The orange coveralls.
It wasn’t until I saw them that the reality of what we were about to do really hit me. Slipping back into that dreaded uniform brought home how I was living in a world that was not my own. The number on my back marked me as a hated enemy, though I was given a different number in case my original 0311 was on some “most wanted” alert list. To anybody who cared to take a second glance at me, I would look like any one of a thousand other detested prisoners.
What couldn’t be seen were the two pulsers that were hidden in my sleeves.
“Is it wrong to think I look good?” Kent asked.
He was wearing Air Force camouflage fatigues. So was Tori.
The plan was to have them pose as soldiers who were moving me through the Bridge on the pretense that I was a prisoner being rotated back into the colonization camp. If anyone stopped to ask, that was their story. Two uniformed soldiers, Sounders, were coming along for the ride. Not only did they know procedure, their mission was to protect us and get us back through time and then out of the prison camp. If all went well, they would commandeer a vehicle to transport us through the desert and to a rendezvous with SYLO.
If things went south, they would run interference.
“You look great,” I said to Kent. “Makes me want to shoot you.”
“Good, that’s what I was going for,” he said.
“It gives me the creeps to wear this,” Tori said. “Like it’s Halloween and I’m dressed up as a mass murderer.” She held up her own pulser and added, “But I like this.”
We were still in the basement of the Sounders’ building. Once we agreed to go through with the plan, things happened fast. While we got changed, the word went out to Sounders on both sides of the Bridge to be aware that we were coming through and to be prepared to provide whatever support they could to make sure we made it safely back to the twenty-first century and out of Bova’s camp. These brave people were about to risk their lives because of their convictions. Not only were they putting themselves in danger, if the plan actually worked and the Bridge was closed, those who stayed in 2324 were sentencing themselves to live in the nightmare world of the twenty-fourth century. A ticket to life in the past must have been a huge temptation, but for these noble people it wasn’t enough to justify the brutal actions of their government.
Worse, in order to secure the dome, they would have to reveal themselves as rebel Sounders. When the dust settled, they would surely be arrested. Or worse.
The word “hero” is overused. But in this case it totally fit.
Colonel Pike and Captain Sokol entered the dank basement in a hurry. It felt as though the clock was ticking—fast.
“These are communicators,” Sokol said, handing one each to Kent and Tori. “Don’t use them until you’re through the Bridge. We can’t risk the signal being picked up here. We don’t have to worry about that in the past. It’s set to a frequency that only our people monitor on that side.”
“What are we supposed to use them for?” Tori asked.
“To let you know of our progress,” Pike said. “We are set to move here. Once I give the command, many parts will be set in motion. We will breach the depot and secure one of the nuclear devices. Once we move it into position, we’ll arm it and seal off the dome.”
“Uh, won’t the Air Force try to stop you?” Kent asked.
“Of course,” Pike replied. “Surprise is key. The closer we get to detonation before the military comes down on us, the better. We’re prepared to defend the dome and provide cover for the engineers but there’s no telling how long we’ll be able to hold out.”
“This is going to happen whether or not SYLO comes on board,” Sokol said. “Once we commit to grabbing one of the nuclear devices, we’ll have to follow through to the end. Obviously we stand a better chance of success if SYLO can secure the Bridge from the other side.”
“What makes you think they can do that?” I asked. “Even if they agree to it? They’ve attacked that camp a bunch of times and the Retros always turn them back. They can’t compete with those drones.”
“They won’t have to,” Sokol said. “That’s my job. I’m taking a team through the Bridge to seize control of the command center. The drones are controlled from a bunker near the dome.”
“You’re going to ground the drones?” Tori said, incredulous.
Sokol said, “That’s what the communicators are for. I’ll let you know as soon as we own the sky. Be sure to mention that to Captain Granger, would you? My guess is no military commander would stage a ground assault as long as those drones protect the dome. I’m sure it’s why they haven’t tried it yet. But once the drones are no longer a factor . . .” He smiled and shrugged.
“We’re asking you to do a lot,” Pike said. “But you can see how critical it is for SYLO to secure the dome.”
“Not to put any more pressure on you,” Sokol added, “but we don’t have much time. The Air Force is gearing up for their next assault. It could come as early as tonight.”
That news hung heavy in the air.
“We will get underway at seventeen hundred hours,” Pike said. “Five o’clock. We will secure a device, move it into the dome, and detonate it at exactly eighteen hundred hours. Six o’clock.”
“Nine hours from now,” Kent said soberly. “That’s all the time we have to get back there and convince SYLO to attack.”
“No,” Pike said. “Nine hours until the bomb goes off. SYLO would have to stage an attack long before that if they’re going to control the dome.”
“Oh, better still,” Kent said sarcastically. “Wouldn’t want to make it too easy.”
“We have no choice but to go by that schedule,” Sokol said. “Once the next Air Force campaign begins, the dome will be overrun with personnel and equipment and we won’t stand a chance of getting the device inside. It’s now or never.”
“Six o’clock,” I said, soberly. “It all works back from then.”
“Set your watches,” Kent said.
Two Sounders entered the room. Both were armed with pulsers.
“This is Chief Brock and Master Sergeant Sanchez,” Sokol said. “They’ll be your escorts.”
Brock was a short guy with flaming-red hair and freckles. He looked like an overgrown kid. A big strong kid. Sanchez had dark skin and tight, curly black hair. Both of these guys looked like they could run through a brick wall.
“Whoa, what about Olivia?” Kent asked. “Isn’t she coming with us?”
“That wouldn’t be wise,” Pike said. “She’s known. The attack on her apartment proved that.”
“So, she’s staying here?” Kent said with growing concern. “That means when the Bridge blows she’ll be stuck in the future.”
“I’m sorry, Kent,” Pike said with genuine sympathy. “I know you have all grown close, but we can’t risk jeopardizing your mission.”
Kent stared at the floor, his jaw muscles clenching. It looked like he was swaying, as if unsteady on his own two feet.
“Can we at least say goodbye to her?” I asked.
“Of course, she’s right outside,” Sokol said. “I’ll send her in. Make it quick.”
Pike, Sokol, and the two Sounders left the room.
I had no idea of what to say. I had expected Olivia to be with us. If anybody earned the right to have a shot at escaping the brutal future, it was her.
“All set?” Olivia said brightly as she stepped into the room.
“I’m not going,” Kent said. “Not without you.”
Olivia smiled sadly, walked to Kent, and hugged him.
Kent wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight.
These two really did have a connection. She might have been messing with me for fun, but it was clear her heart belonged to Kent. They stayed locked together like that for several seconds, neither wanting it to end.
“You have to go,” Olivia said. “These guys need you. We all need you.”
“It’s not fair,” Kent said, holding back tears. “You deserve to go. You earned it.”
“Yeah, I did,” Olivia said. “But the Retros know I’m a Sounder. It would be crazy to risk it.”
She was right. We all knew it. Kent probably did too, but he didn’t want to accept it.
“There has to be another way,” he said with a note of desperation.
“If you’ve got an idea, I’m open,” Olivia said.
He didn’t.
Olivia pulled back and held him at arm’s length. When she looked at him, I saw how much she truly loved the guy.
“It’s come down to this,” she said. “This is your chance. You’ve got to be strong and step up. Do it for your dad. And your mom. And for me too.”
Kent bit his lip and nodded. This was killing him.
Olivia let him go and turned to Tori.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” she said.
Tori didn’t know how to react so she just smiled awkwardly.
“You’ve been our heart from the beginning,” Olivia added. “And our conscience. Please don’t stop now.”
Tori took a step forward and hugged Olivia. These two never got along, but in the end they developed a genuine respect for each other.
“I couldn’t have done what you did,” Tori said, her voice cracking. “Or what you’re about to do.”
“I could say the same thing about you,” Olivia replied. “Good luck.”
They pulled away and Olivia faced me. There were tears in her eyes.
“I think I’ll miss you most, Scarecrow,” she said.
“Shut up,” I replied.
“C’mon, I love that movie! It was the first one you took me to. Remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. You said it was hokey.”
“It was,” she said. “That’s why I loved it.”
She stepped forward and the two of us hugged. She held tight and softly whispered, “Take care of them.”
All I could do was hug her tighter.
“Time to go,” Sokol said, leaning in the door.
Olivia pulled away from me and straightened up.
“I’m not going to be sitting around just watching all the fun,” she said. “I’m on the nuclear team. Front-row seat. So do me a favor and cover my butt from the other side, would you?”
“Done,” Kent said with total confidence.
There was an awkward moment of silence while we all stared at one another. I finally broke away from the group and headed for the door.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going home,” I said and walked out the door without looking back at Olivia. To see her again would have torn my heart out.
Colonel Pike was outside of the room with Brock and Sanchez. I stood next to her, waiting for the others to follow.
Tori came out, followed by Sokol.
We all stood there, waiting. Wondering what Kent was going to do. It was a very long thirty seconds before he stepped out of the doorway. Alone.
“What are we standing around here for?” he declared. “We’ve got a war to start.”
Pike led us up and out of the basement and into the early morning sun. A military transport vehicle was waiting for us on the street, its musical engine already humming. Sanchez went right for it and got behind the wheel. Brock rode shotgun.
Colonel Pike stopped next to the vehicle and pulled something out of her pocket that she handed to Kent and Tori.
“Identification badges,” she explained. “Put them on now.”
“Hey, that’s my picture,” Kent said. “How did you get these?”
Pike shot Sokol a bemused smile.
“It’s good to be a Colonel,” she said.
“Do whatever Brock and Sanchez tell you to,” Sokol said. “Those two are the best, and just a little bit dangerous.”
“I like that,” Kent said.
“If all goes well, there will be a vehicle waiting for you outside the dome on the other side of the Bridge. They’ll take you out of the camp and you’ll be gone before any of the guards realize what happened.”
“And if all doesn’t go well?” Tori asked.
Sokol shrugged and said, “Then shoot your way out.”
That gave us all a moment’s pause.
“What happens once we’re out of the camp?” I asked.
“You tell us,” Sokol said. “We don’t have any way to contact SYLO. That’s why we need you.”
I didn’t point out that we didn’t know how to make contact with them, either.
“Eighteen hundred hours,” Pike said. “That’s when the curtain goes up. If SYLO doesn’t step in, it’ll be a very short show.”
“All we can do is try,” I said.
Pike had said all she needed to say. She looked at each of us and softened a little.
“You’re just kids,” she said, mostly to herself.
“Badass kids,” Kent said.
Sokol held back a chuckle.
“No words can say how honored I am to know you,” Pike said. “Good luck.”
We piled into the car. The last one in was Kent, who looked square at Sokol and said, “You better stop those damn drones.”
Sokol didn’t respond. He didn’t need Kent to tell him what he had to do.
Kent got in the car, slammed the door, and we took off.
I looked back at the building to see Olivia appear in the doorway. She didn’t wave. She just stood there with her hands on her hips, watching us. For a second I imagined her standing on the porch of the Blackbird Inn, wearing a red bikini and holding a tray of ice tea for Quinn and me.
I wished I hadn’t looked back.
We drove silently through the filthy streets, each alone with our own thoughts. My mind was strangely blank. I didn’t want to stress over each possible scenario because there was no way to predict what we would face. It was more about clearing my head, preparing to roll with whatever came our way, and trying not to hyperventilate.
After driving for what seemed like only a few seconds, Brock turned back to us.
“We’ll park a hundred meters from the dome and walk the rest of the way on foot,” he explained. “Standard escort formation around Pierce. Sleeper and I in front, Berringer and Sanchez behind. We’ll go through a checkpoint where they’ll scan your badges. Our orders have been input into the system. There should be no problem. Do not speak unless asked a direct question. Remember, we’re escorting a prisoner to the forward camp. That’s all you need to say. I’m the officer in charge of the transfer. All questions should be directed to me anyway. Understood?”
“What happens after we get through the Bridge?” I asked.
“We’ll track down transport and drive out of the camp,” he replied.
“Easy as that?” I asked.
“Easy as that. After that, you’re on.”
That was the part that worried me.
We drove through the early-morning light of the Bridge city with no company. There were no other vehicles on the road and very few pedestrians. The city was only beginning to wake up. The dome loomed in the distance ahead of us. Less than nine hours from then an atomic bomb was going to be detonated inside of that structure that would hopefully save what was left of our world from the invasion.
I stared at the buildings as we drove by, sickened by what the world had become and amazed at the shortsightedness that allowed it to happen. As much as I didn’t want to think ahead and guess what would happen as the day played out, I allowed myself to hope that we would never have to see this cursed city and time again.
We turned the final corner onto the wide street that would lead us to the dome.
“Oh crap,” Kent said.
Stretched out before us was a line of attack ships that reached all the way to the dome. They weren’t the small unmanned drones that had done so much damage throughout the world; these were the giant piloted planes that could wipe out an entire city on their own. It was the type of plane that Tori and I had sabotaged, which led to the destruction of the entire fleet of Retro planes at Area 51.
“I guess tonight really is the night,” Sanchez said with awe.
These ships were floating in line, ready to pass through the Bridge on their way to delivering the final blow to the past. They were patiently waiting to do what they did best.
Destroy.
Sanchez turned onto a side street, pulled to the curb, and cut the engine.
“This is it,” Brock announced. “Questions?”
“What are our chances?” Kent asked.
“Any other questions?” Brock said.
We climbed out and walked back to the main street where the giant planes were lined up. It was a sobering sight, made all the more so because from that moment on we were going to be in serious danger.
“Lead on,” I said. “I’m the prisoner, remember?”
As instructed, Tori and Brock walked shoulder to shoulder in front of me; Kent and Sanchez were close behind. Now that we were near the heart of the city, and the dome, there were many more pedestrians. I kept my head down, fearing that someone might recognize me. Or worse, recognize Tori or Kent and wonder why they were wearing Air Force uniforms.
To anybody who took notice of us, they must have thought I was some dangerous master criminal. Why else would I be getting such treatment?
We passed by the low, rounded building with the steel doors we had seen when we first arrived. It was where the atomic devices were kept. There were armed guards in front. They had no idea of what was going to come down on top of their heads in a few hours.
As we neared the dome we entered an area separated from the street by a low metal fence. It was a chute that funneled personnel into the security check before entering the dome. I kept my hands in plain sight, folded in front of me. It gave me a feeling of security to feel the two pulsers that were hidden in my sleeves. In my mind I practiced a hundred times how I would let them slip out, ready to shoot.
Brock marched right up to the Retro soldier who was stationed in front of a metal archway that we would need to pass through before entering the dome.
“Prisoner transfer to the forward camp,” Brock announced, holding his black pad device out for the security guy to see.
I kept my head down, but looked ahead, ready for any sign of trouble.
The guard looked bored. He made some entries into his own black pad, probably to confirm the transfer orders that Pike had put in.
“I’m jealous,” the guard said.
“Why’s that?” Brock asked.
“You’re gonna be on the other side when the action starts,” he said, gesturing to the line of monster planes.
“Right,” Brock said. “When’s kickoff?”
“Sometime after nightfall,” the guard replied. “You have no idea how crazy it’s going to get around here.”
“Oh, I can take a good guess,” Brock said. “Are we clear?”
The guard stepped aside to let us pass.
“Have a good trip,” the guard said. “Light those bastards on the other side up for me.”
“That’s the plan,” Tori said.
Brock shot her a stern look.
We passed through the checkpoint and strode toward the dome.
The giant doors were open, having been retracted into the shell of the immense structure. They would have to be closed by the Sounders or the blast wouldn’t be contained and the entire city might be wiped out.
None of us said a word, but I knew that all of our hearts were beating a little faster, because mine sure was. We strode directly into the dome as if we belonged. Inside, in front of the giant frame that held the Bridge, was a hovering Retro fighter, ready to move through to the past. A few Retro soldiers stood guard around the structure, which was different than when we had arrived. I wondered if security had been tightened because of the Sounder activity over the past day. Or maybe it was because they were preparing the next wave of the invasion. Whatever the reason, it meant that the Sounders were going to have more of a challenge to bring in the bomb.
Gratefully, none of the guards looked on edge. They seemed more like bored traffic cops as they kept the flow of gear, planes, and personnel moving through the Bridge.
We were moving directly for the Bridge when a guard called out to us.
“Hey! Who’s this guy?” he shouted.
We stopped as the guard strolled up, staring at me.
“Why does this scum get to go back?” he asked.
“He’s infected with a virus that was eradicated two hundred years ago,” Brock said without missing a beat. “It’s fatal. Want to kiss him goodbye?”
The guard turned white and backed off quickly.
“Whoa, no, carry on. Good riddance.”
The guard turned and hurried off.
“You thought of everything,” I said softly.
“We try,” Brock said. “Ready?”
We all stood there, bathed in the glow from within the frame.
“I want to go back,” Tori said. “But I don’t.”
“Eight hours,” Sanchez said.
“Let’s go!” Kent exclaimed.
We had to wait a few more seconds as the black fighter disappeared into the white light of the Bridge, before stepping up to the frame for our turn.
“Stay alert,” Brock warned.
“I can’t be any more alert than I am right now,” Kent said. “I’m ready to pee my pants.”
“Don’t do that,” Brock said.
He stepped into the light and disappeared. Tori went directly after him and I was the next up. I didn’t hesitate for a second.
The act of stepping through this impossible “Bridge” through time gave absolutely no sensation or sense of movement. It was no different than stepping through a doorway from one room to the next, only the next room was centuries in the past and was an entirely different stream of existence. I walked out of the light and into the dome of the past as easily as if I had gone through a doorway in my house.
The past dome looked no different than when we had come through the day before. Other than the black plane that had floated out of the giant doors ahead of us, there was very little activity.
“Smells much better,” Kent said after he came through behind me. “Never thought I’d appreciate a place because of the way it smelled. Or didn’t smell.”
“Keep moving,” Brock commanded.
My heart had been thumping from the moment we stepped out of the military vehicle back in the future. Now it was absolutely pounding. We were back in the camp where Tori, Kent, and I were prisoners. Known prisoners. We had already made one escape, and now we would attempt a second.
Brock and Tori led us out of the dome and into the hot, bright light of the Mojave desert. As much as I hated Bova’s cruel camp, it was a welcome relief to see clear skies and an uncluttered view of the mountains. It made me even more angry to think of what the world would become.
“Now what?” Tori asked.
Brock pulled his communicator from his pocket and tapped it a few times. “Our ride should be waiting right . . . there.”
He pointed to our right where a camouflage Humvee was parked.
“How did you pull this off?” Kent asked.
“You know we have people on this side,” Sanchez said. “Once you all agreed to come back, we sent people through to alert them and set it all up.”
The vehicle was only thirty yards away. We were one step closer to getting out of there. We all walked quickly but deliberately toward the waiting vehicle. Glancing around I saw no signs of the aerial attack that had hit the camp just the day before. Wreckage was cleared away and even the burned barracks was now just an empty patch of sand. The SYLO attack hadn’t affected the camp in the slightest. I really hoped that wouldn’t be the case with the next one.
With only steps to go, I allowed myself to believe that we were going to make it.
“Zero Three One One!” a woman called.
I froze. I had hoped I would never hear that number again, especially not then.
It was the commander of blue unit. She was leading her prisoners through the empty expanse in front of the dome when she spotted me.
We were stopped dead in our tracks. Even Brock seemed unsure of what to do.
The woman approached, looking confused.
“What the hell is going on?” she said. “I thought Bova and Feit had found you and—”
The words caught in her throat when she saw something that made even less sense to her: Two of her other prisoners were there as well, and they were wearing Air Force uniforms.
“Wha . . .” she gasped, then quickly pulled a communicator from her back pocket.
“Show’s over,” Brock announced.
He raised his pulser and fired, knocking the woman back and onto the ground.
So much for stealth.
“Let’s go!” Sanchez announced and ran for the Humvee.
The rest of us were right behind him.
I slid the two pulsers out of my sleeves.
When we got to the vehicle, the two Sounders jumped in front while Tori, Kent, and I climbed in back. Sanchez fired up the gas engine and hit the accelerator. There was no time to be cautious. We had to get out of there.
“Stay down,” Sanchez barked. “They’re going to be coming at us from every angle.”
He wasn’t kidding. Before getting shot, the unit supervisor must have pushed the panic button, because Retro soldiers appeared from everywhere, trying to head us off. They had their pulsers up and started firing. Sanchez was good: He swerved at full speed, trying to make a difficult target. The Humvee was big and sturdy. A few shots of energy pounded us, rattling the heavy vehicle and knocking us around, but it didn’t stop us.
“We’re making it too easy for them,” Tori announced. She rolled down the window and started shooting back. She aimed dead ahead and to the side, spraying our attackers. The blasts of energy forced the Retros to scatter as the buildings around them were rocked. Brock did the same from the other side. The Retros continued to fire back, but with more caution, because they now feared they would be shot themselves.
Sanchez drove with his foot to the floor, taking sharp, high-speed turns that I was sure would flip us over.
“Look out!” Kent shouted.
Another vehicle was headed directly for us. It was a game of chicken. Sanchez didn’t blink. He charged straight ahead on a direct line for the oncoming car.
“Shoot him!” Kent screamed.
Brock leaned out of the window and fired.
He hit the windshield, forcing the car to swerve. That’s when Sanchez made his move. He spun the wheel hard to the right, fishtailing our vehicle into a violent, skidding turn. Our back end clipped the front of the enemy’s vehicle. It was a brutal jolt, but it didn’t stop us.
“We’re gonna make it,” Kent said.
We were nearing the last of the new buildings. All around us, prisoners scattered to get out of our way as Retro soldiers fought to get a clean shot at us.
It was too late. They hadn’t rallied fast enough. Sanchez didn’t let off of the gas and we charged past the last of the barracks and out into the wide-open spaces of the Mojave. The camp had no fences surrounding it. Once we sped past the line of huge antiaircraft guns that protected the dome, there was nothing around us but miles of open desert.
“Yeah!” Kent screamed.
“We’re not safe,” I said. “They could follow.”
“Or send out the drones,” Tori said.
“That depends,” Brock said.
“On what?”
“On how much they care,” he replied. “They’ve got more important things to worry about than a couple of escaped prisoners. Tonight begins the second phase of the invasion. In the big picture, you aren’t that important to them.”
“Gee, thanks,” Kent said.
“Of course if they knew who you really were . . .”
Tori twisted around to look back at the camp, which was quickly growing smaller.
“I don’t see anybody coming,” she said.
That didn’t matter to Sanchez. He didn’t let up off of the gas. We had to have been doing a hundred across the flat desert. He pressed on like that for several minutes while we all held our breath.
“I think we made it,” Kent said full of nervous hope. “Right? We made it. Do you think we made it? I think we did.”
Brock turned to face us. “We made it.”
“Good, I thought so,” Kent said quickly.
“So . . . where to?” Brock asked.
I wished I had the answer. I wanted to be able to tell them exactly where to go so we could be picked up by SYLO, but I didn’t have a clue.
“Maybe back to Area 51,” Tori said. “That’s where they picked us up after the fleet was destroyed. It’s as good a spot to start as any.”
Brock lifted his communicator and said, “If I knew what frequency they were operating on I might be able to . . .”
He stopped talking and frowned. Something he saw on his device was bad news.
“What?” Tori asked.
“Repeat,” Brock said into the device.
He read whatever the response was and his eyes went wide.
“Stop the vehicle!” he shouted to Sanchez.
Sanchez gave him a quick, surprised look and hit the brakes. The car skidded across the dry surface, twisting and slipping so violently that I feared we were going to roll as we went from a hundred to zero in three seconds flat.
“Get out!” Brock screamed.
“What happened?” Sanchez asked.
“They targeted our signal,” Brock shouted as he desperately fumbled to open the door.
Up until that moment Brock had been the coolest guy under pressure that I had ever seen. Now he was in full-on panic.
The three of us were momentarily frozen, not sure of what to do.
Brock threw open his door and turned back to us.
“Move!” he screamed, his face red and his eyes wild.
He didn’t move until he saw that Tori and I had gotten our doors open. Tori scrambled out of her side and Kent was right behind her. I threw open my door and jumped out.
“Run!” Brock yelled. “Get away from the vehicle!”
I heard a faint whistling sound that quickly became louder. It grew into a terrifying shriek that foretold the destruction about to happen.
A second later the missile, or whatever it was, hit the car. The Humvee exploded from the force of the powerful missile and the eruption of the gas tank. The concussion hit me in the back and threw me forward. I felt as though I was on fire. I hit the ground, face first, and saw stars. As I lay there, pressed against the ground, trying to catch my breath and pull my head together, I listened for another missile. There was nothing.
I slowly got to my knees and turned around to see the Humvee in flames. They didn’t need another missile. One was plenty. I looked around for Sanchez, for we had both been on the same side of the vehicle.
“Man that was close,” I said. “Another second and . . .”
I stopped talking because nobody was listening. Sanchez wasn’t there.
I staggered to my feet and looked beyond the inferno to see Kent kneeling over Tori. Though my head was spinning and my knees were weak, I ran for them.
As Tori’s head lay in Kent’s lap, I flashed back to the final moments of Olivia’s life. Her other life. It was a “death” she recovered from. This was different. We had no miracle medicine to cure her.
“Tori,” I called while running to her. I dropped to my knees next to her and stared into her closed eyes, willing them to open.
They didn’t.
Instead, she spoke.
“That hurt.”
I let out a relieved laugh.
“You okay?” I asked Kent.
He nodded quickly.
Brock staggered up to us. “One of our operatives in the camp sent me the warning. He was in the command center when they fired the missile.”
“He saved us,” Tori said.
“Yeah, well, not all of us,” Brock said solemnly.
I didn’t understand what he meant at first. My thoughts were too jumbled. It wasn’t until I realized he was staring at the burning wreckage that I put it together.
“Sanchez,” I said.
“Oh my God,” Kent said with a gasp.
He hadn’t gotten out in time. Sanchez was yet another victim of the Retro invasion.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be sorry,” Brock replied through gritted teeth. “Get us to SYLO.”