The Sentinel

by C Cato

  Breathing a ragged sigh of relief, she moved to the next two. The thumb dislocated at the base of the metacarpal, the bone jutting into the skin where her palm met her thumb. A quick pull and it was back in place. She had a broken index finger. It took longer to realign the bones enough for the nanobots to take over. By the time she finished, she was covered in a sheen of sweat and it was full dark. Probing the palm of her hand, she pinpointed exactly where the problem was and groaned as the jagged ends scraped nerves until she was able to manipulate them back together. The relief was almost instant.

  Exhaustion washed over her when the throbbing in her hand stopped. Not sure what to do, she got up to find somewhere that would be safe to sleep for the night. She didn’t get far before her legs gave out. Scooting next to a large fallen evergreen, she climbed under the branches.

  Closing her eyes, she hoped the others were okay.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Sonya

  Birds were singing and the gray sky had a soft purple hue to it when Sonya cracked her eyes open. With a groan, she tried to sit up and bumped her head on a low-hanging branch. “Fuck!”

  Remembering where she was, she rolled onto her stomach and crawled out of her hiding place. Dried mud pulled at her skin as she stretched. The nanobots had done their job while she slept, healing her head, hand, and sore muscles. Deciding to chance the comm again, she sent a transmission. “Cole!”

  Clutching her head, she screamed with agony.

  When pain dulled to a throb, she could stand straight again. Something was wrong with the comm.

  How was she going to find the others? Her heart beat faster and harder when the full impact of what had happened to her came into focus. She was alone. No outdoor skills at all, no one to turn to. A group of murderous women were out to find her, and the only people that had offered a link to the life she once knew were gone. For all she knew, they were dead.

  The thought sent pain sharper than when she’d cut into her hand, through her heart. Sonya wasn’t sure when they’d become important or when she started to need them, but they were, she did, and it was too late.

  “Stop it, Temple!” Her throat was raw, her mouth dry, but it had done the job. She’d survived the fall, so the odds were good that at least one of the others had too. Until she could find them, she needed to stay alive. Since her body could still starve to death, food and water were her first priorities.

  A light rain began to fall.

  “Not what I fucking meant,” she growled to the universe.

  Moving slowly, she made her way down one side of the valley and up the other. When she reached the top, she was light-headed from lack of food. Even one of those disgusting MREs would have been welcome. Another forest started twenty feet from the lip of the valley. The wind howled and the rain beat harder at the ground, muffled under the trees.

  How was she going to find food? Halo? Outdoor survival skills.

  Of course, nothing happened. Why would Ian include survival skills in his little weapons cache? Bastard. Thinking about him only compounded how she was already feeling. Alone. What else would she learn from those little videos? Then she remembered Ditre had been carrying the pack with the books in them. Like her guardians, they were gone, too.

  Squeezing her eyes closed against the sting of tears, she leaned against a tree and rubbed her forehead against the rough bark. When she opened them, she was staring at a large patch of mushrooms at the base of the trunk. Her mouth put in a valiant effort to try and water, but there wasn’t much to work with.

  Picking a couple of them, she tried to find a relatively dirt-free patch on her clothes where she could rub it clean. Not finding one, she used the back of her hand. “It would be my luck that you’re the poisonous kind, right?”

  Hoping for the best, she popped it in her mouth and chewed. It was earthy, with a slightly sharp tang. She didn’t want to know what that was. Weren’t mushrooms grown in shit?

  Shuddering, she swallowed. Resuming her position with her head bent against the trunk, she waited for it to come back up or to start hallucinating. After waiting, there was no violent upheaval, so she picked most of the patch and ate them while she moved. She needed some water, or no number of mushrooms were going to save her. But how to find it?

  Was it possible to use a leaf or something to gather up rainwater? It was comical how unprepared she was for staying alive in the wild.

  An hour later, the mushrooms were gone, and the trees began to thin. Sonya heard something faint that could have been the sound of running water. Picking up the pace, she ambled at a faster clip to the edge of a drop-off. Not as long a distance as Cole had carried her up, but she wouldn’t risk a jump. Down below was a raging river. The water a milky brown. She licked her dry lips. There had to be a way to get to it.

  Visibility had gotten bad as the rain progressed. She kept as close to the trees as possible, so she didn’t go over the edge. The ground began to gradually slope downward to a large rocky area. She had to climb over and around them until on the other side. From there the river was much closer. When she peered over the edge, it was only another ten feet down, and she could feel the spray of the churning water as it rushed by. Still not close enough for a drink.

  Following the river around a bend, she came to a large wooden bridge spanning the length. On it was a little figure, clinging to the railing as the angry water battered against her.

  Sonya broke into a run. She swore as the girl lost her grip and plunged into the river. Valiantly she fought to stay afloat, rushing toward the Sentinel’s position. Sonya wasn’t the best swimmer, but she dove in down river and the girl slammed into her, turning them both head over heal. Grabbing a fistful of the dress the girl was wearing, Sonya tucked the child close to her chest.

  Risking the pain, she tried again to call for help. “Cole! Help me! I’m in the river!”

  Her hands spasmed when fire ripped through her brain, and she almost dropped the girl.

  Kicking hard, she tried to fight the current and keep them both above-water. Two little arms wrapped around her neck, and Sonya spared a glance. Her eyes were squeezed tight.

  Fighting to stay calm, she tried to watch for anything dangerous floating toward them and keep them above the water as much as possible. The first collision was with a large branch, carried along with the current. She saw it coming and moved the girl aside to take the brunt of the hit on her own. Curling herself around the little body in her arms, she did her best to shield her from any more obstacles. A large boulder made her see stars as her back and head slammed into it. The water was relentless as it beat them. Lucky for them, the boulder was large enough to hold them in place against the river, but unlucky for them, the river was doing its best to beat them to death. Turning so the girl was between her and the stone, she powered up and dug her fingers in.

  “Sonya! We’re here! We’re going to throw a rope to you,” said Risa, her voice verging on hysterical.

  “I can’t let go, or we’ll be washed down river.”

  “I’m coming,” said Cole.

  “I don’t think I can hold on much longer, and I don’t think the girl can take more.” The pain at using her comm had greatly diminished.

  Sonya’s fingers began to slip, but she held for dear life. The effort may have been futile, but if this girl trusted her to keep them alive, then that is what she would do. Arms slipped away as the child who had clung so fiercely to her neck moments ago, hung limp against her chest. Her lips a disturbing shade of blue. Looking left and right, she tried to find a way to get out. They were trapped.

  Something heavy crashed into her back, and her arms threatened to buckle, smashing the child in front of her, but then a large arm wrapped her waist in a firm hold.

  “I’ve got you. Hold the kid. They’re going to pull us out,” said Cole, bringing his other arm around to encompass Sonya and the child.

  She did as he asked and held on to the motionless little girl. For agonizing minutes, the others heaved on
the rope until they were close enough to the bank for him to walk out on shaky legs. She wasn’t much better. Risa lifted the child from her arms and disappeared into the trees with Ditre. Soren supported Sonya as she struggled to stand on her own with an arm around her waist, but Cole replaced him.

  Face twisted with rage his tender embrace told a different story. “You stupid, fucking woman! What were you thinking?” he shouted to be heard.

  “I didn’t think!” she yelled back, pushing feebly against his broad expanse of chest. “That girl was about to die. Do you think I could have stood by and watched that?”

  Despite her struggles, his arms didn’t loosen. The rage finally gave way to something else. Something she couldn’t name.

  “I could have lost you,” he said, lowering his voice. “I thought I did lose you. We couldn’t hear you on the comm. I searched that whole first day.” He shuddered against her, and she pressed her palms against his chest, resting her cheek on them.

  “Wouldn’t that have been for the best?” Sonya hated the catch in her voice. “You all would have been free.”

  His arms tightened, crushing her to him. “Look at me.”

  She didn’t want to do it, it was cowardly, but she didn’t want to see rejection in his eyes. He waited until she raised her head to face him.

  “Why would you think that? I’m here for you. Not because of you. I volunteered Sonya. To be here with you.”

  Sonya sucked in a breath and exhaled with a single word. “Why?”

  “Because… I fell in love with you. Ian tried to warn me that I didn’t know you, but I think he was wrong. Every day I would watch you in stasis and pray you’d wake up. That I could hold you right.” He cupped her cheek, and she rubbed against his hand.

  Everything was spinning like some demented carnival ride. “You love me? But you’ve been so—”

  “Harsh? Yeah,” he said, his face firing up to a bright cherry red. “I’m not good with people…women. It’s like a nervous tick. I just fall into soldier mode. I want you, so very much. That and…you were out of my league. I didn’t think I’d ever stand a chance with you.”

  “I don’t understand,” she said, making an unconvincing attempt to escape him. Her heart was in danger of losing, and she couldn’t afford to nurse a broken heart in this horrible new world.

  Cole was not on the same page. Closing the distance, he pressed his lips to hers. The tip of his tongue ran the length of her lower lip before retreating. An invitation.

  Sonya moaned and melted in his arms. Resistance disappeared as liquid heat coursed through her veins. She gripped the back of his neck with both hands to pull him tighter, and this time she closed the gap. Their tongues met in the middle. A sensual give and take until he relented. Sonya swept into his mouth, tasting and savoring. Time no longer existed. Anxiety melted away. This was right, and he was here. They’d found each other again. Sonya knew she would be stupid to let this man go. Cole took over, running his tongue over her lips and teeth before slowly filling her mouth. Another flash of heat washed over her, leaving her feeling weak.

  “Sonya, we need you. Something’s wrong,” said Risa, her usual humor absent.

  She pulled away from Cole, a little dizzy after the exchange. He took her hand and together they ran behind Risa until they reached the makeshift camp. The roaring river was still competing for sound, but she could no longer see it through the trees.

  Ditre hunched over the girl who lay limp on a sleeping bag. His pressed his ear to her chest, but the blue cast Sonya had seen in the river had spread to tinge her fingers and arms.

  Pulling her hand from Cole’s, she took a step back, assaulted with faces. Memories. Blood. Staring open eyes, devoid of life. Screams of the helpless, trapped and waiting to die. Her breaths came short and shallow.

  “Baby, are you okay?”

  Cole filled her vision. His piercing blue eyes and a hand on her back acting as an anchor, bringing her back from the panic attack. Feebly, Sonya nodded. “Don’t stop touching me.” She positioned herself on the girl’s side opposite Ditre and dropped to her knees.

  Cole stayed with her, lacing their fingers together. “What do you hear?”

  Ditre sat back on his heels, his mouth set in a firm line. “There’s fluid.”

  “Shit.” Leaning down, Sonya adopted the same position Ditre just had and listened. The brave girl’s breathing was erratic and weak. Sonya could hear the water bubbling in her lungs with every breath. “Ditre, did you bring any hypodermic needles with you?”

  “A couple, yeah. Not sure if they survived the fall. I lost most of my supplies.”

  “Check!”

  He scrambled to do what she said.

  “What can I do?” asked Cole softly.

  “Don’t stop what you’re doing. Just keep touching me.”

  With firm pressure, he ran his hand up her back to her neck to hold it. Oddly, it helped. Sonya exhaled and tension melted away. Ditre returned with a plastic package. “Last one.”

  “Then I’ll have to make it count.”

  “What are you going to do?” asked Cole.

  “She has water in her lungs. I need to clear it. I have to perform a thoracentesis.”

  “Doc,” said Ditre, drawing out the nickname. “Don’t you need equipment for that? What if you go too deep? Couldn’t you collapse a lung?”

  “Would you rather sit here and watch her drown? Let’s not borrow trouble. I’m freaked out enough as it is.”

  Her hand shook as she placed the needle against the girl’s chest, and Cole increased the pressure on her neck. The shaking stopped and complete clarity flooded her mind. This wasn’t ideal, but she could do it.

  “Hold her please.”

  The request wasn’t to anyone specific, but Risa knelt and pressed on her shoulders. Could everyone hear her heart’s pounding beat? The shallow shaky breaths? She wiped her hands multiple times on her dirty clothes to dry them.

  When she was sure the girl was secure, she pressed the needle forward. There wasn’t much space in the pleura. A small pocket. A millimeter could be the difference between saving her or puncturing her lung. There was a slight pop as she entered the tight cavity, and the syringe filled with milky fluid.

  When it stopped, Ditre lowered his head to listen again. “I think you got it. I don’t hear anything.”

  Everyone let out the collective breaths they’d held, and Sonya gently removed the needle. Ditre pressed a clean bandage over the puncture—the fact he still had some clean anything was a miracle—and wiped away the small trickle of blood.

  The needle fell to the ground at her side. She shivered hard as the panic she had fought back loomed closer to the surface, but Cole was there. He pulled her tight against his side, maintaining the steady pressure he had before, and gently rocked her as she cried.

  It kept the demons at bay.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sonya

  Sonya was content to just sit and watch the girl as the others worked on checking the few supplies they had left. Small tremors passed through her like aftershocks. It had been a long time since she’d experienced panic of that degree. Anything to take her mind off the fear was good.

  “What happened to all of you? I thought you were dead.”

  Risa built a fire and sat next to the girl’s head. She stroked the long black tresses and smiled down at the still form. The gesture made Sonya feel warm inside. She had to trust someone. Another day out there and she would have died. Are they such a bad choice?

  Soren and Ditre erected a nylon tent. If they were lucky, they would all fit like logs inside.

  “We thought you were dead, too. Sarge was frantic,” said Risa.

  Not wanting to think about her time alone in the wilderness, she glanced at the man in question, and he winked. She quickly looked away, but a shy smile was growing on her face. He loves me.

  “We were lucky,” said Risa, pulling her legs in to cross them. “The slide we were caught in wasn’t too se
vere, but Soren broke his leg, and I dislocated my shoulder on the way down. We stayed for a day until we were healed and then came looking for you.”

  Finished with the tent, the men joined them by the fire.

  Cole gazed hard at the empty space by her side, and she took pity on him and patted the ground. He dropped down gracefully next to her, his thigh grazing hers. They both shivered at the contact.

  “I was injured, too. Crushed my hand and hit my head. I think my comm was damaged. It hurts when I use it now.”

  Soren sat across the fire on a downed tree with Ditre. He frowned at the news. “I can fix it, but not out here. We need to go back to the bunker.”

  “We have to do that, anyway,” said Cole. He stretched out, his long legs straight in front of him and crossed at the ankles, leaning back to rest on his elbows. “Without a charge we are all goin’ to be in a world of hurt.”

  “Does that mean we are going back over the mountain?” Sonya was not sure she wanted to experience that a second time.

  “’Fraid so, darlin’. We need to get back. We’re hoping if we double back, we can get there before they know what we’ve done.”

  “Keet would know.”

  Risa perked up. “Is that the creature from the camp?”

  Creature didn’t sit well with her. It made him sound like some hideous monster, when he was far from it. “Yes, but don’t call him that.”

  The petite soldier raised her hands to her chest in surrender. “I don’t mean any offense. I just don’t know what else to call him.”

  “We can’t take this little one with us,” said Cole, touching the sleeping girl’s foot. “She has to have parents somewhere. Her clothes weren’t overly ragged. Someone is caring for her.”

  “When she wakes up, she can tell us.” Sonya’s stomach announced its presence with a loud gurgle. “Sorry. I only had a few mushrooms and that MRE you gave me.”

  “Then today’s your lucky day,” said Soren. “We set up some snares. They’re a couple of miles away, but I’ll go see if we caught anything.”