Page 50 of Shattered Love

I figured Rainer wouldn’t have an answer, still refusing to truly participate, but I was proven wrong. He grabbed my hand, tugging me away. His feet pounded against the asphalt, the sound loud enough for everyone to hear.

“The goal is to stay quiet so he can’t find us,” I told him, but Rainer covered my mouth with his hand.

“Stop talking.” He took several more steps, his footsteps still loud, before he stopped next to a car.

We stood for several seconds and then I was lifted into the air, Rainer cradling me in his arms. An exclamation begged to be set free at the surprise, but his hand still covered my mouth, stifling the noise.

This time when he walked, his steps were silent as a mouse, tracking across the highway, avoiding any sort of detection. We reached the median; the ground dipping into a crevice. Sliding down the surface, he sat me back on my feet, an off-road car near us.

“Get on your stomach,” he said and I did as I was told, lying on my stomach as he did the same.

He crawled under the car, my body following soon after his. Due to the slant of the hill, it was impossible to see under the car. And based on the noise he had made, Murphy would have no reason to believe we were across the road.

Meeting his eyes, I said, “You’re scarily good at this game.”

My idea had been to hide inside the backseat of one of the cars, but this was genius. And based on the wide grin, Rainer knew it.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The rest of the night was a blur of fun. Murphy had found us all, Mina and Aiden first and within minutes. Rainer and I stumped him, although he eventually found us. Sasha and Warner were the hardest to find, as I suspected, and it took all five of us to track them down.

The two had scaled a freaking tree, hanging in the limbs, the leaves shrouding them. When we asked how they had climbed so silently, neither of them were willing to give up their secrets.

We all took turns being the seeker and after a couple of hours, we were all finally ready for sleep. It wasn’t the most restful night, all of us cramped in the cars, but we managed to get in a few hours of rest before the sun crested the horizon.

The next day was much of the same. We walked and walked, never spotting another soul, even as we neared the larger city that housed the university and train station. The night wasn’t filled with as much fun, most of us tired from the endless walking.

Now we were on the third day and, according to Mina, only hours from the trains. There was an extra pep in my step as we walked. I could taste the salvation that awaited us.

“You seem cheerful today,” Aiden said, sliding up to my side.

I wrapped my arms around my brother, so thankful I had found him in that camp. That we both had the chance to make it out of Montana. I liked to think our parents would be proud. That Dad was looking down on us, cheering us on.

“We’re so close, Aiden. This close.” I pinched my fingers together, a small gap between.

“We still have to actually get on the train,” he reminded me, and I smacked him upside the head.

“No. You do not bring me down. You and I are going to enjoy the sun, pretend we’re going for a stroll in the neighborhood, and think happy thoughts.”

Aiden snorted, looking at me like I was crazed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were on drugs.”

Realizing he wasn’t on board with my happy-go-lucky plan, I sighed. “Look, I’ve spent the last eight months in my own personal hell. I don’t like the woods? Well, I got to live there for months on end. Want to sit back and wait for all this to blow over? No can do, the world is ending and our dad knew about it. And don’t even get me started on all the pain and torture and near-death experiences.”

I finished my rant on a breathy exhale, crossing my arms over my chest. There went my happy mood.

Aiden nudged his shoulder against mine. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Neighborhood stroll, here we are. Remember what we used to talk about on our walks?”

I smiled at the memories. “What we wanted to be when we grew up.”

We looked to each other and said in unison, “Doctor.”

Laughter echoed around us, twin smiles gracing our faces.

“Well, let’s talk about it again. There have to be jobs in the bunkers, what do you see yours being?” Aiden asked, and his question had multiple heads turning.

Mina raised her hand, saying, “They’ll need to have greenhouses to sustain people. I want to help out in there, maybe get a chance to use the degree I’ve been working toward for three years.”

“I’ll probably do the same thing, too. Teach whatever kids are there,” Murphy added.

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