“Why don’t you go over to them?” I whispered. “They’re your family.”
Joshua kissed me softly, before he stood up and walked over to them. His Dad smiled and after a moment of hesitation, Joshua sank down beside his sister. Wordlessly, she held out her hand to him and I saw him smile.
Noticing that she had me to herself, Mia climbed on my lap and rested her forehead in the crook of my neck. I had a feeling everything would be alright.
Mr. Bender transported me, Joshua, Quentin, Tyler and Alexis in his helicopter while the others drove by car. We didn’t talk during the flight; the buzzing of the blades was too loud. I glanced out of the window, watching the deserted plains, abandoned high ways and burned down houses pass below us. The last time we’d crossed this area, I’d been desperate, afraid and anxious but this time a kind of nervous excitement filled me.
Eventually, the fence appeared on the horizon, sun glittering off the metal. A knot tightened in my stomach but then I saw the mass of people waiting beyond the fence. Dozens of cars were parked behind it. How far had people travelled to witness this?
The crowd stretched for miles and miles, and as we flew closer I could see camera crews beyond the fence, tables laden with food and drink – there was even a band playing in the distance. All of the carcasses had been cleared from the fence, leaving just a scaffold of steel. I couldn’t believe that a site of such misery had been transformed into a place for celebration in such a short period of time.
We touched down on our side of the fence. A wave of dry heat hit me as I got out of the helicopter. In front of us, the roar of thousands of people, cheering and applauding us, filled the air. Standing on the ground, the crowd seemed even bigger.
Joshua squeezed my hand. This was unbelievable.
The cheering grew louder as we moved toward the fence. The constant buzz of electricity that had haunted the fence was gone.
“All of the spring guns have been deactivated and we’ve cleared this whole area of mines,” Mr. Bender explained. “It’ll take a while for us to do the entire fence though.
We stopped a few feet from the fence. Across from us people were clapping, cheering, some were even screaming. Voices called across to us, talking excitedly all at once, asking questions and congratulating us. I didn’t even know them. My eyes darted to one of the camera crews nearby; they were filming us.
“Quentin!” screamed a voice in the crowd. Someone was waving their arms and pushing their way to the front. It was Mo and a few other Undergrounders that we’d lost during the flood in the drains. Quentin rushed toward the fence and linked his fingers with Mo’s through the metal. They were so close, but still the fence separated them.
A rumbling carried over the jumbled conversation. People in high-visibility jackets began working their way through the crowd, and gradually, the sea of people parted, making room for a huge yellow digger. The sound of a helicopter circling the sky carried across, but in place of the black government aircraft, this one was emblazoned with the logo of a TV news channel.
“Stand clear,” Mr. Bender said, ushering us further away from the fence. With the digger fast approaching we backed up hastily. One of the reporters on the other side of the fence was brandishing a megaphone, and had begun a countdown from ten. The noise of the crowd was slowly building to a defeaning crescendo.
Joshua wrapped his arms around me and joined in the countdown. “Three! Two! One!” we all yelled in unison, as the digger lowered its shovel and pushed against the wire. The fence groaned as it bowed under the pressure.
“I wish Rachel could see this,” Tyler whispered.
I took his hand. “I know,” I said. “This is for her.”
“And your dad,” Tyler said with a sad smile.
Joshua extended his arms so they were around Tyler and me. “They’re here with us,” he said simply.
The cheering of the crowd rose as the fence gave in and tumbled to the ground. A cloud of dust rose up and cloaked us. Slowly the veil of sand settled and we watched as the digger crushed the remains of the fence as it rolled over to our side.
Immediately people began streaming through the gap. We were engulfed in a wave of cheering and singing. People patted our backs and hugged us. People I’d never met welcomed us back like long lost relatives.
Tears trailed down my cheeks, and my arms were filled with the most blissful ache from shaking so many welcoming hands.
When Mom, Bobby, Mia and the other Safe-haven survivors pulled up in their cars, I was flooded by a wave of happiness. I still had a family I could share this moment with.
The celebrations continued long past nightfall. People started campfires and fireworks erupted above our heads, turning the desert into an ocean of color.
I wrapped my arms around Joshua and we watched the night sky bloom pink as another rocket exploded. He stroked his hands through my hair and leant in to whisper something in my ear. “Hey, Sherry. Do you want to know a secret?”
“What,” I said, kissing his neck.
“I think everything will be alright.”
He kissed me back then, deeply, and tiny shivers of joy exploded through me.
“You know what,” I said, as I pulled away. “I think you’re right.”
The Life Beyond (The Other Life Saga) Page 22