Abby stood on tiptoe, pulling me closer to her. “I don’t want to cross it.”
I shook my head, pressing my finger against my lips for her to keep quiet. The others gathered together, talking softly amongst themselves. Abby and I stayed back. I didn’t want to separate, it was the last thing I wanted to do, but I was not going to cross that bridge, and I was not going to let them make Abby cross it either. I didn’t know what we would do if we were left behind, but I was willing to take my chances on this side rather than step onto that death trap.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Cade was shaking his head firmly, his arms crossed over his chest. Abby clung tighter to me; I could feel small tremors running through her petite frame. Jenna was behind Cade, nodding as he shook his head. Cade looked troubled and worried as Jenna eagerly followed the conversation. Aiden was hanging slightly back, looking unsure of either option while Bret was listening to each argument intently, trying to decipher which course of action he felt would be best.
“I need you to stay here Abby.”
I tried to free myself from her grip, but she only clung tighter to me. “No.”
“Abby…”
But it didn’t matter; the group was beginning to break apart. Aiden was coming toward us. I could tell by the set of his shoulders, and the determination in his eyes, that I was not going to like what he had to say. I braced myself, my jaw clenching tightly.
“We’re going to go over in groups.”
“I’m not going over.”
“Bethany…”
“No Aiden, I am not crossing that bridge. It’s suicide to do so.”
“It’s suicide to stay here.”
“Crossing that bridge is instantaneous suicide and you know that. Why would you even want to try it? We still have a chance over here; we can come up with a different plan if we just think about it reasonably.”
“The aliens might not have considered the bridges.”
The sheer stupidity of that statement caused my mouth to drop as I gaped at him. They somehow had the technology to navigate galaxies with ease, and freeze a good chunk of the population, but they wouldn’t have the foresight to monitor the only two ways off of Cape Cod? I had no idea what anyone was thinking, but they sure as hell weren’t using their brains to do so. “Aiden…”
“We can’t stay here Bethany.”
“There has to be another way.”
“What way?”
I didn’t know how to answer that. The canal was known for its dangerous currents, and to swim it would be almost as obvious as running across the bridge, but even that seemed a better option to me than this. And then I knew. I knew exactly how we could get to the other side. “What if I have a better plan Aiden?” I asked softly.
He stared at me for a long moment. “What is it?”
“We can swim across. If we find some diving gear, we could use it to swim across. We could stay under water, stay out of sight. It could work.”
He was silent for a moment; Abby stared up at me in wide eyed awe, while Cade seemed to be thinking it over. “None of us know how to use scuba gear, and where would we even get it?”
I didn’t care if none of us could scuba dive. I was far more willing to take my chances with it than I was with the bridge. “Someone here might know how, and there’s a rental place a few miles away. They have all kinds of beach supplies in there; they may have something that we could use.”
The other group had moved closer to us, but none of them spoke out when I mentioned scuba diving. “We can figure it out,” I whispered.
“It’s not something you just figure out Bethany.”
I glared fiercely at him. “I would rather take my chances with that instead of running across something over a hundred feet in the freaking air Aiden!” I snapped, unsure why he was so stubbornly clinging to this crazy notion. He was one of the smartest people I knew, but he was being adamantly stupid right now. My idea wasn’t without risk, and possibly death, but it was still better than this absolute insanity. Yet I could tell that few people even wanted to consider what I had to say.
“She has a point,” Cade said softly. “We can swim around the canal, avoiding the currents, and come up somewhere more sheltered on the other side.”
“We don’t know how to use scuba gear,” one of the other group insisted firmly. “We would never be able to do it.”
“And we are never going to be able to do this!” I insisted.
“I know how to scuba dive.” My attention was drawn to a young woman in her late teens or early twenties. Her long reddish hair, so dark that it was nearly brown, hung in thick curls to the middle of her back. Her cat green eyes were bright as she surveyed the group. “My father and I used to go lobster diving. I’m not an expert, but I do well enough with it. I could help.”
Hope sprang through me, I looked eagerly to Aiden, but his jaw was clenched and I could tell he was still against it. “We don’t know for sure that the store will have rental gear.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Abby said softly.
“There may not even be enough for all of us, and then what?” another woman in the group inquired.
I sighed loudly, growing impatient and frustrated. “Then we come back here tomorrow night, but at least we would have tried,” I said sharply.
“You can stand here and debate this all you want. I’m not waiting any longer. The closer it gets to dawn, the less likely our chances of getting across are going to become,” a man amongst the group insisted. “And we may not have another night. This may be our only chance to escape, and I am not going to blow it.”
“But this isn’t a chance, this is death!” I insisted angrily. “Please don’t do this. It’s foolish.”
I didn’t understand their absolute instance upon this course of action. Was it because it was the only plan they believed in? Was it because they believed the other side of the bridge was magically better? Or was it simply because they finally had something to do, something to cling to and hope for other than fear and uncertainty? Because they finally had a firm plan, and a course of action?
Whatever it was, I knew that I was not going to be able to stop them, and I was terrified that I would not be able to talk sense into Aiden either. Would he leave Abby and I here just to do this? Just to prove a point?
“You’ll see Bethy, when we get to the other side, you can join us.”
“No Aiden, please no.”
My heart was hammering. Abby was shaking even more, her fingers dug painfully into my arm. “Aiden don’t,” she pleaded.
He looked at her in surprise; apparently he’d thought that she would be eager to go across too. “Why don’t we just think over what Bethany is saying,” Cade said softly.
“What is there to think about?” The burly man shoved his way through the group to us. He hoisted his spear higher as he swung his pack onto his back. “This is the plan.”
My heart was hammering, my mouth was completely dry. There didn’t seem to be any way to stop this. They were fixed on their course. “At least stay with us,” I urged Aiden. “If they make it to the other side then maybe we’ll consider going.”
Aiden looked torn; he glanced back at the group of four that was starting to gather near the road. “We are in the third group, we’ll go then.”
Apparently I had already been divided without my knowledge, or approval. “Why are we even splitting up?” Abby asked softly.
“Smaller groups will be harder to notice.”
“Yeah, that’s gonna help,” I retorted angrily.
“You know I love you Bethy, but optimism has never been one of your stronger qualities,” Aiden said quietly.
I glared at him, fighting to keep control of my rising temper as my hands fisted at my sides. He may be my brother, and one of my best friends, but there were times when our personalities completely clashed. Unfortunately this was one of those times, and his stubborn insistence may very well get us killed. No matter how much I did not want
to cross that bridge, I knew that I would not let him go alone. I couldn’t. “Realism is not the same as pessimism. You’re being foolish Aiden; you’re not even listening to reason.”
“This is a good plan.”
I bit my lip, arguing with him was getting me nowhere. He wasn’t listening; he wouldn’t listen, not until something bad happened. I looked toward Cade, but his attention was focused upon the people already leaving the woods. I closed my eyes, made a silent plea for their safety, and then forced myself to watch. I couldn’t keep my eyes closed against this; I had to know what was going to happen no matter how awful it might be. I couldn’t pretend that it wasn’t going to happen.
“No, it’s not,” I whispered.
Bret stepped closer to me and slid his hand into mine. “I’ll keep you safe.”
I managed a tremulous smile for him, but we both knew that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to stop the kind of murderous intent that we had seen earlier. His hand was warm in mine, gentle and strong. I knew every callous on it, every small scar that marked it. It was familiar, well loved, and so very trusting. Yet as I held his hand, I didn’t feel the strong pull, the strong need that tore at me whenever Cade was near.
The next group stepped forward, entering the street as the first group reached the far side of the rotary. They were only five feet from the beginning of the bridge, just passing the entrance of the IHOP. They stepped onto the bridge, moving slowly as they began the climb up. There was a sidewalk along the side of the bridge, but they stayed on the empty roadway. They weren’t quite over the water yet, but still above the concrete walkway, and sharp rocks below, that marked the side of the canal. I shuddered at the thought of something happening to the bridge now, not like falling into the canal would save them, but it seemed somewhat more pleasant than concrete and rocks.
“Ok, let’s go.”
Bret took a step forward; apparently he was in our group while the other man and woman would be the last ones to go with Jenna and Cade. “Wait!” Abby said anxiously as Cade stepped toward us.
My heart was hammering, I could hardly breathe. My hand tightened around Bret’s. The second group was almost at the beginning of the bridge. The first was almost in the middle of it; if not for the lights they would no longer be visible. I could sense Aiden’s growing excitement; he really believed that this was going to be ok. I wanted him to be right, they had gotten further than I’d expected, but I was still unable to accept it.
“We have to go Abby, it’s the plan,” Aiden seemed slightly annoyed by the fact that we were not adhering strictly to the plan. My heart ached for him; I understood his need to control something, to feel like he ruled his own life again. I just wished that he had chosen something a little less deadly, like our food supplies maybe.
“Just wait until the second group gets a little further Aiden, please,” Abby whispered.
I decided to let her try to persuade Aiden, he had a harder time saying no to her than he did to me. He looked hesitant but he waited until the second group was already on the bridge. The first group was only twenty feet from the end, and beginning to fade from sight. Then, without further speaking to us, Aiden began to move from the woods. I glanced franticly back at Cade.
He started moving forward, his jaw locked. The fierce determination in his gaze was a sign of impending trouble. I knew he wasn’t going to make me cross that bridge if I really didn’t want to. I shivered in response to the fire burning in his coal dark eyes. “Aiden wait,” he ordered coldly.
Aiden spun back toward him, but the other two members of Cade’s group were also coming forward. One of them was the girl who had claimed to know how to scuba dive. “Molly,” she said, thrusting her small hand forward to shake ours. I took hold of her hand, surprised by the strength in her firm grip as I introduced myself.
“We’ll go now instead. You’ll see, we’ll all be fine,” the man said. He shot Abby and I a sympathetic look that aggravated the hell out of me and set my teeth on edge.
“Fine,” Aiden said. “Let’s go Bret.”
“Wait,” Bret protested instantly. “Bethany…”
“It’s ok Bret, I’ll be fine. I want to stay with Abby.”
“Cade can go over with Aiden.”
Hope sparked in Jenna’s eyes; it was obvious she wanted nothing more than to be with Bret. Abby looked franticly back and forth between the two groups. I was ashamed by the spurt of disappointment that shot through me, ashamed by the fact that I did not want to be separated from Cade. “Let’s just go,” Aiden said impatiently.
“It’s ok Bret, I’ll be fine.” I hated the deception that made those words come from my mouth, but I hated the thought of not being with Cade even more.
“I don’t want to leave you here.”
“Bret come on,” Aiden interjected, practically bouncing on his toes in his eagerness to move.
“Bethany?”
I forced down the lump in my throat. “I’ll be fine.”
“Do you want me to stay?” he inquired.
I wanted them all to stay, but it didn’t seem to matter what I wanted right now. “Its fine,” I managed to choke out.
He smiled tremulously at me, squeezed my hand, and kissed me gently on the lips. I did not recoil from him, did not push him away. In fact I kissed him back because I was fairly certain I would never see him again, and I did love him. He hurried to join Aiden as Cade swiftly took Bret’s place at my side. I stared sadly up at Cade, struggling not to cry as Abby began to sob softly.
The first group reached the other side of the bridge; I could almost feel their relief. They were not out of the woods yet, they were still in the middle of a highway, completely exposed and out in the open, but they had made it that far. It was much further than I had thought they were going to make it. Hope began to fill me as I realized that perhaps I had been wrong after all, perhaps we were all going to make it across. Perhaps the bridges were the answer.
I suddenly wanted to run across the bridge, race over to the other side and kiss the ground of the mainland. I glanced eagerly at Cade, Abby’s tears began to dry up, Jenna looked like she was about to start jumping for joy. The second group was more than halfway there; Aiden was almost to the IHOP. “Let’s go,” Jenna said eagerly.
Cade nodded at me, I managed a wan smile for him. Jenna stepped out of the shadows, making her way toward the road. I swallowed nervously, gathered my courage, and followed Jenna forward. Abby clung tighter to me, but she was no longer crying, and she was moving with us. Cade stayed close to my side, little shivers of pleasure shot through me every time his arm brushed against mine. I didn’t feel so awful about us right now, I couldn’t. I needed him.
It was just that simple right now.
Aiden was at the foot of the bridge. The second group was almost safely to the other side when light blazed forth. For a moment I was blinded, and completely confused. I thought something had happened with the lights on the bridge, that perhaps a power surge had somehow caused them to blaze even brighter.
Then, I heard the screams.
CHAPTER 12
I didn’t stop to think. I shoved Abby back, pushing her towards the woods. “Run!” I hissed at her. She turned beneath my shoving hands, stumbling toward the forest. I turned and plunged in the opposite direction. “Aiden!”
I couldn’t see him over the bright glare of the lights burning my irises, couldn’t hear him above the agonized screams that shredded the still night. “Aiden!”
I was running into the light, running toward the certain death that made it impossible to see the bridge any longer. I had no idea where I was anymore, no idea where I was running to. I stumbled, tripped, and sprawled onto grass. I had somehow managed to make it into the rotary, where exactly in the rotary I was though, I didn’t know. I could be closer to the bridge; I could be on the complete opposite side. I struggled back to my feet.
“Aiden! Bret!” I screamed, terror for their lives clawed at me, ripped through me, and left
me nearly breathless and shaken. Not my brother, I pleaded silently. Please not my brother, please not Bret. Please. Please. Please.
I stumbled blindly forward, crashing through some bushes that ripped and tore at my skin and clothes before plowing into another bush that halted me abruptly. I thought I was somewhere near the Cape Cod spelled out with yews in the center of the rotary. I couldn’t be certain though, but I thought I may have hit the C of Cod. That meant I had at least approached the bridge side of the rotary in my heedless rush forward, and that I was not running aimlessly in the wrong direction. I just didn’t know where to go from here, which direction was the right one.
Arms wrapped around me, I was pulled back. A terrified scream escaped me; I clawed wildly at the arms, certain that death had just locked me within its tight embrace. “It’s me Bethany,” a voice hissed in my ear. I slumped slightly as I recognized Cade’s voice, but I could not see his arms around my waist against the harshness of the light surrounding us. “We have to go back Bethy, we have to go back.”
Cade was pulling me away, dragging me toward something. I didn’t know which way we were going, what was happening anymore. More screams echoed out of the light. I had never heard such awful, agonizing sounds in my entire life. I wanted to sob, wanted to curl up in a ball, clasp my hands over my ears and attempt to drown out the suffering and horror that echoed within those shrieks. I would never get them out of my head though, never forget the hideous pain, horror, and terror contained in those high pitched wails. Aiden. Bret. My heart was shattering. This was it; I couldn’t take anymore. This was my snapping point. It would soon be over, for all of us, and I didn’t even care anymore.
Cade pulled me to the ground, keeping his arm locked around my waist as he leveled his body over top of mine. “Move Bethany!” he hissed in my ear.
I didn’t care to move, I didn’t truly care to do anything ever again. When I remained limp beneath him, he began to half push and half drag me forward. He pushed and pulled me into the center of a bunch of bushes. They were scratchy, painful and caused my skin to burn. Whatever the bushes were, they were not friendly. Cade cursed as he followed behind me, struggling against the low hung branches of the plant. I didn’t care about the bushes, or the pain, the only thing I cared about right now was the fact that I could finally cover my ears. Curling into the fetal position, I clamped my hands tightly over my ears, but it did little to drown out the awful sounds. Cade wrapped himself around me, using his body to cover mine.