Page 86 of Undone
Amber
Ihated not being in the same plane as Rylen, but he was flying a fighter, of course. The plan was to land at an abandoned regional airport a hundred miles north of Nellis Air Force Base. Matt’s job was to scramble signals that would warn the Baelese of air traffic. Our fighters were ready if it didn’t work, and hopefully we would be joined by other teams from around the U.S., if gas supplies worked out. Around the world, other human ally groups would be doing the same, trying to take back their bases and kill the Baelese while they were vulnerable.
All of the stars had to align perfectly for us to win this.
Afterward, we’d focus on taking down their ships when it was time for them to arrive. That part gave me the creeps.
Emotion burned the back of my eyes as we entered Nevada air space at sunrise. Looking down at that naturally scorched land, miles of dirt and hills and piles of rubbles where stadiums, hospitals, and homes once were. I could practically feel the dry heat on my skin just looking at it. Nostalgia and homesickness overcame me as I touched the window.
The entire cabin was silent, though I knew they were all scanning the skies and ground for enemy aircraft and vehicles. Top was alert up front, listening for news. Absolute tension filled the space as we came in for landing, all of us staring out of the windows. Each minute that passed without any sign of the enemy felt suspiciously miraculous. I didn’t know how military personnel dealt with this kind of mental stress on a regular basis.
Top stood when we came to a stop. “Everyone off to stretch your legs and grab a MRE.” Ugh, more packaged military food. How quickly I’d been spoiled by the fresher stuff on Elmendorf base.
It’d been harder than I expected to leave Alaska. J.D. cried, which made me cry too. Watching him say good-bye to Sean was hard. I couldn’t imagine staying behind if Rylen was going. And don’t get me started on Devon getting teary-eyed as he left Shavontae and Tyree. I would never forget overhearing their last words.
“Kick their asses, baby. You hear me?”
“For our future, Tae. We got this.”
Rylen and I hadn’t said much, just held hands tightly until the very last possible second. Words eluded us both. We just knew we had to win.
I jogged to where Ry was climbing out of his bomber, taking off his helmet and cracking his neck. He took me straight in his arms and kissed my head.
“Welcome home,” he said, and I smiled into his chest, breathing in the hot summer air.
“You too.” I peered up at him. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I have a good feeling. It just feels . . . right, being back here.”
He nodded, looking out at the landscape of rugged mountains and dessert brush. “Yeah. This is our turf.”
Exactly. I took his hand and we joined Tex, Carmen, Josh, Matt, and Devon for our quick meal.
Matt sidled closer to me. “That’s really awesome about your brother and Remy.”
I smiled at him, feeling a warmth of joy all over again as I remembered they were still alive. “I just hope they’re okay emotionally, you know?”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “They’re strong. We’ll get them out.”
My heart fluttered nervously at our fragile situation. I closed my eyes and inhaled, exhaling slowly. The plan was to attack in the middle of the night. We were fairly certain we could keep them off our scent for the duration of today since they’d be busy mating and all. And in the meantime, our troops would scout the area.
Someone from one of the planes called for Matt, so he jogged away. A minute later, he came sprinting down the steps toward Top. Everyone moved closer to hear what was happening.
“—small aircraft coming from the east, making a straight line for Nellis. It’s not one of our allies.”
“Just one?” Top asked.
“Yes, sir. If it keeps its progress as is, and our data scattering tech keeps our location hidden, the aircraft shouldn’t be able to spot us since we’re north of the base.”
Top didn’t look pleased. He gave a terse nod. “Have them keep a constant eye on it. Tell all pilots to refuel and be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
“Yes, sir.” Matt jogged away.
Top rubbed his jaw. “What are those fuckers up to now?”
