Gifted Connections 4

Paul had stepped in and asked to use the facility. They only removed the ammunition and weapons that had been stored here. The rest had been left behind. The bottom cavernous level of the mountain facility had a lot of duplicate accommodations as the upper floors with the addition of an extra kitchen and dining area, rooms filled with bunk beds, locker rooms with showers, and a room that was easily four thousand square feet that housed floor to ceiling racking with skids full of MRE’s. It was enough to feed a group our size for years.

After my brief exploring, I headed towards the war room.

Noah and Lincoln were in the hospital wing. Noah was using his medical training he received in school, and Lincoln volunteered to be his assistant. The hospital wing down here reminded me of the movie Pearl Harbor or the show Mash. All the hospital beds were lined up in two neat rows on opposite sides of the room. It had already been stocked with all the emergency equipment they needed.

Drake and Jaxson had been helping the kitchen staff bring down anything they could into the kitchen down here. It was a daunting task considering how much we had up there. We didn’t know if this siege was going to last a day or a week, and we really didn’t want to live on MRE’s if we didn’t have to.

Jace, Remy, and Troy were holed up in the war room with Will, Paul, Kirk, and Terrance. They were helping them to figure out how to best attack the mini army Horatio had stationed outside. They hadn’t taken out all our outside cameras, so we were able to see that it was definitely gifted people out there.

“What next?” I asked as I stumbled into the room that they had the techies and war room set up.

“You need to take a shower, eat, and then rest,” Will scrutinized me closely.

I was dead on my feet and starving, but I felt like there was still so much to do. I didn’t think I could rest while others were still hard at work. I hadn’t seen the guys for over an hour now.

“Come on, Blake,” Dawn gently cajoled as she stood up from one of the computers. “We already secured us a bunk room, so we can stay together.”

I reluctantly nodded, knowing I wasn’t going to win this round. I followed her out of the room and through the dining room. “Eat first?” she asked.

I waved at the kids. Hazel, Megan, Beth, and Cora were playing Uno with them at one of the tables. It was past their bedtimes, but I knew that they wouldn’t be able to go to sleep anytime soon. Ella refused to let me go for at least half an hour when she first saw me. Alex was just as shaken but was too busy trying to look tough, so I made sure to cuddle him, too. Micah, Kade, and Patrick were doing a great job watching the younger ones and minding the kids whose parents were busy assessing the damages, helping, and planning our next steps.

“Shower first,” I said as she led me down the hall to where the bunkrooms and locker rooms were located. “You don’t have to stay with me,” I told her as I entered the room she indicated.

“I was asked to,” she said impishly. “Plus, I’m starving! Drake promised me real food if I meet him in the kitchens with you. He already warned me I would not be fed if you weren’t with me.”

I looked at the bunk room. It was set up exactly as I thought summer camp would look like. There were enough bunk beds in here for at least forty people, and wall lockers lined all the walls. It looked like someone had already pushed some of the bunks together to create larger beds. I noticed my bag in the far corner immediately. I walked over to it and wondered what was packed for me.

I pulled out my white boy-shorts, a white tank top, a powder blue, off-the-shoulder sweatshirt, and thick knitted, powder blue knee-high socks. I looked over and noticed Lincoln’s bag was thrown on the bunk bed across from mine. I stared at it for a moment. I guess I hadn’t thought about where he would sleep. Did well-known actors sleep on a bunk bed in something akin to a bunker?

“So, Lincoln?” Dawn asked.

“So, what?” I asked stifling a yawn. “Is their shampoo and stuff in there?” I asked as I looked through my bag and didn’t see anything.

“Noah said he put your sh

ower caddy in the wall locker,” Dawn explained. “Is he as dreamy as he is on screen?”

I groaned as I grabbed my hair products. “We don’t click,” I admitted quietly. “He rubs me the wrong way and goes out of his way to be snarky with me.”

She looked at me in surprise. “No way! He seems so…nice, and he’s been working so hard since we got attacked.”

I grabbed a towel from the stack next to the door before I headed towards the locker rooms. “I’m not saying anything against his character. I just don’t think he’s…great boyfriend material.” I stated.

I walked down the hall into the locker room and noticed how pristine and unused it looked. I deposited my clothing on a bench and walked over to the showers, turning it on. I pulled my hair out of my sock bun and rubbed my fingers along my scalp. It felt amazing not to have it constricted any longer. I hadn’t realized I had a throbbing in my head and scalp until my hair was down. I removed my boots before I stripped my clothes off and grimaced at the blood stains, dust, and dirt that was coating it.

“If you would have met Remy, Troy, and Noah before they left to find you, you would have thought the same thing of them,” Dawn insisted. “You know, like seeing them in their natural habitat. You wouldn’t have thought they were boyfriend material either. Jaxson was on the same path, too.”

“What snack did Drake promise us?” I asked hoping to change the subject. I tested the water before I realized it was at a perfect temperature.

Dawn gave me a knowing look before I stepped into the shower. “I’m just saying you should give him a chance. I know several girls including Jemmy who would gladly take your place.”

I moaned in pure bliss as the hot water hit me. Then her words slowly sunk in. I pulled back the curtain to peer at her. “Is that where Jemmy’s at right now?” I asked in disgust.

I just realized I hadn’t seen her since I helped the last person get settled into the hospital ward.

Dawn bit her lip and nodded. “Along with Adams and a few other girls. They decided that they were needed the most in the hospital wing.”

I pulled the curtain closed with barely concealed anger. “You’re kidding me! What is her problem? A month ago, she was lamenting about the fact that Gavin was splitting his attention between her and Sierra, and now she’s like a cat in heat. Poor Gavin’s been showering her with attention whenever he can.”