Endless Winter (Book 2): Rain & Ruin (12 page)

I stand back and study my reflection in the mirror while Matty and Ben blast space invaders on the TV behind me. I can’t remember ever caring about how I looked before but I know the girls have been working on special outfits for the party tonight and I want to look good for Skylar. All I have to wear is the same jeans and canvas work shirt that everyone else has been wearing since we came inside but Belle’s made all of us guys vests to go over the shirt to jazz it up some. I’m just happy she didn’t have time to make matching ties to go with the vests. I do like the new haircut she gave me with the clippers. It’s much better than the blunt cuts she used to give us all with dull scissors by candle light. I take one more look at my reflection and then shrug my shoulders and turn away.

The boys are as cleaned up as they’re going to get and occupied with the video games they brought over from the other side. I look at the wall clock and see that there’s still an hour and a half until dinner will be served and think about going to the kitchen to beg for a snack to tide me over. It’s funny how before we came inside food was strictly rationed and I never thought about snacking but now that there’s plenty, it seems like I’m always hungry. Maybe before, my body knew there wasn’t food so it didn’t ask and now it knows there’s lots so it wants more.

I’m about to head out when Sasha steps into the room and I do a double take. She doesn’t look the same. She looks…different…good different! Her hair’s changed and it makes her look older, more like a young woman.

“Rex, there you are. I need a favor, for Skylar!”

I’m still trying to get over this different version of her so I just nod and she keeps on talking.

“We have new dresses and new hair but I wanted to give Skylar something special to say both I’m sorry and thank you. She’s never used…uh, never mind. I just have some things that I’d like to give her to go with her outfit for tonight but I don’t know how to get them.”

I shrug, “Ok, where are they? I can help you track them down in a storage room.”

She bites her lip uncertainly and glances at the boys but they’re lost in their battle so she steps closer. “The stuff I want to give her is in our bags that we left outside. Do you think any of it would have survived the rain?”

Outside? Huh, I’ve got to think about that for a minute. We had all ran inside at the time and most of us hadn’t brought anything with us. It’s the first time I’ve thought about what we left out there. I look over at Matty and realize that I left something really important out there too. I’ve kept our Mom’s wallet with everything that I thought was important in her purse with me all these years. The only thing Matty has of her are a few pictures that are in that wallet. I can see in my mind the backpack the wallet was in and where I left it in the tent. I have to get it for him. I focus back on Sasha after taking another quick look at the clock on the wall. There’s time before the party starts to run out and get the things we want.

“I’m pretty sure our stuff should be ok. It was all under tarps and in the tents. Even with the damage the rain was doing to them most of our things in the packs should have made it through. The biggest problem is, what’s it like out there right now?”

Sasha’s eyes look up at the speaker in the ceiling before looking back down at me with impatience. I find myself doing my own eye roll. Different hair, same girl!

“AIRIA, what’s the weather like outside right now?”

“Rex Larson, current weather is scattered cloud cover with mainly sun. Do you wish a long term forecast?”

“Uh, no thanks AIRIA.”

Sasha gives me a double thumbs up. “Ok, great. Let’s run out and grab that stuff right now. I want Skylar to have plenty of time to learn how to use it before the party and I know Mom’s going to want time to put it on too!”

I give Sasha a confused look. “What exactly are you going to get out there?”

She gives her head an impatient shake sending soft red curls bouncing.

“That’s a secret and you’ll just have to wait until the party to see the final results. Can we go, please?”

Before I have time to say yes, I’m interrupted.

“I wanna go to! I’ve never been outside!”

Ben’s on his knees facing backwards over the back of the couch. His face is filled with excitement and I wince at having to dash his hopes but AIRIA beats me to it.

“Benjamin Ross, you are unauthorized to leave the interior of the cavern.”

His face immediately turns to a pout. “That’s not fair!”

I step over and ruffle his hair.

“Listen buddy, going outside for your first time is a pretty big deal. Don’t you want Skylar to be with you for that? I think she’d be really upset if she didn’t get to see your face the first time you saw the sky. Hang tight little man, we’ll all be going out there together very soon.”

Ben's expression changes from pouty to disappointment but he slumps back down on the couch and picks his controller back up to play again so I turn away and wave Sasha out the door.

We’re half way to the barracks exterior door when I stop and hesitate. I turn and look back the way we come and search the main area for Lance, Ethan or Marsh to let them know what we’re doing, but I don’t see any of them. Sasha gives my arm a yank to get me moving again but I stand firm and think about going to find one of them.

“Come on, Rex! Please, the party’s going to start soon. This will only take a few minutes!”

Her words sway me and I start moving towards the door again. She’s right, our camp wasn’t more than forty feet from the main door and it’ll only take a few minutes to get there, grab our packs and get back. We’ll have to come back out another day and try and salvage the rest. I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who left precious belongings outside when we escaped the rain.

When we reach the front of the barracks, Sasha marches right up to the main overhead door and waves at me to open it. I shake my head and grab her arm to redirect her to the smaller man sized door beside it. I can just imagine the panic that would happen if the main door rolled up. I’d rather just get out and back without having to explain to too many people what we were doing. There’ll be time for everyone to go out and get their belongings on a day when there isn’t a party planned.

The small door slides open when I put my palm on the scanner and we step into the air lock. I don’t know why but I’m starting to get a bad feeling about this. I chalk it up to the frantic race to safety we went through the last time I was outside but I reach out and snag a communicator from a shelf full of charging stations. There are a whole row of hooks along one wall with heavy winter gear hanging from them and I make Sasha put one on as well. Even with ARIA’s assurances that the weather’s safe, I can’t go out there without some kind of protection. Seven years of deep freeze will stay with me for a long time.

When I palm open the next door, we both have to squint at the light that blasts through. I take a hesitant step over the threshold and stop there in amazement. The landscape is still a miserable grey wasteland but the sky, the sky! Grey/black patchy clouds float against a sky so blue it hurts my eyes. There’s a slight chill in the air but nothing like the bone freezing temperatures we’ve lived with for so long and it doesn’t stop the soft kiss of heat on the top of my head. I slowly turn and catch something in the corner of my eye but I can’t help but lift my face and feel something I haven’t felt in seven long years. The sun’s rays wash over my face and I’m so thrilled I feel tears prick at my eyes.

I just want to stand there for hours and soak it up but Sasha nudges me to the side breaking the spell.

“Soon, soon we’ll all get to live out here again, Rex, but today we’re having a party so let’s get what we came for and get back to our friends and family.”

I suck back the emotion and step out of the way so the door will close behind us. Sasha and I start walking towards the area our camp had been and we can see piles of what was left spread out everywhere in the distance. I’m still preoccupied with thoughts of the sun and how Ben’s not the only one who will need to come out here. Matty was just a baby when the sun went away. I doubt he remembers what it looked or felt like.

We’re half way to the first of the camps remains when my feet slow down. What did I see? I slowly turn and look back the way we had come but this time I keep my eyes down on the ground instead of the sky. I slowly track back our footprints until my eyes reach the door then scan the side of the mountain. Something doesn’t look right. Somethings out of place. My eyes zero in on one area and I squint against the sun and distance to try and figure out what’s bothering me until…my eyes go wide. There’s a section of the fake rock missing from the main overhead door. It almost looks like someone pried it off and tried to open…Sasha!

I spin around and lunge in her direction but she’s already reached the edge of the camp debris and movement from the right has my head turning to see two figures rush out from behind some of our half strung tarps and head straight at her.

“SASHA!”

Her head shoots up and half turns my way but stops when she sees the men rushing at her. She tries to back pedal but her feet get tangled in a dirty discarded blanket and she falls backwards on to her butt. The men reach her first and one of them reaches down and hauls her to her feet. I slam to a stop a few feet away and we all stare at each other for a minute until the man holding Sasha’s arm in a painful grip cracks a sneer and gives a hoot of triumph.

“Whoooo hoooo! Look at this Popper, we got two keys here to that big fancy door!”

I let my shoulders slump and shake my head. “Those doors will never open for you and even if they did, you’re out numbered.”

The man called Popper bounced on his feet and gave a crazy laugh. “They always open the doors when we come round…for dinner!”

I have no idea what the guy’s talking about so I look away to the one holding Sasha. He seems slightly saner and he proves that he is with his next words.

“They’ll open alright, you’ll tell us everything we need to know. It’s hard to keep secrets when you see your own leg roasting on an open fire for dinner.”

Sasha’s skin turns even whiter and she starts to gag at the image this freak has painted for us but he just smiles like it’s all a big joke. “Yup, you’ll tell us how to open the doors and all our family will be here to see what kind of goodies are inside! Won’t be out numbered then!”

I swallow the fear building in my throat. He’s right, at some point one of us will tell them what they want to know if they really do what they said they would. Matty, Ben, Skylar and all the others are safe inside. Right now the only way those doors will open from out here is if I ask AIRIA to open them. I slowly move my hand to the communicator on my belt and tap the screen. Popper sees the movement and dives for my arm but he’s too late, the screen lights up.

“AIRIA, DECREASE MY AUTHORIZATION FROM GREEN TO RED!!!”

Her voice floats from my waist as Popper and I hit the ground together.

“Rex Larson, authorization decreased from green to red, goodbye.”

My eyes lift up from the dirt and meet Sasha’s horrified eyes. She knows what I just did means that now no one can open the doors from out here, no matter what they do to us.

“AIRIA, where is Rex and who lowered his authorization level to red?”

“Skylar Ross, Rex Larson is located outside the cavern. Rex Larson requested the authorization level change.”

I shake my head and look at Belle.

“That doesn’t make sense! Why would he do that? He can’t get back inside without a green level.” I turn my face upwards and ask,

“AIRIA, who is with Rex?”

“Skylar Ross, Sasha Coombs is with Rex Larson as well as two other unknown subjects.”

I fire back right away. “As in, two other people from the barracks?”

“Skylar Ross, the two other unknown subjects have not been in the barracks. They penetrated the perimeter seventeen days ago. The subjects attempted to breach the barracks exterior door and failed.”

My eyes bounce from Belle to Ben as my heart rate kicks up a notch and my breathing starts to come faster.

“I thought it was a dream. I was sick and I thought it was part of the dream! Rex, Rex is out there and Sasha! Oh, oh no! I’ve got go out there. I’ve got go get them! How did this happen? Oh God!”

I lunge past Ben and yank open the closet door. My holster and gun are in my hand in seconds and I start strapping it on. The rifle, I’ll need the rifle too! I throw the sling over my shoulder and pivot on my heel. I have to save him. This can’t be happening. I can’t lose him again! I know what they’ll do. They’ll take his clothes and then shoot him in the back. I can’t let that happen again! Ben needs his father, I’ll save him!

“SKYLAR! Snap out of it!”

I’m trying to get to the door but something’s in my way. Something’s holding me back but I can push through. I can… “Ouch!” Belle? Did she just slap me?

“Skylar! I need you to
think
! You can’t just race out there all alone in a dress and sandals. We need to get Lance and the others. You aren’t going out there alone!”

I focus in on her face as her words penetrate the fog of panic in my brain. Her face is so pale it’s like there’s no blood left under her skin. Her daughter’s out there in just as much danger as Rex, she must be so worried. I hear someone crying and look over to see my baby brother with tears pouring down his face. Oh, oh Ben, I almost left you all alone. I give my head a shake and pull away from Belle so I can kneel down in front of him. I pull him into my arms for a few seconds and then hold him away from me.

“Ben, calm down. It’s going to be alright. Everything will be ok. I’m going to get them back! Do you believe me?”

He sniffs back his tears and slowly nods his head.

“You can do it, Sky. You always make everything better!” His little lips quiver on the last word so I give my head a sharp nod of agreement.

“That’s right. It’s my job to take care of things and I’m really good at my job!”

I pull him in for another quick hug before releasing him and pushing up to my feet.

“AIRIA, are they still in the perimeter?”

“Skylar Ross, all four are moving southeast and will cross the boundary in four minutes.”

“Can you track them?”

“Skylar Ross, affirmative. Rex Larson is in possession of a communication device.”

“Ok, keep tracking them. Please alert Lance, Ethan and Marsh that we need them over here. Tell them it’s an urgent situation.”

I look at Belle and see tears tracking down her face as she twists her hands into knots.

“We
will
get them back!”

When she nods back, I glance down at the yellow dress and shake my head.

“I’m just going to go change.”

I race past her to my room and reach down to pull the yellow fabric up over my head but pause first and close my eyes. This dress, the dance, what was I thinking? There’s just no room in this world for teenage girl fantasies. I let out my breath and with it all the dreams I thought I could have and then yank the gown over my head and drop it into a pile on the floor.

It only takes me minutes to change into my sturdy cargos and a under shirt with a flannel over it. I’m pulling on my boots over heavy socks when I hear the guys voices come into the other room. So I shove my last boot on and hit the door.

They’re all talking at once as Belle tries to explain what we know so I just put two fingers into my mouth and let out a piercing whistle to bring silence. When all eyes are on me, I wave my arm for them to follow and head into the cavern. We can talk as we gear up.

“Rex and Sasha went outside for some reason. There were two unknown people out there waiting for them and they are now heading towards town. Rex changed his authorization level to red. I can only assume it was so they couldn’t force him to open the door. He, he must have been trying to protect all of us. AIRIA’s tracking them and now we’re going to get them back!”

Lance grabs my arm just as I reach the shooting gallery and swings me around.

“We have to go. We can’t let them get to town! If it’s the monsters that moved in there from the ski resort, you just have no idea what we’re facing. They are pure evil! We have to get to them before they reach the main group.” Lance drops my arm and turns to go back while saying over his shoulder. “I’m going to get my bow!”

“Stop!” I yell at him. He spins back towards me with an impatient scowl. “You and Ethan were in the army, right?” When they both nod, I push open the door of the shooting gallery revealing the gun racks and all the weapons stored there behind glass.

“Then it’s time to stop playing Robin Hood and get back to being soldiers!”

I step aside and let them enter the room while Belle and Marsh hold back at the door. “We aren’t going to mess around with bows and arrows.” I reach up to a shelf on the wall and pull down an old coffee cup. The keys to the cases are hidden inside so Ben wouldn’t have access to them. I toss the keys to Lance and waved at the locked drawers underneath the glass. “Ammunition is down there. Bring lots! I’ll meet you back here in a few.”

I step out of the room and attempt to go around Belle and Marsh but she grabs my arm.

“Skylar, we have to hurry! They’re getting further away with every minute.”

Before I have a chance to reassure her, Marsh does.

“Don’t worry, Belle. I’m sure Rex will drag his feet to keep them slowed down. We’ll catch up to them by the time they hit pavement.”

She nods uncertainly and turns back to me. “What type of weapon would you recommend for me?”

I’m impatient to get the rest of the gear I need but I’m distracted by her words and the brave little face of Ben that’s listening to everything we say.

“Belle, I need you to stay here.” She immediately starts to shake her head but I hold up my hand to stop her protests. “Listen to me! I will do everything I can to get your daughter back; I need you to keep MY family safe. If anything goes wrong and we don’t make it back here then there will be two little boys left all alone with strangers. I can’t focus if I’m worried about Benny. I need to know you’ll be here to care for him if the worst happens!” Her face falls but she reaches down and pulls Ben close to her side before sadly nodding so I turn to Marsh but before I can even ask him to stay too he’s throwing up his hands.

“Not happening! Rex is my brother. I won’t stay behind!”

I go to challenge him but time’s ticking by so I just give him a curt nod and step to the side so he can arm up and then I’m running. I’ve left my holster and rifle in the living quarters and we’ll all need the winter gear in the airlock. I hit the door running and slide through sideways before it’s even open all the way. Holster strapped on, rifle slung, extra ammunition bulging from my cargo pockets and I’m across the room and into the airlock. I stuff gloves and winter hats into the sleeves of four parkas before scooping up four communicators from their charging stations.

My arms are full so I dump all the gear on a small trolley cart sitting outside one of the storage rooms and dash in. I pull one GO bag from the shelf and turn to race out but spin back around. Dad’s words are still guiding me after all these years.

“One is none and two is one.”

It means that if you only have one item and it’s lost or broken you have none but if you have two of the same things you have a backup and still have one. He used that rule with all the planning he did to stock our supplies.

I don’t plan on us failing or being stuck outside for any length of time but plans have a way of falling apart so I pull three more bags off the shelf and dump them on top of the jackets on the trolley. I’m pushing it so fast across the cavern that I almost send the whole thing tipping over into the stream when I hit the bridge. I need to calm down, slow down. Panic is when mistakes are made.

When I reach the far end of the cavern, the men are just coming out of the shooting range with weapons strapped onto their bodies. I push the trolley up to the group and dump the GO bags at their feet before passing out jackets. As they shrug on the heavy winter gear, Lance prods one of the packs at his feet and starts shaking his head.

“Too heavy! If we have any chance of catching up to them then we need to go light and fast. This stuff will just slow us down.”

I reach down and pull a pack up and on to my back and start walking towards the back right of the cavern.

“Bring them and follow me.”

I ignore his objections and keep going until I come to another door. It slides open when I palm it and I reach up and take down a ring full of different keys. I can hear the others coming so I start pulling tarps off everything in the room and turn and wait for them to join me. When Lance steps in and gives a low whistle at what the room contains I again, toss him a set of keys.

“We aren’t running. We’re driving.”