This Is Not The End.

Chapter 32

A day of intense training, panicking, and a single crash course in how to ride a motorbike passed, and I found myself sat against the tin walls of my father's garage staring blankly at the three vehicles in front of me. My stomach churned at the thought of going all the way back to Westport-Lahey on motorbikes, especially after the only time I'd ever touched one was when my grandfather had a midlife crisis and bought one when I was eight years old. I didn't really have a lot of choice about it, now.

Kai came and collapsed down next to me, breathing out a sigh of excitement.

"If you'd have told me two weeks ago that we'd be doing this, I'd have shocked you myself,"

"C'mon," Kai grinned, pulling my arm towards the east boundary, "We're all set up with the bikes,"

"Unfortunately so," I raised my eyebrows at him, hugging my knees to my chest so Jack and Beck could move around easier.

Kai and I sat in silence for a moment, watching the other two work codependently. He nudged my shoulder with his, giving me a sort of half-smile, and I just did the same to him. We understood each other. We didn't need words, we had our connection, and I felt his fear at the thought of heading back to the facility. It should've comforted me to know that they couldn't hurt me anymore, but I knew they'd find a way. They always found a way.

"Even if it's not fine," Kai said delicately, thinking about his words for once, "We've still got each other,"

I let myself grin, "Is this the part in the movie where you make an inspiring speech and it brings a tear to my eye?"

"Well, I can if you want me to, but let me tell you my speech-saying abilities have severely diminished since the last time I gave one,"

"In that case, I think we'll give it a miss, this time 'round,"

From beneath a bike, I could hear Jack mutter a 'thank God', and I laughed. It felt right to laugh, after all, we had nothing to be disheartened about. We had this raid planned to a T, and as a trio, we'd even factored in my father's questionable morals into the success rate. If everything went to plan, nothing could go wrong.

Our primary aim was to wait. After the Shifters and Travis' team had created their mind-blowing distraction, and then we took to the forest with Cheyenne as our backup to find the Red bunker. After that, it was infiltrate and extract, as Travis had put it. We had a simple job, and I knew we were up for it.

"How're the death-traps looking?" I shot over to Jack and Beck.

"Death-trappy," Jack replied, wiping his forehead with the bottom of his shirt. Kai shifted in his seat.

"What're you even doing to them?" I used Kai's head to help myself stand up and leant against my bike.

"Breaking them even more," he shrugged.

I raised my eyebrows, "We're on a tight schedule, you know,"

"So," Beck leant over his bike, "Why don't you make sure you're ready instead of harassing us,"

I pulled a face, "For the record, I enjoy harassing you,"

"We know!" the two boys shared a look.

"You wanna help?" Beck held out a tool for me and motioned for me to take it. I raised my eyebrows at Kai, asking him if it was a good idea, but he just shrugged and pushed my onwards. "I'll show you what to do,"

I took the tool and he started directing me on things to screw and unscrew – honestly, I wasn't exactly paying attention. His hair fell in his excited eyes as he pointed out jobs for me to do so I could help him, and with a scruffy hand, he streaked oil through his hair when he pushed it back. I poured fuel into the tank and took my seat on my bike as I turned it on, the engine letting out one roar before chugging silently with power. Beck wasn't wrong about how quiet they were, at least with these we wouldn't be tailed with Infected.

Jack and Kai got theirs up and running, with a lot more joking around than with ours, but as it turned on we were met with two-out-of-three bikes ready to go. They moved onto the third one as Cara came into the makeshift garage and called for Beck. I watched as she tried to hide her panic, and how Beck made her sit down with him and talk through it. Rubbing my eyes as I saw tears come to hers, I shook my head. It wasn't right that she was coming with us, and they both knew it, but it would take a lot more than two cold size-four feet.

In the time it took Jack and Kai to get the bike running too – with one argument setting them back – Cara had agreed something with Beck and headed back into the compound. Sighing, he came back over to me and leant over the handlebars, worry plaguing his face.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, "I know she can't come,"

"So why is she?" I leant back. "She's, what, ten?"

"Eleven," he corrected, "But I promised her she could come so she can find her brothers,"

I went quiet for a second, wondering how to say it. "Is she going to find her brothers?"

He didn't answer, which told me all I needed to know.

"If she gets hurt..." I whispered, stopping myself. "Look, she cares for you more than all of us. It's your call,"

"I know," he nodded, stepping back from my bike. "We'll look out for her. I promised her she could come, so she can. Trust me?"

"I trust you,"

"Good," from a shelf attached to the tin wall he pulled out a small bike helmet for Cara. "Well, if we're all ready, I'll go find David, and then as soon as Cara gets back, we're heading off,"

Something jolted in my chest, something which wasn't excitement or nerves – fear. It was okay, though. I'd learnt to deal with my fear, and it kept me alive. Jack and Kai both let out equal sighs of preparedness, and I made myself smile at them. Beck disappeared back to find my father.

"Ready?" Kai asked me, "Honestly?"

I shook my head, "Not even close, but it's now or never, right?"

Jack looked between us, sparking a single flame on his ring finger, "You know what, let's go get some revenge,"

Kai laughed at him and put an arm around his shoulders, wary of the single candle, "Thank God, you're on our side,"

"Don't you worry about that," he said, the fire illuminated in his eyes, "It's time SWORD learnt that we're not useless, or powerless, or weapons. We're not going down without a fight,"

I grinned at both of them. "Let's go start a revolution,"