“It’s Finn. They sent him out this morning with a team, and their helicopter went down somewhere outside one of the towns. They are sending a rescue helicopter out in a few hours.”
Everything went numb. “Wait…what? Finn is where?”
“Since he was already trained, they sent him and a few others to relieve another team that had been active for about five days. When they were getting ready to land, something happened and their chopper went down.”
It took a few moments to process her words.
“No. No. No.” I breathed. My eyes filled with tears so fast, I couldn’t see. “This can’t be happening.” My greatest fear, and my worst nightmare. Finn was out there, possibly hurt, and possibly - No. I refused to believe he was dead.
I suddenly couldn’t breathe, and the walls felt like they were closing in. I should have been with him. He and I were a team. We were supposed to be fighting together.
“Who is leading the rescue?” I questioned. My body was trembling.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
“I need to get in touch with my parents.”
“Your father has already been notified, as well as Finn’s mother.”
My heart sank as I thought of Anya and what she must have been feeling. “Tina, I need your help now, more than ever. I need to know how I can get onto that rescue helicopter. I’m going to look for him.”
“What? Abi, there is no way you can go out there. Those creatures are everywhere. You’ll be killed.”
“That’s why I have to go. I have to go and find him and bring him back. I won’t be able to sleep, or breathe, or live, until I know he’s safe.”
She nodded. “Alright. I’ll be right back. Don’t do anything stupid that might land you in a cell.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
I went to the bathroom, washed my face, and tied my hair up, then whispered to God. He seemed to listen the last time I talked to him so I thought I’d give it another shot. “Hey. It’s Abi. You listened to me once, and you sent someone to save us. Thanks for that…if it was you. This time I’m asking for help. Not for me, but for Finn. Please take care of him. Please keep him safe until help arrives.”
There was a knock on the door, and as soon as I opened it I dropped into my dad’s arms.
“Abi, don’t worry. Everything will be alright,” he said, hugging me tightly. Uncle Frank was standing next to him. “We’re having an emergency meeting in the conference room right now.”
The world around me became like a whirlwind throwing me off balance, so I held onto my dad’s hand for support. He led me down the corridors. The halls seemed different, like this wasn’t real, and I would be waking soon.
When we finally reached the conference room, everyone from our previous hive was there, except for Dr. Banks.
Anya was sitting on a chair, sobbing. She was being comforted by my mother, grandmother, and Mei.
I walked up to her, and placed my hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked at me, then stood and hugged me tightly.
“They took my Finn from me, Abi. They took him and I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.”
“I know,” I whispered. “Neither did I.”
My father walked to the front and cleared his throat.
“I called you here because we just received word that Finn is missing, along with six others in his unit. They were deployed to relieve another group of soldiers at a fueling station, but they never made it.”
“Headquarters received an emergency call from the pilot, saying something was wrong with the engine. They think the chopper went down somewhere right outside of a city about forty minutes away. A group of soldiers nearby were sent to find the chopper, but only found one body. Deceased. The rest are MIA.
“In an hour, a rescue chopper will be sent out, and they have given us two spots on that chopper for anyone who would like to help.”
“I’ll be going,” Uncle Frank said, standing and raising his hand. His wife began sobbing.
“I’m going with you.” I said. I stood tall and firm, and wanted everyone in the room to know.
“No, you’re not, Abi,” my dad said.
“You can’t stop me dad. It’s Finn. I know him better than anyone else, and if he’s alive, I will find him.”
“Abi, you can’t go,” my mom said, shaking her head.
“Mom, you of all people should realize why I have to do this.” I paused and fought my tears, because this was the very first time I’d open up and share my feelings. “I love him, and will not stand by knowing he’s out there. Not if I can do something about it. If you don’t let me go with the chopper, I’ll walk out and look for him myself. One way or another, I will leave here to look for him, even if I die trying.”
“Abi, we all love him, but -” my dad started to speak, but I cut in.
“You don’t understand. I am in love with him. He could be hurt, and if he is, he needs me to come and find him. I know, for a fact, that he would not hesitate if I were in trouble. I know he’d be there for me. And so do you.”
The room was quiet for a moment, and then my Uncle Frank spoke.
“Stephen, maybe she’s right. Even if there is a small chance she can find him, it’s worth a shot. We’ll never know if she doesn’t try. Besides, she could never live with herself, or forgive you, if she doesn’t go.”
My father’s eyes welled with tears. “People are dying out there, Frank, and she’s my only child,” my father said.
Anya stood up with tears cascading down her cheeks. “Finn is my only son. He is my life. He is my everything.”
“You’ll have my word, Stephen. I will protect Abi with my life,” Uncle Frank promised.
Unexpectedly, my Aunt Sandy stood and spoke. “Stephen, I have faith in my husband, and know he will keep Abi safe. He’s the love of my life, and the father of our only child, but I also know that if he was ever lost out there, I would go and look for him.”
Uncle Frank turned to her and she fell into his arms, weeping.
My dad paused and then walked up to me, wrapping his arms around me. “Find Finn and bring him back safely,” he whispered.
“I will,” I sobbed.
Soon after, I felt my mother’s arms wrap around me. “Please stay safe, sweetheart, and come back to us,” she wept. I nodded.
The rest of the members of our hive took turns saying goodbye, not knowing for sure if they would ever see us again. Hell, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but knew I couldn’t stay behind the walls of this safe zone while Finn was out there.
“Abi, meet me back here in thirty minutes,” Uncle Frank said.
I nodded, and then headed back to my room.
As soon as I walked in, Tina shot up off the bed.
“Abi, my father said he approved two spots on the chopper for members of your hive.”
“Yes, my uncle and I are going. Please tell him that we appreciate it.”
“Your parents let you go?” she gasped.
“They didn’t have a choice.”
“Abi, I would go with you, but my father has made sure that everyone knows I’m not to leave this facility.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to come with me, Tina, but thank you.”
Tina handed me a medium sized duffle bag.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“I had a feeling you would find a way on that chopper, so I picked up your gear.”
“Gear?”
“Your battle fatigues. It also has a gas mask and radiation suit, which you’ll need to put on before you get to the city. The levels of radiation are higher there because it was near a nuclear power plant. So hurry and get ready.”
“Were they given suits and masks?”
“Yes. Everyone sent out gets a duffle with all the same gear.”
“Thank you, Tina,” I said, hugging her.
“I know you’ll find him, Abi. I have a feeling,” she said.
“Thank you.”
As I tu
rned to go change, there was a rapping at our door. When I pressed the button to slide it open, Ava was standing outside.
“I don’t have time for your bullshit, Ava,” I said, turning away from her.
“Wait. Please… I just came to say I’m sorry.”
I froze and turned back to her. “What?” I snapped, confused.
“I came to apologize. There is nothing going on between me and Finn. He’s a really nice guy, but he’s obviously in love with you. Believe me, I tried hard. I even tried to kiss him, but he pushed me away. That was a first for me,” she said, her face a little twisted.
“Really?” I questioned.
“Really. So, I heard Finn is missing on an assignment, but so is my brother. He was with them too, so I’ll be joining the rescue,” she paused, and then turned around to walk away.
“Ava,” I called after her.
“Yeah?”
“I hope I didn’t hurt you on the mat yesterday.”
She smirked. “You can really kick ass. I respect that. And, no, you didn’t hurt me, but you did injure my ego. It’ll heal…eventually. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. I bet it felt awesome to put the bitch on her back, right?”
“A little,” I grinned.
She nodded and then walked away.
The door slid shut and Tina huffed. “Well, that was pretty freaking amazing. Ava never apologizes – to anyone. This is a first, and I was here to witness it.”
“Who is Ava’s brother?”
“Grant.”
“Grant? As in Finn’s roommate?” I gasped.
“Yep.”
“Grant is Ava’s brother? They look nothing alike.”
“Yes, but he’s not her biological brother. He’s her step-brother. It may not seem like it, but they are actually very close,” she said.
“Isn’t Grant only fifteen?”
“Yes.”
“If his dad is one of the leading officers, why would he give permission to send his fifteen year old son out?”
“Probably because he is the step-dad, and he’s a real ass wipe. He’s not the fatherly type, even with Ava. He has no problem sending anyone into battle, even if it’s his own kids.”
“Wow. That sucks,” I said.
I started to feel sorry for Ava. I didn’t know what I would do if I didn’t have the love and support of my father. He was our leader, our provider, the one who saved the members of our hive. My father instilled every good thing inside of him, into me. He taught me to be strong, and to stand up for what I believed in.
Now I knew why Ava was the way she was. She craved attention because she wasn’t getting it from her father. And also because no one ever stood up to her. Together they created the monster.
Chapter 21
I dressed in the camouflage fatigues Tina brought me. I glanced in the mirror, and almost didn’t recognize myself. My eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles under them.
I flashed back to simpler days, not too long ago, where Finn and I were safe and together in our old hive. A hot tear escaped my eye. I wiped it away and swore it would be the very last one I’d shed over my old life. We needed to focus on the future.
First things first. I needed to find Finn.
Tina knocked on the door. “Abi, it’s time to go.”
“Alright,” I said, taking in a deep breath.
I opened the door and she smiled. “Take care of yourself, okay? I’ll see you soon,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’ll see you soon,” I repeated.
I kept the radiation suit and the gas mask in the bag, since we would have more than enough time to put them on in-flight.
We met in the conference room and there were a few familiar faces. Pike was there, along with Uncle Frank, General Donnelly, and Ava. I thought there would be others, but I guess this was it.
I walked up to Pike and whispered. “Does Tina know you’re going?”
“No. This was a last minute decision. You and Finn have become friends of mine, and I wanted to help.”
“Thank you,” I said, giving him a hug.
He nodded, and then suddenly the door opened. Captain Decker, our rescue pilot, and the cowboy triplets, Peter, James, and John Abbott entered the room.
“Abi,” Peter said walking up to me.
“Hey. What are you guys doing here?” I asked.
“I told you we owed you one. You’re uncle told us about your guy, so we’ve come to help,” he replied. His brothers grinned and nodded in agreement. They looked so different cleaned up, and in army fatigues.
Captain Decker was chatting with Uncle Frank at the back.
General Donnelly took the front and gave a speech, and when it was over, I couldn’t recall a word he said. I was anxious and wanted to move. Every second was precious time ticking away. All I could think about was getting in the air and getting to Finn. The longer we stood in this room, the longer he would be out there without backup.
Every negative scenario ran through my mind, but I quickly forced them out.
Then, before the General left, he spoke a few words that caught my attention.
“This is a rescue mission. We know of one casualty, but don’t know the status of the others. Once you hit the ground, you will have exactly thirty minutes to locate and find those who are missing. If you cannot find them, you will need to head back to the pick-up zone. Because of danger, the pilot cannot land, and only has enough fuel to stay in the air for thirty minutes before returning. After that time, he has direct orders to head back to the hive, with or without you.”
So now there was a tight time constraint to the rescue mission. I would have to find Finn quickly. I just hoped he knew to leave me clues, like we always did growing up in the hive. We could find each other anywhere, just by leaving simple clues. It was something we’d done for years.
We all left and headed for the choppers. General Donnelly stayed behind, but I was glad to hear Captain Decker would be our pilot.
The whole mission began to sink in as we walked toward the exit. Uncle Frank turned back to me, “You ready for this, Abi?”
“Never more,” I answered. I couldn’t wait to get onto the helicopter and take to the air. I felt like I was suffocating within these walls, knowing Finn wasn’t here.
When we reached the helicopter, the blades were already turning. We jumped on and took our seats. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was glad we still had daylight. Everyone was quiet. The cowboy brothers were at the back, and Ava and Pike were seated behind me, both had blank looks on their faces. I hoped she could find her brother. I hoped were able to find all those that went down, but I was only going for one. Finn.
Uncle Frank unzipped his bag and carefully lifted out a weapon.
“Here,” he said. He handed me Hellfire, which was secure in a new waist holster. There was a thirteen round magazine already loaded, and eight more fully loaded with hollow points, attached to the holster. Now I was complete. I was ready for war.
“Thank you,” I said, overcome with emotion.
“I thought you needed a friend right about now.”
I nodded. “We have to find him,” I almost begged.
“I know,” he replied. “We will.”
“I won’t leave without him.”
“And, I won’t leave without you,” he promised.
“Thanks, Uncle Frank. For everything.”
He put his arm around me. “That’s what family’s for. No matter what, all we have is each other.”
I hugged him tightly, and then secured Hellfire and her ammo to my waist.
We flew for about thirty minutes, and then Captain Decker spoke. “We’ll be landing in ten minutes. I suggest you put on your masks, and get ready for drop off. As soon as all of you are out, you will have 30 minutes to meet at the pick-up zone. I’ll mark it with red smoke, but know that it will be close to the crash site.”
“Do we need radiation suits?” Ava asked.
“I would put them on, just in case,” Uncle Frank said. “It’s also another layer of protection against the Arvies.”
I secured the mask to my face and made sure it was on tight. I didn’t want it loose or hindering my vision, just in case we had to do battle. I needed to be able to see everything around me clearly. Then, I pulled the radiation suit over me.
“Get ready for a quick drop off. I’ll need to get back into the air ASAP. I can’t risk an attack,” Captain Decker said. “We need this bird to fly us all home.”
“Yeehaw!” Peter yelled. “We’re ready!”
“Yeehaw!” his brothers echoed. Everyone else turned and laughed.
I secured my pack to my back and held Hellfire in my hand, every molecule of my body was focused. Ready for our mission. No deviating. The sun was starting to set, so we were not only rushing against time, we were working against the darkness.
“We’re coming up to the crash site,” Captain Decker announced. Everyone was on edge, and we could cut the apprehension with the knife. “God help us. Someone man the gun!”
Uncle Frank leapt over and took the gunner position. As we neared the location, my heart shattered. There were about fifty Arvies surrounding the downed chopper. All of the windows were broken, the blades were broken off and missing. It was lying on its side, and any hope for survivors was quickly passing.
“Can anyone see any bodies near the chopper?” Uncle Frank asked.
We all leaned over looked. I couldn’t see anything except for the Arvies surrounding it.
“It seems to be clear,” Pike answered.
All of a sudden the machine gun started firing, and we watched as the Arvies began to drop.
“What do you guys want to do? Leave or continue the mission? We need to make a decision because time is running out,” Captain Decker asked.
“Continue,” I yelled.
“No! We need to get back. Did you see how many of those things are down there? What if the Arvies killed them?” Ava cried, almost hysterical. “There were only six of them. How could they survive?”
“They could have survived. Who knows how long they had before the Arvies came,” I screamed back. “Your brother could be alive, and hiding, waiting for someone to rescue him.” I stared at her, and she closed her eyes.