Page 2 of Undone
Amber
Iused to find airplanes fun and relaxing. The hum of an engine had always put me at ease. But today . . . this shitty day . . . nothing on Earth could comfort me. In one fell swoop, I’d lost everyone. My brother and best friend never made it to the plane. Why? What the hell happened to Remy and Tater? I wanted to rage and scream. They’d beenright there. We’d practiced the raid drills. They knew what to do. It should have been simple.
And then there was Rylen. My brave, stubborn Ry who jumped on a fighter jet to make it safe for us passenger planes to take off. Now there was no sign of him. A dry sob made my chest hiccup, earning me dire looks of pity from Devon and Shavontae in the seats beside me. I turned closer to the window to hide from those looks.
The past twenty minutes since we’d been in the air were the worst moments of my life. Losing Tater, Remy, and Rylen was an even worse sensation than losing Mom, Dad, and Abuela the day of the bombing in Nevada. After our parents were killed, we’d clung to each other. Relied on each other. Those you bond with during times of tragedy become part of you. Now they were all gone.
At the front of the plane in the jumpseat, First Sergeant’s chin raised and his eyebrows furrowed at a shout from the back of the plane. More voices rose now, louder. I turned in the seat, my stomach a pit of nerves. Everyone was looking out the windows.
My God . . . this is it.If the alien’s fighter jets had taken down Rylen and found our trail, there would be no surviving. They were going to take us down too. My whole body trembled. I watched Shavontae grab Devon’s hand and hold tightly. I had nobody to grab. I would die without a loved one. Would it be fast?Please, let it be fast.
A strange sound flitted its way through the cabin—a sound that did not at all fit our circumstances. Laughter. Shouts that were not full of fear. What was wrong with them? Devon and Shavontae shared a confused look with me as cheers sounded from the back of the plane. Soldiers were pushing toward the windows.
“Oh, my God,” I whispered shakily as I sank back into my seat and spun, pressing my face to the window, my heart in my throat.
Through the haze of clouds, a pointed, metal jet nose came into view. The fighter jet hovered beside us as close as it could get, so close I could make out the pilot’s white helmet. My whole body jumped like I’d been prodded by a live wire.
It was Rylen.
A manic laugh tumbled out from deep inside me, my voice mixing with the cacophony of cheers that filled the cabin. Devon grabbed my shoulder and let out a yell of praise. The entire plane was yelling, jumping, punching the air.
“That’s right, Fite! Hell, yeah!” Devon shouted.
I pressed a hand against the window as tears streamed down and I watched the silhouette of my man flying beside us, whole and alive.
“Settle down!” First Sergeant called out to the cabin, but he was smiling. “You’ll take the damn plane down with all that ruckus.”
But I couldn’t be quiet. I buried my face in my hands and bent over, spent, bawling tears of joy with my elbows on my knees. I felt someone in front of me, squatting, rubbing my back, and heard Shavontae’s sweet voice saying, “Let it out, girl, he’s safe.” I reached out and we embraced each other. She held me tight, and I was so thankful.
So damned thankful.
