Page 101 of Savagely Yours
“What if we get Ronan to help us with the Sanitation workers?” Larke suggested. “He was already smuggling people out anyway. I’m sure he can recruit at least seven people who want to leave as soon as possible. Dr. Okoro, how long do we have?”
“Less than four hours.”
We both faced him.
“You see, I’ve already put in the transport order.”
I frowned. “Just in case we said no. To tie our hands.”
He didn’t respond.
“Larke, you’ll head for the tunnels,” I instructed. “I’ll meet up with Ronan and tell him to bring the group to the area just outside the tunnel exit. There’s a weak spot in the fence. Road’s right behind it. I can meet you guys there.”
Dr. Okoro chimed in, “It’ll take a couple of hours to drain the power.”
I removed my watch and secured it to Larke’s wrist. “Babe, if Ronan doesn’t show up, you need to keep going. Don’t go to Sanitation.”
“I didn’t plan to,” she said. “I can’t do this on my own.”
“The way you prepare in a crisis...” I kissed the back of her hand. “Now, when you enter the tunnels, don’t take any turns. The exit door you’re going to use is a straight shot to the far end. Once you exit the tunnels, turn left and walk along the fence until you reach a gate. I’ll be waiting on the other side of the gate. If you get there early, look for a grate in the road or a piece of plywood.”
She nodded. “Got it.”
“Dr. O,” I turned, “I’ll swing back for the samples when I pick up the transport van.”
Dr. Okoro’s head bobbed. “I’ll make sure it’s ready. I’ll start prepping once you two leave.”
“Won’t knocking down the power knock out the entire complex, not just Woodhaven?” Larke asked.
“Yes. For days, more than likely.”
I didn’t like this.
But I understood the bigger picture of what it appeared Larke and I had been called on to do. Maybe a better life awaited us in South Carolina, where this Dr. Diaz was supposedly located.
Or maybe she’s not even there,a voice in my head taunted.Maybe she’s dead, and soon, Larke will be too. You heard Dr. Okoro. If she turns, that’s it. There’s no coming back.
I shook away the doubt.
I didn’t have Gage’s gut instinct. Yet, as unsettled as all of these last-minute changes made me, it didn’t feel off. Instead, it felt like going to South Carolina was saving us from something or pointing us in a better direction.
I couldn’t explain it.
We went over the plan once more with Dr. Okoro before Larke and I left.
I walked her back to Juniper, Larke quiet the entire way, which told me that she was nervous but trying to put on a brave front. We’d talked about this for weeks. Now, the moment was here, and it was unfolding much more rapidly than we’d anticipated. Mistakes felt inevitable, and during a time like this, a mistake could potentially be fatal.
“I know you want to help,” she prefaced, reaching for an empty duffel bag. “But you have to meet up with Ronan for us to stay on schedule. I’ve got this. At this point, I’m an expert at putting together a bug-out bag.”
I didn’t want to leave her.
It was painful to even think about.
“Dez, we’ll see each other again.”
It was one of the last things my brother, Curtis Savea, said to me. It was right as he was dying, which was why it was the last thing I wanted to hear her say.
I cupped her shoulders. “Babe, if you think somebody’s following you, run like hell. Make sure to pack a knife, and I’ll leave you with a gun. Then I’ll make sure Ronan knows what’ll happen to him if you get hurt.”
