Warner pulled to a sharp stop mere minutes from the base. The terrain was familiar now, the stretches of I-20 peppered with exits I recognized.
"We're just about here." Warner looked up to the left, his mouth moving silently. "Maybe 10-15 minutes from here. What's our game plan?"
"Do you think the Colonel knows?" I asked. "The phone system is down, but I can't imagine that they do have a contingency plan for communication."
Warner shrugged. "It's possible. He has to know about the op from this base, but I don't know if he's been in contact with Siles. It's a risk that we have to be willing to take."
"That's a pretty big risk," Leo said. "It's not too late to turn around."
Warner shook his head. "It is. I'm not going to force you to come, but I'm going. I have to. I came too far to give up now." His gaze drifted to the east, as if he could see the bas through the trees. "I can't risk the chance that my brother is there. I have to help him."
"I'm with you," I said, taking his hand. "I'm not going to abandon my friends. I won't."
Leo watched our exchange critically before nodding in acceptance. "I don't like it, but what other choice do I have?"
"We just gotta play it cool." Warner ran a hand over his hair. "I know the guards at the gate so we shouldn't have a problem getting in. It's just what happens after we do that I'm worried about."
I didn't want to think about it. One problem at a time. "Let's get through the gate first."
My heart ached with a sick anticipation. This place was such a mixed bag of emotions for me. I didn't know what to feel. What I did know was that I couldn't leave anyone behind.
I let myself hope for a minute. Too many times had I been let down by my optimism. Too many patients had died, too many horrible things had happened. I didn't want to get hurt again, but I couldn't go on without it.
Maybe I'd get back, we'd put an end to whatever plot was happening. Maybe I'd get to see Luke, Ian, Marge, Anna, and all my friends. Maybe everything would turn out okay. Maybe it wouldn't be a world full of heartbreak and disaster but one of happiness and hope.
"We ready?" Warner gave us one last chance.
"Damn straight." I bumped his fist and outstretched mine to Leo. "Come on, it's tradition."
Weakly, he bumped his knuckles against mine. "Ra-ra, go team."
I flipped the fist bump into a single outstretched finger. "Don't rain on my parade."
Warner rolled his eyes and pulled the car back into the highway, taking the exit towards All American. Fitting name for a military base.
The sun was nearly set, the orange edges of the darkened sky the only light as we drove. It was eerie, the cast of our headlines into the endless blackness. Their brightness made me see double, a second set above our own.
"Is that another car?" Leo asked, as confused as I was.
"Holy shit, it is." Warner flashes his high beams at the car.
"What are you doing?" I hissed. "That could be Siles's men."
Warner's face broke into a huge grin. "It's not."
"How do you know?"
"Look." He pointed to a black SUV that looked too much like Siles's.
A loud honk of the horn made me look closer.
"No fucking way, you lucky sons of bitches," Warner called out. "No fucking way." He jumped out of the car, banging on his chest.
A head popped out of the driver's side window, the headlights too dim to reveal it. But I would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Warner? Holy shit." It was Luke.
I pushed myself over the car door and landed not so gracefully on the pavement. "Warner."
He ran the last 50 feet to the car and clasped hands with Luke, completely ignoring the other three cars behind Luke's. I yelled his name again.
"Hold on a damn second, Elizabeth. What are you doing?" Warner looked back from the window. "Shit."
I heard Luke and Ian call out at Warner from the car. They followed Warner back with the car and I hobbled to my feet. The other cars kept a safe distance away. Warner tossed me over his shoulder like a backpack before rearranging me into a bridal style hold.
"Really?" I asked.
"Elizabeth. Is that you, darlin'?" My face broke into a smile as Luke got out of the car. I flung my arms around his neck, nearly falling out of Warner's grip. Warner safely transferred me into Luke's arms and I dug my face into his neck.
"I thought that you were dead," I said into his shoulder. "Or that I would never see you again."
"I'm right here, darlin'. Don't worry." His voice was slightly tightened, an edge I couldn't quite get.
I pulled my head back, looking into his green eyes that glimmered in the reflection of the headlights.
"Oh my God, your shoulder," I exclaimed, realizing he was still injured. "Warner--" But Warner was on top of his game, already there to scoop me up. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder so that I could stand. "Let me look. You must have pulled your sutures."
Luke brushed a hair from my face. "Take a deep breath. I'll be okay." He nodded at my jacket covered foot. "Looks like you're the one that needs some taking care of."
"Lizzi," Ian yelled, knocking me back slightly with the force of his embrace. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Ian." I clutched him tighter. "Glad to see that you're in one piece."
"Thanks to Luke over here." He hit him gently on his good shoulder and Luke winked in reply.
Warner pawned me off to Luke and hugged his brother. "I'm glad you're not dead. I was so worried about you, buddy."
"I'm okay, Riley. I promise." Ian's voice was muffled by his brother's shoulder.
I turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Your first name is Riley?"
All three of them looked at me quizzically. "You didn't know my first name." Warner laughed, placing a hand over his chest dramatically. "I'm hurt."
"You never told me."
"You didn't ask."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't be such a bitch, Warner."
"Don't be such a bitch, Elizabeth."
I dissolved into giggles and Warner just shook his head, a smile coating his lips.
Ian frowned and poked my shoulder. "Who is that?" he whispered.
I looked back to see Leo chilling in the passenger seat. "Leo," I barked. "Get over here."
"New recruit?" Luke asked. "We've got some too. One that you might have some mixed feelings about."
"What do you mean?"
Luke hesitated. "It's---"
"Elizabeth," A voice called from behind me. I froze.
"Luke, is that.." my voice was barely audible. He nodded. "I'm so sorry--" I started.
A hand caught me on the shoulder, turning me forward. "Elizabeth, oh my God." Oliver folded me into his arms. "They told me that you were alive, but I didn't really believe it until now."
Warner stood behind Oliver, his mouth gaping. We made eye contact and I flashed my eyes wide. What do I do?
Oliver let me go, tracing a hand down my face. My eyes were wide, a cornered animal. I began to panic, my heart racing and my breaths coming too quickly.
"I-, I-," I couldn't get word out for the life of me.
"Elizabeth, are you okay?" Oliver put his hand back on my face, but I dodged out of his touch, jarring my ankle in the process.
I let out a weak cry, tumbling backwards. Luke caught me as I fell, using his good arm to push me back upright.
"I can't," I whispered. "I just can't."
Oliver stepped forward, trying to pull me out of Luke's grip. "What can't you do?"
Warner cut in. "Give her a second, man. She's had a long fucking day."
"Who the hell do you think you are? That's my fiancée." He tried to step around Warner, but couldn't.
Ian helped me up, taking the pressure off of Luke's wounded shoulder. I cast him a pleading look over Warner's bodily shield.
"I need a minute, okay?" I managed. "Just give me a second."
"You didn't need a second for your reunion with them." Oliver raised his brows. "Why is this different?"
"Back off," Luke commanded. "She told you she needs a minute. Calm the fuck down."
Oliver got up in Luke's face, stepping away from Warner. "You don't get to tell me when to calm down. Get the fuck out of my way or--"
"Oliver, please." I tapped Luke on the shoulder. "It's fine," I whispered to him. Ian put me down and I hopped the two feet to Oliver. "I'm fine. You don't need to get all worked up. It's just been a long day." I rubbed a hand on my temple. "I'm sorry."
The guys were grumbling in the back, muttering incoherently.
Oliver nodded. "Thank you. Come on, we gotta get going."
"We have to go to the base," I protested.
"We will, just ride with me instead." He gripped my hand, tight enough to know that he wasn't really asking.
"I can't," I said nervously. "I have to update the others about a situation." I looked back to Luke and Ian. "There's some stuff Warner and I have to tell you about the base."
"We found some twisted stuff." Warner huffed a sigh. "It's not good."
Oliver put his lips close to my ear. "We're not done." My back straightened, my spine tightening.
I bit my lip and took a hop forward. Ian, my ever valiant knight, jumped forward and put his arm around my shoulder to help me walk. He lifted me onto the trunk of the Mercedes, gawking at the car.
"I wanted this car so bad," he said, bursting with excitement. "Luke, look. It's the car." He sounded so much like a child at a toy store. I smiled at his delight.
Warner's game face knocked it right off. Leo extended the files to Warner as Oliver came to stand right next to me. With Ian on my other side, the rest of us shuffled into a crude circle near the car.
"Anyone else we gotta tell?" Warner said to Luke.
He nodded. "Lindsay," he called. "Drop Alex with the Carters and get over here."
In the backseat of the sedan sat a beautiful redhead and a little girl with dark hair. I hadn't noticed them before Luke brought them to attention. My mind theorized crazy stories about jwo they were and why they were in the car with Luke and Ian as the older woman stalked over.
Her red hair glowed like a halo of fire near the headlights. "Sorry, love. Didn't realize I was late to the party. Care for introductions?" Her voice was silky and sultry, her British accent alluring. I was immediately jealous, even though it was completely irrational.
Warner smirked as Luke frowned at him, rolling his eyes. "This is Lindsay," Luke said. He went clockwise in the circle as he pointed people out. "Ian's brother Warner, Leo, Ian, Elizabeth, Oliver."
Warner jumped in. "I'm in the military like Ian and Luke. Elizabeth and Leo are doctors. Don't know how much you remember from our brief encounter."
"Lovely to make your acquaintances." Lindsay winked. "Especially our reunitement, darling Elizabeth. I've heard so much about you since our initial meeting and I'm dying to know more."
I was instantly alarmed, the hairs on my arms pricking up. "Likewise," I said, managing a smile.
She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder with a nonchalant toss of her hand. Leaning across Luke, she strained for a look at the files in Warner's hand. "Classified? What have you bunch gotten us into?"
Warner glared at her. "Thank you for beginning my presentation. Yes, we stole classified documents from a US senator." Everyone's mouths dropped open. Warner, oblivious to the attention, didn't bother looking up from his file. "No, we will not go into more details. It was a classified operation." Finally looking up, he saw the shocked expressions. "Classified, people. All I can tell you is that Elizabeth broke her ankle in this op and we got the files."
It was pin drop silent for a moment, tension rising in the air like thick wood smoke. Then, Lindsay leaned back her head and let out a pealing laugh. "It seems I ended up with the wrong half of the crew. You have been holding out on all of the fun. Tell me the details, at least. Give me the chance to live vicariously through you if you refused to include me in the plans."
"How did you break your ankle?" Luke asked. "It looks pretty gnarly." The makeshift cast had begun to unravel, revealing my gigantic purple ankle.
"She jumped out a two-story window," Warner supplied. "Anyway, the operation--"
"What?" Luke flashed me a concerned glance, his eyes darting from Warner to me. "Why would you do that?"
"Elizabeth tends to find herself in sticky situations," Oliver said. "Nothing new." He patted me on the hand.
"That I do." I blew out a long breath. "I didn't really have any other options thanks to Warner's half-baked plan." I turned to him, my face the portrait of angelic innocence. "Speaking of which, do you have another that you wish to share?"
"Hey, Elizabeth." Warner held up the file, blocking his mouth from Luke. Kindly, shut the fuck up, please, he mouthed. After removing the file, we smiled at each other in mirrored viciousness.
"As I was saying, after I was so rudely interrupted, we have a problem." Warner held up the file. "We stole this file. In it are redacted files about this ongoing government conspiracy--"
"Basically, the base is going to be conducting an experiment on the infected that is going to put the base in danger," I interrupted. "We need to stop it before we get overrun."
"What kind of experiment?" Luke asked, eyebrows furrowed in thought.
I shrugged. "That's the problem. We don't know. The files are redacted."
"Good news and bad news. Good news is that we do know where an unredacted copy is," Warner said. "The bad news is that it's in the Colonel's office."
Ian winced. "That's not going to be easy." he looked from Luke to me. "After all, we remember what happened last time y'all tried to break into the Colonel's office."
"This has happened before? Jeez, El. I didn't realize how reckless you'd become." Oliver frowned at me. "You don't seem to have any regard for your safety."
"That wasn't her alone," Luke protested, but I shook my head. No point in arguing. Oliver was right. I wasn't thinking. I never did.
Luke looked at me quizzically but didn't argue. "So we're breaking in again?"
Warner nodded. "We have to if we want to stop the op. It's not like we can prevent it if we don't know what it is."
A blast of horns sounded from Luke's caravan. Lindsay whipped her head around, rolling her eyes as she saw which cars honked. "I'll go deal with that." She sauntered off, her red hair swinging with every step.
"We still need to get into the base first,"I reminded them. "One problem at a time."
"You don't think that the Colonel will let us back in?" Luke sounded surprised. "But he doesn't know that we know."
"But he was working with Siles, the senator," I explained. "If Siles contacted the Colonel, there's no way that we're getting in there without a fight."
"Without the phones, it's unlikely." Warner shrugged. "Besides, we know people at the gate."
"But they were in contact before all of this. They sent out the redacted files after I got to the base. That means they had some sort of contact after the phones went down."
Luke and Warner exchanged a look. "It's a risk we're going to have to take," Warner conceded.
"What about all of the people that you brought along? Are you willing to risk them?" I reached forward and grabbed Luke's hand. "There's got to be another way."
Oliver put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze.
Lindsay screamed at the top of her lungs. "Infected."