“Hmmm?” He hummed absently into my mouth. His kiss deepened, and as it did, I instinctively lifted my hips, trying to create some friction, to fill an unknown void. I heard a deep intake of breath and then Finn pushed his upper body up with his muscular arms, looking down at me with an almost fevered look. And then he did something mind blowing. He dropped his body weight, pressing his body into mine with an experimental rock of his hips. His eyes rolled back and a groan of pleasure escaped his mouth.
Holy Mother!
I couldn’t help the moan that was ripped from my throat. I used both arms to pull him back down. We kissed for what seemed like hours, until we were just lying there, holding each other.
We were lost. Lost in each other. Lost in love.
That night I fell asleep in his arms, but woke after a horrible dream. A dream of Finn. He was lost and alone and surrounded by hundreds of Arvies. It was almost impossible to get to him, but I fought my way through, shooting every creature I could. When I finally reached him, he was sitting on the ground, hunched over. Blood covered the floor around him.
“Finn!” I shouted his name over and over. Suddenly his face snapped up. I gasped, falling backward. The eyes staring at me weren’t the beautiful dark brown eyes of my Finn. They were milky white.
“Hey Abi, shhhhh… What’s wrong?” he whispered, shaking me from my nightmare.
A tear tickled the side of my cheek as it escaped my eye. The dream felt so real that it made me sick to my stomach. I took his face in my hands and stared into his beautiful brown eyes.
“Abi?” he asked again.
“It’s nothing. I just had a bad dream,” I answered.
“Well, it must have been pretty intense.”
“It was, but it was just a dream, and you’re here with me right now. That’s all that matters.”
“I am. And, I will always be here for you,” he said, wrapping me in his arms.
“I know,” I whispered. “And I will always be here for you.”
“Abi,” he breathed, kissing my forehead. “I want to let you know now, before another second can pass…” he brushed a strand of hair from my face. “ I need you to know that I love you.”
I never thought I’d hear those words from my best friend, but now, they were the most beautiful words I’d ever heard spoken.
“I love you too,” I said breathless, closing my eyes, my head spinning. I was love drunk, and he did it to me. I was floating high on one of the soft clouds passing above us. He leaned over and sealed the night with another warm kiss.
We cuddled in silence for quite some time, and as I lay in the comfort of his arms, I remembered what the Sergeant said. It really bothered me.
“Did you hear what the Sergeant said about the safe zone?” I asked softly.
“No, what about it?”
“He said only married couples can stay together, and anyone over the age of ten will be designated to specific bunkers, so the boys and girls will be separated. We won’t be able to hang out or see each other, except during meal times.”
“Really?” he paused. His eyes went distant. “Then I guess I’ll be looking forward to my meals.” A wide smile formed on his face.
“Finn, this is serious. He also said everyone will be training and once they’re ready, they would be sent out on assignments to fight the Arvies. They won’t send us out together.”
“Abi, don’t worry too much about the safe zone. We have too much to worry about right now, and like you said… right now, at this very moment… we are here. This moment is the only thing I want on my mind. No Arvies. No fighting. No worry of radiation or the future. We aren’t promised tomorrow, so let’s make these moments count. We can worry about and deal with all the crap as it comes.”
I nodded. He was right.
“Plus, I plan on marrying you one day.”
I gasped. “You do?”
“Of course, Abi,” he breathed. “I want you. I want every part of you. You’ve been a part of my past and I want you to be my future.”
I couldn’t speak. He had completely taken my breath away.
“Of course, it won’t be anytime soon, but until it does happen… I have something I want to give to you. It’ll be sort of like a promise from me to you.” He pulled a golden chain from his neck, and around it was a petite golden ring. “This was my grandmother’s, who lived in Russia. I never met her, but it’s the only thing I have of hers. He took the ring off and slid it onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
“Finn,” I breathed. “I can’t take your grandmother’s ring. It’s a keepsake,” I said, pulling it off.
Finn stopped me. “Yes, it is a keepsake, but so are you,” he said, pushing it back on. “I want you to have it Abi, and I know my grandmother would be proud I gave it to you. It’s a promise ring, and as long as you are wearing it, you will have a part of me. Well, you already have my heart.”
His smile melted my insides, and my heart felt like it was about to burst. “Thank you. I couldn’t love anything more,” I said, leaning over and kissing him. I held up the ring to examine it. It was a beautiful antique filigree ring with an emerald stone inset into it.
He’d given me something so precious, so I felt I needed to give him something in return. I unfastened the only piece of jewelry I owned from around my neck. It was a necklace given to me from my mother’s parents, my grandparents. It was a sterling silver chain, with a pair of silver angel’s wings attached to it, given to me as a gift of protection.
I took it from my neck and fastened it onto Finn’s. It was shorter than the golden chain he was already wearing, but it actually looked good on him.
“Abi, are you sure you want to give me this?” he asked. He knew this was the only piece of jewelry that I owned and treasured. The only time I took it off was when I showered.
“I’m sure. Now you will always have a piece of me,” I whispered. “Although, you also have my heart.
“It’s perfect,” he breathed. “I guess these wings will suffice, until I have all of you.”
I could feel myself blush.
“I guess I better head into my own tent before the sun rises and your dad calls for my head on a platter,” he smiled.
“Yes, we wouldn’t want that. I love your head. Besides, it has my necklace around it,” I winked.
He laughed and rolled me onto my back, pinning me down. “I love you, Abigail Park. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to say those words.”
I shook my head, and felt my emotions bubble. I had no idea that Finn actually had the same feelings I did. “What are you thinking right now?” he breathed, his lips so close to mine, taunting me.
“Kiss me you fool,” I said, wrapping my arms tightly around neck.
“Gladly,” he smiled, and for the second time that night…I was gone.
Chapter 12
TOPSIDE: DAY 5
The next morning I awoke in my tent, and had no recollection of when Finn left. I sighed internally. Was it all a dream? I quickly lifted my hand, and gasped at the beautiful green gem resting on my finger.
It wasn’t a dream. Finn and I did make promises to each other.
The thought warmed me and instantly brought a smile to my face.
“Abigail Armstrong,” I whispered to myself, staring at the ring. I knew it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, but the name did have a nice sound to it.
We still had about thirty days to get to the safe zone, and anything could happen between now and then. I just hoped they could find a new fuel source. Damn Arvies. Fuel was the one thing that could mean the difference between staying alive or dying.
I quickly unzipped my pack and took out a washcloth, toothbrush, and brush. I brushed through my hair and tied it back into a ponytail, then poured a little water onto my washcloth and wiped my face. Then, I poured water to dampen my toothbrush, spread some toothpaste on it and brushed. I hated feeling grimy, and being without the simple pleasures we had in the hive.
Out of no
where, multiple gun shots were fired, but they were distant. I quickly unzipped my tent and saw Uncle Frank quickly putting out the fire. Someone had forgotten to put it out before daylight. Thank God there wasn’t too much smoke.
Another flurry of gun shots echoed. We quickly ran to the edge of the mountain and ducked behind some rocks. We were completely shocked at the scene below. There were three men running towards some rocks below us, and about twenty Arvies in pursuit of them. The men had guns, and were shooting on the run, trying to get away from the Arvies, but they were soon pinned behind a wall of rocks. They had no chance, because there was no exit, and it would be a matter of time before they ran out of bullets.
“Everyone grab your weapons,” Uncle Frank urged. None of us hesitated. We ran back to our camping area, and I realized I hadn’t seen Finn yet. His tent was still zipped shut. He was probably still inside. After I grabbed and loaded Hellfire, I ran to his tent.
“Finn,” I called. “Finn?” I unzipped his tent and found it was empty. My heart dropped. “Uncle Frank. Have you seen Finn?”
“Yes, he’s with his mother,” he said. “Go get him, and tell him get his shotgun ready.”
I exhaled a loud sigh of relief. I turned toward his mother’s tent and saw him peek his head out.
“Miss me already?” he chuckled.
“No. I mean, yes. But we have a situation. You need to get your gun. There are survivors below that are surrounded by Arvies.”
Gun shots echoed through the air again. Finn quickly exited his mom’s tent and ran to his own. A few seconds later he exited with his gun.
“Abi, I need you to take my rifle, and see if you can take out the ones that are a direct threat to the men,” Uncle Frank said, handing me his CheyTac Intervention sniper rifle. He taught me everything he knew about sniping, and I’d practiced on the rifle a few times a month. I loved sharpshooting. This rifle had become one of my favorite weapons, and I never missed my mark. In the hive that is… However, I never had to factor in wind, gravity, or heat, but the distance was just as far as what I was used to shooting.
“Abi!” My mother’s voice was filled with concern.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be shooting from up here. Far away.”
“You can do this, Abi,” Finn said. I nodded, and followed Uncle Frank while the others hung back and waited, ready for anything.
This was my first real sniping mission, and I was both excited and terrified. The weapon weighed about thirty pounds so Uncle Frank carried it to the edge where I would shoot.
We found a good place to rest the rifle while I took my position. I found the easiest way for me to shoot was in a sitting position with the bi-pod deployed. I could feel my hands shaking. I needed to calm myself and remember the proper way to breathe. Sniping wasn’t just point and shoot, it was a learned and practiced skill. Soldiers went through training courses to master it. I was just a seventeen year old girl, who learned from my Uncle. He said I was a natural, so I hoped that all the years of practicing would pay off.
Uncle Frank was my spotter, and sat right next to me with his scope.
“Ready, Abi? You can do this. Easy as pie. Targets are approximately 115 yards away. Just line up the shot. Right now the wind is dead, so just shoot once and we can adjust from there.
“Okay,” said, placing my eye up to the scope, and lining up my shot.
I took in a deep breath and tried to steady myself. There was one Arvy that was ahead of the rest, and getting very close to the survivors.
My first target.
When I felt I had it in my sights, I took in another slow, deep breath.
“One shot, one kill,” Uncle Frank whispered.
“One shot, one kill,” I repeated, and pulled the trigger. Bam!
Shit! I missed.
I quickly cleared the casing and loaded another round.
“You were a few inches to the left. Adjust and try again.” His eyes remained focused through the scope. I quickly adjusted and. Bam!
The Arvy dropped to the ground. Direct shot!
The men below glanced around trying to figure out where that kill shot came from, but we couldn’t flag them and risk giving away our location. There was no time to hesitate. I cleared and loaded another round, and aimed for the next one. Bam!
The next Arvy went limp and hit the ground.
“Two out of three. You’ve got this, Abi,” Uncle Frank cheered quietly.
I quickly scanned the pale bodies and noticed that there was one particular Arvy, standing near the middle, which seemed to be making a lot of noise and waving the others forward.
Was he leading them? Maybe these creatures were smarter than we thought. Maybe they did have leaders, like the one we saw in the city.
I wasn’t going to sit around and guess, so I planned on taking out that one next.
Just as I had it focused in my sites, its milky white eyes snapped up to me.
What the ---?
It took me off guard, and was freaking me out, because its eyes never left me. It suddenly bared its teeth, and then… It held up its decrepit fingers, like a gun, and pretended to shoot me!
I blinked, not believing what I was seeing.
Are you freaking kidding me?
“Uncle Frank, middle of the pile.”
“I see it! Shoot the bastard!”
I slowly pressed the trigger and saw red splat as the bullet took out its eye. It dropped and the others around it suddenly stopped, and gathered around it. They looked confused.
“That’s what happens when you threaten me, ass wipe,” I breathed, triumphing.
“Girl, you are on fire. You have three shots left before we change out the magazine.”
“Got it. Did you see what that thing did to me?”
Just as I chambered another round and looked through my site, I noticed the rest of the Arvies started to retreat. As they did, the three men charged out from hiding with their guns blazing. They took out six more before the Arvies disappeared from sight.
“I did, and it makes it pretty clear. These things aren’t as mindless or wild as we originally thought. Considering their actions with the fueling stations and then what we saw today, I believe they obviously still have some brain juice. I’ll have to talk to Sergeant Powell and see what other signs they may have noticed. They clearly possess a lot of human sense. If they were completely crazed, they wouldn’t have retreated. They would have kept coming. But when you took out the one that seemed to be leading them, they scattered.”
I nodded. This was helpful information, and could be a plus in battle if they didn’t already know this for themselves.
“They’ve retreated,” Uncle Frank said, dropping his scope. “We need to let the survivors know we’re here. I’ll go down and get them.”
“Uncle Frank, please make sure they know you’re trying to help, so they don’t shoot you,” I said.
“I’ll be careful,” he assured me. “And nice shooting, Abi.”
“Thanks,” I blushed. I was pretty dang proud of myself. I was getting used to firing under pressure.
“Stephen,” Uncle Frank called my dad. “You need to get the rest of the group ready to move. I have a feeling those damn things will be back now that they know where the survivors are, and they’ll probably bring reinforcements.”
My dad agreed and quickly called everyone together. As soon as he gave everyone instructions, we all tore down our tents and packed everything up quicker than we ever had before. Finn and I helped pack his mother’s things, and made sure she was set.
Our group was like a well-oiled machine. We all knew exactly what needed to be done and moved like a team. It had been part of our daily life in the hive. Even Sergeant Powell was impressed.
“My girl is total kick-ass,” Finn whispered, wrapping his arm around me.
“Whatever,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I just hope you won’t ever want to kill me.”
“Never! Unless…” I teased in a sing-song voic
e, “You turn into one of them.”
“I won’t have to worry about that with you around,” Finn laughed.
Soon, Uncle Frank returned with the three survivors. I could tell they were related, because they had almost identical facial features, and were dressed alike. From the boots, the flannel shirts, hats; they were all cowboy. Their faces were tanned, very dirty, and they looked like they needed to shave. But underneath it all, you could tell they were pretty good looking. Their eyes were a piercing sapphire blue, and they had light brown hair, with strong facial features, and looked to be in their thirties.
“Hello,” my father said, extending his hand. “My name is Stephen Park, and these are members of my group.”
“Howdy,” the one in the middle said, shaking his hand.
“Are you triplets?” Sergeant Powell asked.
“Yes. Is it that obvious?” He laughed, and everyone else joined him. “My name is Peter Abbott, and these are my brothers, James and John. We were traveling with a group of eleven, but were attacked by those monsters a few days ago. We tried to fight, but we were outnumbered, and knew that if we didn’t run…we’d die.”
“What happened to the others?” my mother asked.
Peter shook his head, and a look of sadness filled his eyes. “We think they were all killed, ma’am. We did everything we could.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said, sadly.
“These past few days have been rough, and we’re very thirsty. Do ya’ll have any water you could spare?” his brother James asked.
“Of course,” my father said. My father gave Peter his canteen, and Finn and I handed his brothers ours.
“Thank you. It’s very generous, knowing how hard it is to get fresh water up here. We won’t take much. Just enough to quench our thirst.”
It was then I noticed their lips were dried, cracked, and bloodied. I wondered how long they’d been without water.
“It’s alright. Take what you need. We’ll make due,” my father answered.
They all took swigs from the canteens and sighed in relief once the water passed their lips.
“Who is it we owe our thanks to? You have one damn good sniper,” Peter said.