Dedicated to @ITSKITTYLMAO
"Macallan, you stand over to the left. I want you back behind me," James instructed. "I'll be the first one they see when the door opens."
Murfee and Tac took to the right where Tac rested his hand on the red pressure release button.
"Say when," he told Murfee with that one hand on the button and his AR gripped under the other arm.
Murfee nodded. "Now."
Tac slammed his palm down, and the sound of release air echoed through the cavernous chamber. The door whooshed open to reveal Dingo and Tilley standing front and center with the surviving few close behind them.
Tac clipped a lever and the outer gate popped.
Dingo and Tilley grabbed the edges and pulled, and looked in to find three AR's and a pistol aimed right at their heads.
No one said a word.
Then Dylan shoved his way forward and Macallan strode past James to meet him in the entrance. Macallan grabbed Dylan by the shirt and drug him close clasping him in a bearhug of relief.
James sighed and dropped his rifle. Murfee and Tac smiled, following suit.
Dingo stepped into the semi darkness. "Damn. What'd y'all have to do? Get permission from the Pope?"
Murfee and Tac laughed. "Well if Basinger had updated us we wouldn't have had to call the Pope, but what the hell! Get in here! Carolyn and the girls are cooking right now."
Dingo looked at Tilley. "I told you he didn't inform them. What'd I say? I said, that old fucker would never let' em know and I was right."
"The fuck," Tilley shot back.
"I guess he didn't really expect you'd make it here," Murfee shrugged.
"Bullshit Murfee, he forgot, plain and simple."
James held up his hand whirling it over his head. "Come on men, heads up. This ain't a family reunion. We need to get this door closed."
Everyone filed in past James but when Silas stepped in James put his arm out.
"Except for you. You come with me."
Silas managed a weak smile. "What? Not enough room up there for a lowly soul like me?"
"No, there's plenty of room. You stink. You're going straight to the showers, then, Reese wants to see you in his quarters."
"Ahhhh," Silas nodded. "And what makes you think he cares about the way I smell?"
"He does. You may have invaluable wisdom, but my uncle won't put up with disrespect, or stink."
Macallan stopped where he was a few steps up on the stairway and looked back at James. Had he just heard him say Reese was his uncle?
Dylan, who was right beneath him looked back too. "What is it Mac?"
"Oh, nothing...," he murmured. "Come on let's get you upstairs. Lacy is beside herself with worry and Dylan," Macallan paused.
"Yeahhh?" Dylan asked cautiously not wanting to hear bad news. "Did someone not make it?" He whispered sullenly.
"Um no. It's not that, actually the complete opposite. Just so happens that, Macenna is here."
"Holy shit are you kidding me?! What the actual fuck. How?"
"I don't even know. I'm just warning you. We'll talk about it later after we hit the bunk."
"Dang is this place that nice?"
"See for yourself."
Macallan followed the others back through the door and heard Dylan's intake of breath.
He smiled a little because yeah, it was that shocking when he first saw it too but the moment was short lived as Lacy, running in from the kitchen launched herself at Dylan embracing him with a heartfelt cry.
Macallan couldn't help but smile. Lacy was a hard pill to swallow sometimes but one thing was for sure. She was genuine.
Macallan watched as Dylan found his opportunity for sympathy, in the object of food and Lacy fussed over him as she took him straight to the kitchen. The rest of the men talked with Dingo and Tilley and they discussed the situation on the ground. Macallan felt a little odd and out of place noticing as James ushered Silas Fisher toward the showers.
Macenna was engrossed in a conversation on the two-way radio and Macallan was glad because he'd had enough of his twin for one day already. With a relieved sigh he headed for the kitchen. Maybe Lacy could find it in her heart to share Dylan a little because Macallan wanted to hear about what happened to them on the road.
Macallan strolled in and stood by the steam table watching as Dylan stared at all the food they'd cooked. He idly grabbed a roll and munched it as Lacy helped Dylan fill a plate from their smorgasbord of selections. He watched her as she fussed about every little detail making sure Dylan had what ever he needed and then turned to show him a table and seeing Macallan she smiled a little and fidgeted with an unruly lock of hair pushing it back behind her ear and for reasons he couldn't explain the gesture intoxicated his senses and his expression smouldered.
Lacy did not miss the burning desire in his eyes and she looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. Her cheeks heated with red flush distracting her momentarily and Macallan enjoyed seeing that his presence did that to her. But it was short lived.
She brushed past him and quickly led Dylan to a table. Macallan followed and they sat down to talk to Dylan as he ate.
Lacy sipped a bottled water as Dylan woofed down every item on his plate and she noticably avoided eye contact with Macallan.
Macallan asked him how they managed to escape and Dylan shook his head.
"It was whack," he admitted. "I was in the back by the door but I think Dingo actually tried driving beneath that thing to get away," he sighed. "But the truck didn't quite make it. The first laser hit right in front of us. And he slammed on the brakes and threw us all forward. I was holding onto those rope things and it slung me around then back and I ended up getting tossed out to the ground. I didn't even look up. I crawled my ass away as fast as I could. Dingo and Tilley both bailed and the other three guys jumped out and followed after me. By then that fucking thing shot off another beam and it struck the truck and blew it to smithereens. We jumped the ditch and took off into the field and we didn't stop running until we reached a shed. That's where we found Silas. He said he had been trying to get out of town too when he saw those things drop down from the sky. He saw the shed and hid there hoping for the best," Dylan shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie, it was fucked up and I was scared shitless."
"So were we. We saw the truck," Lacy paused. She got a lump in her throat and fought back tears. "We thought you were dead Dylan."
Dylan put his arm around her and drew her next to his side. She trembled and almost lost it, gritting her teeth in an effort to hold her shit together.
"That is insane," Macallan shook his head. "We didn't have it much better. I'm just glad we got you in here, but how did y'all make it here so fast? This place isn't exactly around the corner."
"No shit," Lacy whispered. "How did y'all get here so quick?" She asked huskily.
"Yeah, Tilley found an old truck and hotwired it. It just didn't have that much gas but it got us pretty close. We waited until dark and then got out and started walking. It took us the rest of the night."
Lacy sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes.
Macallan got up to grab some napkins for her when James came in to the galley and headed straight for their table. He walked up to Macallan with a grim look.
"Mac, can I have a minute with you?"
"Sure." Macallan shrugged but Lacy suddenly grabbed his arm and stood up.
"No James. We just got Dylan back and can't you see we're here trying to talk? Damn, just leave us alone. I'm sure whatever you gotta tell Mac can wait."
James clenched his jaw. "If I thought it could wait I wouldn't be standing here."
Macallan cringed because he knew this was about to get out of hand. He gave Lacy a gentle squeeze. "It's alright. Just take care of Dylan and I'll be right back I promise."
Lacy rolled her eyes. "No it's not alright Mac. We aren't part of his unit, so he has no right to keep dragging us into all his crazy plans! I want us to leave. I mean we could have lost Dylan forever if it had been up to Macenna--"
"I'm not leaving here Lacy."
The statement came from Krisslyn. She had come in from helping Carolyn and heard the tail end of the conversation.
"Lacy," Dylan interrupted. "You don't want to be out there. It's too dangerous. I didn't want to come here either at first, but we don't have a choice. If we leave here, we die."
James nodded curtly to Macallan and motioned for him to follow.
Macallan took a deep breath. Dylan's words haunted his thoughts as he reluctantly went along leaving Lacy to stew in her tantrum.