Rise

Chapter Eleven: Nearly There

The truck bounced and vibrated as it motored across the plain, leaving the cloud of dust in its wake. As the brown sea passed by them in a rapid blur, Matt wished he had had a truck the whole time. They could have traveled the entire distance they had walked in a matter of hours. But if I hadn't walked, then I would have never have found Flint, or been able to help Emma, Matt thought as he leaned against the walls of the truck's bed, satisfied that he made the right choices.

"We'll be there within a half hour. Get yourself ready. Physically and emotionally," Jack Tucker, or Kestrel, as he liked to call himself, shouted from the driver's seat. There had been no space for any of Matt's party to sit up front with him, so they had to brave the open air from the back of the pickup.

Pulling the revolver from his pack, along with the box of ammunition, Matt began to load the gun. Sliding each metal bullet into its respective slot, a knot formed in Matt's stomach. He knew he was afraid. Afraid of what was to come, afraid of what he would find. Kestrel had said they were heading to a scientific facility of some sort, but he did not say who it belonged to or why his sister was there. Either he didn't know or wasn't going to share.

It was calming, doing such a menial task as loading a gun. The focus required allowed Matt to slip away from his worries and just zone out, blocking the rest of the world out. And yet, the tugging in his stomach was still there. The fear he doubted he'd be able to shake, not until his adrenaline started to rush. He wasn't exactly sure why he was loading the gun, it's not like he knew how to use it, it just felt right. He felt like he was going to need it.

"Shit!" Matt exclaimed as the truck bounced, sending a bullet from his hands and onto the floor of the truck bed. Without a word, Emma snapped it up, her swiftness an indicator that she had been watching Matt the whole time.

Emma held the bullet in front of her face for a few moments, apparently inspecting it. She rolled it around in her hands, her eyes narrowing as she tried to focus on something. Pursing her lips, she removed the bullet from before her face and held it out to Matt, who took it and slid it into the pistol.

".45 caliber. That's pretty intense. You know how to use that thing?" Emma asked. Matt could swear he picked up a hint of sarcasm.

"To be honest, no. I've never shot a gun in my life. I guess I just feel safer, having it loaded at my hip," Matt replied, snapping the cylinder into place after he loaded the final bullet.

"Cock the hammer back all the way," Emma instructed, pointing to the back of the handgun. She smiled as a quizzical look appeared on Matt's face.

"You do that so when you pull the trigger it shoots the bullet," Emma said in a painfully slow manner, clearly poking fun at Matt.

The boy smiled back as he pulled the hammer back, hearing an audible click. "Ah, of course, I knew that," Matt replied, playing on Emma's tone. He raised his eyebrows at her playfully, eliciting a slight giggle. 

Matt was not at all bothered by the fact that Emma had been making fun of him. He was just so glad that she had shaken her dark mood and was back to what he figured was her normal self. She had even laughed and that was something she had never done in front of him before. The soft sound made his fear melt just a little and gave his courage a little bit of a spark. The feeling provided him with a sense of warmth, but not one that was quite the same as the heat beating down from the afternoon sun. One far less tangible, one he felt in his gut, rather than on his skin.

"I pull this to make it go boom right?" Matt asked, pointing to the trigger.

"Very good! You catch on quick. Such a smart boy you are," Emma cooed, squeezing Matt's cheek and laughing harder.

Flint threw his two cents into the conversation with an excited bark, clearly happy to see the two getting along and laughing. Matt wondered what had been going on in the dog's mind when they were fighting. Did he stay out of it becasue he was too tired to step in, or was he trained to let others handle their own conflicts? Matt wondered as he watched the dog's dark brown eyes, trying to glean some sort of answer from their depths.

"Hey, look to the west, there's our destination!" Kestrel called from the front seat, pointing his hand out the window.

Matt and Emma both swiveled their heads, homing in on the building in the distance. Its size was growing quickly, an indicator that they would arrive very soon. Silence fell between them and Matt wondered if she felt the same dread he did as they gazed upon the grey bricked building. Squinting his eyes, Matt tried to make out fine details but the distance proved too great. That only made Matt's apprehension worse. He hated going into something without at least scoping it out a bit before hand.

They continued the ride in silence, both two nervous to strike up more conversation. The rest of the bumpy journey consisted of mental preparation, especially with Matt as he readied himself for whatever he would find within the structure. His eyes were squinted and his lips pursed, a face pf pure concentration. He knew there would be no time for hesitation or fear or doubt. All that had to be suppressed or dispelled. Now or never.

The truck ground to a halt about a mile from the building, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Matt felt like he was stepping through a dense fog as he climbed from the truck bed, defending his eyes from the harsh particles.

 "This is as far as I can take you," Kestrel called out from the front seat, looking much like a ghost in the dusty haze. "Any closer proves too great of a risk,"

"Too great of a risk? And it's safe for us?" Emma asked sharply, joined by an affirming bark from Flint.

"A group of people walking is far less conspicuous than a truck driving in broad daylight on a flat plain. At most, you'd be considered a mirage. You'll be fine," Kestrel replied, seemingly unphased by Emma's tone.

"Matt, he's gonna screw us! We are walking to our death's here. How can you even trust this guy? We have known him for all of an hour," Emma shot, churning her feet against the earth.

"This is the best chance I have of finding Rose. I have to take it. And think about it, if this man wanted us dead, he'd have done it a few metres from the city and turned around. Sometimes, people just do things out of the goodness of their hearts. I feel like this is one of those times," Matt replied, his tone very calm and steady. He was prepared to go on without Emma, if it came to that.

"You're being naive! This is stupid Matt! Jack, Tucker, Kestrel! Whatever the fuck your name is, take us back! This was a bad idea," Emma shouted, her hands balled into fists.

"Fine. Take her back. I'm still going. It was a good run Emma, I hope you find somewhere safe to live out the rest of your days," Matt said as he turned towards the structure, extending his walking stick.

"Matt! Matt? Come on! You're not being serious right now are you? This is insane! MATT!" Emma shouted as he walked on, his walking stick making a slight scraping noise everytime it pressed into the earth.

The boy ignored her, focused on his objective, not allowing any time for hesitation or distraction. For Matt knew that if he were to turn around, he wouldn't be able to go again. He brain would catch up with his heart and tell him it was a bad idea, tell him it was time to go home. It wasn't long before he heard the sounds of sprinting behind him, and the clinking of Flint's collar.

Matt didn't even stop walking when Emma slammed her hand down on his shoulder, catching up with him quickly.

"Alright Matt, I see you won't be swayed. I'm going with you. I can't let you do something stupid,"

"I thought this was stupid,"

"Well, something stupid--er, then,"

Matt couldn't help but smile, his fears melting just a little with Emma and Flint next to him again.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to consult you with every decision I choose to make," Matt jested, hamming up the sarcasm. It certainly kept his mind off of his fear and doubt, which was something he sorely needed.

Even though they continued on in silence, Matt felt truly ready to face what lay beyond the doors to the structure, ready to do what he needed to do.

The building grew slowly as the part neared, taking their time and scanning the area for any signs of danger. They never heard the truck speed off behind them, heading northwest.