Page 58 of Undone


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Amber

All of the humans under the influence of the worm were saved, and each of them agreed to join us and help. We’d been on numerous scouting missions and found twenty more people. These were mostly wilderness people, who were accustomed to hunting and living with the elements. They didn’t want to join us, but they were willing to fight for their land and lives, if necessary. And they were glad to know they didn’t have to hide anymore.

We printed and posted hundreds of flyers around Anchorage and surrounding towns, letting people in hiding know that Elmendorf base was no longer under DRI control, and that they could come to us for help. And to prove ourselves we left boxes of nonperishables and bottled water. After a few days, we went back to find everything gone, but nobody had come to us. I didn’t blame them for not trusting, and it thrilled me to know there were people out there, hiding, waiting. I talked Top into letting us make weekly runs to certain drop points with food.

We were lucky we hadn’t run into any rebel groups of thieves like we had in Utah and Nevada. All in all, everyone on base was feeling settled, which was unsettling. We knew the danger of getting comfortable, but Alaska was a beautiful, peaceful place. The scenery itself was enough to put us at ease. But every day Top told us, “Don’t let your guards down. Don’t be fooled by the peace of downtime.”

We all knew what was coming in two weeks’ time. War. We just didn’t know the details.

As soon as we finished breakfast, Rylen turned to me. “Top says you can have the day off to scout with me. You interested?”

“Just the two of us?”

“Yep.” He grinned, and I smiled back.

“Then of course I’m interested.”

We hopped up and I followed him to get strapped with weapons, then outside to one of the vehicles. To my confusion, he drove us farther into base instead of the entrance.

“Where are we going?”

Again, he grinned, but this one was mischievous. “We’re doing an aerial scout.”

I gaped at him. “We’re flying?”

“You scared?” He challenged me with a bounce of his eyebrows.

“No.” I crossed my arms. The last time we were both in planes, he was being shot at, and I thought for sure he was dead. He reached across the seat and pried my arms apart to take my hand.

“Don’t worry, Pepper. Nobody else will be in the sky.”

I exhaled, feeling stupid for worrying.

And then we got to the hanger and I saw the plane. Could it even be called a plane? More like a two person go-cart with propellers. Rylen had the nerve to laugh at the look on my face.

“Come on.” He held out a hand and I took it, climbing up into the back seat and putting on the helmet that was there. Rylen jumped into the front with total grace and had his helmet on in half a second while I still fiddled with mine, then the seatbelt straps. My heart was galloping, and all I could think was,Well, at least if we crash, we die together.How sad thatthatconsoled me.

The engine was a loud buzz, and my stomach swooped wildly as he gained speed and left the ground. This was nothing like riding in a passenger plane. The whole contraption shook and bounced, and I couldn’t hear anything but the whir of propellers and growl of the motor. When Rylen turned around to check on me, I nearly panicked, pointing for him to watch where he was going.

He threw his head back in laughter, shouting, “There’s nothing up here!”

All right, fine. I eased back and held the side straps, letting myself relax a little and look out. What I saw was breathtaking.

So. Many. Trees. And from up here they looked like rich, green fluffiness. I wanted to run my hand over them. And the mountains looked fuller and wider than they did from the ground. Bodies of water glistened in the sunshine. It was perfect. This time when I sensed Rylen glancing back to check on me, I let him. And I smiled.

The place he decided to make a landing was not anywhere I’d expected. We were literally on a gravel road that led into a gorgeous valley. Mountains surrounded it on all sides, and a lake sat in the middle, so still that it mirrored the clouds and landscape like a painting. I was silent as I got out, taking his hand, and letting him lead me to the edge of the water. What could I say? I felt . . . small. At one with nature. And then it hit me.

This is our Earth.Ours. We hadn’t always appreciated it, and we definitely hadn’t treated it right. But I couldn’t stand the thought of those Baelese bastards having her. Rylen took my hand and turned me toward him. Both of our hands twined now as I looked up into his cloudy eyes, made brighter as they reflected the sky.

“In two weeks, we go back to Nevada,” he said.

I nodded, sad and scared, but then I lifted my chin against those useless feelings.

“They’ve tried to break us.” Rylen released my hands and brought his fingers to my neck, weaving them through and down my hair. “They wanted to break us apart.”

“And they failed,” I said.

Rylen lowered his face, touching his nose to mine as he closed his eyes, whispering against my lips.