Page 78 of Shelter (The Wanderers 4)

He gave it a pull and opened it before motioning for them all to descend.

Braylon climbed down the steps first and found himself in a small space faced with another door that had a keypad. He turned to help Haley down and then waited for the others, stepping out of the way when Stuart headed for the keypad.

The place was certainly secure. If anyone happened to find the hatch, they wouldn’t make it any farther than this small space.

Stuart held the door open to let everyone pass, and Rush went through first. A blond woman with huge green eyes was on the other side, and she threw her arms around Rush and hugged him close. “My God. I couldn’t believe it when I heard your voice. I’ve been pinching myself all this time.”

Rush chuckled as he turned back toward the others. “This is Maya.”

Maya smiled at all of them. “Welcome. I won’t ask your names right now. I’ll just forget, and I’m sure you’re exhausted. You must have walked all night.”

“We did,” Rush responded. “We’re dead on our feet.”

Maya stood to one side. “I’ll let you get through intake and get showers, food, and sleep. We’ll talk more later.”

Braylon was filled with gratitude, but there was no denying he’d never been more tired in his life. He was simply going through the motions at this point.

As they headed down the gray corridor, a door opened and an older man stepped out. He pulled Rush into a hug too. “Thank God you’re all right.” He motioned for everyone to follow him into the room he’d stepped from, and then led them through that room and into the next. The room wasn’t large, but it had a conference table and plenty of chairs.

Braylon pulled one out for Haley and pushed her in before sitting next to her and grabbing her hand while everyone else claimed a chair too.

The older gentleman introduced himself. “I’m Barak Winther, one of the council members here. Welcome.”

“Thank you for having us,” Braylon said, realizing how damn important this was. These people didn’t have to take them in. They had an established community. Taking in strangers would be a risk.

Barak turned to Rush. “I’m going to assume you’ve vetted these people or you wouldn’t be here and skip the pleasantries so you all can get some rest. We’ll reconvene when you’re able to keep your eyes open. You can come to the library in a few days and learn everything you’ll need to know about our community and the rules we live by.”

Braylon nodded. “Thank you.”

Rush nodded also. “These are good people, and you’ll be pleased with some of the skills they bring us.”

Barak lifted a brow and smiled. “Can’t wait to hear all about it, but it can wait.” He stood. “I don’t want to keep you. Maya said you had to have walked for days without sleep.” He motioned for them to head back out of the office. “Lowri should be in the hallway. She’ll show you to your living quarters. Please ask anyone if you need anything. We’re a very kind and helpful community.”

Emotions overwhelmed Braylon as he and his friends stepped back into the hallway and followed another woman down the corridor. He was shocked when they stepped into a large community room filled with couches on one side and a cafeteria with tables on the other side.

Lowri rushed over to a man at the end of a buffet line and took a large bag from him. She held it up. “The kitchen put together some food for you so you can go straight to your apartment. You can come out later and do some exploring after you’re rested.”

Gratitude. So much gratitude. It overflowed from Braylon’s chest as he glanced at his friends. They never imagined in their lives a place like this existed, a place where they would find safety and community. A place where everyone was equal and free.

Lowri led them down another hallway—one of several that extended off the large center room like spider legs. There were doors on both sides with numbers on them. Apartments, Braylon realized.

Finally, she stopped at one, entered a code into the keypad, and opened the door to let them pass. She handed the bag of food to Rush. “Please, let us know if you need anything. And again, welcome.”

Braylon stepped into the apartment, his gaze wide with disbelief.

Haley slid in behind him. “Seriously? We can spend the night here?”

Rush let the door shut behind them and chuckled. “You can spend your entire lives here.”

“No way,” Storm stated as he looked around.

Bray was dumbfounded. There were three bedrooms, a community space, and a bathroom.

Rush shrugged. “It’s not like the estate you were raised in, but everyone in the compound lives in these apartments. We don’t have kitchens in every living quarter so we eat most of our meals in the main dining area, but other than that, it’s like a small apartment.”

“It’s perfect.” Riggs grabbed Braylon’s arm and smiled. “We did it.”

Braylon hugged his friends. “Yes, we did.”

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