by Cameo Renae
“Man, I don’t know how the hell you can pull that sled. I can barely breathe. My heart rate has quadrupled, and my legs feel like freaking jelly,” Pike huffed.
I laughed. “Don’t worry Pike, Finn is not your average human being.”
“No kidding. Hey Finn, were you injected with some kind of special serum?” Pike asked.
“No man, it’s all genetics,” Finn said, flexing his biceps.
“Don’t…just don’t,” Pike exhaled, still trying to catch his breath. Finn and I laughed.
It made me wonder if Finn’s dad really looked like him. He’d never met his father; never even had a picture. His mom didn’t bring him up much in conversation, because he’d abandoned them. I knew it bothered Finn to not know anything about his father, especially when we celebrated special occasions in the hive, like Father’s Day. But he never let it show outwardly. He was tough inside and out.
It was apparent that all the best parts of the men in our hive rubbed off on him. In a sense, he never lacked fatherly affection. Maybe his father survived? Who knew? Crazier things have happened. Like Pike and Tina finally getting to spend some quality time together.
Chapter 17
Almost five hours later, as the sun began to wake and its rays stretched over the horizon, we finally made it back to town. We were exhausted, and ready to drop. My legs were heavy, and felt like hundred pound weights.
Every building, except Sanctum, had been reduced to large heaps of charcoaled wood and ash. The thick smell of smoke lingered in the air, permeating the town and burning my nostrils. I had mixed feelings as we made our way down the street. The town had been totally devastated, but its inhabitants were hopeful. The little patch of green grass we’d spotted upon first arrival was a sign the ground could nurture and support new life. They would be just fine.
As we walked down the street, we saw how Rhett’s team had attached hoses to a few of the spigots around the town, trying to douse the remaining flames and snuff out the smoke.
“It’s going to take a lot to rebuild this town,” Pike murmured.
“Well, it’ll give them something to do, something to work towards,” Finn replied. “I think they’ll look forward to it.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait until we all get a chance to be set free, and start lives of our own. I’d like to build a house, and maybe settle down,” Pike admitted.
“Settle?” I asked.
“Yeah. Settling would be nice. I’d like to eventually be with Tina, but her father is my biggest obstacle,” he said.
“Well, like Tina always says, ‘love will find a way,’” I winked.
“I suppose,” he sighed. “You and Finn are lucky to have found love, and the support that goes along with it.”
“Yeah, we are really lucky,” I agreed. Finn glanced back at me and winked.
I was the lucky one.
As we neared Sanctum, the rest of the members, except for the injured and Dr. Lee, were all gathered outside. Bodies hunched over, looking tired, covered in black soot. Peggy Sue and Laura had the hoses and were shooting down the remaining fires, while the rest of the women looked on. The men were dragging the lifeless bodies of the Arvies into one massive heap. It looked like there were nearly seventy. How the hell could so many of them have dwelled here?
Seeing the bodies strewn all over the ground instantly brought back horrifying memories of my nightmares, making my stomach twist and my body tingle. Then, I suddenly realized I hadn’t had the nightmares since I left the bunker. Maybe I’d been so wrapped in Finn’s arms and protection these past nights, my mind couldn’t be bothered to dream up new horrors.
“Hey Finn, you want me to pull the sled the rest of the way?” Pike asked.
“I think I’ve got it, man,” Finn answered.
“Thanks,” Pike grinned.
“Looks like someone is anxious to see you.” Finn nodded toward Tina.
As soon as Tina’s eyes spotted Pike, they popped open wide, and a huge smile rose on her lips. She looked like she’d helped them with the fires. Black ash was smeared all over her body and her worn face; her hair was a matted mess. But she looked extremely happy to see him.
Pike laughed. “Yeah, she’s probably relieved to see me alive. Do you guys mind if I run up ahead?”
“Go ahead, Romeo,” Finn chuckled.
Pike’s sudden burst of energy made me laugh. With a smile embedded on his face, he quickly jogged forward.
Incapacitating pain thundered in my head. I cried out, buckling under the pressure.
“Abi,” Finn yelled.
Something was very wrong.
I pushed through the pain and screamed, hoping someone would understand my words.
“They’re not all dead!” I curled up in the fetal position, and tried to give myself to the pain. Focusing on it, everything became clear.
Die.
“No!” I screamed.
As I opened my eyes, an Arvy leapt from behind a pile of smoldering rubble, charging toward Pike. In a flash he was on him, tackling him to the ground. When they rose, the Arvy had him tightly in his grasp, a dagger to his throat.
My heart and breath stopped. Dread washed over me.
The dagger the Arvy was holding, was mine. It was the one I’d dropped the night we came out for the medicine.
This couldn’t be happening.
Not Pike.
Not now.
I immediately unholstered Hellfire and held her up, but the Arvy had pressed itself tightly behind Pike, using him as a shield. I had no clear shot.
Pike struggled, but the blade started to cut into his flesh, so he froze. Any sudden movement could end his life.
“Pike!” Tina wailed, running toward him.
“Tina, don’t. Stay back,” he ordered. Holding up his arm to stop her.
Rhett ran and grabbed Tina, restraining her.
“Get your hands off me! Let go of me!” she screamed. But he held on, hugging her. “Abi, help him…please.”
“I’m trying, Tina,” I yelled back. We had to be smart. We were now at the mercy of this one last Arvy.
“Please. Please, don’t let him die,” she sobbed.
“Finn?” I called. Every cell within me was trembling in terror.
“Be careful, Abi,” he urged.
Rhett’s men had their weapons up and aimed, but no one had a clear shot. Pike was too close, and they’d risk hitting him.
The Arvy’s back was pressed against a large pile of rubble, protecting him from behind.
Smart bastard.
Déjà vu. I’d experienced this same scenario a few days ago. The look of complete horror in Pikes eyes reminded me of the look Steven had before he’d died.
Please. Please don’t do this. I pleaded. I will take his place if you let him go.
I had to try. I would try anything at this point.
Maybe I could shoot through one of Pike’s extremities, tagging the Arvy and creating some space between the two.
Suddenly, the Arvy shifted the knife, removing it a fraction from his neck.
My breath ceased. I stood frozen with hope, Hellfire aimed, waiting for its next move.
One word instantly shattered my insides, and sent the world around me spiraling into complete chaos.
Kill.
“No!” I screamed it in my mind, and from my mouth.
It all happened so fast—in a split second—and yet it played out in slow motion.
Tina was screaming, wrestling to free herself from Rhett’s grasp. Her face was anguished, red. Tears and snot poured from her face. Finn turned back to grab his gun from the sled. Everyone else started yelling.
The Arvy removed the blade from Pike’s throat and thrust it deep into his chest.
Despair shattered my heart, as I watched on in complete horror.
Becoming aware of what happened, Pike’s fingers gently touched the handle of the blade sticking out from his chest. As blood soaked his shirt, his eyes widened, and he dropped to his knees
.
“Bastard,” Finn yelled.
The Arvy growled and charged towards him. He pressed his trigger, but nothing happened.
Misfire.
In that moment, I channeled every ounce of fear and hate, sending it into Hellfire. I fired over and over, hitting the Arvy in the chest, arm, and leg. Even then, I didn’t stop. I ran forward, shooting it, filling it with lead, but keeping the bullet away from its vital organs.
In seconds, I was standing over it, watching as it gasped for air. Blood poured from its wounds, and I felt nothing but hatred for this monster. It didn’t have one ounce of humanity left. They were monsters, with not one ounce of remorse for us.
I aimed Hellfire right between its milky eyes.
It coughed, spattering blood, and then slowly lifted its hand up toward me.
Please, it begged.
Please? Are you freaking kidding me? When I begged, it mocked me, plunging my dagger into my friend’s chest. There was no way Pike would survive this. My heart was aching, and my body trembled to the point of passing out.
Pike moaned in pain behind me. I glanced back at him. He was lying on his back, my dagger stuck deep in his chest. Blood had completely saturated his clothes and began to seep into the earth beneath him. The sound of Tina wailing reverberated through my head.
I turned back to the Arvy, and answered it with one word.
Die.
Without remorse, I pressed the trigger and shot it right between the eyes. It dropped its hand, and stopped breathing. But its death didn’t take away the pain. Rage took over. I screamed as I kept pulling the trigger, over and over, until I’d emptied my clip.
Click. Click. Click.
I was empty… in more ways than one. Eaten alive by terror and rage.
I was just about to buckle, when Finn caught me and wrapped me in his arms.
Rhett had set Tina free, and she sprinted toward us.
“Pike!” she cried. “Pike.” When she reached him, she collapsed at his side.
Dr. Banks followed behind her, but the look on his face confirmed my original belief. Pike would not get up, ever again.
We all knelt down around him. Tina leaned over and kissed him, then gently took his hand in hers and stroked it.
“I almost made it to you,” he breathed.
“Yes. But I’m here now,” she cried.
Dr. Banks quickly examined him, then with a pained expression, glanced over to me and Finn and discreetly shook his head.
“It’s that bad, huh, doc?” Pike asked, with a weak grin. “At least I did my final good deed. We got the fuel.”
“Pike, you can’t die. We’re supposed to start a new life together,” Tina wept.
“I’m sorry, my love,” he breathed. His hand gently brushed against her face. “I know you’ll find someone. Someone who will make you just as happy.”
“I don’t want anyone. I want you,” she sobbed.
“I want you too,” he whispered. “I love you, Tina. I always have, and I always will.”
His breaths were becoming sharp and shallow.
“Pike, you can’t leave me. Please, I need you,” Tina cried.
“I’ll never leave you, I’ll just be watching over you.”
I held on tight to Finn. I couldn’t bear the pain. It ached to my core.
Pike and Tina weren’t much different than us. The only difference was, they didn’t get to spend as much time together as Finn and I did. Out here, they were finally free. For the first, they were able to express their love for each other.
I couldn’t imagine what Tina was feeling. My heart was breaking and in so much pain for both of them. Pike and Tina had been there for Finn and me. In the few months we were at the new bunker, they were the ones who stuck by us.
Pike had proven himself, over and over again. He volunteered to help me rescue Finn, and he also saved me from Titus. I was alive because of him. The only reason he was with us, was because he volunteered to take Titus’s spot. He fought for me, and I appreciated it much more than he would ever know. He was a hero.
Why was this world so cruel? Why did it allow so much heartache and pain?
He had so much to offer, and he was too young to die.
Chapter 18
“Finn,” Pike breathed.
“I’m here, buddy.” Finn knelt next to him.
“Kick ass for me, bro. No wussing out. If you do, I will haunt your ass.”
“Never,” Finn said, forcing a smile as a tear slid down his cheek. He laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Abi,” Pike said, glancing at me.
“Yes?” I breathed.
“Please, promise me.” His breaths became more labored, his eyes were bloodshot and glossy.
“Anything,” I sobbed.
“Get Tina to the bunker safely,” he coughed. Blood stained his lips. Tina gasped, fresh tears streamed from her already soaked face.
I nodded. “I promise.”
“Please. Can’t you save him, doctor?” she begged, looking at Dr. Banks.
“I’m sorry,” Dr. Banks answered, slowly shaking his head with a pained look on his face.
“Pike, you have to live,” Tina curled up next to him, sobbing. He loosely wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. It shattered my heart all over again.
“I don’t feel pain. It feels peaceful,” he breathed. A single tear escaped his eye and trailed into his hair.
“Good,” Finn said, laying his hand on Pike’s head. I could tell Finn was struggling. Pike had become a close friend to both of us.
“Take care of her.”
“We will,” Finn breathed.
His voice was almost nonexistent. “I love you,” he breathed, “Tina.”
“I love you, too,” she sobbed, clenching his shirt in her hands.
He took in two sharp breaths, and choked on blood filling his mouth. We watched, horrified, as the light extinguished from his eyes.
“No!” Tina anguished. “Pike, don’t leave me. You can’t leave me!”
Dr. Banks gently brushed his fingers over Pike’s eyes, shutting them forever. He then pulled Tina away and wrapped her in his arms.
“Shhhh,” he cooed, stroking her hair. “He’s at peace now, and he’ll always be with you.” He tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable.
I couldn’t explain the pain I felt in my heart, feeling somewhat responsible. It was my blade which killed him.
Finn and I held tightly to each other, realizing how fragile life really was. Watching Tina’s reaction, I knew it would be impossible to cope if I ever lost him. The thought sent fresh tears down my face.
I always believed I was strong, but since we crawled out from our bunker, pieces of me were being chipped away, disintegrating with all the pain and sorrow. I felt as if I was crumbling, like a sand castle that didn’t have enough water to hold it together.
I needed Finn. He strengthened me, and was the glue which held the pieces of me together.
Internally, I was still wrestling with the decision of moving to the next bunker, knowing we would almost certainly be separated. We didn’t know the rules, but I knew it would be strict. I feared we weren’t going to be able to see each other again, at least for however long it took us to defeat the Arvies. This thought terrified me, just as much as death.
But then there were the positives. We would have the protection of the military, access to the best weapons, and the rest of our hive family would be there. The final decision was an internal tug-of-war.
As Dr. Banks led Tina away, Dr. Fox came over and removed the blade from Pike’s chest. I turned my head, not able to watch. Finn and Tim lifted his body, carried him into the sanctuary, and placed him on one of the pews. Peggy Sue brought a sheet to drape over him.
Rhett stepped forward, “Finn, you’ll need to get your group ready to leave. The truck is almost ready. I’ve had someone working on it through the night, so it should be ready within the next few hours.”
“B
efore we leave, I wanted to ask if it is alright for us to perform a burial ceremony for Pike, and all those whose lives have been taken these past few days.”
“We would appreciate that very much. Thank you,” Finn said, shaking his hand.
Dr. Banks cradled Tina’s weak, frail body in his arms and carried her back down into Sanctum. She was weeping uncontrollably and unaware of what was going on around her. I couldn’t imagine her heartbreak. I was having a hard time coping with my own pain. Finn had his arm wrapped around me the whole way back down into Sanctum.
Would there ever come a day when we would find peace?
Chapter 19
We packed our bags, and helped the doctors get their supplies in order. The only ones left were me, Finn, Tina, Tim, the three doctors, and the two patients. We’d lost so many, but the memories of Steven and Pike would forever be embedded in my memory.
Tina packed hers and Pike’s things and placed them in a corner. Wrapping his camouflage jacket around her, she sat with her face hidden between her folded arms. Dr. Lee walked over to her with a cup of water and a bottle of medicine. Kneeling down beside her, he gently touched her back. When she looked up, he handed them to her. I was glad to see she took them, hoping it would help dull some of the pain. He then patted her on the back, trying to console her. He wasn’t a man of many words, but he was very kind.
I sighed, leaning into Finn. He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me.
The room felt overwhelmingly sorrowful. We’d lost five of the fourteen members we started out with, and yet, had only one body to bury. Five people, who had dreams of a brighter future. They each had family members and loved ones, unaware of their deaths, who would be waiting for them at the next bunker.
The pain and heartache would come from those still living, who had to deal with their loss. I wondered if anyone knew our chopper went down, and if they did, how many thought we were all dead. My thoughts trailed to my parents, hoping they didn’t know we went down. I couldn’t bear to think about them worrying about me.
A few minutes later, one of Rhett’s men walked into the room. “The truck is ready, and Rhett has asked for everyone to meet outside.”