The Harvest (Book 1) (41 page)

Ed walked over to the barn door and pulled it closed, locking it tight. “Let’s go inside. I’m hungry. How about you?”

Colin nodded, afraid if he spoke out loud the tears would come. He didn’t want Ed to see him cry and more so he’d be damned if Charlie was going to see him cry. She’d think he was a woose or worse yet a total dork. Stiffening his shoulders he looked Ed in the eye. “I’m ready.”

Ed nodded in understanding. In some form or fashion Zack had been looking out for Colin all his life. Faced with his current circumstance, growing up was no longer an option for Colin and Ed couldn’t help feeling sympathy for him.

The world as they remembered it was never going to return. And after long discussions with Zack about the future, he and Ed had deduced their uninvited guests would depart once their food source ran out. Considering their baneful nature, they would not be leaving the planet they way they found it.

If Zack’s calculations were to be relied on, and Ed was confident he was close to being spot on, the planet would flood within days after the climate returning to normal. If, and more likely when, this were to take place, Zack had a place for them to go and an evacuation route to get there. The variable, and therefore the glitch in his calculations, was the timing. Ed wouldn’t say it out loud, but he almost preferred if Earth stayed frozen.

***

Inside the bunker they found Charlie waiting in the diner. She and Colin headed for the kitchen to make breakfast, while Ed sat out in the dining area with his cup of coffee. Watching the vapors rise from his mug reminded him of the last day he saw his family. He closed his eyes picturing Jenni walking out with the tray of hot chocolate and Ryan’s eyes lighting up.

Ed’s eyes snapped open. He slammed his cup down on the counter spilling coffee over the sides. Grabbing napkins to wipe up the mess, he stopped mid way and stared at the counter. He checked the date on his watch. October fifteenth. He’d been living this nightmare for over a year now, yet the memory was so fresh he could still smell the leaves and hear his son’s laughter.

Austin was so set in his convictions. Why didn’t Ed have the same drive in finding Jenni and Ryan? What kind of man was he to falter so easily? These questions haunted him, but not more than the answers. If he found Jenni, he would have to face her knowing he’d given up. And she would forgive him, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. Shame and guilt, allowed to fester, were like soul eating piranhas nibbling away at what life he had left in him.

Laughter from the kitchen drew Ed from the abyss he saw himself sinking into. He finished wiping up his mess, focusing his energy and mind on the positives. Jenni had always admired his ability to find the silver lining in any given situation. It was a gift she’d told him. A gift, and perhaps in his current environment, the only chance he had for remaining sane.

Charlie and Colin exited the kitchen carrying trays of food. The mouth watering scent of pancakes and bacon filled the air. Ed greeted them and the food with a smile on his face. The kids would never have to know his pain. They were fighting their own demons and he needed to be a pillar of strength, not a measly man, not a cupcake.

“Do you want some more coffee?” Charlie asked Ed after she set his plate down.

“That would be great.” He passed over his mug. Charlie reached out to take it and Ed couldn’t help noticing the track marks between her fingers.

Charlie’s smile faded when she saw where Ed’s eyes had come to rest. Embarrassed, she grabbed his mug and turned around. Colin never noticed or paid attention to her marks and Charlie never volunteered to explain where they came from. But Ed was different; he was older and probably knew more about such things. He might suspect she’d been given drugs by her father, or worse, he might think she used on her own accord.

The coffee pot shook under her hand as she refilled Ed’s mug. Her teenage mind didn’t give much thought to why she worried over Ed’s opinion of her, but if she thought it over she’d realize he reminded her of Aaron. A reminder she didn’t want to surface, because, despite having lived one nightmare after another, Charlie’s biggest demon was witnessing Aaron’s death.

All else thrust upon her was endurable, maybe one day even forgettable, except for losing Aaron. The finality of him being gone from her life, the crushing weight on her heart, was more than she could bear. Thus Aaron’s memory was neatly locked away in the recesses of her mind, safely stored for that some day when she might have the strength to endure and remember him.

Putting on a smile Charlie turned and handed Ed his mug. This time he didn’t look at her hands, rather he looked her straight on and smiled. It was a ‘don’t worry about it’ smile and Charlie decided she wouldn’t worry. Ed would never judge. He was one of the good guys. He had faith in people, the good in them.

Faith ceased to exist for Charlie. Life under the mountain had wiped out what was innocent and pure, replacing it with what was evil and tainted. Inflictions guided by the hand of someone trusted and loved. Until the day Zack pulled her inside the barn, she’d believed only the wicked had survived the purge.

“Do you wanna watch a movie or something after breakfast?” Colin asked.

Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Awesome. But you pick this time.”

“Ed what do you think?”

“I’ll pass.” Ed answered knowing Colin was only being polite. In their minds thirty seven was ancient. “I have a book I want to read.” He added when Charlie insisted.

After they finished breakfast, Ed hurried them along saying he would take care of the dishes. True to a teenager’s ways, they didn’t hesitate in taking off. Alone again, Ed sat at the counter sipping his coffee in no big hurry to clean up.

The state of his faith or lack thereof didn’t set well with him. The more he dwelled on his loss of conviction the deeper his resolution to rebuild it became. Setting his cup down, Ed bowed his head as if in prayer. He made a promise to himself to not give up on finding his family, to not give up on humanity, no matter what horrors they committed.

38 THE PORTAL

At six am the girls were waiting when Austin arrived with Chase and Eve a few moments later. Madison had given Eve normal clothing to wear and, surprising everyone, from a distance she looked close to human. Jeremy and Luke were the last to join the group.

At the elevator Austin went through the plan one more time, making Madison repeat it first and then Jeremy. Satisfied they knew what to do, Austin pressed the elevator button. They rode the elevator up in two shifts. Madison rode up with the first group and Austin with the second. Not a word was said about leaving Section Seven behind for good, but Austin knew the girls were relieved.

He could say with certainty Chase was the only one in their group sad to leave the mountain. Austin didn’t give a damn about the sniveler or the fact he sported a new bruise on his cheek. He was lucky to get away with his life after the stunt he pulled the night before.

Exiting the mountain ahead of the group, Austin and Luke checked the perimeter before calling for the others to come out. Although the three suns weren’t the same intensity as the Earth’s real sun, the girls thought they looked brilliant all the same and stared at them in wonder. So overwhelmed by the smell of fresh air, they didn’t mind the cold or biting wind as they filled their lungs over and over again.

Austin didn’t rush them, allowing them to take it all in. It was a moment in their lives they would remember forever, the day they were freed. Freedom, he would argue, was the only feeling that might be as, and maybe at times more powerful than love.

Jeremy and Luke drove two large military land rovers around to the front of the mountain. Madison and Jeremy were going to take the girls in one and head back to the bunker. The second would be there waiting for Austin and Luke upon their return from Bliss.

The girls had very little in possessions so loading the vehicle took less than fifteen minutes and before Madison was ready it was time for them to leave. Jeremy climbed in behind the wheel while Madison looked around for Luke.

“I’ll be right back.” She told Jeremy and headed towards Luke.

She’d thought about it all night what she wanted to say to Luke, to Austin. The latter being the more difficult and somewhat sticky. She wanted to speak from her heart in case she never saw him again, but she didn’t want it to be awkward if he returned with his wife. And, in complete honesty, she hoped he would find Roxanne and his son alive.

“Hey kid.” She playfully punched Luke in the arm.

“Hey Maddie.” He replied hesitantly.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to try talking you out of going.”

He looked down, embarrassed at being so easy to read.

“I just wanted to tell you,” she swallowed, “to tell you that, you know, to be careful.” This was harder than she thought.

“I will Maddie. I promise.” He gave her a crooked smile.

They stood silent for a few minutes. “Would you be embarrassed if I hugged you?” Madison finally asked.

Luke turned red. “Not at all.”

She stepped up to Luke wrapping her arms around him the best she could with all her winter gear on. “You’re like a brother to me and I… well damn it I love you Luke, so please be careful.” She stepped back from him. There she said it and so what. She did love him as if he’d been family from the get go.

“I love you to Madison. You know like if you were my big sister. My mean big sister.” He added to lighten the mood.

“Very funny twerp.” She laughed. “Seriously Luke. Come back. You know, don’t do anything foolish. I mean, I know you think there’s nothing here for you, but I’m here and I need you to come back. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” Luke replied in earnest, crossing his heart for emphasis. They hugged again as Austin walked up on them clearing his throat.

“Mind if I cut in?”

“No sir.” Luke released Madison and excused himself.

Madison and Austin stared at each other. All of her practiced words sounding silly in her mind and her tongue refusing to obey her command to speak them out loud.

“You feel good about the trip?” Austin asked. His question sounding more like small talk than something he was concerned over.

“We’ll be fine. Should take less than an hour to get to the bunker.”

Again silence filled the gap between them. Madison stared down the winding road leading away from the mountain. She needed to say something before it was too late, before he left and never knew how she felt.

“Madison.” He took her arm turning her towards him. “Whatever happens I want you to know I’m glad are paths crossed. And I’m sorry if I’ve been an asshole, but I do care a lot about you.”

With her heart in her throat, Madison could only stare at Austin. He wasn’t supposed to say those things, she was. This wasn’t at all how she’d planned for their goodbye to go.

“You and Luke are my family. And Ed. And as long as I’m able, I’ll protect all of you. When I return with Roxi and my boy, that’s not going to change. You’ll still be my family.”

Madison felt her insides twist into a knot and her tongue turn to sandpaper against the roof of her mouth. “Of course Austin.” She managed to say without choking.

He gave her a quick hug. “You better get going.”

Nodding her head, Madison turned and walked away from him without saying a word of what she felt. Dumbfounded and once again feeling like a total fool she forced her feet to walk not run.
No you’re not a fool Mad.
Her mom’s voice chided.
You’re a first class idiot for thinking that man cared about you as anything more than what he does.

Madison climbed in the vehicle, instructing Jeremy to head out. She kept her eyes straight ahead, not looking back as they drove away from the mountain.

***

With no time to spare Zack pressed the gas pedal to the floor. In the distance he could see a sand colored vehicle approaching and knew it was coming from the mountain. He lifted the binoculars hanging around his neck. Relief washed over him when he saw Madison sitting in the vehicle’s passenger seat.

Flashing his lights to gain their attention, Zack rolled down the window and waved like mad. The rover came to a stop alongside the Monster. Jeremy rolled down the window, but Madison had jumped out and run around to talk to Zack.

“Zack what are you doing out here? Is everyone ok?”

“We’re all fine. Where’s Austin?” He pressed. There was no time to explain what he’d discovered.

“Back at the mountain. He’s going through the portal.”

“When?”

“Chase is taking him and Luke there right now. I don’t know how long it takes, but Austin’s going as soon as he can.”

“I’ve got to stop him.” Zack shifted into gear.

“Wait.” Madison shouted over the rumble of the engine. “What’s wrong?”

“No time to explain. Ed will tell you when you get to the bunker, but I gotta go.”

“Here. Take this.” She reached up giving Zack her radio. “Austin still has his, but I don’t know if it’s on.”

Madison stepped back and waved Zack to go. Her mind screamed for her to go with him, but her feet remained planted. She watched the truck disappear around the bend before getting back in the rover.

***

The corridor leading to the portal was black as pitch with only Austin’s battery powered lantern to cut through the darkness. Luke followed close on the captain’s heels, feeling the dark grasping at him, trying to pull him back into its nothingness.

Up ahead of the trio, Eve walked without the lantern’s aide. She would get ahead of them and stop, waiting in the dark which was not in the least to her eyes. As soon as the edge of the lantern’s halo touched her skin she would move on again into the darkness.

“How much farther Chase?” Austin paused, waving the lantern in Chase’s face.

“We’re almost there.” Chase grumbled, only moving forward when the captain shoved him. This situation was entirely unacceptable. The captain would pay dearly for subjecting him to such pain and discomfort.

But Chase’s current state of unhappiness wasn’t caused by his situation or perceived mistreatment by the captain. The cause of his consternation was his inability to sway Reynolds, to manipulate him in even the slightest bit. Never before had Chase encountered a person he could not bend to his will, someone that left him with no options to consider.