The Sentinel

by C Cato

  Cole closed the gap between them and gathered both of her wrists into one of his. A deep scowl rested on his face.

  A buzzing played over her skin like a mild electrical current. A draw that made Sonya want to relax into his hold, but that scared her more than anything. She struggled against his iron grip, but he didn’t budge.

  “We. Are. Not. Going. To. Hurt. You,” he said, emphasizing each word with a tug on her wrists. Sonya wasn’t convinced.

  Pulling her toward him, he shifted and let her go. Off balanced, she fell forward, and Ren caught her shoulders, righted her, and quickly gathered her wrists as Cole had done.

  She was in a daze. Was what they told her true? If so, how were they all still alive?

  “Ren take her in back and keep her there until we’re ready to go,” he said with a growl.

  Like a good soldier, he followed orders without question, but stopped when Cole called out, “And for fuck’s sake, clean up your goddamn tools!”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Cole

  “Did I miss something?” asked Ditre, when he came back to the control room and eyed the blood on Cole’s suit.

  Risa strolled in after him, having gone to retrieve a fresh one from the storeroom. She tossed it at him and leaned against the wall next to the exit from command. “Yeah, you missed our benevolent doctor shanking Sarge in the face.” Her tone was hard, but light danced in her eyes, and her lips twitched.

  Cole knew he was not going to live this shit down. That woman had gotten the upper hand on him.

  Ditre raised an eyebrow. “Where is she?”

  “In the sleeping chamber, with Ren,” snorted Risa.

  “Huh, not what I expected from her,” he said, turning to the monitors.

  Cole thought the same thing. She wasn’t anything like he thought she’d be. Sonya Temple was so much more. The memory of her standing tall, eyes wide and nostrils flared with anger, had blood rushing south forcing him to adjust himself. His jumpsuit did nothing to hide his semi-erect shaft. Luckily, the console hid the evidence from his team.

  Cole didn’t blame Sonya for not trusting them. Especially after Risa and Ren pulled guns on her, but they were in crisis mode. He only hoped he’d be able to mend the bridge once they were out of danger. For now, he couldn’t let it distract him. A moment’s hesitation would get them all killed. “Deets, were you able to get a look outside at all?”

  “Nope. Cameras are down, and whoever those people are, they are about to bust down the main bunker door.”

  Once his body was under control, Cole turned and settled back against the panel. “Are we sure that it’s really been two hundred years?”

  “All the data from the beds confirmed it. They have two hundred years of stats for all of us, give or take.”

  Dropping his head back, he blinked to fight tears. Everyone they knew was gone. The rest of their team. Ian.

  The loss left an enormous hole in his heart.

  Swallowing hard, he straightened up. “Risa, go to the storeroom and grab some rope and tie up the doctor. We need to leave.”

  She trotted out, and Ditre turned around to cross his arms pressing his hip against the panel. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? She already thinks we’re crazy kidnappers.”

  No. He didn’t think it was a good idea. “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. I like mine where they are.”

  “She’s never going to trust us if you do it this way.”

  The knot in his gut told him that Ditre was right. Whatever trust he hoped to establish with Sonya would be more elusive if they dragged her out of the bunker trussed up, but he couldn’t let sentiment or his personal feelings for her get in the way of his mission. He promised Ian he would protect that woman at all costs. That oath was all he had left of the man he loved.

  He would protect her, even if she didn’t like it. “We don’t have a choice. Go get the bug-out bags.”

  Ditre passed Risa as he left. She went back to the sleeping chamber with a length of nylon rope in her hands.

  Sonya screamed bloody murder, and each screech cut Cole like a knife to his soul. They all needed answers. No one believed Ian would have abandoned them on purpose, and if they were in the bunker for that long than something serious had happened. The location was a close guarded secret, so there were few records of its existence, but his team knew. Even if something had happened to Ian, they should have come. Cole stared at the flickering screens that jumped from one dark room to another. There were no answers here. Whatever Ian had planned, had gone wrong.

  Hopefully, Cole could keep everyone alive long enough to find out what.

  Quickly, he shed his boots and bloody bodysuit, to put on the clean one. He was just zipping up when his team converged together behind him. When he turned around, Sonya stood with her chin held high with tears rolling silently down her smooth, dark skin, but her eyes blazed with fury.

  He wanted her more than anything he’d wanted in his life. Steeling himself against his own desire, he tore his gaze away and held his hand out for the pack Ditre had made for him. Confident that the man had packed the essentials they would need. There was no way of knowing what the world was like above them. They had to be prepared for anything.

  “We don’t have much ammo, Cole,” said Soren, shouldering his pack, while Risa held the length of rope leading to Sonya’s bound wrists and adjusted the pack on her back at the same time. “Enough for three extra clips a piece and what’s already loaded.”

  “Let’s hope we don’t need them. We’ll take the back way out and hope we can find whatever passes for the authorities these days.”

  Sonya only glared at him. Her bright blue eyes pure ice. Somehow treating her like this, was like a betrayal to Ian’s memory and his promise.

  A soft touch on his arm, distracted him from melancholy thoughts. “Sarge? Everyone is ready,” said Risa, her brow slightly bent with concern.

  He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile but was sure it was just an ugly grimace. His jaw ached from the tension in his body. “Thank you. Lead the way, Pixie.”

  “Fuck you, Sarge,” said Risa. “You know I hate it when you call me that.”

  Soren and Ditre laughed. Sonya seemed to retreat into herself.

  They all filed into the hall, but Cole paused. “Hold up.”

  Running back to their sleeping chamber, he opened a small compartment on the back his bed, retrieving a small box. He pulled out the journals Ian had left. The only thing that might help them uncover the mystery.

  Dropping his pack, he loaded them in and picked up the last book in the box. The cover was long gone, the pages yellowed and dog-eared. A Rag, a Bone, and a Hank of Hair by Nicholas Fisk had been his favorite book as a kid. Demanding his dad read it to him over and over again. When he decided to read to Sonya during her coma, it had been the logical choice. He couldn’t stand to leave it. Carefully situating it between the other books for better protection, he pulled the pack back on and met the others in the hall. “All set. Move out.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Cole

  The entrance to the escape tunnel was an unassuming one, designed to appear like a simple broom closet. When Cole had worked with Ian to design the place, this had been the one thing he wouldn’t compromise on. Ian had spent a small fortune on the tunnel alone, but it was worth it.

  A hidden bio and retina scan opened it. Everyone piled in ahead of him. A small sink sat on the back wall. Ren lifted it away to reveal a second scanner. When he deactivated the security, the wall pushed backward and swung open revealing the start of the cement tunnel.

  Sonya stiffened and shifted away. Cole snatched his hand back, not sure when he’d started rubbing her back. He would have to be more careful.

  Ditre followed Soren into the tunnel. Risa tugged the rope to get Sonya moving. Cole was last, reinstalling the sink and closing the door, resetting the wall.

  They trudged on in silence for an hour before the tunnel sloped upwa
rd and a set of stairs appeared. “Okay, listen up. We don’t know what to expect out there. This should exit at a small garage at the edge of town. When we are out, head east,” he turned to Sonya and brought his hand to her face but waited for her permission to touch her there. He knew it was a futile effort. She was never going to give it.

  Instead of touching her, he raised his hand to his own temple. “We’ve got communication implants in our heads. They’re easy to use,” he said, touching the raised bumps. “These will allow you to control it. The top will change the frequency. The second will allow you to close communication with anyone close. The bottom is volume control.”

  “What have you people done to me?” she said, her naturally husky voice rising a few octaves, her features pinched.

  “We didn’t do anything,” he said, suddenly feeling exhausted. How could he get through to her? No one else bothered to step forward and help him. He was on his own. “Ian spent ten years perfecting the technology he used to save your life. Then he asked us to undergo the same and stay with you. We didn’t get much more than that.”

  “Even if I believed you, how do I turn it off?”

  “For now, you don’t. If you get into trouble, it will be the only way we would know.”

  Lesson over, he shouldered past his silent teammates. Cement stairs led up to the escape door. Everything was as pristine and clean as the day they’d arrived. The seal on the bunker so tight, even insects wouldn’t have been able to get in.

  Cole activated another scanner and keyed in his code. The door released its magnetic locks and began to open with a hiss, but then stopped. He gave an experimental push to get it moving again, thinking the mechanism may have jammed, but it didn’t budge.

  “Something wrong, Sarge?” asked Soren, joining him.

  “Not sure. It should just open. Obstruction maybe?”

  Soren went through the same motions with the same results. “I don’t think it’s the mechanism. There’s no give at all. Like there’s something on the other side.”

  “Okay, everyone, power up.” The dim light of the tunnel brightened under the eerie blue glow that his team produced. It was the one thing he’d hoped Ian could fix.

  Sonya whimpered. He would have to add “scared of him” to the growing list of reasons Sonya would never want him. He wanted to comfort her but knew it would be a wasted effort.

  Cole put his hands on the door. Glowing blue veins branched down his arms and grew brighter when he exerted pressure. Soren and Ditre wedged in around him, getting leverage. Risa stayed back with Sonya.

  “Push!”

  Together, they grunted and groaned as they strained. On the other side, there was a harsh scraping. Metal on rock. Plumes of dust rolled through the opening as it grew wider.

  “Pixie, you think you can get in there and report back?”

  “Only if you agree to not call me Pixie for at least a week,” she said, handing off the rope lead to Ditre, who took it with an apologetic glance at Sonya.

  Cole did his best to ignore them. “No can do. It’s the little things in life that bring so much joy. You don’t want to take away my joy, do ya?” he said, straight faced.

  “Assholes. All y’all,” she muttered under her breath, while squeezing through the opening. The door closed slightly when she pushed passed it.

  He began to worry when she hadn’t answered after ten minutes.

  “Risa. Report.”

  “I can’t,” she choked.

  “Can you clear away whatever is blockin’ the door?”

  “Yes, but you’ll all have to crawl out.”

  Cole paced at the bottom of the stairs while they waited for Risa to clear the space enough for them. When she poked her face inside, she was gray with dust, except for the streaks of clean skin under her eyes. She said nothing, just disappeared around the side of the door again. Ditre went next with Sonya and then Soren. He brought up the rear.

  On the other side of the door, he was not prepared for what he saw. The parking garage over the exit was gone. The rubble had almost completely buried the door. At the level of the floor there was light, and when he got to his knees, he saw a tunnel leading outside. The fit was tight, it forced him to take his pack and gun off and shove them ahead. Even so, he emerged scraped and cut by jagged rock and rusted rebar. Covered in blood but healed.

  The others stood side by side staring at the world around them. Where there had once been buildings and warehouses, there now stood a forest of evergreens. Not a single building left standing. When he turned around, the pile of rubble that was the parking garage, was covered with dirt and grass. It could have been any natural hill.

  The air was crisp. The sun high in the sky, but with a slight chill. Early fall? The smell of pine stung his nose. Surrounded by trees, they stood in a large circle of light. The forest was tall and thick, the light didn’t penetrate below.

  Abundant nature was something he’d always loved about the Pacific Northwest when he would go camping, but now he knew it was something he would associate with this nightmare for the rest of his life.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Cole

  Sonya pulled hard against the ropes binding her, almost jerking Ditre off his feet. “Where are you taking me? I’m not going to be some anonymous body in the woods somewhere!” She yanked harder, the rope slipping from Ditre’s hand. Seeing she was free, she started backing away. “Let me go. I swear I won’t tell the authorities about what you’ve done. If you want a ransom, I’m sure Ian would pay anything you asked for. As for the technology, obviously you’ve already stolen that, so you can just leave me here.”

  There wasn’t time for this.

  No telling when the people breaking into the Vault would show up. There wasn’t enough distance for Cole’s comfort, but he didn’t move any more than the others. Didn’t want to spook her.

  “Sonya, transmit. Don’t speak out loud. Whoever is attacking could be close,” he said, trying to keep the growl out of his voice. There was only so much patience. He glanced back at Ditre and nodded. His medic knew the signal. There had been some sedatives flash-frozen and kept in deep freeze in storage. If they couldn’t calm her down, they would have to drug her.

  “Sonya, no!” shouted Soren.

  Cole turned back in time to see Sonya bolting away from them toward the dark woods. Risa was already running after her and was powering up to boost her speed when Sonya jerked backward and slammed to the ground like she’d hit an invisible wall. A black shaft protruded from her chest. Flashes of white peaked out from behind trees.

  “Cover us!” Cole had already drawn his weapon, flicked the safety, and sighted down the barrel to squeeze the trigger when he reached them. With practiced ease, he brought down one after another as soon as something became visible from cover.

  Risa dragged a groaning Sonya back behind the few stones they had to hide behind. They were in white uniforms, which made them easy targets, but then so was he and his team.

  As the enemy advanced, more details came clear. They wore metal helmets, like something a reenactor would use. He didn’t know enough to place the time period. White paint made them match the rest of the uniform. They had crests on them like the kind he saw in gladiator movies. Strategically placed armored plates were attached to the suits. Cole couldn’t make out what materials the plates were, but whatever it was, it didn’t protect against bullets. He heard some feminine screams as two more dropped.

  Walking backward, he kept his eyes on the tree line as the enemy in white advanced. One of the black projectiles they fired slammed into his thigh, and he grunted but kept firing until his gun slide clicked back. Soren and Ditre fired around him so he could retreat and reload undercover. He ripped the arrow from his leg, bit his tongue to keep from screaming. Before throwing it away, he gave it a closer inspection. It had a barbed head and was short. Not long enough to have come from a hunting bow. Crossbow? That would explain the force that it had hit Sonya with.

  “Sarge!�
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  Throwing the bolt away, he pulled a magazine clip from his pack, dropped the empty, and clicked in the new one, but by the time he pulled the slide back, the shooting had stopped. Twenty bodies laid in the clearing between them and the trees. Scanning the darkness, he didn’t see any more movement, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.

  “We need to move, now!”

  Sonya was almost unconscious. Blood had soaked the front of her suit, dyeing it a deep dark crimson. Ian had told him that if there were obstructions the nanobots wouldn’t heal, since they wouldn’t know what to do with the foreign body. It was to ensure they didn’t fuse something to the body that didn’t belong there. Taking a firm grip, he whispered, “Forgive me,” and ripped the bolt out. He could feel the barbed end scraping on her collarbone as it came free, and she screamed, her back arching. The pain would continue until enough of the wound had healed to stop the bleeding, but they couldn’t afford the noise.

  “Ditre, do it!”

  “Sarge, no we—”

  “Do it now!” he snarled.

  Ditre pressed the jet injector to her neck and pulled the trigger. Hatred so hot and deep shot from her eyes, Cole was surprised it didn’t burn a hole in his chest. Seconds later, her eyes closed as the sedative took hold. Lifting her gently in his arms, he powered up and ran in the direction opposite to where the shooters had appeared.

  Power: 85%

  They’d been running for close to an hour when he got the notification. He needed to find a place where they could hole up and regroup. Hopefully, somewhere those damn people wouldn’t find. At some point they needed to get back to the bunker, or they’d all run down to zero. Slowing, he told his body to power down and waited for the others to catch up. Sonya squirmed in his arms seconds later. Her wound had healed, but that also meant she’d burned through the sedative.

  Blue eyes blazing, the sound of her hand smacking his face was louder than any gunshot. He set her on her feet, shifting his jaw from side to side to make sure she hadn’t broken it. During their mad dash through the woods, Cole had removed the bindings, hating that he’d used them in the first place.