The Rain: The End, Marietta Standlee [year 7 reading list TXT] 📗

I'm so tired of this game. All I want is to hug my friends and spend an evening with them. This whole cloak and dagger thing is annoying me to no end. Martin comes around and pulls me to him.

I'm all too happy to return the hug and kiss him on the cheek. "Hi, there!"

"Dad," Colin says coldly.

"Son," Martin responds just as cold.

"We're done here anyway," Blake declares and pulls Maggie out of the booth.

She gives me an apologetic smile, and I manage to squeeze her hand surreptitiously as she walks by.

"What's going on with you guys?" Hugo asks from the booth.

"Difference in opinions," Colin mutters. Not all our friends are in the loop; it'll depend on who will go with us.

My appetite vanished, I sit next to Colin and play with my delicious smelling soup, but I can't bring myself to take a bite. He elbows me playfully, "Don't look so gloom; it'll all work out."

I roll my eyes. I seem to be the only one not enjoying this whole secret mess. "I can't wait until we actually can get out of here," I mutter.

"Here, try this." he offers me a bite of his pasta.

There is something to this whole spoon-feeding thing; my appetite comes back with each bite he feeds me, grinning.

"Here comes the airplane." he laughs, and I cuff him in the arm.

Dimitrov seems to be smitten with Joanne, but he's watching Colin thoughtfully, in between some whispered conversation with his girlfriend, making me question, if we are managing to pull one over on the spy or not. Somehow, I doubt it.

"Family drama?" he ventures when we're all done eating.

"Something like that," Colin says darkly and empties his beer. "Ready?" he asks me.

I nod; I just want to go back to our room and forget about all this for a while.

Chapter 9

The following day finds us climbing out of the Humvee again. Today we will secure the next building over from the apartment complex we searched yesterday. It's a mid-size bowling alley, set back behind a huge, empty parking lot.

Sean drives the Humvee right up to the front door. Our crew today consists of Colin, Sean, Derek, Levi from yesterday, Richard—this is his first official outing, Drew, Caren, and me.

I haven't seen Caren in months, and we spend the entire drive to the bowling alley catching up. She fills me in on Brigham's widow, how she's doing much better now that she has the baby to take care of.

She fills me in about Jose's family and how they're coping with his death, and I feel a little guilty for not having checked up on them or Angie since Jose died.

It's nice to be able to chat like a teenager. I sometimes forget that I still am one. So much has happened, and I had to grow into somebody else so fast that the old Vivian fell by the wayside.

Yes, we go out to Alfredo's and spend time with friends, but maybe I need to take some time for some girl talk too. My face flushes with embarrassment as I remember that I haven't talked—really talked, with Maggie in weeks.

Granted, I was gone for a long time, but ever since we came back, I haven't spent much time with her, and she's pregnant. I ought to make more time for my friends after all, isn't that what we are fighting for?

The doors open, and I collect my thoughts, getting back to all business, back to the hardened Commander I have become. I check my weapons and pull out my gun. Even though we haven't had much trouble yet doesn't mean it will stay that way. Each new building creates a new challenge.

"I don't understand why we have to search the bowling alley." Sean complaints.

"Leave no rock unturned." Richard quotes.

"We could just burn that whole thing down or seal it up." Sean tries one more time.

"We're not just hunting for maniacs." I remind him. "We're also running low on resources. I'm sure we'll find some useful stuff in there."

"Like what, chalk? Socks?" He challenges and I give him a curious glare. He isn't his usual happy self, and I wonder if he is having girl trouble with his nurse.

I roll my eyes. "They have a cafeteria in there; they probably still have some flour, salt, sugar, whatever. We need it all."

"Be ready," Colin warns as he moves himself to the right side of the door, and Derek does the same on the left.

All bickering forgotten, we're all business. Guns out we have each other's backs. Sean and I step back a few feet to be ready when the others open the double doors to whatever awaits us inside. I give Colin a nod and he pulls on his door.

Two things warn us, one, the door wasn't locked, and two, the familiar hissing sound reaching us as soon as the door swings open towards us.

"Maniacs!" I warn.

For a second, they just stand there, still and swaying slightly as if they are in a trance or a breeze; their breathing even sounds like hissing, but the moment the doors swing outwards, they turn. When they hear my voice warning the others, the hissing intensifies, and the entire horde makes a run for the entrance.

Colin kicks the door right into the face of the first incoming maniac, but we neither have the means to secure the entryway nor do we have the time; they're about to come pouring out.

"How many?" Colin asks, trying to push against the door. Richard and Drew jump forward to help him, but it's of no use. The maniacs outnumber us in force.

"At least a good hundred," I inform the others, keeping my gun trained at the entrance. Sean is right beside me.

Derek has jumped to Colin's side and helps him to keep the pressure against the door.

"Get back in the Humvee." Colin orders.

I want to argue with him, but both men are slowly getting pushed back by the steadily opening