The exhaustion hits me all at once. I hope this is the only night I have to spend away from Briar. I’d much rather be sweating in my cramped cot with her than sleeping alone in this bed.
20
“We need to strike back hard. That air strike was cold-blooded murder. I can fly a plane and my balls are big enough to drop a bomb right on Carson City. Just say the word.” - Decoded message from ILF undercover operative Nightingale to ILF handler Hiro Tanaka
Briar
I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.
My shoulders slump with disappointment because the screen in McClain’s office still saysFor Marcus Wells Only.
If he could’ve sent a message, he would have. It’s been a long nineteen hours of packing crates with supplies for a possible evacuation on less than two hours of sleep. I was hoping for something to reassure me that Marcus is okay before I finally lie down.
Even though I need to keep helping with our evacuation plans, I’m dead on my feet. Just a few hours of rest will keep me going.
We’ve had all hands on deck packing and moving supplies. The beach near our camp that we determined is furthest from the volcano’s reach isn’t protected by our shield, but Nova, Stella, and I decided we have to risk it. We’re keeping guards with the supplies at all times.
“I hope you’re okay,” I say to the screen, my eyelids leaden. “And I hope we aren’t all melted when you get back.”
I don’t even care that it’s at least one hundred fifteen degrees on this island right now. I’m not showering before I fall into bed and sleep like a rock in a pool of my own sweat.
“Athena to all. Code Red. We are at Code Red, evacuate now.”
I shut my eyes for half a second before bolting from the room. The fear in Nova’s voice on the radio makes my stomach hit the floor. The rice I scarfed a few hours ago threatens to come back up.
Stay calm. Nothing matters more in an emergency than staying levelheaded.
My dad burned that advice into my brain. I take a deep breath, reminding myself I don’t stop fighting until I’m dead. With Marcus gone, there are two hundred eleven people in camp right now, and they need help.
What if it’s not the volcano? A frenzied laugh bursts out of me when I realize the Code Red could be Theron kidnapping someone again, or Rising Tide mounting a full attack on us with Marcus gone.
I key in the code to the Sub’s door, which slowly inches off the ground. A massive boom penetrates through to my bones, making them feel like they’re vibrating. The ground shakes, making me crouch to stay on my feet.
Something is very wrong. The sun hasn’t set, but there’s no daylight coming in through the opening made by the rising door.
When I duck under the door and find dark-gray ash particles swirling through the air, an assignment I did for my earth science class in high school roars back into my consciousness.
Volcanic ash is deadly. It has tiny glass and rock particles that can impair vision and breathing. Why didn’t I remember that sooner?
Amira and Niran are close by. He has his hands on her shoulders and she’s giving him a panic-stricken look.
“Go! You can do this!” he yells.
I race up to them. “Take your shirts off! Wet them in the well and cover your heads with them. This ash is deadly. Tell everyone.”
Amira nods, stripping her shirt off immediately. They both take off toward the well. I pull my radio from my waistband and push the button on its side, yelling into it.
“Aphrodite to all! Wet clothing or blankets and cover your faces with them! You have to—” An acrid taste floods my mouth at the same time tiny, sandlike particles fly into my eyes.
I turn my face to the ground to finish my message, my eyes burning. “Filter out the particles. You have to filter out the particles. It’s going to be hard to see and breathe. Stop moving supplies. Just get everyone to the beach.”
I bend and spit on the ground, the strong sulfur smell in my nose and mouth making me nearly gag. Something roars through me, dropping me to my knees.
“Briar! Briar, where are you?” Amira’s scream of terror cuts through me.
“I’m here.” My words are barely audible, so I take a deep breath of ashy air in and try again. “Here!”
It hurts. Every cell of my body is screaming in pain. I can’t move. My head throbs with blinding pain more intense than anything I’ve ever known.
