A quick final look before I tip-toed away from the only people I knew. The people who risked their lives to get me here.
“Ready?” Twyla asked as I soundlessly approached her near the exit.
“No, but yes,” I said.
“This is Bo. He’ll get you as close as he can,” Twyla said.
I swallowed hard and attempted to give him a smile but I couldn’t make it appear. “Thank you.”
Bo was on the tall side and his shoulders were uneven. In the dim lighting, I could see his unkempt beard was sprinkled with gray hairs.
“You’re welcome,” Twyla said shaking my hand. “Until we meet again.”
I nodded and fought the urge to look over my shoulder. If I saw them again, there was a chance I’d back out and I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t put the people I loved in danger.
“Let’s do this,” I said pressing the jumpsuit tighter to my body.
I followed Bo up the stairs and out of the church. He didn’t say a word to me but he opened the passenger door of his small, beat-up pickup truck for me. My body shuddered when he closed the door with a gentle snap.
My nose wrinkled at the strange mix of pine from the scented tree hanging from the rear view mirror and old cigarettes. The ashtray was stuffed with smashed butts.
The driver’s side door whistled as he pulled it open and clunked at the halfway point when he swung it closed. He inserted the key and the truck bounced to a start.
He shifted into drive and turned down a dirt road. The headlights eerily lit the road ahead of us. I felt the coldness in a brand-new way. It was like my bones were made of ice.
The silence was intense but it wasn’t like I wanted to talk to Bo. Or anyone for that matter. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I’d beg him to take me back to Maddie… to Blake.
And he would. He so definitely would.
The drive felt like it took forever. There was a part of me that hoped we wouldn’t stop moving. I was scared and I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do once I got to the base.
Gravel crunched under the tires and Bo rolled the truck to a stop. He shifted into park and turned to me.
“You’ll have to walk another mile and a half north,” Bo said in a deep, raspy voice with a bit of a twang. He pointed out of the front window. “There will be a thick patch of trees. You’ll need this to get through them.”
He rolled a flashlight that had been on the seat toward me. I stared at it with a dry mouth.
“Take it,” Bo said. In just the two words, I could sense he was anxious to get back to Twyla’s church.
My fingers wrapped around the plastic handle of the flashlight. The batteries shifted around inside.
“It’ll get you there,” Bo said.
“Okay,” I said opening the door. I stepped out onto the squishy ground.
I exhaled as I watched Bo turn the truck around and drive away. My eyes stayed glued to the red brake lights until I couldn’t see them anymore.
There wasn’t very much light coming from the sliver of moon in the sky. It was just me, the junky plastic flashlight, and the jumpsuit tucked into the front of my pants.
I pulled out the jumpsuit and kicked off one of my shoes, balancing on one leg as I slid the other into the rough fabric. There was a rustling sound behind me and I quickly pulled up the rest of the jumpsuit.
I spun on my heel, holding the flashlight like it was a weapon. A shadow of a person held up their hands.
My heart was pounding. I needed to run.
“Kit, don’t… um… what is that?”
A man.
He knew my name?
I narrowed my eyes and clicked the button on the side of the flashlight. The beam flickered several times before lighting up Jay’s face.
“What are you doing here?” I squawked.
“No,” Jay said crossing his arms. “What are you doing here?”
“Go back,” I said pointing in the direction Bo had just driven off in.
Jay shook his head. “Not until you explain and even then, I’m probably not going back.”
“Really? You need me to tell you what I’m doing out here?”
“I don’t need you to. I can put one and one together but I guess maybe if you say it out loud, you’ll realize how incredibly ridiculous and careless you’re being,” Jay said. “And then we can walk back to the church before the sun comes up.”
“I’m not going back until I find out what happened to Polly,” I said stubbornly. “I need to do this for Maddie. And for me too. We came all this way.”
Jay shrugged. “All right, well, then I’m coming with you. Someone needs to watch your back, might as well be me.”
“I’m not letting anyone go with me,” I said.
“You can’t stop me,” Jay said. “Besides, if I go back there without you, Blake will kill me and we don’t want that, do we?” I apparently didn’t answer him quick enough. “Do we, Kit? Do we want that?”
I adjusted the jumpsuit. “I guess we don’t.”
“It’s a bit big on you,” Jay said. “It would fit me better.”
“Too bad you don’t know what Polly looks like,” I said. “Because I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” I quickly held up my palm. “Don’t try to talk me out of it, though. I am going to do it.”
“We’ll do it together,” Jay said stepping closer and putting his arm around my shoulders. “I’ll be the distraction you need to get inside.”
A tear welled up in my eye. “No, you can’t. I won’t let you. It’s too dangerous.”
“Oh, Kit, you’re never going to be able to convince me to go back without you,” Jay said smiling in the darkness. “I owe this to you. It’s because of you I’m even alive. That I’m here.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I said quickly wiping away the tear that leaked out of the corner of my eye. “Go back. Help Blake take care of Maddie.”
He shook his head. “Blake can handle Maddie. That leaves me free to help you.”
“Is there anything I can say to convince you to go back?”
“Not a single thing.”
“You’re sure?”
Jay planted his feet in a wide stance. “I’m positive.”
Chapter Nineteen
We spied the base before we exited the thick patch of trees that surrounded the entire area. It was hard to believe the base had existed before the sickness had spread.
It was a massive building with a fence that surrounded the grounds. There were a few lights along the fence but for the most part, the place was quite dark.
Sneaking in over the fence wouldn’t be impossible, thanks to the lack of lighting. It would, however, still be a challenge to make it all the way to the building. Although, once I made it there, I still had no idea what I’d do.
The guards walked in pairs up and down the fence, stopping at about halfway when they met with a second pair. They’d pass each other and keep going until they got to the corner where they stopped once again.
I counted the time from when their backs were turned until they got to the corner. I’d have about three minutes to get over the fence and across the lawn to where the light from the fence didn’t touch. But once I got closer to the building, they’d see me. I’d probably get caught and dragged inside.
“What’s our plan?” Jay asked.
If only I could think of a way to ditch him. I, at least, had the jumpsuit. Maybe I could pretend I got lost but with Jay, he was obviously an outsider and not just any outsider… he’d be one sneaking inside when he wouldn’t need to. It would be suspicious.
“We go when they turn,” I said pointing at the shadows. “They cross in the middle and then turn their backs. That’s our chance.”
“Okay,” Jay said rubbing his hands together.
“Maybe you should just wait here,” I said.
Jay chuckled. “I’ll assume that’s a joke.”
“It’s not. I mean, I have a jumpsuit. I can blend in but look at y
ou.”
“I’ll say I lost mine.”
“Funny.”
I stopped paying attention to Jay and focused on the shadows. I was going to have to run fast. Could I even run fast with this giant jumpsuit on? I guess I’d find out.
Silence surrounded me like a soft, fluffy blanket but it didn’t comfort me and it most definitely didn’t warm me. Instead, it stuffed itself into my ears and made them ring.
I set the flashlight down by the tree, doing my best to make a mental note of where I’d placed it. Maybe I’d need it again.
I counted in my head and dug my foot into the ground behind me. I’d push off and run like an Olympian after the gunshot.
“Three… two… one,” I said and I pushed away from the trees.
My arms swung at my sides. I was pretty sure it was the first time in at least fifteen years that I’d ran and unfortunately, it only took me about twenty feet to realize exactly how out of shape I was.
My breaths were sharp and they squeezed my lungs painfully. Each time I took in air, there was a small squeak-like gasp.
Maddie wouldn’t have ever been able to do this. Did she even have an inhaler anymore? I should have checked before I left.
My thoughts were all over the place. It was like my life was flashing before my eyes but none of the interesting parts were included in the slideshow.
I slowed my pace as I approached the fence. The guards were at the far ends, still walking away. My fingers gripped the chain-linked metal and I tried to pull myself upward but my legs were shaking.
“Help me,” I said between my quick breaths.
Jay grabbed my hips and raised me up as high as he could. I was halfway up when I couldn’t feel him helping any longer. I’d have to make it the rest of the way myself.
At the top, I wanted to turn around and cheer but I couldn’t. The guards were turning and Jay was standing on the ground as if he had been afraid he’d have to catch me when I fell.
“Jay!” I said in a sharp whisper. “You have to go back.”
“I can’t leave you,” he said.
“There’s no time,” I said lowering myself to the ground. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
Jay looked to the left and then to the right. He slammed his fist into his thigh. “Fuck!”
“Go!”
“I won’t be far, okay?” Jay said. “Be safe. Be smart.”
He turned and ran before I could say anything. It didn’t take long for him to disappear into the shadows. I wouldn’t have much time either. I took several steps away from the fence and toward the building.
I lowered myself to the ground and laid down flat and waited for the guards to cross paths again. Once they turned away, I’d run the rest of the way to the building.
What would happen then, I didn’t know. I’d get inside and if Polly was here, I’d find her.
My breathing was almost back to normal when the guards turned their backs. I sucked in a breath and got to my feet. Again, I was running but not as fast… that, however, didn’t make my breathing any less frantic.
I was here. I was at the base.
Chapter Twenty
A guard at the door stood. Our eyes locked for a long uncomfortable moment.
“Hey,” he finally said breaking the silence. His voice was calmer than I had anticipated it would be. “You’re not supposed to be out here.”
“I think I was sleepwalking,” I replied quickly. It was quite possibly the first lie I ever actually pulled off telling with a decent amount of believability.
“Oh,” the guard said. “Well, this is a new one for me.”
I pressed my lips together. “First time it’s happened to me here.”
“My brother used to have night terrors when we were kids. Scared the shit out of my parents. Well, and to be honest, me too,” the guard said with a half-smile. “We should get you back to your room before someone sees you out here though. Most people aren’t as nice as I am.”
Was that a joke? Something told me it wasn’t.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“You should probably have a chat with the doc tomorrow. Maybe she can give you something so this doesn’t happen again,” the guard said.
I nodded. “Thank you. I will do that.”
He jerked his head to the side. “Let’s go.”
The guard pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and opened the left side of the double glass doors. There was a dim light just above the door that provided just enough light that I could see his face.
There were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and there was a kindness buried deep within them. His lips were thin lines that curled upward at the ends. He had wrinkles at the corners of his mouth as if at one point in his life, he had smiled a lot.
His jumpsuit didn’t have a name… just a number. I’d was more likely to remember his face than I was the number on his patch.
The kind guard gestured for me to enter. I stepped inside and cringed as if I were waiting for a booby trap of some kind to drop from the ceiling and crush me into a thin sheet of skin and blood.
Nothing happened.
“Which way?” the guard asked.
We were in a small lobby with chairs and a tall desk just off to the left. There wasn’t anyone in the room besides us. Based on the lack of sounds, I figured the entire building must have been asleep.
I had no idea which way I was supposed to go and it was taking me far too long to answer. It seemed as though the guard was starting to get suspicious.
“Dammit,” he said. “Can you manage to get back on your own? I really shouldn’t leave my post again.”
I let out a soft breath of relief, which I quickly turned into a cough. “Oh, yeah, no problem. We don’t want you to get in any kind of trouble.”
“Thanks,” he said grinning at me. “Are you sure you’re okay? How do I know you’re not still asleep?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” I said. “I couldn’t be any more awake than I am right now.”
That was the truth.
“You’re so polite,” the guard said. “A breath of fresh air. You’re nothing like the others here. Everyone is so quiet. I mean, I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be but it’s nice to get to actually talk to someone for once.”
I nodded and kept my mouth closed. The last thing I wanted to do was to stick out… I needed to blend in, especially until I found Polly.
“It’s hard sometimes because I love talking. I always have. My parents, God rest their souls, said that when I was a kid, I never shut up,” the guard said smiling slightly at the memory. It quickly fell from his face and everything hardened. “Guess I’m not supposed to talk about that. Anyway, time to get back to your room.”
I turned away from him and picked a direction. Hopefully, Dillon’s room had been straight down the hallway but that would just be too easy. It wasn’t like I would know Dillon’s room anyway unless his name was on the door like a freshman starting college might do to decorate their dorm room door.
The hallway was empty. Every closed door was made of the same colored fake wood with a sign stuck to the wall next to it with a number on it.
The layout reminded me of a hospital, only there weren’t any gurneys, doctors, and nurses speedily flowing this way and that. There was no brain-numbing smell and instead of beeping sounds coming from every direction, it was absolutely silent.
At least it seemed as though escaping wouldn’t be impossible. The hallways were empty and there had only been one guard at the entrance. When it was time to leave, I’d just do the same thing in reverse.
Maybe this place wasn’t as awful as everyone thought. The guard at the door had been friendly enough, although he had made a comment about how everyone was supposed to be quiet.
“Hey!” a woman with thin, wire-framed glasses said as she turned a corner. “What are you doing out here?”
She wore a long white coat with a number patch over the pocket on her left br
east. The woman eyed me for a long moment before her eyes darted left and then right as if she thought it was some kind of trick… or a trap. Maybe a test?
“I was sleepwalking,” I said. “I think I’m a little turned around.”
She narrowed her eyes at the number on my jumpsuit. Her nose wrinkled. “You’re a long way from home, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Feeling a bit disoriented.”
“Hmm,” she said tapping her chin with her finger with chipped red polish. Her eyes shifted down toward my feet. I looked down and noticed the mud-caked around the edges. “Were you outside?”
I swallowed hard. “I work the farms. My shoes are always dirty.”
“Why don’t you have boots?” The woman shook her head. “How did you even get out of your room?”
She reached down to her waist and unhooked a small black radio. Her knuckles were white as she brought the radio up to her mouth.
“I’m going to call for assistance,” she said.
“That’s not necessary. I just need to get back to my room,” I said.
It felt like the walls were starting to close around me. I was lucky to have made it this far without having gotten caught.
The woman looked around. Her eyes landed eventually landed on her radio and her hand relaxed as her eyes swiftly shifted to me.
She exhaled and clipped the radio back onto her pants. “Technically, I’m not supposed to be out here either. Do you need to see the doctor?”
“No, I’m fine. Just a bit disoriented from waking up outside and not knowing how I got there,” I said. I forced a smile. “It’s always like this when I wake up outside of my bed.”
“Have you been losing weight?” she asked cocking her head to the side.
My eyebrows squeezed together. At first, I didn’t understand but then… I did. The over-sized jumpsuit.
“Oh, a little, I guess,” I replied.
“Okay,” she said. Her voice was soft but emotionless. “I’ll help you back to your room. But you should probably have a talk with the doctor so this doesn’t happen again.”
What Remains Series (Book 4): Evasion Page 10