“Hey! Where’s my father? Shouldn’t he be the one checking on his only kid?” I ask, heavy on the sarcasm.
The man frowns at me before turning to go. “He’s a very busy man.”
The door swings shut leaving Joss and me alone again. I spit out the worst curse word I know and then turn to Joss. She’s on her knees with her eyes closed but I can see tears leaking down her face. I feel so helpless that I just want to punch something but I know there’s no point in that. Instead, I step over to her and pull her to her feet. When her eyes open and meet mine, I still have no words to fix any of this so I just say the first thing that pops into my head.
“Come on, let’s get out of here!”
Her eyes flare wide in shock so I wave a hand. “No, I mean out of this room. I can’t just sit here and…wait. Wait for what? My dad? The start of the rest of our lives? Forget it. If he wanted us to sit tight in here then he should have kept the babysitter on us, right?”
She slowly nods her head and a spark of life glimmers into her eyes.
“Yes, if we are going to be stuck here then it’s only fair we should get to see our new home. Let’s go!” She grins.
We race to the door but I hold up my hand to wait as I crack it open and use one eye to scan down the hallway. When I see the coast is clear, I swing the door the rest of the way open and we slink down the hall to the end past the other rooms. From the silence, I can tell that there’s no one else in any of the living quarters but the next hallway has offices and I can hear scattered conversations coming from a few of the open doorways. We walk quickly past those and are almost to the main doors leading out of the office area when Joss flashes into one of the offices, nearly causing my heart to stop. She comes back out just as fast with a sneaky smile and something clutched in her fist. I give her an annoyed look but just wave her ahead. I can find out later what she snatched.
When we get to the doors that lead out into the main barracks, she taps me on the shoulder.
“Stop being sneaky. We should walk around like we’re allowed to be out here, less chance of us being questioned.”
I give her a knowing nod. She’s right, sneaking around will look suspicious so I straighten up and lift my head before shoving the doors open and stepping through. What we see and hear on the other side is a complete contrast to the near empty and silent office and living quarters we just came from. Here are most of the people and the noise is much louder. I don’t know why but it makes me feel a little less scared. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel quite so alone in this crazy situation.
Joss tugs my arm to move us away from the doors and we start slowly skirting the huge cavern as we watch what’s happening in the center area where all the bunks are. Men and women are making up bunks with sheets and blankets from sealed plastic bags and talking amongst themselves in small groups. There’s a tension coming from them with some having worried looks and some with angry expressions but no one is yelling or demanding answers like I want to do.
We keep moving around the perimeter and pass a set of washrooms for men and women. When we reach the first corner, the rock wall changes to a double set of glass doors that automatically slide open when we pass the sensor. A quick look in shows me that it’s filled with medical looking instruments and a few hospital beds. There’s a soldier standing at one of the counters who looks up from his clipboard as the doors open. His mouth opens in surprise as his eyes track from me to Joss before snapping shut with a frown causing me to quicken my steps past the doors. I push Joss ahead of me expecting a hand to land on my shoulder at any moment but a quick glance behind shows me that the soldier hasn’t come after us.
I stumble into Joss as she comes to a halt in front of me and I step to the side to see why she’s stopped. There’s a line of soldiers blocking our way ahead as they wait to be handed what looks like a stack of clothing from a storage room door. It only takes one of them to notice us before it ripples down the line and we find at least twenty pairs of eyes staring at us. I swallow down hard at the attention and reach for Joss’ arm to start pulling her away when a voice barks out causing me to flinch.
“What’s this, then? Where did you two come from?”
It takes me a few seconds to process the words that are directed at us in a French-Canadian accent from the soldier at the front of the line. His expression is slightly amused as he taps his clipboard giving me the courage to respond.
“Uh, we, uh…My dad, he’s General Mallor,” I stutter out.
The man’s eyebrows pop up towards his hairline in surprise before he nods in understanding.
“Right! Ok, this is supply and my name is Major Boucher. You come to me when you need anything.” He looks us up and down before yelling back into the supply room. “Captain Roy, bring me the tape!”
Joss moves closer to me and clutches my hand uncertainly as we wait for whatever the tape is under the eyes of the twenty soldiers standing in line. A younger soldier comes out with a fabric tape measure in his hand and scans the line at the door before following their eyes to where Joss and I stand. His mouth opens to speak but then he closes it, shrugs and takes a knee in front of us where he quickly measures our legs, arms, and waists while calling out the numbers to the Major. As soon as he finishes he disappears back into the supply room.
“I need your names. AIRIA will notify you when we have made some alterations to the stock we have so you’ll both have a few changes in clothing.”
Joss and I give him our names and he writes them down on his clipboard before waving us further down the wall.
“Next door is where you get your bathroom kit. Off you go kids!”
We both let out breaths of relief when all eyes turn away from us and he addresses the next soldier in line. We keep our heads down as we cut through the line and make our way to the next one that is just as long. This time we go to the end of it and wait our turn. I’m surprised that no one really seems to care that there are two kids in the bunker filled with adults but after studying the faces around me, I realize that they are way more worried about what’s happening outside the bunker than in it.
We skip the next two lines because we don’t know what they’re for and make our way around the rest of the perimeter with our plastic bathroom bags clutched to our chests. We pass more washrooms and a huge section that looks like a cafeteria area before we make it back to the office doors and slide through them. There’s a group of soldiers standing in the hallway talking in hushed tones right in front of us that see us right away. They all stare at us for a moment before turning and entering a set of metal doors on the left side of the hall that leads away from the offices. Joss and I move quickly to get a look into the room and see walls filled with computer screens and monitors showing the outside world. I catch my breath when I see my father standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed as people move around him. As if he feels my presence, he starts to turn around but thankfully the doors close before he can spot us and we double-time it back to our living quarters.
As soon as we get back into our room, a grin splits across my face at a successful adventure but it disappears just as fast when the floor rocks under our feet sending me staggering to the side and Joss towards the couch. She lets out a short scream to match my own. The heaving keeps going for what feels like forever but is only actually a half a minute before it all stops. I push myself back to my feet and rush over to Joss who’s pulling herself up from the couch with a pale face.
“Are you ok?” I ask her as I help steady her.
“She gives a brief nod before looking around the room and then settling her gaze on the speaker in the corner of the ceiling.
“AIRIA? What just happened?”
“Joslin Frost, local tremors have occurred from secondary bombs striking Ottawa and Montreal.”
Our eyes lock onto each other’s as fear washes through me.
“Are we ok?” I ask both Joss and computer.
“Jackson Mallor, bunker damage analysis is
ongoing. Current analysis shows eight percent integrity reduction.”
I look at Joss in confusion. “What the heck does that mean?”
She lets out a deep sigh. “That means there was some damage to the bunker but we’re ok. I think.”
She grabs her tablet that had fallen to the carpet, thumbs it awake and glances at the screen before carefully setting it on the coffee table in front of the couch.
“One hour, forty-six minutes since I sent the email to my parents.”
I bite down on my lip before trying to reassure her.
“Then they are probably far away from the city. I bet they got together with my mom and are almost here by now.”
Joss nods slowly without conviction but I don’t really believe that either. We sit quietly, lost in our own thoughts on the couch for hours. We’re in a holding pattern, just waiting for something to change or someone to come. After a while, my eyes droop and I slide into sleep where the world is a back to normal.
Joslin
Jackson’s soft breathing tells me he has fallen asleep and I envy him. I wish I could let go and just drift away from all this madness too. I glance down at my tablet, over four hours since I sent the email. I try and picture where they might be and how they must be feeling if they actually got it. Did they get in touch with Jackson’s Mom and does she know about this place? Are they as scared as I am? I sigh and clutch my tablet tighter. It’s not fair. After all the time I spent without a family, all alone in this crappy world, to finally find one and start feeling loved only to have it stolen away again. I want to scream, cry and rage but that’s never gotten me very far in the past so instead, I do what I’ve always done when I’ve taken a hit, I suck it all back and bury it deep inside. If I’m stuck here, then I need to try and control what I can so I stand up and go into the small bedroom with bunks and close the door quietly so I don’t wake up Jackson. I pull out the items I had stolen from one of the offices earlier and study them. A set of wireless earbuds with a charging cord and three memory sticks. They aren’t anything special but they might mean a lot to me in the future. At some point, my tablet will probably wear out and there’s pictures, videos, and files on it that I will want to save, so the memory sticks will be my back up. The earbuds might be even more important.
Jackson’s dad sees me as a tag along and a nuisance right now. I’m not important to him or anyone else in this place. I have to plan on my parents not getting here so I will need to look out for myself. The only way I’ll get any information is if I can stay connected to the computer that runs this place. I’m pretty sure the General only gave me a yellow clearance so Jackson and I would be out of his hair. It would only take a few words from him to change that and then I’d be completely in the dark. I’m going to need to keep my head down and stay off his radar. Hopefully, he’ll forget about me and the access I have to AIRIA. For that to happen, I need to be able to communicate with her without reminding him about it. The earbuds might be a way for that to happen.
I look up at the ceiling and speak.
“Um, AIRIA, is there a way for you to connect to these earbuds and answer me through them instead of coming through the room’s speakers? I uh, don’t want to wake Jackson up.”
“Joslin Frost, I am capable of syncing with any wireless device to communicate with you, as well as the tablet you are holding.”
I glance down at the tablet and a small smile tugs at my lips. This might work even better. If she could communicate with text instead of voice then no one would hopefully know.
“Can you use text on my tablet instead of voice? I wouldn’t want to be a distraction to others nearby if I had questions for you.”
“Joslin Frost, affirmative. I would utilize the messaging app on your tablet. Which method do you prefer to use, text or voice response through the earbuds?”
“Let’s go with text for now. I’ll let you know if I want to change to vocal in the future.”
The speaker stays silent but the messaging app chimes. I tap it open to see an affirmative response to my choice of text. The battery icon shows me that I only have twenty-two percent of power left so I leave the room and find my backpack. Thankfully, I have my charging cable in there or I’d just have a paperweight instead of a tablet when the battery dies. I find the nearest power outlet and let it charge while I take the time to back up the files I want to keep. I don’t let myself look at all the pictures that I’ve taken in the last few years. I can’t let myself mourn my new family until I’m sure that they won’t show up. I fill up two of the sticks with the pictures, videos, music and some of the small programs I’ve learned to create since I caught the coding bug leaving me with one blank stick for future use. I stare down at the pitiful amount of life and memories I’ve stored on two sticks and sigh. It’s not much but it’s all that I have and I plan on keeping it. I learned early on in life that I couldn’t trust anyone but myself so I slide the memory sticks into a side pocket of my lunch bag. I doubt anyone would think to look in there if they decide to search my stuff.
Jackson’s still sleeping on the couch so I spend the next hour typing questions to AIRIA in the armchair beside the couch. I don’t want to be alone even if he’s sleeping. I find out about the many levels in the bunker and where everything is located as well as where I can go. There are some areas that are off-limits to my clearance level but most of the place is clear if I wanted to spend the next few weeks exploring. I download and save the maps to each level knowing that they’ll come in handy in the future. I’ve just started to comb through some of the inventory lists when the door opens making me jump.
The General stands in the doorway taking in his sleeping son with a frown on his face. When his head turns my way, I put the tablet in sleep mode and slide it between the cushion and side of the chair out of view. I keep my eyes on him and try not to shrink while he studies me. With a slight nod towards me, he turns away and finally steps into the room and strides towards the dining table. Donnelly follows behind him with two cafeteria trays stacked on top of each other. They have plates with covers on them and it only takes seconds for the smell of food to hit me. My stomach growls loudly causing my cheeks to redden in embarrassment when both of the men turn to stare at me.
Donnelly looks away quickly but the General just sighs in annoyance like my hunger is such an inconvenience to him.
“Donnelly set those down and go get another tray for Miss…” He arches an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to provide a name. I swallow the dislike I have for this man but am not surprised at all that he wouldn’t remember the stray kid his son had brought with him.
“Frost, Joslin Frost.”
He turns to his aide and waves him away before settling down at the table and reaching for one of the food trays. He lifts the cover revealing some type of meat, mashed potatoes and limp green beans with brown gravy covering half of it. As he goes to set the cover to one side he glances my way and his hand stops briefly before returning the cover to the plate and pushing the tray to the side. He uses his foot under the table to shove the chair across from him from out under the table and points to it with a sharp finger jab.
I keep my head down as I cross the room and settle warily into it with one quick glance back at Jackson’s sleeping form. He’s not going to be a buffer for me this time. The silence drags on until I can’t stand it so I lift my eyes from the table to look straight at the General.
“My son seems very attached to you.”
I just nod my head at this and wait.
“How long have the two of you been friends?” He asks in a neutral tone.
“Two years, sir. Jackson is my best friend.”
He leans back and continues to study me before sighing. “Do you understand what’s happening out there?”
Again, I just nod my head and wait.
“Then you understand that from this point forward, things will be different. I have certain expectations of my son and they don’t include any of the childish nonsense that the tw
o of you have been enjoying. Hard decisions have to be made. We are at war now and the most important thing will be survival. To that effect, Jackson will begin training to be a soldier. His time will be filled with more important things than hanging out with a girl. You will also need to be trained. We will all need to work hard to keep this place running smoothly. There’s no free lunch in this new world.”
When I just nod my head again, he waves his hand dismissively.
“I will have Donnelly find a suitable female instructor that will mentor you. He will find a bunk for you out in the barracks.”
I murmur a “Yes, sir.” as he pulls his meal tray back in front of him, removes the cover and begins to eat. I’m not sure if I should leave the table but when my stomach growls again, he glances over at Jackson and shakes his head before nudging the second tray towards me.
“You might as well eat that one. He can have the one Donnelly went to get.”
I whisper, “Thank you, sir” and manage to get half the food eaten while my stomach rolls with nerves. He’s going to separate Jackson and me and I will once again be alone. Just like most of my life, I won’t have any allies or anyone to watch my back. I can just imagine the resentment the random woman will feel when she’s stuck with a ten-year-old girl to babysit. At least the foster families I had been placed with before got paid a monthly check. This woman will have to do it for free. I can only hope whoever gets stuck with me will be halfway kind about it. My mind is swirling with the what-ifs of my future when the messenger app on my tablet gives a muffled chime from the armchair.
My whole body freezes with the fork full of potatoes halfway to my lips when the General barks. “What the hell was that?”
I swallow painfully against the dryness in my throat, set the fork back onto my plate and take a sip of water to stall for time. He’s glaring around the room searching for the source of the chime when inspiration comes to me.
“I’m sorry, sir. It’s just a game I was playing on my tablet. I forgot to shut it off.”
Endless Winter Box Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 37