talked about what went on out there. He usually came back quiet and changed somehow. But I guess that was what war did to a person, and we were at war.
Holden ran back over and the color drained from his face.
"Well? They have an ETA?"
"Should be any minute now, but …”
Something was wrong.
"Holden, don't tell me—"
"Look, they don't know. There was a problem. He got separated and …”
"And what?" Janet's voice was sharp. I could hear the panic just below the surface.
Holden looked at me and frowned. "I'm sorry."
I wasn’t even sure why we were there, and already it was bad news. How much worse could the day get?
A truck pulled up, and the gates rolled open to allow it entry. Janet ran for it and nearly ripped the driver's door open to get at the man inside. I stayed glued to my spot.
Janet screamed at the driver and punched his chest. "What do you mean he's gone? Why the hell did you leave without knowing for sure?"
My stomach dropped. There was only one person Janet would get so upset about. My legs grew weak under me, and Holden grabbed my arm to keep me from collapsing to the ground. It couldn't be true.
I wrapped my arms around myself and waited for Janet to come back over and tell me it wasn't Will she was talking about. It couldn't be him.
After she calmed down a bit and took a step back, the truck passed, and she slowly walked back to where Holden and I stood. I didn't ask her what was going on. If it meant something happened to Will, I didn't want to know.
"Andi …” Janet started.
I wanted to tell her to shut up, to keep it to herself. Will was fine. He'd be back soon. But my mouth refused to open.
"The guys ran into some trouble. Only two of them made it back. Will wasn't one of them." She nearly choked on the last sentence.
I stared at her, because that was all I could manage at that moment.
"Joe said they got split up. They found the other guys, but it was too late."
"Too late?"
A response wasn't actually needed. Everyone knew what that meant.
"They didn't find Will, though. He could still be alive." She put her hand on my arm, and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"He could be alive?" My arms and legs felt numb, like they were no longer part of my body. "We need to go look."
"The guys will do that. They're resupplying and grabbing a few more men and heading back out."
"What? No. We can go. Right now." My brain started to function again, and my limbs were suddenly back.
"Calm down. It's better if we let them handle this." She put her hands on my shoulders and held me still. "I'm worried too, but if we go running out there we'll get ourselves killed. It was a massive horde. You know what that's like. Do you think that's what Will would want?"
"If it were you or I out there, that's exactly what Will would do, and you know it."
"I'm sorry, but you're not going out there." She looked at Holden, who nodded at her. I knew there was no way they'd open the gate for me against Janet's wishes. I was officially a prisoner.
Chapter Ten
I sat on my bed and stared at the wall. I understood Janet’s reasoning for wanting to let the military handle the search. They were better equipped to be out there than two rogue girls whose emotions couldn’t be separated out. But what right did she have to tell me I couldn’t leave?
I got off the bed and paced back and forth over the small room. Janet could sit on her ass and do nothing if that was what she wanted, but why did that mean I had to as well? Everyone always had to listen to Janet. Even her trained puppets at the front gate would bow to her wishes and do as she said. She probably already spoke to the other guys along the perimeter about keeping me hostage.
At the very least, we could go with the search team to find him. Janet might not think I’m ready to go out on missions, but seriously, I could manage to be out with a trained search team. And surely she was capable of going out there. I couldn’t even imagine
Holden ran back over and the color drained from his face.
"Well? They have an ETA?"
"Should be any minute now, but …”
Something was wrong.
"Holden, don't tell me—"
"Look, they don't know. There was a problem. He got separated and …”
"And what?" Janet's voice was sharp. I could hear the panic just below the surface.
Holden looked at me and frowned. "I'm sorry."
I wasn’t even sure why we were there, and already it was bad news. How much worse could the day get?
A truck pulled up, and the gates rolled open to allow it entry. Janet ran for it and nearly ripped the driver's door open to get at the man inside. I stayed glued to my spot.
Janet screamed at the driver and punched his chest. "What do you mean he's gone? Why the hell did you leave without knowing for sure?"
My stomach dropped. There was only one person Janet would get so upset about. My legs grew weak under me, and Holden grabbed my arm to keep me from collapsing to the ground. It couldn't be true.
I wrapped my arms around myself and waited for Janet to come back over and tell me it wasn't Will she was talking about. It couldn't be him.
After she calmed down a bit and took a step back, the truck passed, and she slowly walked back to where Holden and I stood. I didn't ask her what was going on. If it meant something happened to Will, I didn't want to know.
"Andi …” Janet started.
I wanted to tell her to shut up, to keep it to herself. Will was fine. He'd be back soon. But my mouth refused to open.
"The guys ran into some trouble. Only two of them made it back. Will wasn't one of them." She nearly choked on the last sentence.
I stared at her, because that was all I could manage at that moment.
"Joe said they got split up. They found the other guys, but it was too late."
"Too late?"
A response wasn't actually needed. Everyone knew what that meant.
"They didn't find Will, though. He could still be alive." She put her hand on my arm, and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"He could be alive?" My arms and legs felt numb, like they were no longer part of my body. "We need to go look."
"The guys will do that. They're resupplying and grabbing a few more men and heading back out."
"What? No. We can go. Right now." My brain started to function again, and my limbs were suddenly back.
"Calm down. It's better if we let them handle this." She put her hands on my shoulders and held me still. "I'm worried too, but if we go running out there we'll get ourselves killed. It was a massive horde. You know what that's like. Do you think that's what Will would want?"
"If it were you or I out there, that's exactly what Will would do, and you know it."
"I'm sorry, but you're not going out there." She looked at Holden, who nodded at her. I knew there was no way they'd open the gate for me against Janet's wishes. I was officially a prisoner.
Chapter Ten
I sat on my bed and stared at the wall. I understood Janet’s reasoning for wanting to let the military handle the search. They were better equipped to be out there than two rogue girls whose emotions couldn’t be separated out. But what right did she have to tell me I couldn’t leave?
I got off the bed and paced back and forth over the small room. Janet could sit on her ass and do nothing if that was what she wanted, but why did that mean I had to as well? Everyone always had to listen to Janet. Even her trained puppets at the front gate would bow to her wishes and do as she said. She probably already spoke to the other guys along the perimeter about keeping me hostage.
At the very least, we could go with the search team to find him. Janet might not think I’m ready to go out on missions, but seriously, I could manage to be out with a trained search team. And surely she was capable of going out there. I couldn’t even imagine
Similar Books
