweep,” Samuel said.
“Copy that,” Ashton said. “Out.”
***
No emissary arrived from the Lords below, at least not within the first four hours. I wouldn’t have known if any had arrived, because I woke up around midnight, despite my tiredness.
I kept thinking of Anna, hating how I couldn’t see her and how she was locked away on Perseus.
Which was when I realized that I could go see her. True, it meant going through the empty corridors of Bunker 84 alone. But the lights were on, and level three and above were secure.
It would be cold outside, but I had my parka.
A big part of me said it was stupid. And it probably was. The more I thought about it, though, the more I felt like I had to do it.
It took a minute to make the decision. I got up, put on my parka, and made sure my AR and Beretta were locked and loaded. I went to the kitchen, grabbing a couple cans of food and a can opener, and made sure to fill my canteen. I felt a little guilty, taking a can opener, but we had six total now, which meant I was leaving behind five. They’d survive without it for a couple of hours, and if something bad happened up there and I found myself cut off, I’d be prepared.
I didn’t know why I felt so pressed to see Anna, but I wanted to make sure she was doing alright. After Ashton had dropped off the second round of refugees, of which there were only six, they had parked close to Bunker 84 at the canyon entrance, which was a short walk from the Bunker door. All I had to do was reach the Perseus’s door, input the code, and go inside.
Before I had time to second-guess my decision, I lifted my pack and left the barracks by the back way. By going this way, I could avoid the Angels standing guard. We were all under curfew; I wasn’t supposed to be breaking the rules like this.
All the same, I had a feeling that I should see Anna, one that went beyond the fact that I was worried about her. I felt like I was missing something important. It really wouldn’t be a dangerous trip; there were no enemies on the third level and above, and I wouldn’t be in the cold for very long.
I left the dark barracks, entering the lit outer corridor. I walked to the stairs, hearing my footsteps echo off the confined walls. It was quiet, and the faded paint and odd smattering of dried blood on the walls told the story of this place. I felt as if ghosts were watching me when I reached the stairs and began my climb to the top level.
Where it was still dark.
I wasn’t expecting that. Maybe the lights were still out on this level, for some reason. I retrieved my flashlight, clicked it on, and walked forward.
Coldness crept over me. I was out of my element, and for some reason, I just had a bad a feeling. A feeling that I should turn back.
I clicked the flashlight off, pausing to listen. I stood there for one, maybe two minutes, until I heard it.
Footsteps. Dozens of them, coming from ahead.
I backed away slowly, toward the steps. I realized who it was. It was the Lords, preparing a surprise attack. If they could attack from both top and bottom, we would be overrun – especially if we weren’t ready for it.
By the time I made it to the third level, I was at an all-out run.
I wasn’t sure what to do first –wake everyone up, or find Makara. I decided on the second option. I didn’t want to cause a panic, but at the same time, we had only minutes.
I entered the barracks at a run. Several people awoke at my entrance. I ignored them, instead finding the barracks where Makara and Samuel were. I went up to Makara, shaking her from sleep.
“The hell?” she asked, eyes groggy.
“They’re attacking from above.”
She opened her eyes, her grogginess dispelled by this news. “What?”
“I just came from there. They have a lot of guys heading this way.”
Samuel awoke, along with several other Angels in the barracks. As they overheard my conversation, they armed themselves for combat.
I was afraid she was going to ask what I was doing up there in the first place, but thankfully, she decided there were more important priorities.
“How much time?” Makara asked.
“They should be here any second.”
Makara turned to the Angels. “Wake everyone as quietly as possible and gather them in the Command Center. Do not explain anything, just make sure they get there. We need to be ready to move in five minutes. Remember: as calmly as possible.”
Samuel took charge, delegating Angels to go to the separate barracks. We could only hope that the Lords didn’t attack during this time. I had no idea how the Lords managed to sneak their men to the top floor – it probably involved going outside and...
“Ashton!” I said.
Makara looked at me. “What?”
“He should have spotted those guys, if they had snuck in from the outside.”
Makara nodded. “We’ll check in with him.”
Makara and I went to the Command Center, finding the computer Samuel had set up with a direct line to Perseus.
“Ashton? Ashton, you read me?”
It was a moment before his voice came through, groggy. “Yeah, what?”
So they were okay. The Lords had intelligently decided to forgo the ship, deciding that they couldn’t trip any alarms. Ashton had obviously been asleep, as was understandable. Even if he had been awake, it was so dark he might have missed the Lords’ passing.
