“And let more people suffer what we have? Shark, this could save lives.”
“This will just slow them down Scarlet.” He reminds me. “They’ll do more research, they’ll find a way.”
“So you’ll just have to find a way to stop them.” I tell him. I offer him a smile. “Let me do this, so that you can find a way to save all those people.” I squeeze his hands. “I wouldn’t know how, but you, you’re smart and you know how these people work. You could stop them from ever completing phase two. Shark, it can’t be me, you have to be the one who gets out of here.”
“No.” he says breathlessly. “We can do this another way.” He looks away from me for a moment, blinking tears out of his eyes. I look at the clock again and take a deep breath.
“We have to go.” I tell him. “It has to be this way. You can’t stop me.”
He nods, I know he understands. He knows he couldn’t stop me.
“I love you.” I tell him.
“I love you too.”
He kisses me for the last time. I close my eyes, imagining a different ending, an ending where I don’t have to say goodbye to him. Where I don’t have to break his heart like this.
“Alright. Let’s do this.” I squeeze his hand.
We continue to hold hands as we leave the room.
I’m scared but the adrenaline doesn’t take long to kick in. After everything, I never really expected this to be how it ends. But I can’t let more people die, not like this.
We jog down the hall, knowing we have to be fast.
As we pass another small hallway, I feel someone grab my arm. I pause and turn to see who’s grabbing me.
“Scarlet.” Alec says quietly. His expression is grave. He knows what we’re doing.
“Alec, what are you doing?” I whisper. “You need to get out of here.”
“For once, let me help you.” he whispers back. “There are guards around the next corner. They’re expecting one of us to come for the bomb.” He warns us. Shark and I exchange a look. “It’s only three of them, they’re armed. But so am I.” He shrugs, pulling out a handgun. I think for a moment. I want him to be safe, but I’m guessing I won’t be able to get him to leave.
“Fine.” I nod.
We continue walking, slower than before. Alec peeks around the corner, firing one shot into each guard faster than they could even pull theirs out. I stare at him in amazement. He smiles at me, shrugging it off.
“The lab’s the last door in this hallway.” Shark tells us, his voice faded. Alec and him exchange a look.
“Are you sure about this? We can still run.”
“Shark.” Alec places his hand on Shark’s shoulder, “You can’t stop her.”
I’m surprised by Alec, I thought he would be on Shark’s side.
“I know. I just…does it have to be done this way?”
We walk slowly towards the end of the hall. Every step harder than the last.
“We don’t have time for anything else.” I tell him. “It’s now or never.”
“But-” He begins.
“Shark.” Alec cuts him off. We come to the door. I stare at it for a long moment.
The adrenaline has worn off, I’m terrified. My breaths become shaky again. My hand trembles as I reach for the handle.
“This is it guys, you should get out. I can do the rest.” I turn to look at them. “It’s okay.”
Suddenly I hear a click. “Okay, maybe I should have seen you as a threat.” Doctor Fowler comes up behind me, holding a gun to my head. I swallow hard, watching as Alec trains his gun on Fowler. “I’ll have to admit. I didn’t see that coming, you are quite the escape artist Scarlet. Finn, I’ll have to say I’m rather disappointed in you. You grew up training to be a soldier, you were a loyal friend of mine. Are you really going to betray me? For a girl?”
“I don’t want to have anything to do with this anymore.” Shark growls, stepping forward.
“Let her go.” Alec orders, his finger resting over the trigger. I just hope he can make the shot.
“Well Scarlet, aren’t you popular?” Fowler scoffs. “No, I don’t think I will let her go.” I feel him press the end of the gun into my head. Alec looks at me, concerned. Can he make the shot? He has to, this can’t be how this ends. If he shoots now, best scenario he shoots me instead. If he moves, Fowler will shoot. I have to move. I have to get out of the way fast, so Alec can make the shot. Shark moves to the side, reading my mind. Alec watches me, waiting to see what I’ll do next.
“Shoot.”I mouth to him. He shakes his head slightly. “Shoot.” I say audibly this time as I duck, hoping Alec can fire faster than the doctor can. Bang.
“Nice shot.” Shark praises. I look behind me to see the Doctor’s head resting in a pool of blood. An image of Kat appears as I close my eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t let you down.” I think to her ghost.
I open my eyes to see the two boys standing in front of me.
“So this is it.” Alec says, dropping his gun to the ground. He embraces me in a hug. I don’t react immediately, allowing my arms to stay by my sides until finally, I relax enough to hug him back. “I’m going to miss you Scarlet.” he whispers. “But I understand.”
“I don’t understand.” Shark interrupts us. “Why does it have to be like this?”
“Shark.” I let go of Alec and turn to Shark. I rest my hand on his cheek.
“He’s dead. Why don’t we just set the research on fire and leave. We don’t have to blow up the whole bunker.” He gestures to Doctor Fowler’s body. I consider his suggestion.
He’s right. But if I’m honest, I’m tired. I’m ready for this, ready to be done. Is it the right answer? I honestly don’t know…it may not change anything. But I have to try.
“Shark, you know better than anyone that Doctor Fowler most likely has research and secrets all over this bunker. This is the only way to be sure that somebody else doesn’t get their hands on this stuff. This is how I make sure you can save all those people.” I caress his cheek. I’m sad to say goodbye to him, but I know if anyone can pull this off, it would be him.
“So set a timer and run.”
“Evan never finished that part. Even if he had, who’s to say the guards won’t find it?” I look into his eyes one more time. “This is the only way we can be sure.”
“I know…” he admits.
“Goodbye Shark.” I smile. “It’s been nice falling in love with you.” I laugh lightly, my eyes beginning to tear up again. “Thank you for being my protection all this time.”
“Thank you for being my hope.” he replies, smiling back at me. His eyes are sad, but he understands. Maybe he understands more than he shows.
“Get him out of here.” I calmly order Alec. He doesn’t move right away, hesitant to let me do this.
“You got it boss.” He smiles sadly. “Goodbye Scarlet.” With that, he pats Shark on the shoulder and guides him in the other direction, leaving me to brave the rest of this alone.
“Give us like 15 minutes, so you don’t blow us up. Okay?” Alec turns to call to me. I nod.
I watch the two of them disappear around the corner. My tears falling to the floor. I take one last look at Doctor Fowler as he lies, dead on the floor.
“I win.” I smile at his corpse. Feeling victorious. Although, I’m not sure what kind of victory ends like this. I take a deep breath before opening the door. I walk slowly down the stairs to the lab.
The bomb rests on a desk in the middle of the room. I walk slowly towards it, checking the clock. I have fifteen minutes to sit here and think, fifteen minutes to change my mind. I pick the bomb up and sit cross-legged on the floor with it in my lap. I watch the clock, each minute feels like a day.
“I made it.” I mutter to myself, leaning up against the desk. My mind wanders back to Alec’s for the last time.
I reminisce about my first day there. Who knew it would all lead to this. I laugh as I remember Shark and I’s date, the way he was so excited, the picnic.
Our fight afterwards. I remember the night we were out in the desert telling stories and laughing together. I remember the time Ally met Sam. When we were all teasing her about her crush.
I don’t want to think about the sad things anymore. I don’t want to remember the time Evan attacked me or the morning I woke up to Alec telling me he was dead. I don’t want to remember Alec’s alcoholism or Kat’s suicide.
The last few months that’s been all I’ve remembered. Now, I want to remember the laughs, the smiles, the stories. This is for them, this is their happiness being avenged. This is us, saving other people’s happiness, so the same story doesn’t unfold for them.
I look at the clock, five more minutes. Deep breath. I can hear my heart beating in my ears. This is the last time I’ll ever hear that sound, the last few breaths I’ll ever take.
“Please Shark.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “Please pull this off for me.” I plead into the empty room. “I know this is gonna hurt, I know it does hurt, but please.” I open my eyes.
Two minutes. I begin to tinker with the bomb, hoping I remember what Evan told me to do. It’s as though I can hear his voice in my head, walking me through it.
At this time, I feel the full guilt for not believing him.
“This is for you too, Evan. Sorry I got you killed.” I whisper. I hold my finger over the button, shaking more than ever before.
“It’s okay.” I tell myself.
Last deep breath, last heartbeat. My finger presses the button. I hear a click and then a beep. I close my eyes. Boom.
I am consumed by fire and everything goes dark.
21
Shark
I look at the clock, we have fifteen minutes to get out of here. Alec and I run together in the direction of the exit. I can’t believe this. I should be running towards her, talking her out of this. I shouldn’t be letting her die alone.
“Keep going.” Alec says as if he was just reading my mind. “I know it’s hard to understand, but there’s no stopping her. Now we just have to get out of here alive so we can finish what she’s started.” I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.
I think through our last couple conversations as we run. I remember the day she learned my real name. Hearing her call me Finn hurt. Shark was who I’d become in such a short time. Shark was the man that loved her, the man who put her above his mission.
Finn is a mindless sheep, a follower. Finn is a coward.
Ten minutes to get out of here, ten minutes before this place goes up in flames. We’re close to the exit. It won’t be long before we’re out and safe. But she won’t be safe, she’ll be consumed by flames, burnt alive. I can’t picture her like that. It hurts far too much.
A memory of our date back at Alec’s flashes through my mind. I hadn’t felt comfortable enough to show my affection before that day, but she deserved it, she deserved it all.
I’m gonna miss her smile. That smile was so sad all the time, but it was hopeful all the same. She has a way of making me feel hopeful, no matter what the situation. That’s why we followed her so blindly, because she made us hope.
Not so much after Kat, but even then, she was still motivated.
Eight minutes.
“Here we are.” Alec opens the door that hides the emergency exit. “You first.” He holds the door open.
I hesitate.
“I need to know you won’t go back.” he tells me.
I sigh, knowing that I probably would the second Alec stepped out the door.
It’s bright outside. Sunny, as if the sky didn’t get the memo that today is a dark day.
I check my watch, gifted to me by Doctor Fowler after I returned.
Five minutes. We walk further from the bunker.
The citizens are huddled together, preparing themselves to hear the explosion.
“She’s not coming out, is she?” Ally asks me, taking my hand to comfort me.
“No.” I swallow hard. I don’t want to watch this. I don’t want this to happen.
Ally begins to sob, Kevin joins in. I can’t bring myself to cry yet. I just stare at the bunker, checking my watch every few seconds.
Two minutes. It’s almost like I can hear her telling me she’s sorry, begging me to finish this for her.
“I will Scarlet.” I whisper. “I promise.”
Ally squeezes my hand tighter. I don’t turn to look at the others, I know they’re crying.
Kevin places his hand on my shoulder as I count down in my head.
Less than one minute. I squeeze my eyes shut, praying that something will go wrong.
“Please don’t work.” I mutter.
Thirty seconds. Deep breaths. Part of me feels like I can hear her heart beating. Thumping in my head.
“It’s okay.” I whisper to her. “It’s okay, don’t be scared.”
Boom.
I fall to my knees and sob into my hands. I can’t hear her heartbeat anymore.
“No.” I think. “It’s not real.” I try to convince myself.
Sure, I knew it was coming. Since the day she first met Nathan, I knew this would be the outcome. Nothing could have stopped her.
That’s Scarlet for you, she sets her mind on it and nothing will keep her from doing it.
The others cover me as I cry. I know they feel it too. This emptiness. Scarlet was something special. She impacted all of our lives so much. She taught us to hope. She kept us going when we wanted to give up. She showed us how to feel again, after we’d been left numb from the attacks. She taught me how to love.
“Shark.” Alec speaks after about thirty minutes. “She did the right thing.”
Why is he so sure of that? I can see that going a million different ways, none of which involved losing her.
I wipe my face, tears still fall, but I stand. I look around at the group, all of them with tear stained faces. I stare at the bunker for a moment, smoke floats over top of it, but if you didn’t know it had been bombed you wouldn’t be able to tell, the outside looks the same as before.
Evening comes as we continue to cry and stare towards the bunker.
“Finn.” Richard comes up beside me. “I know this isn’t the best time. But the government will be sending people out any minute, they probably already know the bunkers have been destroyed. We should try to find somewhere safe for the night.”
“I know. You’re right.” I reply, not looking at him. “Have you spoken with everyone?” I ask.
“Yes, I’ve filled them in.”
“And?”
“They—We are willing to follow your lead. They understand what’s at stake.” he replies. “Listen, Finn, I know this is hard. Scarlet meant a lot to you. But what she did may very well have saved more lives than you could count.”
“I know.” I look at the ground. Thinking of what to do next. I’ve never been much of a leader. I’ve always followed without question.
I look to Alec, he nods in approval.
“We’ll follow you too.” he tells me. The others nod reassuringly. I look back at the bunker before returning my gaze to Richard.
“Give me ten minutes.” I tell them. “And then we’ll head into the suburbs, there’s a town about 4 hours away from here. Get everyone ready to move.”
I walk towards the bunker and sit in front of the door. I can still feel the heat radiating off of it. “That was by far the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” I say to her. “I knew you were driven, but really? I need you here. I don’t know how to lead. They’re looking to me to lead them in a war against the government. A war you started! Scarlet…this isn’t fair! We need you to lead us.”
I pause, waiting for a reply I know won’t come.
“What could I have done? Could I have stopped you?” I ask. I know the answer, though. I couldn’t have, nobody could have. She was convinced that this was the only way. I don’t know, maybe she was right. But it doesn’t feel fair. “They’re gonna miss you too you know. Things will never be the same.
&nb
sp; Who will we draw our strength from now? You with your bold hope that if we just kept working things would work out. They won’t find that in me. You were the only hope I had left Scarlet. What do I do now? I know life wasn’t kind to you. I know it hurt. I know, okay, I get it. But you didn’t have to go that far. Did you?” I ramble to the door.
I pick up a rock and throw it forcefully at the door. I watch as it bounces off and lands back on the ground where it came from.
“Dammit it Scarlet, I really did love you. I would have traded you places if you had let me. I wanted to, I should have. You could’ve handled this next part, it didn’t have to be me who lived. I can’t do this like you did. I’m not brave and I’m not strong. Not without you.” I stand from the ground and then I see her.
Of course I know it’s not her, but her image. Covered in ash, her face blackened, her hands bloody. She smiles her sad smile at me and I feel at peace.
“Okay.” I mutter. “Okay, I’ll do my best.” I tell her. “We’ll take these guys down. For you, I will lead them.” And then she’s gone, but not totally gone. No, I won’t carry her ghost with me until I die.
But she’ll be here, giving me the hope I need to do this for them.
I turn to the others, the whole group of survivors from the bunker. They stand before me, waiting to take orders.
“Follow me.” I tell them, walking in the direction of the nearest suburb. Alec and Ally and Kevin beside me. Reese and Ty behind me.
I lead them away from the bunker. Away from Scarlet, towards a new adventure.
Alone Page 20