The Last Flight (A Maximum Ride fanfiction)

TLF Chapter 39

It wasn't raining any longer, but ominous black clouds hung low over the horizon.

Allan was in front, driving his jeep, Gasman, Iggy, Ella and Angel with him. Aaron was driving the old red truck, Nudge, Max and Fang crammed into the cab with him.

The Old Mullins place was exactly like Allan remembered it, the roof had practically collapsed but the steps were the same. The road was deserted so Allan parked the jeep beside the ditch and climbed over the fence.

Fang and Aaron passed out the shovels and a few pick-axes and they fluttered over the fence.

Aaron stumbled on his landing beside Fang holding the shovel tightly but Fang threw out his arm to keep him from falling. "Bend your knees a little when you land … You're too stiff."

Allan and Iggy literally pulled the steps off the porch and threw them then attacked the ground with shovels, slopping the muddy soil aside.

It was messy business and Nudge was glad she'd changed out of her expensive jeans and back into a pair she wasn't afraid to get dirty.

They piled the mud high behind them, making a little mountain of dirt, rocks and the odd plant root.

Fang and Aaron dropped into the hole, which was now nearly six feet across and one deep. To Aaron it felt like they were digging for treasure long buried and extremely valuable. To Fang it felt like he was digging a grave…

Aaron pulled off his red jacket and handed it up to Nudge for safe keeping, wiping sweat out of his eyes despite the chilled air.

After a few more minutes of digging Fang pulled off his own jacket throwing it up for someone, he really didn't care who, to watch.

Max felt useless, watching Fang dig, watching Aaron dig … She couldn't do anything but stand there and watch like everyone else. Stand there like a Whitecoat and watch her experiments toil. Watch watch watch…

After nearly five feet of downward movement Max was beginning to wonder if there would ever be something in there … Or if they were wasting their time…

Fang must have been thinking the same thing because he lifted the shovel up and drove it point first into the ground his face contorted in rage.

The shovel hit something and the blade bent…

Aaron went still, his gray T-shirt stained with sweat and the drizzling rain that had started falling a few minutes earlier. "Bugger me … What is that!" He scraped some of the mud away with the side of his shovel and stared down … "It's a box…"

Fang dropped to his knees in the mud and scraped the soil away with both hands, "Its not a box … It's a safe!" And he started clawing at it, trying to pry it out of the ground…

Aaron fell into a crouch beside him, scooping at the mud also, smearing it across his forehead when he wiped at the sweat and rain that mingled there. After a few seconds he stood and took up the shovel, carving the wet earth away from the safe with urgent stomps and flicks.

This was it … This safe held the answers Fang had been looking for all his life… This safe was IT. He knew it, he could feel it. This safe held all his secrets, it held his dreams…

Aaron wedged the end of the shovel under the safe and put his weight on it, prying the great mud covered vault from the ground…

Fang leaned forward, and pushed his fingers in with the shovel, lifting with all his strength.

Aaron leaned all his weight on the shovel, his teeth ground together feet coming a good two inches off the ground. His arms hurt and as he watched Fang he saw his brother's arms, though caked with mud were trembling with the strain. And his face was grim, his lips pressed together so tightly the flesh around them was as white as Aaron's wings…

The safe lurched and a wet squelching sound came from the earth as the vault came free of its dirt prison.

Aaron and the shovel fell to the ground, Aaron gasping for breath. Fang rocked backward and sat in the mud panting, the little safe clutched to his chest.

Everything was still for three seconds then thunder rolled in the distance and it started raining again, large wet drops pounding down on them, rinsing the mud from their faces and filling the hole turned pit with chocolate colored water…

Fang tilted his head back and let the rain fall on his lips and for the first time in the month since he'd gotten the letter from his father he felt at peace…

Aaron slowly climbed to his feet, hands on his knees staring into Fang's face. "You alright?"

Fang nodded but didn't open his eyes. He just sat there in the mud smiling and letting his arms rest. Letting the feeling return to his hands and fingers … When he finally did open his eyes the first face he saw was Max's looming out at him in the semi darkness.

He clambered to his feet and with Aaron's help hefted the vault out of the pit then pulled himself out. Aaron pushed himself up with shaking arms and they dragged the safe into the shelter of a nearby tree. The same tree, Fang realized, that their mother must have climbed years ago…

"It has a combination … Look at that, it still works…" Aaron said scraping the mud away from the little knob. "Only a flood would have gotten the ground wet enough to get to this thing … Or a couple of bird-children with spades." He twisted the knob twice then looked up at Fang, "What's the combination?"

Numbers…

"Three, nineteen, eleven."

Max looked down at him suspiciously, "Eleven?"

"Two ones."

Max rolled her eyes.

Aaron twisted his hands, "I'm shaking too badly, someone else do it."

Iggy rolled his eyes and knelt beside Fang, his hands going to the knob. He leaned close so he could see the color of the numbers then started twisting away, his tongue poking out of his mouth.

Iggy grasped the handle and gave it a tug.

The safe swung open…