I caught hold of her arms and looked into her eyes, making sure I kept my voice calm and authoritative. “You need to get to safety. I promise I'll find them and get them to the city.”
“I should come with you-“
“I'm trained for this kind of thing. You aren't,” I said kindly. “I'll be able to do it quicker if I'm alone.”
Aubrey nodded, finally letting herself trust me. “I'll wait here for you. I'll wait for my babies-“
“You need to get on that coach when it comes back. Terry is waiting for you and you can't do anything from out here. It's getting more dangerous outside the cities with every passing moment. I'll find your kids and I'll bring them back. And if the coach returns before I do, you'll meet them in the city. Okay?”
I could see that she wanted to argue more but her resolve was fading. She knew that waiting out here wouldn't help anyone and if she was inside the city then she might be able to make sure they let her kids in too. Even if they got there late.
Finally, she nodded. “I'll get on the coach,” she whispered. “And meet all of you there.”
“Good. Pack some stuff. I'm going to call my team for some intel then I'm going to get them. You can trust me.” I turned away and started to head back.
“I do. If there's anything I can do in return…”
I paused as I reached the hedge. My mother was peeking out of her bedroom window looking down at me. She had abandoned me when I'd needed her the most but that didn't mean I had to do the same.
“Take Diane with you,” I said, turning back to Aubrey. “To the city.”
“Of course I’ll bring your mom. I'll tell them she's my sister, I'm sure they won't argue.”
“Thanks.”
I turned away from her and jogged up the front steps and into the house. Getting Diane to safety meant one less thing for me to worry about.
I grabbed the satphone and started pacing as I dialled. I needed to get as much intel as I could before I headed out and I needed to get it quickly.
Chapter Nineteen
Kaitlyn
“What the hell is that?” Jason asked as the rest of us froze.
At the bottom of the hill, the road turned and the houses rose up to conceal it. There was no way of knowing if the screaming was coming from something just ahead of us or further away. As the wind turned, the sound dropped away again, pulling us back towards a false sense of security.
I glanced over my shoulder at the abandoned streets behind us but they didn't offer us any real safety. We needed to go north, down the hill and on towards Harbour City and home. If I squinted, I could make out the dark smudge on the horizon which was The Wall. If the heavy clouds above us would only part for a moment, I knew I'd be able to see the skyscrapers twinkling in the sunlight, beckoning us on.
“There's no way to go around,” Spencer said, running a hand through his blonde hair absentmindedly and messing it up. “We just need to stick together and keep moving north.”
“Towards those screams?” Tara asked, failing to hide the horror she felt at the idea.
“We’ll be fine,” I said quickly, sensing her slipping towards panic. “Look how many of us there are - no one’s gunna be stupid enough to come near us.”
Tara glanced around our group and nodded warily. I could tell she wasn't completely convinced but then neither was I. I had no idea what could be waiting beyond the bottom of the hill and I wasn't sure I was ready to find out.
A distant squeal of brakes sounded ahead of us, quickly followed by a huge metallic crash. I flinched as the sound of metal on metal ground together shortly before a loud boom.
A plume of black smoke billowed up between the houses in the valley and joined the ever darkening clouds above.
“We should go,” Reese said slowly. I doubted anyone else could detect the hint of panic in his voice but I knew him too well.
No one moved. I clenched my fists against the fear that was trying to claw its way up my throat and took a decisive step forwards. As I took a second step, the others all fell in around me and we resumed our cautious descent into the valley.
“We need to get home,” I said, mostly to myself but loud enough for the others to hear.
“We don't stop until we get back,” Lacey agreed a bit louder.