Amber
“Are you sure it’s safe to go off base?” I asked Rylen as we left the barracks.
“No. That’s why we’re headed to strap up. Our orders are to scout for any stores that haven’t been raided, and to look for stray humans in need of help.”
We both knew humans could be as dangerous as the enemy, but if there were any out there who would actually be willing to join us, that would be awesome. We were met in the supply room by Tex, Devon, Shavontae, New York Josh, and Matt. The seven of us were outfitted with weapons and vests, and given keys to one of the larger vehicles. We each had a set of earplugs, too, even though Top and the Colonel were fairly certain the only Baelese in Alaska had been on this base.
“Is Officer Sean joining us?” I asked.
Tex shook his head. “He’s working with the tactical team.”
I wondered what they’d found out by taking over the communications from the Baelese headquarters, and what we were planning on doing. I guess we’d find out tomorrow. The thought of going up against the Baelese again turned my stomach. That guy had been able to control my mind so easily. Granted, I would never make the mistake of going near them again without my earplugs, but it was still going to be scary.
Tex started for the driver’s side, and I snatched the keys from between his fingers. He turned on me with eyebrows drawn.
“No driving with that bum shoulder, Tex.” I tossed the keys to Ry, whose eyes were lit with amusement.
“Damn, why you so hard on me, Doc?” Tex whined. “Does she bust your balls like that too, man?” he asked Rylen.
“I plead the fifth.” Smart man.
Rylen climbed behind the wheel, and Tex made his way around to the passenger seat. Shavontae and I took the smaller seats in the far back while Devon, Josh, and Matt sat in the middle.
“How you doin’?” she asked me.
“Good, I had coffee.”
“Aw, Lord. Watch out,” she laughed. “My first day at the Exchange I went straight to the candy aisle and found myself every bar of dark chocolate in sight.”
“You gonna share that, right baby?” Devon asked.
“Boy, you better think again.” Everyone laughed at this, even Devon.
When we passed through the gates and out onto the main road, the mood in the vehicle got heavier. Each of us scanned the surroundings. My eyes couldn’t help but wander to the snow-capped mountain ranges. And trees. So many tall trees, like dark green bristles shooting skyward. I’d always liked gazing at the mountainscape in Nevada, but these were so much more majestic.
We stopped at two gas stations, both of which were out of gasoline and had been raided of all goods. Shavontae and I were on lookout at the vehicle each time. The third place we stopped was a little farther out, a small food mart near a smattering of older, rundown homes. Devon stayed with us as the other guys went to check it out. I stared around, eyes peeled, as the creepy sensation of being watched settled over me.
Shavontae let out a small gasp and hiked her gun to her shoulder, making Devon brandish his gun too. My heart jumped violently in my rib cage as I stared where they were staring toward one of the houses. I clutched my handgun and flicked the safety off.
“What’d you see?” Devon asked.
“That cellar door went up, then closed again. I thought I saw a face.” Her voice was no-nonsense.
From the front of the store, Rylen saw us and jogged over, gun out. “What’s going on?”
“We might have company,” Devon told him. “Cellar of that house.”
Rylen stared out as a crash sounded, making us all jump.
Our heads spun toward the minimart where Texas Harry had just smashed a window and they made their way inside, oblivious. My eyes darted back to that cellar door at ground level. The four of us stared until it cracked open again. Air stuck in my chest and I stared like a statue as the cellar door raised about a foot, and sure enough, someone was looking out at us. A face in shadow.
“Fuck, get down!” Rylen grabbed my arm. The four of us fell on our stomachs, elbows propped up to hold our guns.
I stared at the shadowed face as the cellar door went up a few inches more and our entire group sucked in a breath at the sight of the small form.
“Shit,” Shavontae breathed. “It’s a kid.”
My heart lurched.
“He’s probably not alone,” Rylen said.
I shook my head. “If his parents were with him, do you think they’d let him open the door and stare out at people? No way. They’d make him stay low until we were gone.”
Rylen and Devon shared a look, but quickly turned back to the house when the cellar opened further, revealing the chest, shoulders, and head of a young boy. With more light shining on him, I could make out the fear on his gaunt, brown face.
“We have to help him,” I whispered, but Shavontae was already getting to her feet. We walked together, guns pointed.
“Tae!” Devon said through clenched teeth. Rylen cursed and the two of them jumped to their feet, following.
The boy spooked, crouching again, so we slowly lowered our guns and held up our free hands.
My heart was going crazy. Please, don’t let this be a trick. The boy had partially closed the cellar again, but it was open enough for him to see out. He was watching to see what we’d do.
“Damn it,” Devon said. “Keep your guns up!”
“Hush!” Shavontae said back without looking away from the cellar.
Rylen’s jaw clenched, but he responded, “We’ll have your back.”
Shavontae and I stood arm to arm, inching our way forward. Behind me, I heard the jangle of the shop doors open, and feet pounding the pavement as the other guys realized there was a situation, but I was too focused to look back.
We got about fifteen feet away, and Shavontae was the first to speak.
“Hey now. We’re not gonna hurt you. Are you alone?”
The boy stared hard at her, then at her gun, which she held downward as we inched forward.
“We’re not going to shoot,” I assured him. “I promise.”
He didn’t move or speak.
“That’s close enough,” Rylen warned.
Ten feet away, we crouched down.
“I’m Shavontae, and this is my friend Amber. Those guys behind us are Devon and Rylen. We want to help you.”
I watched closely. It seemed like forever before the boy’s mouth moved.
“Why they look so mad?” he asked, referring to the men.
Shavontae, well trained, never took her eyes off him. “They ain’t mad, don’t worry.”
“They’re just looking out for bad guys,” I said. “Is anyone with you?”
He slowly shook his head.
I felt Devon and Rylen crouch behind us, giving off a slightly less aggressive air. The boy raised the cellar door a bit more, and Shavontae moved forward a few feet. She held out a hand. The next minute seemed to drag on forever until the boy opened the hatch door all the way and took a tentative step out. God, he was so thin. She set down her gun, holding out both hands now, and he slowly went to her.
“He ain’t nothin’ but skin and bones,” Devon whispered, taking the words out of my mouth.
“Amber, take her back to the car while we check it out,” Ry whispered. I nodded and walked next to Shavontae, who held the boy in her arms. One glance behind me found Devon picking up her discarded weapon as Rylen lifted open the cellar door with his foot, pointing his gun in. Texas Harry and New York Josh rushed forward while Matt escorted us to the vehicle, pointing his gun out in all directions as he crouched. My eyes went back and forth between the boy with dark skin and dusty black curls, to the guys dipping down into the cellar. If this was a trap, it was cruel.
“What’s your name?” Shavontae asked him.
“Tyree,” he whispered. He sounded lethargic. “You in the Air Force? My mama’s in the Air Force.”
“I’m in the Army,” Shavontae told him. “And Amber’s a paramedic.”
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Nine.” He peered at me with wary brown eyes, trembling.
When we got to the vehicle, he seemed to wake up, and he wiggled out of her arms, looking around.
“Where my mama?”
Shavontae knelt before him. “When’s the last time you saw her?”
“When them people came to get us eleven days ago. I got a calendar down there. Mama told me stay put. She’s coming back.”
Shavontae’s eyes were full of knowing sadness. Oh, my heart.
The ground seemed to shake as the five guys jogged over. Tyree went behind Shavontae and peered around her arm at them. He was as tall as her elbow.
“They’re nice,” she told him. “Nobody’s gonna hurt you.”
“All clear,” Tex said. The five men circled us, all looking for answers, so I caught them up on the little I’d just learned.
“Hey, big man.” Devon crouched down to face Tyree. “You seen anyone else since your mama told you to stay here?”
The boy shook his head.
“This your house?” he asked him.
“Nah, they kicked us out our house. Mama’s best friend lives here. Me and her kids were supposed to stay down there, but they left last week and didn’t come back.”
“They left to look for your mamas?”
“Yeah.” Tyree wiped his nose. “And to look for food.”
“You ain’t got food and water down there?”
“I got some water, yeah, but I ran out of food.” His glassy, hopeful eyes slowly went around our group.
Devon gave a bemused smile and rubbed the boy’s arm. “We got some food. But first, I need you to listen up.” Devon looked up at Shavontae, then me, as if asking for permission to say something. We nodded, trusting him with wherever he was going with this.
“You can’t stay here.”
“I gotta wait for my mama.”
Devon’s voice was gentle, but firm. “And I know this is hard, bro, but the DRI—you know who that is?”
Tyree nodded.
“They took all the people away, and they’re not letting them come back.” Tyree began to tremble harder and his chin quavered. “All of us here got separated from our families, so we know how you’re feeling. We’re on our way to someplace safe. You’re not safe here, my man.”
The boy sniffed now and wiped his nose and eyes on his sleeve. His voice got stronger. “I’m not leaving her.”
We looked around helplessly at one another.
“I can’t leave. I don’t have my stuff. We didn’t have time to get nothing.”
Shavontae gave me a heartbroken glance as she lifted the crying boy into her arms and held him while he sobbed. Every single one of us was at a loss.
“I have an idea,” I said, then looked at Tyree. “Can you show us how to get to your house?” He gave a small nod.
“I don’t know,” New York Josh said. “We need to get him back as soon as possible. Doesn’t feel right having a kid around when we might run into rebels.”
Shavontae pulled back and looked at Tyree. “You can be super fast, right? Run in and get a couple of your favorite things? Something that reminds you of your mama? And then we can go somewhere safer?”
He snuffled and nodded.
“Did you leave anything in the cellar?” Rylen asked him.
Tyree shook his head, so we all climbed in the vehicle. He settled onto Shavontae’s lap, and Devon turned around to hand him an opened granola bar.
“Eat it nice and slow.”
Tyree shoved it in.
“Whoa, whoa,” Devon gently scolded. “Smaller bites than that.” Tyree watched Devon as he took his next smaller bite and chewed slowly. “That’s it.” Devon smiled and Shavontae rubbed the boy’s back.
After a few wrong turns, we ended up at the gates to Elmendorf base.
“You live on base?” Devon asked.
Tyree nodded. “Aurora.”
“That’s one of the neighborhoods,” Rylen said.
It was easy enough to find his old place, but walking through it with him broke my heart all over again. Pictures of Tyree with his mom in her uniform. It had been just the two of them. She had sacrificed herself to keep him safe.
We packed a bag and grabbed his bedding and some pictures, but hearing Tyree’s mournful, innocent wailing as we left the apartment had all seven of us drooping with weariness. Sometimes the emotional strain was worse than the physical. Today was definitely one of those days. But at least one boy, one precious human, had been brought to safety. I considered that a win.