She let out a quiet laugh as her head moved from side to side. “Don’t you see? This is the only way.” She placed her hands on top of his and squeezed, then gently removed them from her shoulders. “We’re going to be fine. We’re going to survive. I promise.”
He stared into those deep grey eyes, waiting for some realization to hit her, to bring her back to reality. But there was nothing. She remained firm in her stance.
This is her new reality.
Knowing he couldn’t change her mind, he nodded and moved to the center of the roof. He knelt by the launcher and, even though his mind was spinning in opposing directions, started making adjustments. This is a suicide mission! Do I stay up here with her? I can’t leave. I have to follow through . . . except this isn’t my idea. But we started this together, so we should end it together. Right?
After ten minutes of fiddling with the launcher, everything seemed to be in place. He could hear the live broadcast coming to an end from his holophone, which he’d propped up against a nearby pipe.
“ . . . and follow the emergency evacuation protocol to your city’s bunkers. I repeat, as soon as the storms pass, return to open air to absorb the full effects of the sanaré.” The Commander’s voice echoed in the open space. “The Seventh Sanctum thanks you for your cooperation in this matter and I assure you, we’ll do everything in our power to rebuild and recommence once these storms pass.”
Torin grabbed his phone, typing in the necessary algorithm to ensure the broadcast would play on a loop on every known holostation. He lifted his gaze as black combat boots approached him. Emery had her hands on her hips, crimson hair blowing in the breeze. The winds were getting stronger by the minute. His mind urged him to get inside, get inside, get inside, but his heart was telling him to stay, stay, stay.
She held out the gas capsule. “Ready?”
Every aspect of that moment reminded him of when she’d held out the omega key. His hand closed over hers. He gave her an aching smile before saying, “Together.”
58
Emery braced herself as the winds picked up speed. She glanced at Torin, who was kneeling right next to the launcher, gas capsule in hand. She wanted to tell him to go inside with the others, to not risk it, to choose safety over her insane idea. But even though she was aware of the risks and the potential consequences, she couldn’t shake the certainty that everything was going to be okay. She firmly believed that they were going to make it through this, alive and in one piece.
“New beginnings,” she murmured, finding comfort in the sentiment. She stumbled slightly as another gust of wind swept through downtown Chicago. Being on the roof of one of the tallest buildings during a hurricane certainly wasn’t the smartest idea, but they had to make do with what they had.
Her thoughts scattered as Torin let out a loud groan. “The winds are moving faster than originally forecasted.” He began to ready the launcher, moving bits and pieces around and pulling on small metal rods. His panicked movements actually lessened her nerves, and she almost felt like laughing. Clearly, this wasn’t the time to be lighthearted—unless she wanted Torin at her throat—but for some reason, she felt an overwhelming clarity. This was all happening for a reason. They were in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. For once, the driving force was finally on their side, working for them, instead of against them.
And then she heard it. A loud whooshing, high pitched whistling, metal singing as if it had a voice. Instead of crouching for cover, she straightened, growing taller, eyes focused on the currents headed her way.
“Get down and grab onto one of the pipes!” Torin shouted as he finished bolting the launcher to the roof.
As the winds drew nearer, her confidence wavered. She stepped backward and crouched, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead. She stuck her hand out behind her, searching for the pipe until her fingers finally grazed a metal surface. Without a moment’s hesitation, she clutched onto it.
“It’s coming!” Torin shouted as he ran over to her.
His hair was almost standing upright, and she could feel her jacket and hair start to ruffle in the unforgiving breeze. She gripped the pipe a little harder as she pulled Torin down to join her.
He looked at his holophone one last time before shoving it into his pocket with his free hand. “Hang on tight because our lives depend on it.”
She gave him a determined look and nodded as the wind started to relentlessly pull her body away from the pipe. Tugging, tugging, tugging. The joints in her fingers began to ache and, if she could see her knuckles, she was certain they’d be white. The current was fiercely resilient, refusing to let go.
It’s going to take us with it. We’re not going to make it.
Her eyes were forced shut as the winds picked up, whooshing faster and faster around her until everything was a blur. She couldn’t think straight, couldn’t see, couldn’t hear—she felt frozen. Stuck.
Beside her, she thought she could hear Torin screaming, but it easily could have been the wind howling as it ripped through the top of the building. She wanted to open her eyes to make sure he was okay, that he was still with her, but her eyes were sealed shut. Even so, tears spilled from the corners. Whether they were from fear or a physical reaction from the winds, she didn’t know. She didn’t care. She just wanted this to be over.
Relentless howling, screeching of metal on metal, and sounds she never wished to hear again surrounded her. She opened her mouth to scream, but her mouth was sealed shut, just like her eyes. If she could open it, she was almost positive she’d drown in a swarm of oxygen, that her lungs would fill to the brim and explode, and her body would be swept into the merciless winds of the hurricane.
Her feet, legs, and torso were numb. The cold worked its way up her body, pressuring her to let go. Her hands were freezing, and she couldn’t quite put together how she was still holding onto this damn pipe. Her hair felt as though it were being ripped from her skull, and a thousand razorblades scratched at her face.
Do. Not. Let. Go.
Just as her fingers felt as though they’d had enough, the winds began to lessen. Her body started to recoil little by little after having been stretched and pulled by what had felt like her limit. Her legs slowly regained feeling, and she found shortly after that she could open her eyes. Dried tears made her eyelashes stick together, but she didn’t care. Her chapped lips lifted into a smile as Torin’s eyes met hers. He was still here, right next to her.
They were okay.
An eerie silence surrounded them. Her heart had just started to slow when it picked up pace again. Relief and panic coursed through her, simultaneously. She released the pipe, one hand at a time, stretching out her fingers and balling them into fists to check her motor skills. She sat upright from lying horizontally underneath the pipe, and, although her legs were unsteady, she pulled herself to her feet, walking over to where the launcher had been bolted into the roof. Thankfully, it was still there.
She was about halfway there when Torin stopped her. “You won’t believe this,” he said as he laid a hand on her shoulder.
She followed his gaze, eyes lifting upward toward the sky. “Oh . . . my . . .”
A circular area of calm, bright blue sky stared back at them. She looked from side to side, realizing that they were still surrounded by intense air currents, but it was as if they were in a tunnel, a vacuum.
“We’re in the eye of the hurricane,” Torin whispered in awe.
Miraculous was the only word that came to mind. She gazed at the window of blue sky, half expecting a flock of birds to fly across the open space. It was as if they were peering into Mother Nature’s soul, and She into theirs. Emery could sense that an understanding had been reached, and that she and Torin had been spared to fulfill it.
She stared at the patch of blue sky for a few more moments before snapping back to reality. “The sanaré,” she instructed as she reached for the launcher.
Torin bro
ke out of his daze and unzipped one of the inner pockets of his coat. He handed her the orange gas capsule. “It’s time,” he said with a firm nod.
She placed the capsule into the tiny claws of the launcher. The red button on the device stared back at her with a certain darkness, taunting her. A tremor of uncertainty met her fingertips as she placed her hand over it, then looked at Torin.
“What are you waiting for?” he asked.
Her mouth curled into a small smile as she extended her free hand to his. “Together. Remember?”
He laid his hand on top of hers. “Ready?”
She nodded. “On three.”
Torin took a deep breath. “One.”
“Two,” Emery whispered.
“Three.”
Epilogue
Emery stared out her apartment window at the bustling city below her. She squinted as the clouds parted to reveal the sun, causing a sharp reflection off the newly renovated 7S Headquarters. With the amount of work that had been completed, it was hard to believe that only six months had passed since the nationwide storms had hit.
Torin, being the genius that he was, had brainstormed a spectactular idea for the microchips that were still implanted in the dormants’ bodies. His idea was so clever that the Seventh Sanctum would have been crazy to not jump on it immediately. His proposal included a simple extraction process and some reprogramming that would allow the microchips to be attached to large scale machinery and drones to help rebuild the cities at a faster pace. In addition, people from all over the country had been so grateful for this one-time-grey-cure that they’d immediately gotten to work helping in any way that they could.
Seeing what she saw now, no one could even begin to guess the type of destruction they’d endured—buildings, homes, and retail centers ripped and torn apart, unstable holoconnections leaving little to no communication, whole towns wiped away, seemingly nonexistent to begin with. But even so, the people of their nation had come together to rebuild, to restart, with grateful hearts and open eyes.
A knock on the door startled her and she jumped, almost hitting her head on the window frame. She checked her holowatch as she made her way across the oak wood floors. When she opened the door, she smiled.
“Sorry it took us longer than expected,” Riley said, looking frazzled, as she leaned in for a hug.
“Don’t even worry about it,” she replied with a laugh as she hugged her best friend, then her sister.
“Have you talked to dad yet?” Alexis asked.
Emery checked her holophone. “He just sent me a message. He’s already there.”
Alexis took off down the hall toward the nearest T-Ports. “Come on, I’m starving!”
Riley and Emery both laughed as they jogged down the hall and stepped onto the T-Ports next to Alexis’s. Seconds later, they arrived just a block away from the Mediterranean café Emery and her father frequented. It was one of the only original buildings that had survived the storms, and thank goodness for that because it’d quickly become a place of comfort and safety for her.
She touched the side of her temple to remove the hologlasses she was wearing as she walked into the restaurant. She spotted her father a few tables down.
He stood up as she approached and wrapped her in a big hug. “I’m so happy you all could make it,” he said, moving on to greet Alexis, then Riley. “I’ve ordered some hummus and gyro wraps for the whole table, so dig in.”
“Sounds great,” Emery said as she took her seat and started filling her plate.
“Yeah, apparently Alexis is starving,” Riley teased.
“Only because I thought we were eating earlier than one o’clock in the afternoon!” Alexis retorted. “Can you blame me?”
Emery laughed as she shoveled some pita bread and hummus into her mouth. “Well stop talking and start eating!” Her gaze landed on her father, who was laughing along with her, but her face fell as her eyes flitted to the empty chair next to him.
Byron, along with everyone else, seemed to notice the shift in her energy. He reached over and gently placed his hand on her forearm. “Are you okay?”
Emery considered telling him the truth. She considered telling him how much she missed her mother, and how she wished she were here. But instead, she just nodded and piled some more hummus onto her plate. “I’m great,” she said with a nod. When her father raised an eyebrow, she shot him a knowing look. “Truly,” she said again, “I’m great.”
As she looked around the table at her family and friends, a comforting realization floated across her mind. Loss and death, as excruciating as they can be, are never the end, only a new beginning. Her mother was still there with them, even if her physical presence wasn’t. And although the sanaré had given everyone a second chance, the way of the world was just like her mother had said. Everyone must die at some point because it really is unnatural to live forever. That reassuring thought stayed with her all the way through lunch.
Afterward, they’d all parted and gone their separate ways. Everyone seemed to be in a rush to get to wherever they were going, but not Emery. Instead of heading toward the T-Port, she decided to take a stroll through downtown Chicago. She wanted to feel the wind in her hair, the sun beaming down on her face, the birds chirping in her ears.
She’d walked a couple of blocks only to find herself standing in front of 7S Headquarters. She plopped down on a nearby bench and surveyed the shiny new building. There were a few drones still dropping material off on the rooftop. Just as she was about to pull her phone out, it pinged. She grinned as a holomessage from Torin appeared. Come upstairs! I have something to show you.
She shook her head at his location-hacking skills, laughing as she made her way inside. Now that they were both employed full-time, working for the Seventh Sanctum, it was even easier for him to locate her whereabouts. She scanned her fingerprints as she entered the elevator and was transported to the core of the building. The lower level T-Port transported her up to the fourteenth floor, where Torin’s new office resided. Seeing as the door was wide open, she walked right in. “This better be good because I was only halfway into my afternoon stroll.”
Torin swiveled around in his desk chair, flashing her a toothy grin as he stood up. “That was fast.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t know where I was. I know you pulled up my coordinates,” she teased.
He shrugged, then smiled. “Guilty.” He opened the top desk drawer and pulled something out, but kept his hand underneath the desk, just out of sight.
She leaned over the back of one of the leather chairs, eyeing him suspiciously. “Whatcha got there?”
“Don’t be mad, okay?”
She bristled as she brought herself upright. “And why would I be mad?”
With a tilt of his head, he said, “Come look.”
She made her way around the chair over to the desk. Her breath caught as she looked at what lay in the drawer.
“Where did you find all of these?” she said as she rifled through them. “I thought they were gone!”
He smirked. “I have my ways.”
Her eyes shifted to his hand as it emerged from underneath the metal surface. He held up something small, but discernible. “There’s still one thing left we need to do, but I wanted to wait for you. Are you ready?”
She grabbed the contents of the drawer and held them close to her chest. “Seriously? You didn’t even have to ask!”
With her mother’s journals clutched tightly to her chest, she followed Torin up the steps that led to the roof of 7S Headquarters. She took a deep breath as she stepped onto the roof, the sunlight streaming down on her from the afternoon sky. It wasn’t easy keeping the dark memories at bay, but she knew that this was their chance to replace all of their bad memories with better ones.
She kept pace behind Torin as he led her to the center of the roof. A huge smile spread across her face as her eyes landed on a circular pit . . . made out of carbon steel.
She squealed, then punched him playfully in the shoulder. “You made me a larger disintegration machine? You shouldn’t have!”
A shade of pink deepened in his cheeks as he shrugged. “My gift to you.”
She looked back and forth between him and the machine. Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”
He nodded, then, before things could get too emotional, said, “Well, what are you waiting for? Drop those bad boys in!”
She pulled the journals from her chest, running her fingers over the worn leather one last time. “Goodbye, mom,” she whispered as she placed them into the bottom of the pit, “and thank you. For everything.”
Torin tossed her the remote, then raised his arms, swaying them in the air. “To Sandra, and to our fellow citizens: may no one have to go through the hell we went through—ever again.”
Emery held the remote in her hand, watching as the sensor turned from red to green as she placed her index finger on it. Just like the disintegration machine before, Torin had personalized it so that her fingerprint was needed to activate it. Without even the slightest hesitation, she pressed the button and shouted, “Never again!”
Her eyes widened as small lasers darted across the bottom of the pit, destroying everything in their wake. Piece by piece, inch by inch, the journals disintegrated before her very eyes, and with it, she felt as though an invisible weight were being lifted. Like she could finally let go. Like she could finally move on.
Torin placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He planted a soft kiss on the side of her temple. “It’s finally over. For real this time.”
She gazed up at him with a soft expression. And then, without thinking, she placed her hand on the side of his cheek and pulled him in slightly until his lips were pressed against hers. She wavered momentarily, and he let out a small chuckle as he helped her regain her balance, holding her firmly in place. The kiss only lasted for a moment, but it was imperfect and flawed, just like they were. And there, on the rooftop, Emery found herself nestling into a new beginning as she watched the smoke rise, taking with it the countless heartaches of her past.
Restitution (The Alpha Drive Book 3) Page 22