Azami loves this idea, because she begins to giggle and dance around. “Yeah, Untle Dames. We’ll mess up your hair too!”
“Oh, no you won’t! My hair is priceless!” He growls and begins to chase her down the tunnel, returning to the pool room from which he just came.
~~~~~~
Jen enters the pool room, where we’ve just finished getting out haircuts. She looks so tired. “How’s Quinn doing?” I haven’t been by to see him yet.
Jen stiffens slightly, but then relaxes. She would have made a great doctor before the flash. “He’s doing as well as expected. He’ll be touch and go for the next couple days. The color is returning to his face, but his wound is still really red, which is concerning.”
I nod and swallow hard. Since she’s been with Quinn, I think I should tell her about the dream I had last night.
“What’s wrong, Lil? Why so quiet all of a sudden?”
“I had another dream.” I tell her the dream in its entirety. One of us will pass, and the infected with find us.
“Do you think this one was real, like your others?” Worry laces her words.
“I don’t know, but Quinn’s sick, making me think he may be lost to us. Not that I’ve given up hope,” I say quickly. “But this definitely has me on edge.”
Jen sits quietly for a moment. “What does Ian think?”
“He hasn’t shared much with me. He’s too worried about reassuring me. To say I’m freaking out is an understatement. If things follow my dreams, one of us will fall, the infected will enter our walls, and one of us will be taken. No matter what the outcome, we’re basically screwed.”
“No. What we can do is be ready. The infected are already at a disadvantage, because we know they’re coming. You said that you heard them coming when you were walking in the tunnel with Azami?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s set a trap. We have enough guns and weapons to take on a good size group.”
“I like where this is going. Ian is probably thinking up a similar plan. We know enough to at least prepare. We know it’s going to happen at some point, the when is what we need to pin down.”
“Let’s wash up and call a meeting. We can inform every one of your latest dream, and come up with a solution.”
A lump forms in my throat. “Thank you, for having my back. Even if you don’t completely understand or have all the facts.”
Her eyes glitter, but her smile stretches wide. “I know you’re not used to it, but this is what real families do for one another. They go all in, walk in blind, have your back when no one else will.” She throws her arm around me and pulls me tight against her. “Now, let’s go call the meeting.”
Chapter 21
Ian
Jen and Lillie looked determined. Lillie must have told Jen about her newest dream, which is good, because I called a small meeting with the guys while the ladies were occupied. Not that I was trying to hide anything, but we’re in serious need of a plan.
Mason is the last to enter Quinn’s small medical room, after rounding up Dane. After the way Dane reacted last time, I wanted to make sure to include everyone. Sam and Tony are against the back wall, standing next to James. Zack and Jere are crouched down next to the younger boys. Michael continues with his medical assessment of Quinn’s current condition, while Luke sits quietly next to Deagon, waiting for me to speak.
“Thank you for coming. There’s no point in warming up to this. Lillie had another dream.”
“Is she all right?” Mason asks.
James moves closer and sits down next to me. Lillie’s safety is always his top priority.
“She’s shaken up, but fine otherwise. She’s having trouble processing. She can’t be sure if they’re premonitions or just scary dreams, but she agreed to share them either way.”
“What happened this time?” Luke asks, standing, readying himself for the situation.
Slowly, I run the information by them, leaving nothing out. By the time I finish, Quinn’s heavy breathing is the only noise left in the room. The infected gaining entrance to the caves is by far the worst outcome for us, but the only part of the dream weighing on our minds is that someone will die. All our eyes lock onto Quinn.
“So what are we going to do about it?” Deagon pushes himself off the wall. His eyes are bright with unshed emotion, but also determination.
“We need a plan.” Mason steps in, closing the circle.
“Right.” I nod.
By this time, everyone in the room has moved to circle around Quinn’s supine body, protecting him in a way. Deagon is obviously the most upset in the group. The flat mask he shows to the group covers up a turmoil of emotions. The fact that he may lose his friend is eating away at him. Quinn helped save Sophie and Naveen in the beginning, and they’ve lived together ever since. He and Quinn share memories that built an unbreakable bond.
“We already patrol the caves twenty-four hours a day. Her dreams are not a guarantee that these events will even happen. We want to make sure we’re not caught unaware,” I inform them. “On top of our current measure, I want everyone using the buddy system. No one goes outside alone. This includes going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, or grabbing a snack from the kitchen. If her premonition comes true, then we know that they gain entrance to the caves. Setting up a backup plan to our ongoing security is going to take top priority.”
“Make sure you don’t forget to tend the crops. You’ll need those to make it through the winter,” Dane interjects.
His comment is odd in the middle of this discussion. The last couple weeks, Dane has stayed to himself more and more. Things between him and my aunt are tense. There are no conversations between them, and they no longer eat at the same time. I’ve kept these observations to myself, but I believe others are noticing. We watch him for a moment, waiting for an opinion on forming a plan of security. Instead, he remains silent…watching us, but not answering. His demeanor says he may not plan on being here through winter. He did mention that he was thinking of absconding, giving Rosie space of her own.
Deagon shakes his head, weirded out by Dane’s comment. “The girls are going to want in on the planning. We should wait for them.”
We all turn to him with smirks on our faces.
“Don’t look at me like that. You know I’m right.”
Laughter breaks through the room. “Sarah’s messing with your head, Deagon,” Luke teases.
“Fuck off, Luke.” Deagon flips him the bird, causing Luke to laugh harder.
“As much as I’m enjoying this, he’s right. They’re going to want in on the planning,” I confirm. Luke opens his mouth to spout off more garbage about us being whipped. “Shut it, Luke,” I warn, but smile at the same time.
Luke holds his hands up. “You know, sometimes you sensing emotions really takes the punchline out of jokes.”
The group laughs again. We close up the conversation with small talk, and checking on Quinn. I have to admit, he does look better than the last time I’d seen him. His wound is still pretty gruesome, but the color in his face is back to normal. No more seasick green.
“How’s he doing?” I ask Michael when the rest of the group vacates.
“Still hanging in there. He’s strong.” His words, I think he’ll make it, sit on the tip of his tongue. After learning about Lillie’s dream, he doesn’t want to give us false hope.
“Hey,” I say to gain his attention. “Her dream may not happen. You know how these things work. They’re not a hundred percent.”
“I know.” He’s a softy at heart, and losing any patient, let alone one we consider family, is going to tear him apart.
“I’m here for you, brother.” I pat him hard on the shoulder.
A few minutes later, Deagon comes back to the room, announcing the meeting Lillie and Jen called. I smile to myself as I walk to the main cavern to meet my girl. She read my mind. Coming up with a plan of attack is the smartest thing we could do at this point. I only hoped it was eno
ugh to stop whatever was coming for us.
As the firelight reaches me from the bins surrounding the main cavern, I see my girls checking the kale in one of the gardens. The sight of them next to all the different greens blending together reminds me how beautiful the world still is. Most of the crops will harvest in a little over a month.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she returns.
We both laugh as I hug her tight. “You read my mind about the meeting. I’ve already talked with the guys, and they’re in agreement as well. We should plan for an attack, even if the dreams are unfounded. The chances that you’re right are better than not.”
“I agree.”
I touch my lips to hers, before calling the attention of the crowd. Jane and Rosie are both missing from the gathering. They’ve never taken part in any form of planning or attack preparations, so I wasn’t expecting to see them in attendance. Sophie and Naveen volunteer to take Azami and Gage back to their room to play until we’ve finished, saying they’d get the information from Deagon later.
Mason and Luke had stocked the fires before we started. As flames wave yellow and red fingers against the wall, we launch into our discussion.
“Most of you now know that Lillie had another dream.” Mumbles of yes, filter through the room. “Since we’re unsure at this time whether or not this is actually a premonition, we’re going to prepare as if it is. Our current security plan is good. We have round the clock guards, and patrols of two at all times. This will always be the first defense. Using the fog horn to notify the rest of us is vital. Once the alarm sounds, I want everyone who is not taking part in the defense to move to the storage cave. It’s secluded and harder to find. Granted, Jeff may have retained his memory of the grounds, and if that’s true, he’ll know every nook and cranny.” All eyes are on me, knowing exactly what that could mean for us. “We have enough weapons to arm every member. The guns will remain with Dane, Luke, Mason, Zack, and myself. We’ll only hand these off when one of us is not guarding the perimeter. Regardless if you’ve fought in the past, everyone is required to pick up a weapon. I don’t want anyone left vulnerable. If there’s a breach, the people who move to the storage caves can protect themselves if an infected slips past us. Whoever has the guns at the time of the breach will be our frontline defense. Anyone else who takes shifts in the perimeter rotations are our second wave. They will make sure to start the evacuation toward the storage tunnels, and then move to assist with defense. The rest of you will remain in the storage tunnels until the threat is over. We called this meeting to hear everyone’s thoughts. This is only an outline that I’ve come up with. No plan is foolproof, but we want it as close as possible. All questions, input, or concerns are welcome. I’m opening the floor now.”
Sarah pipes in immediately. “If we move to the storage room and we’re infiltrated despite our best defense, won’t that leave us sitting ducks? There’s only one entrance and exit into that room. What happens to us then?”
“You fight,” I say simply. “I know this isn’t ideal, and believe me, I really hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, I need you to fight like hell. You’ll have my family in there with you.” My heart clenches as I reach over and take Lillie’s hand in mine. I might lose them. This attack could possibly wipe us out.
“The storage room is deep in the tunnel, and it’s the best hiding place. If you run outside to attempt to hide, they could pick you off one at a time. Not to mention the first flurries hit this afternoon. We all know that means winter is here. Leaving the cave is not an option, not where we’re located. The storage area is the safest place,” Mason concurs.
Sarah nods, not completely excepting the answer. Fighting may be the only option, and her fear is understandable. Some of the people here haven’t seen violence since the first few months of The flash. Deagon pulls her tight against his side, whispering in her ear.
“I know this is hard for all of you to hear,” Lillie begins softly, understanding in her words. “But trusting Ian and the rest of them to do their jobs is what we need to do. And if it comes to it, we’ll fight. Azami will be with me in the storage room. If I have to fight to save her, you better believe I’ll fight with every ounce of my being. We’ll make it through this, just like we’ve made it until now.”
The fire crackles over the silence, allowing our family to absorb our words.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had to get my hands dirty, but I remember how,” Jen pipes up.
The crowd murmurs their agreement.
“Jeff will regret bringing them back here. We should have killed him the first time around,” Mason growls, anger wafting off him in waves. He remembers what he did to Lillie, James, and Azami.
The gathering is animated, spirits are raised. We don’t know if these turn of events will occur, but we’re ready if they do. We’re tired of hiding and running in fear. We’ve done it for too long. I pull Lillie close to me, cherishing her warmth. Mason meets my eyes and nods once, reassuring me he’ll help keep them safe until his last breath.
“Are there any other additions or concerns?” I look to Dane, waiting for his feedback.
He meets my stare blankly. I tilt my head in concern, studying him. Depression’s definitely setting in. His emotions are dull and dead. They’re seeping through his pores. I make a mental note to chat with him tomorrow. As reserved as he’s been about the activities in the cave, I expect him to stay true to his statement of leaving the caves. Except, he of all people should know that leaving the caves during winter with little supplies is basically a death sentence.
With no objections, I continue. “Remember, if anyone has something to add, let me know. As for now, this is the plan. Let’s hope we won’t have to use it.”
The crowd disperses, all agreeing with our plan. The stress of this evening has left me dog tired, so I grab my girl and go to pick up our daughter.
Once we reach our room, none of us waste any time. Azami’s out like a light as soon as she plops down on her bed.
I feed the fire we now have in our room before crawling into bed with a smile on my face. I tuck my nose into Lillie’s hair and breathe her in, letting the night take me under.
~~~~~~
Our morning starts out like every other morning—getting Azami up and ready. Since most of my shifts on the perimeter are in the morning while Lillie gardens, we don’t miss much time together. I asked her this morning how she slept, and she informed me she slept great.
This morning, I pair up with James for our perimeter rounds. I haven’t spent enough time with him lately, wrapped up completely with my girls. It’s time we had some brotherly time.
“Hey, bro.” I shove his shoulder when I reach him.
A large smile spreads wide when he shoves me back. “Hey.” His voice has deepened, and he’s tall enough now that his eyes are almost level with mine. Before long, he may overtake me in height.
“It’s you and me for the next few hours.” We begin walking to relieve Luke and Deagon, the current two patrols.
“It’s been a while since we’ve paired together. Lillie finally letting you out of the garden?” He laughs, mocking me.
“Very funny, smart-ass.” I shove him into the cave wall hard enough to throw him off-balance.
He regains his footing easily, my actions only making him laugh harder. A moment after he calms, he looks at me sideways. “How’s she doing anyway?”
I nod before answering. “Good. She hasn’t had any more dreams. Her moods are normal, unless she’s figured out how to hide those, but I doubt it. After setting an official plan with the group, she seemed to relax a little more.”
“Makes sense,” James replies.
We walk to Deagon and Mason, who are both closing out a long shift, ready for some food and sleep. As they walk back to the cave, we begin our patrol. We attempt to change up our routine regularly, mapping out the routes we will take the day before. We check all entrances and exits, including cracks in the ceiling, wh
ich are large enough to fit through. We watch the brush and foliage for any signs of a presence. We keep a close watch over any disturbances, not just for the infected, but also game that may wonder into our area. Food is always important.
“How’ve you been holding up lately? You’re keeping yourself busy. I don’t see you much.” I offer as a conversation starter.
“Yeah. Tony and Sam are showing me a few things in the forest, about berries and brush we haven’t learned about in class. How to build traps for land and nets for water. They know a lot about the woods.” James begins to fill me in. “Dane had us grab a bit more wood and we’ve helped in the garden too. We’re a bit all over the place. I’ve walked the perimeter the last couple days.”
“Wow, you’re busy.”
“With winter pretty much here, I’ve tried to stay busy. I’m always restless during the colder months. I was thinking about taking some of the fishing supplies we picked up down to the pond when it freezes over. I want to try out ice fishing this year. I remember reading about it in books when I was little, and always thought it looked fun.” He shrugs. “You could come too.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ve never ice fished either.” I laugh, picturing us out on the ice, slipping all over as we attempt to reel in a fish. After a moment, my mind reverts back to the infected. “Have you had any visions lately?”
James glances at me, seeming worried. “No. I’ve only had small, insignificant ones. I flashed on what soup Sarah made for lunch yesterday, and then the meeting. Nothing of importance. In a way, that’s good, but it also worries me at times. Makes me wonder if I’m missing something.”
“Hmm,” I hum, understanding his frustrations. I feel the same way at times. Our gifts come in handy, but without understanding their functions completely, it’s hard to trust them.
Chapter 22
Lillie
Gardening is always tough on the muscles, but today is especially difficult. We’re turning the dirt in-between all the rows, making sure the soil is absorbing the most water. This time of year, even down here where it’s warmer, the ground is harder. Growing crops this time of the year takes finesse, mainly because of the claylike soil in the caves.
Flash Series (Book 2): Immune Page 16