Darkness Falls Read online

  Chris grumbles about the cold water all through our dinner, but I tune most of it out. The kid doesn’t complain about much, and there’s a lot to be unhappy about these days, so I just stay quiet and let him get it out of his system.

  While he’s rambling on, I remember something I saw earlier in the refrigerator. It’s no longer cold, but it will still be a treat. Standing, I retrieve two cans of Sprite from the fridge. Chris stops mid-sentence, smiling and nodding. And just like that, he’s forgotten his troubles.

  We both crack open the warm sodas and enjoy the simple pleasure they bring. Once we’ve finished the last of our meal, I clean up the table and plates and send Chris to the bathroom one last time to get ready for bed. After I’ve tucked him into his couch nest, I take my turn in the bathroom, silently cursing every minute the cold water hits my body.

  When I’m finally ready for bed, I crawl under my blanket and surrender to sleep as the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day overtakes my body.

  Light filters into the small living room, prompting my body to wake from yesterday’s nightmare. With the weight of reality still clinging to me, I stay right where I am, staring at the white ceiling with wooden beams. That looks really nice. This was a good house to find. My brain processes simple thoughts, as if fearful of delving any deeper.

  “Guys, she’s finally awake!” Chris yells from the room’s entrance that borders with the kitchen. He steps over to the couch and plops down on his side of it. Jasmine, Jeff, and Aidan filter in from the kitchen.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” Jeff says with a weak smile.

  “Good morning,” I answer.

  Aidan rubs his forehead. His eyes still bear dark circles, and I wonder if he actually got any sleep last night. “So, Quinn, how about we all pack up and hit the road? There’s nothing left for us here.”

  I meet his eyes and nod. I want to wrap my arms around him and tell him that it’s okay to visit the dark abyss that’s calling, as long as he comes back from it at some point. But I don’t.

  Without another word, Aidan stands and walks down the short hallway to the back bedroom. Jasmine turns toward the kitchen and disappears inside. Jeff takes a step toward Chris and places a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, buddy, you need any help packing up?”

  “Nah,” Chris answers. “I don’t have much. It won’t take me long.”

  “Well, after you have your stuff packed, go see Jasmine, okay? She’ll put some food in your bag too. We’re all gonna help carry extra supplies.” Jeff clasps a hand on his shoulder and Chris nods in agreement.

  “About that,” I start. “So, I noticed a car in the garage. I say we borrow it and make it to Langley today.” Jeff’s eyes widen for just a moment as understanding dawns on him. “Best idea I’ve heard in a long time,” he says.

  An hour later, our belongings and a few borrowed food items are stowed in our backpacks. Jasmine is the last to filter out of the house. She pulls the door closed behind her so that we can start the last leg of our journey.

  The Escape provides plenty of room for just the five of us. Overcome with defeat, no one cares about drawing attention to ourselves anymore. We all just want this trip to end.

  Sticking to main roads, our trek is largely quiet. Grief hangs like an unrelenting cloud just overhead, clinging to every minute and hour. We pass other vehicles now and then, but I’m barely cognizant of the blurs rushing past my window. My only interest is in reaching our destination.

  The sun is still high when signs for the Air Force Base begin appearing on the side of the highway.

  Chapter 68

  “Guys,” Jeff says from the driver’s seat. “I think we should hide the car. You know, go in on foot.”

  “I guess it wouldn’t look too good if we showed up in a stolen car, huh?” Jasmine interjects.

  Hotels and motels line the highway. Pulling into the Insignia Suites lot, Jeff parks the Escape in the midst of vehicles, effectively blending in with the surroundings. We quickly exit the SUV. I shoulder my bag and Riley’s while the others leave their belongings. Yeah, they can just hop back in here and drive to Jasmine’s house after they’re rid of me.

  As our feet pound the pavement, I realize this is the last walk we’ll take together. Shaking the thought from my head, I focus on our short trek. The brilliant sun should be a warm welcome from the recent gloomy skies, but its blinding rays just make my head pound. Squinting, I tuck my chin down in a futile effort to block the glare.

  Jeff calls out landmarks. “There,” he says, pointing straight ahead in the distance. “See that? It’s the air traffic control tower. We’re almost there.”

  My feet slow as my nerves surge. What if Riley isn’t here? Then what do I do? Will everyone hate me? While I think Jasmine hates me a little less than she initially did, what would she say if this trip was for nothing? What would Aidan and Jeff think? They went way out of their way to help me, and if Riley didn’t come here after all…

  “Hey,” Jeff nudges my shoulder. “You ready to see your sister?” I nod awkwardly. “What, are you nervous?” Jeff prods. Afraid my voice will crack, I default to my standard response: a fast nod. Aidan moves to my other side and matches my pace. “Don’t worry, Quinn, we’re right here with you.” I find my voice briefly. “Thank you. I really mean it. Thank you for everything.”

  Somewhere along the way, these people started to mean something to me. They made me laugh when tears threatened, they offered comfort when loneliness hovered, and they accepted risk when they could have just walked away. And now, that’s what I’m supposed to do. I’m supposed to just walk into this base, find Riley, and make our way home.

  As we near the fence surrounding the field, my eyes land on a tan sign that stands taller than me. Its black letters announce the U.S. Air Force. Next to the letters is the familiar v-shaped wing Air Force logo. It silently welcomes us to Langley Field. A twinge of sadness surges through me when I think of Wes. He was the only one who was excited to come here, and he never got to see it.

  Within the fence, activity buzzes around the buildings. Camouflaged soldiers walk casually amongst civilians. Middle-aged couples sit on plastic green lawn chairs, chatting as if the world isn’t falling apart. Kids of various ages huddle together, flipping water bottles to see who can land one the farthest distance from the group.

  Our movement draws the attention of two guards overseeing the main gate entrance. They greet us stiffly. “How can we help you?” As I open my mouth to respond, Aidan beats me to it. “We heard that this is kind of a safe zone,” he says nervously. “That people could come here if they needed a place to go until things…um, settle.”

  With no hesitation, a stocky man with a badge identifying him as Mitchell responds, “Sorry, sir. This base is full. If you step over to this booth, we can process you and then direct you to the closest base that is accepting civilians at this time.”

  Jasmine has no qualms questioning the soldier. “What do you mean process us? If we can’t come in anyway, we’ll just be on our way.”

  Mitchell is starting to look bored. “Ma’am, regardless of this base’s operating status, all civilians and military personnel onsite must be logged into the system and vaccinated to avoid spreading illness to the vulnerable populations within the region’s military facilities.” He barely looks at us as he speaks. He must have recited this speech a thousand times.

  “We don’t need to be logged or vaccinated,” Aidan says, trying to sound casual. After spending the past few weeks with him, I detect anger brimming just below his calm exterior. “We’re just here to drop our friend off and then the rest of us are heading home.”

  “Regardless of your plans, each base is required to log civilians that make contact. The information is shared across bases, so we can add your information here and then if you proceed to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax, which is the closest base still open to civilians, they’ll allow you immediate entry.”

  He speaks with no inflection, no hint of a personalit
y. This time I’m the first to respond. I point first at Mitchell, private or corporal or whatever he is, then toward the main building “Look, my sister is in there and I am not leaving until I find her. I don’t care about being tracked or logged or whatever. I’ve come a really long way and I’m not giving up now.” My tone is harsh, but I’ve been to hell and back and the only reason I’m still standing is so that I can find the one piece of my family that’s left. If she’s not here, I give up.

  My outburst draws attention from those within earshot. Another camouflaged soldier strides over to us, obviously planning to take control of the situation. My eyes fly to his badge. E. Bowen. I guess there’s more than one Bowen or else this guy’s special enough to get his first initial on his tag.

  “Is there a problem over here?” he asks. The guys must sense my inability to control brimming emotions because Aidan answers before I can. “No problem at all, sir. Our friend here lost her sister and word is that she’s on this base. So, maybe we could just take a little look around?”

  The soldier raises an eyebrow but before he can speak, Jeff jumps in. “Evan? Or is it Ethan? Maybe Edward?” He’s trying to connect with this guy, but I’m guessing military people aren’t the type to break out the jokes with strangers. Although, Jeff’s got a good sense of humor and he was going to college to be a military officer, so maybe he’s on to something.

  “You may address me as Sergeant Bowen,” the soldier huffs. Yep, no room for casual conversations here. He continues before Jeff can open his mouth again. “Follow me. We’ll discuss this in private.” Before anyone can respond, he turns on his heel and strides toward a nearby trailer. We all jump to follow him.

  Sergeant Bowen leads us up a few metal steps to a white door. The trailer’s gray metal siding makes it look like a temporary structure, not a permanent fixture. The only window on this side holds a black and white sign that reads Intake Office 3. I wonder how many feet have shuffled through this door in the past few weeks. Hesitating, I wonder if Riley’s been in this trailer.

  Chapter 69

  The sergeant circles a cluttered metal desk and sits in the well-worn swivel chair behind it. He motions for us to sit at the folding chairs scattered throughout the room. We each pull one into a cluster across from him and settle onto the thinly-padded seats.

  He leans forward with his elbows on the desk, rubbing his palms together. “So, as the soldier told you at the gate, this facility is at capacity but before we send you to another facility, we have to document your existence.” He rubs his forehead. He doesn’t seem nervous, more like he’s allowing himself to take a much-needed breather.

  “Look, sir,” Jasmine says before he can continue. “Only one of us is interested in coming in. The rest of us just want to be on our way home. We don’t want to be documented or vaccinated.”

  “I understand.” His tone borders on conversational as he holds Jasmine’s gaze. “But I do have to insist, ma’am, that you take a brief detour to our medical facility after I process you here.”

  Raising a hand to her left shoulder, Jasmine slowly nods. Quietly, she answers. “Thank you.” Satisfied that he’s addressed one issue, he moves on to the next.

  “Which one of you has a family member here?”

  I lean forward, eager to have this conversation. It’s taken me what feels like a million miles and a billion days to get here. “Me. My sister, Riley Whelan, is here. Well, I think she’s here anyway.”

  “And what makes you believe that?” he asks, his hazel eyes boring into mine. A quiet confidence radiates from his every word and movement.

  Shooting a quick glance at Chris, I answer, “Um, well, my sister was kidnapped, and someone overheard the guys who took her say they were coming here.”

  “I can’t guarantee your sister is here, but we’ll do everything we can to reunite you with her if she is here.” After he’s temporarily addressed my need, thereby reducing the probability of any further meltdowns, his eyes land on Chris. “And you, young man, where are your parents?”

  Panic jolts through me like lightning. How are we supposed to explain that we helped a ten-year-old run away from home? The words sound somewhat criminal in my mind. Seated in the chair next to Chris, Jeff leans toward him and throws an arm around his shoulder. “This is my little brother, Chris. After we drop Quinn off here, we’re dropping our friend Jasmine off at home, and then I’ll get both of us home to Mom and Dad.” Jeff throws Sergeant Bowen an innocent smile.

  The sergeant watches Chris’ face for a reaction when he asks, “Is that true, son?”

  Chris plays along like a pro. “Yep, Jeff’s my big brother. Most days I wish he wasn’t, but you know, like our mom says, you can’t pick your family.”

  Satisfied, Sergeant Bowen tents his hands and addresses the others. “I need to take some information from you, and I do need to vaccinate each of you. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated.” His intense gaze demands compliance. We all mutely nod.

  One-by-one everyone provides the sergeant with their home address, except for Chris, who stays quiet and lets Jeff speak for him. I watch as Bowen enters everyone’s details into his computer. Skipping me entirely, he stands and strides to a beige cabinet at the back of the office.

  When he pulls open the squeaky metallic doors, shelves of vials and syringes greet him. He carries four of each back to his desk. After he types numbers from each bottle into the computer, he slips on green surgical gloves. As he preps each syringe, he announces who gets that shot.

  I think the fight has faded from everyone because even Jasmine complies. Or maybe they figure this is the fastest way to get out of here.

  Disposing of the medical waste in a marked box next to the cabinet, Bowen slips off the gloves and tosses them in a trash can. He returns to his maroon swivel chair and yanks open the top drawer, dropping Band-Aids on his desk.

  “If you would like a bandage, help yourself,” he says, eyeing my friends. “You,” he points at Chris. I contain a huge gulp in worried anticipation. He reaches into another desk drawer and pulls out an item that he thrusts toward Chris. “Put a Band-Aid on your upper left arm and stick this lollipop in your mouth.”

  With a huge grin, Chris complies. He drops the empty lollipop wrapper on Bowen’s desk. It blends into the community of paperclips, rubber bands, and crumpled papers already in residence.

  Smiling, Jasmine’s eyes slide from Chris to Sergeant Bowen. “Can we go now? We just came along to make sure Quinn got here safely.”

  Sergeant Bowen looks around the group and the others nod. “Well, then it looks like you’ve completed your mission. Take a moment to say your goodbyes, and then I’ll have someone escort you to medical before you leave the base.”

  He pushes up from the desk and looks at each of us. “I’ll wait right outside the door. When you’re done, meet me out there, and we’ll get you on your way. Miss?” He looks at me tentatively.

  I nod to acknowledge him. “You can just have a seat and I’ll be back in to get you situated.”

  With that he strides to the door and promptly closes it behind him. The others rise to their feet. Jasmine approaches me first. She probably just wants to get this over with and get outta here.

  Her eyes gleam with a kindness that’s never been bestowed upon me. She places a hand on my shoulder. “Quinn, I’m really glad you’re going to get your sister back. Family should be together, and I’m glad this new world didn’t keep you apart.” I flash a watery smile her way. She said so much with those few words.

  “Jasmine, thanks for sharing your family with me for a little while,” my voice starts to crack at the last few words. I look around at each of them. “I really couldn’t have done this without you all. I’ll be forever grateful.”

  She flashes me a perfect smile and slowly turns away, heading to the door. Chris is practically bouncing on his heels. He’s clearly going to burst if he doesn’t speak next. “Quinn, tell Jim that he’s an idiot. And if he wants to know who deflated h
is dirt bike tires a couple of times, well, it was me!” Proud of himself, Chris leans toward me and lets me wrap him in a hug. I start to chuckle, but it’s one of those dangerous laughs that could morph into crying with no warning.

  As my emotions crest again, I attempt to sabotage them. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. This was the plan from the start. You and Riley go home, and they go their way. It’s supposed to be just the two of us.

  Chris skips toward the door, calling for Jasmine. As he yanks it open and crosses the threshold, Jeff steps toward me. “Well, Quinn, I’m gonna miss seeing you in those running clothes.” A burst of laughter escapes me. His smile quickly turns serious. “I’m really glad we met, and I knew we’d find Riley. You helped us just as much as we helped you get here. I wish you both all the best this world has to offer. Now go find your sister!” He pulls me in for a solid hug.

  By the time I pull away, I feel a trickle sliding down my cheek. Jeff turns abruptly and walks away.

  Suddenly, it’s just me and Aidan. He raises his eyes to meet mine, and I swear I see a slight wave wash over them. He holds my gaze and says, “Until next time. If there is one.” His weak smile does nothing to hide his sadness. I stand on my tip toes and lean closer to those gentle blue eyes and firmly say, “Until next time, Aidan. I will see you again.” Relief briefly flashes over his face before he starts to slowly turn away from me. I step forward and place my hand on his shoulder to stop him. Before he can completely turn toward me, I crash into him, stretching my arms around his broad shoulders. I pull him close and whisper, “Thank you. For everything. This is goodbye for now, but we’re not done yet. I’ll find you as soon as I get Riley.”

  He turns toward the desk, scanning across its disheveled surface. Stepping around me, he grabs a pen and a notepad. With determination he says, “Quinn, I’m writing down Jasmine’s last name. If you and Riley decide to catch up with us, go to Jasmine’s house. I’m sure the sergeant can give you her address. Then we can head north together.”