Survival

Chapter 54 Red Hands

For the third time, the helicopter rumbled from above. Peyton kept count, drawing tally marks in the dirt. They came roughly once ever couple of hours, meaning they'd only gone through six of their first forty eight hours. Unless Amelia was counting the time before contact. He betted that she wasn't. Her resolve was equally admirable and frustrating.

The engine's beating grew fainter. Peyton stretched his legs out in a different position, careful not to nudge his wife accidentally. Her scowl deepened as whispers started across from them.

"Absolute silence," she hissed.

"The chopper's gone," Mischa protested.

"You don't know if they were overlooking the area or dropping people off to search. Thirty minutes. That's the rule."

"Can I at least stand up? I can't feel my legs anymore."

"Quietly."

A bang and curses rang out as the girl forgot how low cave ceilings truly were. Peyton gave Amelia's leg a squeeze to hopefully keep whatever expletive she had for the teen in check. The man and wife interactions didn't go any further. To an outsider they were nothing more than strangers, not two people who had built a life together and been separated for months.

Once thirty minutes had passed on the official watch, whispering resumed.

"I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner. I didn't know where to look until I stumbled upon the new facility," Peyton said. Maybe she was upset about that.

"What makes you think that facility is any better than this one?"

Peyton sighed. Amelia was always too busy playing defense to take a moment for herself. "It's communal and people are free to come and go as they see fit."

"That's not completely accurate. He will strongly advise you against leaving," Alex interjected.

Peyton sighed. He had kept his head out of Alex and June's fights, but the man couldn't be bothered to return the favour."But, he won't stop you. He also trained and equipped us with supplies before we left. He had no obligation to do so, but he wanted to."

Amelia sat up taller. "That reminds me, next time there's an attack I want you to act. We almost lost that kid over the edge. We have numbers on our side and we need to use them."

The dark outline of the teen across from them shifted. "I'll be fine next time. The gun surprised me."

"They'll all be armed, Quinton. If you're not able to handle that, it's alright. You just need to stay back."

Peyton wondered why he wasn't given the same choice. Given the situation, he'd likely freeze despite all of his training. His resolve to not hurt another human being would kick in and the attacker would take him down.

"I can handle it," Quinton replied. The boy had more guts than Peyton did. Peyton had no doubts his wife was comparing the two at the moment, berating her own husband's usefulness.

Three more hours went by and the cave begun to stink of sweat and urine. Bottles were too valuable to waste and sunlight too dangerous to visit. The uninspired chatter continued despite Amelia's protests. The teens hardly stopped as the fifth helicopter made its way over their position.

"Mischa and Quinton, that is enough. If you cannot stop, you'll have to leave."

"That's rather flawed logic considering they'd find us, then you even easier. The helicopter will mask this sound," Mischa said.

Peyton stepped in, knowing how well his wife handled confrontation. "No one is leaving. We just need to take our precautions seriously."

"There haven't any people dropping from the helicopters in the past and I doubt they'd start now. We can whisper to keep ourselves sane."