Chapter 24 – Emily

I can’t believe what I’m seeing. The building is intact. Not so much as a hint of smoke. No fire damage. I rush toward the kitchen window and peer outside. Only the research lab is reduced to a pile of fiery rubble—everything around it is untouched.

“What? What is it?” Aiden asks, shoving his way into the kitchen. “No way.”

“My thoughts exactly,” I say.

“What is going on around here?” Tom asks as he offers his hand to Marjorie and helps her out of the bunker. “It’s like they’re toying with us or something.”

“All the more reason to get out of here as fast as we can,” Marjorie says. “I grabbed more food from down there, but maybe we can snatch that laundry basket and take it back with us.”

“I’ll grab it,” Aiden offers.

“No!” I say too quickly. “It’s too dangerous. You’ll be out in the open, exposed to those things.”

“I’ll cover him,” Tom says, holding his gun up.

“Cover him against people you can’t see? We have no idea what these people look like or where they are. Brenda said all their senses have been heightened.” I wave my arms around in an effort to emphasize my point. But I can tell by the looks on their faces that no one agrees with me.

“It’ll be fine, Emily.” Aiden gives me a reassuring smile. “We need that food for everyone else back at the beach.”

“Then I’m going to help you grab it. It’s heavy; you’ll need help carrying it.” I cross my arms over my chest and dare him to argue.

“He carried it out of the building. He can grab it and carry it to the tree line,” Marjorie says, putting her hand on my shoulder in a very motherly gesture. “Then we can all take turns carrying it back to the beach.”

“We really don’t have time to stand here and debate this,” Tom says. “I’ll go outside first and make sure we’re clear. Aiden, you run for the basket while Emily and Marjorie head for the trees. Got it?” He phrases it as a question, but it’s clear by his tone that none of us have a choice. We’ve been given our orders, and we have to follow them.

This is it. My moment of truth. I made a promise to myself that I would trust him and do as he says. But my heart is in my throat. Every person in my life I’ve trusted has betrayed me in some way. And they are people I loved. Family. Friends. Tom is a stranger. He could turn his back on me and not even blink.

All right, God, if You’re real, now’s the time to prove it. Please let us make it back to the beach safely. Protect Aiden and Tom and Marjorie. And me. Please don’t let me die.

“Emily?” Aiden’s hand is on my arm. “We’re going to be okay.” He nods to emphasize his point.

“Okay.” I release a shaky breath and nod. “Okay,” I repeat.

Tom steps outside while the rest of us wait inside. I hold my breath, expecting to hear a gunshot or a scream or some sort of noise to indicate there is trouble. But there is only silence. The sound of nothingness calms me a little. He waves his hand for us to come out. As soon as I’m off the last step, Marjorie yanks me toward the tree line, and I have to run at her speed, which is a lot faster than I’m prepared for, and I stumble a couple of times.

As soon as we reach the first tree, I stop and turn around. Aiden and Tom are a few steps away. When they make it to cover of the trees, I breathe a sigh of relief. Aiden sets the basket down and pulls in a lungful of air.

Thank You, God! Maybe all that stuff Jason and Aiden talk about isn’t so crazy after all.

“All right, we’re going to hike straight through the jungle and back to the beach. It’s faster than going around, and the tress will offer us some protection,” Tom says. “I’ll stay in the lead and make sure the way is clear.”

I lift one side of the basket, and Aiden lifts the other, then we fall in line behind Tom. Marjorie brings up the rear. She’s holding the bow and arrow that Tom swiped from Brenda. Knowing there are two armed people—one in front and the other behind us—makes this journey seem a lot less scary. No one speaks for a long while. At first, I’m okay with the silence, but it begins to grate on my nerves. How can everyone be so calm? After everything we’ve seen and heard, why aren’t we talking about what happens next?

“What’re we going to tell everyone at the beach?” I ask.

“Nothing.” Tom doesn’t stop or slow his stride. “Until I have a chance to read the rest of Brenda’s notes, we tell them nothing.”

“They’re going to wonder where we found all this food,” I point out.

“So, we tell them about the buildings and the food, but that’s it. No mention of the scientists or the inhabitants or the weapons testing.”

I wish I didn’t know about any of that stuff, either. “What about the airstrip and the dock? And the supply transport? You know Jason will question us if we take off again.”

“For the love of everything holy, Emily!” Tom spins around and points at me. I ease back, afraid he’s going to go off on me. “Is this really the time for twenty questions?”

I drop my side of the basket. “Yes, it is. If we’re not all on the same page when we walk back onto that beach, there’s going to be trouble. So, excuse me for wanting to know what the plan is.”

“You are so much like my Lucy. She had a stubborn streak a mile long.” His mouth twitches as if he wants to smile, but he doesn’t. “I don’t have a plan yet. But rest assured, when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

I stay put, staring after him. I don’t know what to make of what he said. He appointed himself our leader. It’s his job to give us direction and know what to do. Aiden lifts the basket and follows Tom. With a heavy sigh, I catch up to Aiden and take hold of the basket so he doesn’t have to bear all that weight alone.

“He’ll figure it out,” Aiden says.

“I’m sure he will.” And I actually believe that.

We walk for another couple of hours. This time, the silence is rife with fear and irritability.

Tom drops his bag to the ground. “Okay, let’s take a break.” He sits on his pack and opens a bottle of water. “Emily’s right. We’re going to have to tell everyone else about the airstrip and dock. And if we can’t catch the plane, we’re going to need the supplies it drops. But I don’t want to tell them about everything else. It will only cause undue panic.”

“I agree,” Marjorie says. She and Tom have gotten really close since we set out on this journey the other day.

“So, we’ll tell them about the buildings and the food. Then I will tell them that I found a journal that outlines a delivery schedule. I’ll convince Jason that we need to send out a couple small groups to wait for the transport.”

“You really think Jason will buy that?” Aiden asks.

“I’ll have to make sure he does. The minute any of us mention rescue, I guarantee no one will care what else we have to say.” Tom takes another drink then pours some of the water over his head. “But a group of us trying to bombard a plane isn’t going to work out. For any of us. So, we have to be smart about this.”

Marjorie is nodding with everything Tom says. “If the plane doesn’t stop this time, at least the pilot will know there are people here, so one way or another, we’re going to get help.” She smiles brightly.

“You really think so?” I ask, hopeful.

“Yes,” she says emphatically. “God has answered our prayers.”

I can’t help but smile. Hours ago, I would’ve rolled my eyes or made a sarcastic remark, but not now. God had answered my simple prayer earlier. I don’t need any more proof.

“That’s all well and good, but I need you all to give me your word we won’t say anything else.” Tom looks at each of us in turn.

When his gaze lands on me, I nod. I understand his reasoning, and I do agree. But I don’t like lying to everyone. Lying is the biggest reason I don’t get along with my parents. I lie, they catch me, and we fight. But this situation is much different than me lying about going to a party. Lack of knowledge has the potential to get these people killed. They need to know what’s on this island so they can protect themselves. But I know Tom will disagree, so I keep my mouth shut. I have to trust he knows what he’s doing.

“By my calculations, we should be reaching the beach within the next hour or so. When we get there, let me take the lead,” Tom says. He finishes his water and then stands. “C’mon, let’s get going. I want to get out of this jungle.”

“Me too,” I say, looking around. I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched. The hair on the back of my neck stands on edge, and goosebumps break out on my arms.

Tom slows his pace until he’s walking beside me. “I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier. You have valid concerns. I just didn’t have any answers.” He forces a chuckle.

“It’s okay. I tend to be argumentative. I didn’t mean to push,” I say.

“Thanks.” He takes the lead again.

Ten minutes into the walk, Aiden says, “I’m going to lose my mind with all of this silence.”

“So, let’s talk.” I smile, grateful he said it before I did.

“What do you miss most about home?” he asks.

His question surprises me. Talking about home will only make this whole thing worse, in my opinion. Focusing on right now is better than thinking about all the things and people we don’t have here with us. “Um everything?” I laugh. “My friends. I haven’t gone this long without talking to them in, well, forever. I’m always on social media with them.”

“Who’s your best friend?”

“Ashley. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” He chuckles. “Okay.”

“We’re more like frenemies. When we get along, we’re inseparable. But when we don’t, it’s like Bad Girls of New York.” I shake my head. “I’m pretty sure she moved in on my boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—before I was even on the plane.”

“She sounds like an awesome friend.”

I roll my eyes. “It works for us. Nothing else matters.”

“Okay, easy. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

“No, I’m sorry. I’m just tired and cranky.” I readjust my hold on the basket. My palm is sweating like crazy, and I’m worried I’ll end up inadvertently dropping it. “What do you miss most about home?”

“Swimming.” He laughs.

I jerk my head around to look at him. “Swimming? Seriously?”

He nods. “I was on the swim team for three years. I didn’t join this year because I’m focusing on community service, volunteering at the retirement home. But I love the water, and I miss it. I would jump in the pool and do laps until my head was clear.”

I find myself smiling as Aiden speaks. He’s such a wholesome, good, boy-next-door, and it’s clear that the simple things in life are enough for him. If it wasn’t for this plane crash, I never would’ve given him a second look. He’s not my usual type, but maybe that’s my problem. Getting involved with boys like Matt is what landed me here in the first place. I snap myself from this line of thinking—it’s not doing me any good.

“You do realize we’re on an island, right? We’re literally surrounded by water,” I say.

“I know, but we haven’t exactly had a chance to relax and do anything that resembles fun. And now that we know what we do…” He frowns.

I open my mouth to respond when Tom turns to glare at us. “Think you two can keep it down? We’re trying not to draw attention to ourselves.”

My patience snaps, and the tips of my ears burn with aggravation. “We’re just talking.”

“Yeah?” His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, and then he scowls. “Talking is making noise, and noise draws attention, which we do not need. So, if you must talk, keep it to a whisper.” He turns his back to us again and continues to walk.

“Whatever, Dad,” I whisper. I stick my tongue out at him, and Aiden snickers. When Tom is a few feet ahead of us, I lean closer to Aiden. “When we get back, we’re going swimming. Tom already said he’s taking the lead, so we’ll let him. We’ll find something else to do while he’s lying to everyone.”

Aiden shakes his head, but I don’t miss the smile he’s trying to hide. “I think you’re a bad influence.” He winks.

I falter for a moment. I know he’s only teasing, but his jab leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My parents said they wouldn’t let me be a bad influence on Erik. I thought they were being dramatic and grasping for some sort of justification for shipping me to Alaska —until now. Are they right? Am I a bad influence? Do I convince people to do things they don’t want to do and get them into trouble?

“Hey, I didn’t mean—”

“I know.” I smile tightly.