“Where the hell did they take it? That gun is very special to me.”
“I don’t know, but I can ask my dad,” she said. “He might be able to find out where it is. Do you really have your own gun?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“What kind of gun is it?”
“It’s a Glock 27, and her name is Hellfire.”
“Hellfire? Wow. It must be a really special gun if you named it and gave it a gender,” she giggled.
“It is. She’s saved my ass more than a few times since we left our hive.”
Tina gasped and her hand flew up to her mouth. “Did - did you shoot anything?”
“Yes, and everything I did shoot, died.” I made sure to emphasize the last part.
I couldn’t tell if she actually believed me, but I could tell that I was freaking her out because her eyes were the size of silver dollars.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. Then she steeled her eyes onto mine. “Did you see those creatures?”
Thinking back, it all felt like a nightmare. Everything we’d been through since we left the hive was one big blur.
“Abi?” She asked, snapping me from my zone.
“Yes, we did see them. A lot more than we would have liked, and even came face to face with a few hundred or so.”
“Oh my God! How did you survive?”
“A lot of luck, prayer, and weapons,” I said.
She was standing still, gaping at me like I was some kind of weirdo. “Will you teach me how to shoot?”
“How? We have no weapons to train with.”
“Well, maybe you can just do a simple show-and-tell on how it works. We girls were trained the basics of hand-to-hand and how to use knives, but only the boys were trained with the real weapons. Do you think you could just explain it, so if I ever do get a chance to shoot one, I won’t be a complete idiot?”
“I guess I could,” I answered.
“Thank you! Thank you!” she squealed, giving me a hug.
That was awkward, especially since we’d just met. But I guess I should get used to it. She seemed nice enough, and we would be sharing a room together.
“Do you really think you can find out where my gun went?”
“I know someone who would know,” she said. “So, does the boy who gave you the ring know how to fight too?”
“Finn?” My thoughts instantly went to him, and a smile formed on my lips without me knowing.
“His name is Finn?” She asked, and I nodded. “You’re so in love with him, aren’t you?” she teased.
I paused. “Can you tell?” I said, scrunching my nose.
“Oh yeah,” she giggled. “Your eyes instantly went somewhere far, far away as soon as you said his name, and then that big cheesy smile filled your face.”
I laughed. “Yeah. I guess I am in love with him,” I admitted. “Finn has been my best friend since we went underground, and we’ve been inseparable for the past thirteen years. He makes me happy, and saved my life in more ways than one. I always looked forward to another day because he was in it.”
“Well, I can’t wait to meet him, which reminds me…we should get going. Dinner’s almost ready,” she said, jumping up and heading for the door.
I was equally as excited for dinner, and couldn’t wait to see Finn, my parents, and the rest of the members of our hive. We were still together, just in a much larger, much whiter hive.
Tina led me down a maze of corridors until we reached a large door. A guard was standing next to it with an M16 strapped to his shoulder. It made me wonder. Why would they let guards carry semi-automatic weapons in the hive? Did they really think the civilians would attack when they weren’t allowed to carry weapons? Crazy.
The guard looked like he was around Finn’s age, and was dressed in army fatigue. He had brown spiked hair, light brown eyes, and was fairly handsome. As we walked closer a smile formed on his lips.
He swung the door open and stood to the side. “Good evening, Tina,” he said with a very wide smile.
“Evening, Pike,” she answered, blushing as she passed by.
“Who’s your friend?” he asked, glancing at me.
“Her name is Abigail, and she’s already taken,” she said, taking hold of my arm and pulling me through.
“Nice to meet you, Abigail,” he said.
“Yeah, nice to meet you too,” I replied. “And, it’s Abi.”
Chapter 15
As we neared the next door, my heart began to race. Probably a mixture of knowing I would see Finn, being the new girl, and the thought of finally eating a hot, yummy meal. As soon as Tina pushed open the door, the wonderful aroma of wonderful baked meatloaf swirled around me, instantly making my mouth water.
The place was bustling with people dressed in white, however there were many different ethnicities.
“Hurry, follow me!” Tina said, pushing through a cluster of younger girls.
I followed and was nudged from behind.
“Sorry,” the redhead, Ava, said sassily. “I didn’t see you.”
“Yeah, well next time, open your eyes,” I responded, and then walked away.
“Bitch.” I knew those words exited from her thin lips, and I could hear the other girls giggling behind me. The blood in my body started to boil, and every cell in my being wanted to turn around and punch her in the face, but instead I took a deep breath and kept walking. She wasn’t worth it. I wasn’t going to stoop down to her level. I knew what I could do to her, and reveled in that fact. Besides, Finn was going to be here soon.
As we stood in line, I did a cursory glance around the room, and didn’t notice anyone from my hive. The meal was served cafeteria style. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and a dessert.
“That’s peach cobbler. It’s to die for,” Tina said, pointing at the dessert. It looked and smelled heavenly.
We took our food to a table at the back corner of the room, and just sat down, when the doors burst open and the sounds of boisterous laughing and chattering filled the room. There were about twenty boys all huddled together, and I saw Charlie near the front with another boy his size. My eyes instantly searched for Finn, and then his large, familiar frame walked through the door. He didn’t notice me, but his smile was like a ray of sunshine instantly warming my insides. I glanced at Ava standing by the door, and saw her devil eyes pinned on Finn. She whispered to her friends and pointed at him, with a look of hunger.
“Oh my God!” Tina gasped. “Who is that?”
I knew who she was talking about, and it made my smile widen.
Finn definitely didn’t blend in with the rest of the boys. He was strikingly handsome, attracting the attention of most of the girls as he walked in. I watched them melt as he smiled at them, revealing his deep dimples as he walked by. They were totally swooning.
Then, his eyes scanned the room. When they landed on me, his smile widened and he waved. Every young female eye turned towards me, I smiled and waved back at him.
I didn’t have to look at Ava to know that she must have been burning with jealousy.
“Abi, is that?” Words failed Tina as she stared at me.
“Yes. That’s Finn,” I blushed, and took a bite of my meatloaf. As soon as the meat and seasonings hit my tongue, I groaned with pleasure.
“What?” Tina’s eyes were wide and her mouth gaping at me.
“Oh, sorry. It’s this food. I haven’t tasted anything like it.”
She giggled. “I told you it was to die for. We get real meat once a month, so you guys totally lucked out.”
Finn waited in line, grabbed his food, and while the boys congregated on one of the far tables, he headed in our direction.
“He’s coming,” Tina squealed so excitedly, it made me giggle.
“That’s good,” I grinned. I could feel the weight of many watchful eyes.
When Finn arrived at our table, he set his plate down next to mine. “God, I couldn’t wait to see your beautiful face,” he said, giving me a kiss on the ch
eek.
I blushed. “I couldn’t wait to see you too, and I must say, you look pretty dashing in white.”
“Yeah?” he grinned. “It’s not too bad, but these shirts are way too tight around the arms.” He tried to stretch the band around his bicep.
“Well, that’s because they designed these for normal boys. Not hulk-sized,” I giggled.
Tina burst into laughter. “You guys are like the perfect couple.”
Finn glanced up at her and looked like he wanted to ask ‘who are you?’
I quickly introduced her. “Finn, this is my roommate, Tina. Tina, this is Finn, my-”
“Boyfriend,” he finished, holding his hand out to her. Tina took his hand, and as she did, her face turned bright red.
“Nice to meet you, Finn. Abi’s told me about you.”
Finn turned to me. “She has? I hope it was good stuff.”
“Oh, it was,” Tina gushed, “and the ring, it’s very beautiful.”
Finn’s head snapped to me. “They let you keep it?” he asked.
“Yep,” I winked, flashing him my finger. I had to give a sob story, but it worked. There was no way I’d part with this.
He grinned. “When I noticed they weren’t letting anyone keep anything, I gave them my necklace, but hid yours in the side of my mouth. I was hoping they weren’t going to ask me any questions.”
“You have the necklace?” I was shocked.
“Right here,” he said patting near his heart. It was hidden under his shirt. “Like hell if I’d let them take the only gift I have from my girl. They took all of our weapons, and we better get those back.”
“Yeah, I was just asking Tina about that. She said she knows someone who might know where our weapons went.”
“So they have Hellfire?”
“Yep.”
“You know about Hellfire?” Tina asked.
“Abi’s gun? Of course. That black piece of metal is a killing machine, and Abi is the magician who wields it,” Finn said, wrapping his arm around me.
“Umm…” Tina pointed behind us with a worried look.
“Excuse me, but physical contact between a male and a female is prohibited unless you’re married,” a man in army fatigue recited. He stepped up with his hands folded behind his back, with a gun holstered at his waist.
“Are you kidding me?” Finn asked, looking directly at him. His arm never left me. “I can’t put my arm around my girlfriend?”
“It’s against the rules,” the man said. “I see you’re both new here, so I’ll let it slide this time. But we do have rules here. You and the rest of the survivors will probably be briefed tomorrow. Until such time, I must ask that you refrain from contact while you are among the others who are abiding by these laws.”
“That’s bullshit,” Finn said under his breath, and unwillingly removed his arm from around me.
“Thank you,” the man said, and then turned away.
“Hey, it’s alright,” I whispered.
“So, it’s illegal to even touch you now? It’s not like we’re gonna do anything stupid.”
Tina leaned in close to us. “Love will find a way,” she whispered, and then sat back again. I grinned and looked at Finn, but he was still pissed about the rule and shook his head.
I glanced around the room and noticed one other man dressed in army fatigues. It was odd. Like we were prisoners rather than survivors.
A few minutes later, my parents entered the hall, all smiles and clean-looking. They were accompanied by Uncle Frank, Aunt Sandy, my grandparents, and the Hatch’s. Lily came in a few minutes later with her new roommate, and they were both smiling. I assumed Dr. Banks was with his wife in the infirmary, along with Finn’s mom. It was nice to see familiar faces among the unfamiliar and not so friendly.
After dinner I introduced Tina to my family, and Finn introduced me to his roommate, Grant. He was about a foot shorter than Finn, and had no muscles. He was fifteen and had light brown hair, brown eyes, and a nice smile with dimples like Finn. They both seemed to get along, and I could tell they were a good match because Grant would burst out in laughter every time Finn spoke.
Everyone seemed to be happy here, and that made me happy. At least I’d still be able to see them every day. As we made our way through the exit door, Finn grabbed my arm and swung me into him, wrapping his arms around me and planting a quick, firm kiss on my lips.
“Until next time,” he said. Then, he let go and turned to walk away, leaving me stunned and frozen for a moment.
I felt a touch on my shoulder, and heard Tina giggle.
“You know, that was awesome, but it could cause some major problems.
“Yeah,” I breathed.
“We better move. Thank goodness there weren’t any guards around.”
I quickly turned to avoid the daggered stares of some of the girls behind me. I knew they were jealous because Finn was gorgeous, and he was mine. He was like a spotlight in the darkness, and he not only looked good on the outside, but he had an inner magnetism filled with wit and charisma.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and a younger girl, around ten or eleven, stood there.
“What do you want, Hannah?” Tina snapped.
“Ava told me to tell her that she better watch herself, or she’ll swipe her boyfriend away.”
Tina’s jaw tightened and her eyes rolled.
“You tell, Ava -” Tina huffed, but I stepped in.
“You tell her, I’d like to see her try,” I replied, looking up at Ava, smiling. If my eyes could shoot daggers, she’d be filled with them. I wasn’t worried. I knew Finn, and I knew she didn’t stand a chance with him.
The girl nodded. “Okay,” she sung, turning and prancing back to Ava. I knew she was watching me, but I didn’t flinch. I left my head up, kept my cool, and walked away.
Hey, it wasn’t my fault the boys here were lame. Maybe if they were allowed some kind of contact, they wouldn’t be so…uninterested. Or maybe they were interested, but didn’t want to show it because they’d get punished.
“Ava is such a bitch. She only acts like that because her dad is one of the leaders here,” Tina said.
“Well, I believe in karma, and what goes around comes around. I just hope I’ll be there to witness it when it does.”
“Yeah, just like me and 99.9% of the other girls here.”
I laughed. I really liked Tina. She was cool, and I knew as the days passed, we could become close friends.
When the lights went out, my mind was still wide awake. The horrors, from the moment we stepped out of the hive, replayed over and over like a horrible rerun. In the quiet, I couldn’t help but think of anything else I could have, or should have, done to save Dr. Lisa. The thought of her lying in the infirmary with a bite wound - that would change her into one of those horrifying creatures - made me sick. It would haunt me forever.
I laid there for what seemed like endless hours, and knew if there was any chance of functioning in the morning, I needed to get some sleep. I turned my thoughts to Finn and the positive things in my life. I held his ring in my hand, clasping it tightly to my heart. I pictured his smiling face, his arms wrapped tightly around me, and his soft, full lips pressed against mine. For a moment I felt peace, and somewhere in that tiny span of happiness…I fell asleep.
Chapter 16
SAFE ZONE
TOPSIDE: DAY 6
The sound of a peaceful melody woke me. I opened my eyes and noticed Tina wasn’t in bed.
“Good morning,” she said, walking out from the bathroom. “You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake you. Breakfast is in one hour, and then you will have to go to the Conference Hall for your briefing. You know, to learn the rules and regulations of the place,” she said sarcastically.
“Wonderful. Will the rest of the group I came with be there too?”
“They should be. This is the first time we’ve had new people come into the hive, and they also picked up about twenty new survivors last night. I
’m sure they’ll be there too.”
“How do you get all your information?” I asked.
“Oh, I have connections,” she winked.
“Mhmm. Okay, Miss Secret Agent. Should I be afraid of you?” I laughed.
“Nah, I’m harmless…most of the time.”
“Good to know. Just give me a head’s up before you decide to Jekyll and Hyde my butt.”
Tina started cracking up.
“Robert Louis Stevenson. I love that story, and I promise not to Jekyll and Hyde you without fair warning.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said giving a thumbs-up. I propped myself up and shuffled to the bathroom. It was good to know they were finding and bringing more survivors to safety.
***
During breakfast, Finn didn’t show up. It was the very first time, in thirteen years, we hadn’t had breakfast together. The room felt dark and empty, and I felt lost.
Tina must have noticed. “He’s training today,” she explained. “There was some trouble at one of the gas pumps, and they sent more military reinforcements, so they stepped up the training for everyone else. Just in case.”
I was pissed, and should be training, not sitting around fiddling my thumbs, or scrubbing dishes and toilets. I was a fighter. I needed to train to stay sharp. I knew it was inevitable Finn would be sent back into battle, but the thought of him being out there without me, wrenched my heart and gut. We were a team, and knew we could cover each other’s back better than anyone else would.
After breakfast, Tina escorted me to the Conference Hall.
“I’ll see ya, later,” she said.
“Thanks. See ya,” I repeated.
When I entered, the room was full and everyone was already seated. Half the room was filled with new faces, and everyone had the same expression - lost and exhausted. I quickly scanned the room, and noticed Finn wasn’t here either. Neither was Dr. Banks or Anya.
Our group was sitting on the left side of the room, and the other survivors were seated on the right.
I sighed and shuffled to my parents, who were near the middle, and took a seat between my mom and my grandma. Shortly after, a man walked in wearing a uniform. His blond hair was neatly drawn back, and his thin lips were pressed in a tight line.