Sanctum (The After Light Saga) (12 page)

“
Without his medication, this patient
will
die, and both will suffer. Besides, we aren’t guaranteed the medicine will still be there tomorrow. What if the Arvies destroy it?”

“
How would they even know what it is, let alone have any need to destroy it?”

“We can’t underestimate these creatur
es. They are highly intelligent.”

“Intelligent? Shit. All they need is
one blast to the brain and lights out,” Rhett huffed.

The injured man
began to cry out in pain.

“Sir, I need to go retrieve that
medication,” Dr. Banks reiterated.

“And risk your life for them?” Rhett asked.

“I’m a doctor. My job is to save lives and help those who have been injured. I lost my wife to one of those Arvies. I am not afraid of dying, but I do need to get that medication. It will be beneficial not only to these patients, but many more.”

“I’ll
go with you,” I offered without even thinking about it. He obviously needed the medication, and was willing to risk his own life to get it, so I was going to help him.

“Count me
in,” Finn added, turning to me and winking. “It seemed like the tear gas worked to keep them away. If we could have a few of your canisters, I’m sure we could do this quickly,” Finn said.

“But you don’t
even know where the bags were dropped. We only have about ten canisters left, and would like to keep handy as a last resort.”

“
Could we use two of them?” Dr. Banks asked.

He paused and exhaled. I could tell he wasn’t in agreement with this mission, which probably meant usage of his canisters would be a waste. They’d already used a few saving us tonight.

“What if we help you clear your town of the Arvies before we leave? Would you allow us to use a few then?” I asked.

Rhett looked at me and a grin formed on his face, but the other people
in my group, including Finn, looked horrified.

“Abi,” Pike sighed
. “We need to get to the pick-up zone.” I knew all he wanted was to get Tina to safety.

“We
ll, we should help them. Right now we’re alive because of them. The least we can do is help them. The Arvies don’t like the sunlight. If we use that to our advantage, I think we could do it,” I said.

“Abi, have you seen how many buildings there are in this
town? There are at least fifty,” Pike added.

“There are fifty-two, including Sanctum,” Rhett corrected.

“I think we could clear the town out in one day,” I said.

“
I don’t think it will be as easy as you say,” Pike said.

“
What about getting the injured to the pick-up zone? What about your parents? They need to know you are safe,” Dr. Banks said.

“My father would want me to help. He taught us, and trained us to be survivors. If he was here, he would
be going out and helping so they could begin to live and rebuild. A few days won’t kill us, and if it does, then at least we’ll go out doing a good deed.”

Dr. Banks smiled and shook his head. “You remind me so much of your father.”

Rhett interrupted. “If you stay and help us rid our town of the Arvies, you can take as many canisters as you need.”

“We won’t need many. We just need
enough to get us there and back,” Dr. Banks said.

“Dr. Banks, I think you should stay. We need you to tend to the sick. Rhett said they hav
e a sick member, which you can attend to. We’ll go get the medicine,” I said.

“She’s right, Dr. Banks. We will
need your help if any of us gets injured,” Finn agreed. “So, what exactly will we be looking for?”

“
We are missing two black duffel bags. They aren’t too heavy, but they carry a ton of gold in medicine,” he answered.

“
Great. So, we’ll be searching for black bags in the pitch black night. That shouldn’t be too hard to find,” Finn laughed nervously.

“We have a few
night vision goggles. Those should help,” Rhett said. He motioned to his brother Reed, who nodded and stepped out of the room.

“Does anyone else want to join the adventure
?” Finn asked.

“I’ll go,” Pike said.

“Pike,” Tina shrieked. She grabbed hold of his arm.

“It’s alright. I’
ll be with Abi and Finn. We’ve already survived two run-ins with the Arvies. We make a pretty good team,” Pike assured her.

“I
’ll go,” one of our soldiers said. He was the one who lost his friend, and Finn handed him his dog tags.

Everyone else remained
still and quiet.

“Well, t
hat should do it. I guess this is mission for the fantastic four,” Finn said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s hope it’s quick.”

I nodded.

“I will have a few of my men at the door of Sanctum, to cover you, in case you need it on your way back.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Rhett’s brother, Reed, returned with two night vision goggles.

“Abi
and I will take the goggles and go for the medicine. Pike you and—” Finn paused, realizing he didn’t know the soldiers name.

“Tim,” he answered.

“Tim, you and Pike will cover us. Each of you will have a canister. Use it only if you have to, and shoot at anything that moves. We will be backtracking down the street we came in on. It has to be somewhere near there. As soon as we have the bags, we hustle back.”

“I j
ust hope it’s as easy as you make it sound,” Tim said. “Those things are no joke. They scare the crap out of me.”

“You don’t have to do this, man.
I totally understand if you don’t,” Finn said.

Tim nodded.
“No, I’m with you,” he said.

Finn reached out and shook his hand. “I admire you, Tim. You’ve got guts.”

“Thanks,” Tim smiled.

We all unpacked our radiation suits and masks from our packs, but I quickly realized we couldn’t use the full-faced masks because of the night vision goggles.

“We have half
face masks you can use,” Rhett said.

“I’ll go get them,” Reed said, and
immediately left the room. In a few minutes he returned with the masks.

“Abi, are you sure you should be going out t
here?” Rhett asked. He was looking at me like I was fragile. Like I was a girl.

“Her looks are dec
eiving. This girl is kick-ass, and has a wicked kill-shot with her firearm,” Finn interjected.

I smiled
. I hated when I was bragged about, but hearing Finn talk me up made me love him even more. I mean, I was good at combat and shooting, but I’m sure there were many more women out there who could probably outshoot me.

Rhett stared at me. “If you sa
y so,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“It’s true
,” Dr. Banks added.

I blushed.

“Well, I won’t doubt you then,” Rhett agreed. He handed me and Finn the night vision goggles. “Do you both know how to use these things?”

“Yes,” I said strapping it to my head, keeping the scope lifted until we were outside. “My uncle was a navy seal. He trained us well,” I bragged a little.

Rhett grinned
and nodded as Finn and I quickly suited up.

Pike and Tim did the same.

“My men will escort you to the top, and will wait at the entrance. Will four canisters be enough?” Rhett asked.

“Yes
, that should be more than enough, and we’ll only use them if we have to,” Finn said.

I didn’t know exactly what we were getting ourselves into, but it was something that needed to get done.
We’d already lost four from our company; we couldn’t afford to lose anymore.

Finn grabbed my hand as we made our way back up to the top. “
Remember, I’ve got your back,” he whispered.

“
And I’ve got yours,” I returned.

“Pike, yo
u and Tim will hang back and watch for any Arvies. We will need the extra eyes. You will each have one canister. Only use it if you really have to. We have one shot at this mission. Abi and I will go first and make our way down the street. The doctors confirmed they didn’t go off the path, so hopefully the bags will be in view. Let’s pray this will be a quick mission. Everyone, remember to remain calm, breathe, and pick your shots. All we have is each other out here, so be careful and be safe.”

Pike and Tim nodded.

“Alright, are you all ready?” Finn asked.

“Yes,” we all returned
.

The more I watched Finn, the more I admired him.
The topside had a way of pulling one’s inner self out, revealing who they really were and what they were made of. Finn was selfless, caring, a born leader, and someone I would be willing to go into battle for and fight with. Everyone who’d come into contact with him respected and admired him, not only for his outward appearance, but because his inner strength and kindness was just as beautiful.

“Abi, do
n’t be a hero,” Finn suddenly stressed, with an anxious look in his eye. “You better stay close to me.”

“Do you really think I’d
wander off into Arvyville all alone?” I questioned.

“Wit
h you, I never know,” he said, raising a brow.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sti
cking to you like glue,” I said

“Good.
”

We finally made our way to the f
ront of Sanctum. Rhett’s men stayed at the door, as the four of us stepped out into the cold dark. The moment we exited I started to question myself.
What the hell were we doing out here?
The mission seemed to go so easy in my head, but now that we were out here, in the vast black hole of horror, I became terrified.

I knew we had to do this, and I wasn’t about to
let Dr. Banks come out here and do it himself. He was too important, not only to us, but to the countless people who would need his help.

“Hey Abi,” Finn whispered softly in my ear.
“When we make it back alive, you and I will have to have a private celebration.”

“
Well, that makes this all worth it,” I smiled. I was definitely going to stay alive and try and keep his gorgeous ass alive, just to find out exactly what he has planned.

“If we do this quickly and quietly, m
aybe they won’t even notice us,” he whispered.

Before I shifted the night vision goggles down, I noticed something in one of the buildings directly east of us. I gasped, and a jolt of fear surged through my veins. Milky white eyes illuminated in
the darkness, and not only that, I could see their veins. They looked almost bioluminescent. A surge of fear made my body tremble.

“T
hey already know we’re here,” I said, pointing ahead of us into a building a few hundred yards away. The Arvies couldn’t hide from us now. I could see all of their hideous forms, slouching in the corners, stalking, watching.

“You ready, Abi?” Finn asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said. “Let’s do this.”

I h
eld Hellfire tightly in my grasp. She had a loaded magazine in her, and I had six more attached to my waist. I hoped it was enough to get us back.

“Let’s move,” Finn ordered
, taking lead.

We quickly ran
from the safety of Sanctum, into the dark streets. The goggles helped, making everything clear ahead of us.

It was eerily quiet,
especially knowing the Arvies were close.

We finally made
it to the street we came in on.

“Finn,” I whispered loudly. “I don’t see the bags.”

“Neither do I. Look to the sides, maybe in the commotion they were kicked off the road,” he said.

“Or they were taken
…” I didn’t finish. I hoped that wasn’t the outcome.

“Just keep your eyes open,” he whispered.

We quickly swept the area. All the Arvy bodies we’d shot earlier, were gone. The Arvies must have carried them away, or eaten them whole.

My heart hamme
red as the goggles picked up dozens of Arvies in the buildings around us, but they stayed quiet and didn’t move. But, they knew we were here, because they were staring directly at us.

Then I saw what we were looking for
.

“
Finn. There.” I pointed ahead of us. About twenty-five yards away, both bags were sitting neatly in the middle of the road. It was the same area where the pilot’s body was left. I could see drag marks, leading behind one of the buildings.

“I don’
t know about this, Finn,” I whispered.

“What
are you thinking?” he asked.

“Trap
,” I said. I started to get a weird feeling, and like clockwork, my head started to throb.

“We have the canisters. Use them if you have
too. Here,” he said, holding his out to me.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m going for the bags. You stay here and cover my back. You’ve got this, Abi. I have faith in you,” he said.

“Finn. No,” I begged
. I could feel impending doom lingering around us.

“Abi, don’t argue with me. You know you’ll lose. I’m not as good
of a shot as you are, but I can outrun you. This is the best way. Believe me, I’ll be quick.”

He was right. He was much faster
, but this was way too risky.

Knowing Finn, he
was going, whether I agreed to it or not.

“Please be safe,” I said
.

“I’ll be right back,” he grinned
.

He placed his canister in my hand, and
adjusted his shotgun for his sprint.

“Cover me,” he said,
then took off, sprinting toward the bags. I followed behind at a slower pace, on full guard, with Hellfire raised and ready to fire. The Arvies were still, staying quiet within the shadows.

Fin
n finally made it to the bags, and then quickly swung them over his back. As soon as he turned back, loud blood-curdling screams pierced the night. I screamed, as excruciating pain shot through my head. Arvies started to swarm from their cover, charging toward Finn.

I instantly engaged the can
ister and threw it toward him, then took the next one and engaged it too. I wasn’t taking any chances. Not with Finn.

Gunfire was coming from behind us. Pike and Tim were shooting
Arvies coming up from behind us. They had separated us. I heard one of their canisters deploy.

I watched one of the
Arvies dive into the smoke and hit Finn from the side. They tumbled off toward the side of the street.

My wo
rst nightmare was unfolding right before me.

The pain in my head was nearly
incapacitating, but I was not going to let it keep me from saving Finn. I charged forward, aiming and shooting every Arvy in my way. Within seconds, I’d emptied a whole magazine.

Shit. This was not happening.

I dropped the empty clip and popped in another.

Don’
t you dare hurt him!

The Arvy
wrestling with Finn stopped and snapped its head toward me.

My breath seized.
Holy crap. It was the same one that killed the pilot. I knew this because I recognized a deep gash on his right cheek.

“Finn!” I screamed running toward him.

Without thinking, I ran and dove for the Arvy on top of him. I wrapped my arms around its neck, and yanked it away from Finn. We crashed to the ground, I landed on its chest. It kicked back and threw me off.

All I could see was a flurry of white bodies heading toward me.

This was it. There was no way I would be able to survive.

I lifted Hellfire and
began firing. I was determined to take out as many as I could before the end.

B
astards.

I could
faintly hear Finn yelling my name, but I was completely encompassed by screaming Arvies. They all seemed to stop, about twenty feet away, making a tight circle around me. They continued to growl and hiss, daring to charge forward, but something seemed to be holding them back.

Agonizing pain pierced my brain.
I grabbed my head and gritted my teeth.

Stop
! I can’t take it anymore!

Suddenly everything went silent. I slowly peeled my eyes open, and the
Arvies were glaring at me, their heads twisting as if confused.

Can you hear me?
I said, in my mind.

The one I pushed off Finn, slowly stalked
forward. He was hunched, his teeth snarled and dripping with saliva, his wicked eyes locked onto mine.

Another surge of searing pain throbbed behind my eyes
. I then felt liquid drip from my nose. Blood.

Stop.
Please!

The Arvy came within a f
ew feet of me. Its lip curled back, revealing sharp, corroded teeth. An evil growl rumbled from deep within him.

I’m sorry you
all had to suffer the way you did. It wasn’t our fault. We didn’t know you were left up here to die.

The Arvy
slowly placed its finger to its throat, dragging it from one side to the other. I knew exactly what this meant. I also knew it understood me. There was no reasoning with them. They were dead to every emotion.

I didn’t know how many ro
unds I had left in Hellfire, because I’d forgotten to count with all the madness. I prayed I had at least one shot left. This bastard was threatening me. He was now number one on my hit list.

I kept Hellfire lowered to the ground, attempting
to look like I wasn’t going to retaliate. I knew what I could do. I just hoped it wasn’t faster than me.

Even if I killed the leader
, there was nowhere for me to run. I was completely surrounded. But no matter what happened, I wasn’t going out a coward. For thirteen years I was trained to be a fighter. I was a survivor, and that was one thing they wouldn’t take from me.

I could hear gunfire from th
e outside. I knew the Arvies had planned this. They separated us. The leader was probably interested in me because they could hear me, but I couldn’t hear them.

I’m not afraid to die.
I said in my mind, and then stood to my feet, keeping Hellfire down. Being in a standing position made it easier to get my ammunition.

Again, a wave of excruciating pain shot through my brain. I took in a deep breath and cl
osed my eyes.