Lost Contact (The Bridge Sequence Book One), Nathan Hystad [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

lock, and with a smile of triumph, it clicked after receiving the proper code. “I knew I’d have it. Just took a moment to thaw out my brain.”

We hustled inside, and it was far warmer, though nowhere near comfortable. It was clearly insulated, but when I tried to turn the lights on, they remained powered off.

“Do you have a manual?” I asked Hunter.

Marcus set his pack down and stomped through the front entrance. “The maintenance room should be over here.”

“I’ll see if I can help.” Veronica dropped her bag and followed Marcus. She used to be a mechanic, and I suspected that would help today.

The office was clean, with three long desks lining the far wall. Five swivel chairs sat empty, two of them facing the exit. A series of screens had been left behind, and a couple of keyboards lingered on the desks. Behind them were bookshelves, full of hardcover textbooks and research material.

The windows were tall, showcasing a beautiful bay a short distance from the facility. Before I’d had a chance to investigate any other rooms, the lights flickered on, then off, and stayed on a moment later.

Marcus let out a cheer from somewhere, and I heard Veronica laughing. Radiators clinked near me, and I smiled as heat emitted from the pipes. It was probably a good thing the research team had recently departed the facility.

Various Christmas decorations were up, with a miniature tree decorated near the living room. It was plugged in, and the moment the power was on, it started blinking white lights. They hadn’t planned on leaving for home until Hunter had pulled some strings.

Marcus and Veronica entered, my sidekick looking far too pleased with himself. “Told you I could do stuff.”

“I never doubted you. Not for a second.”

We explored the base, finding two rooms with bunks: four beds in one, two in the other. Hunter and Tripp claimed the smaller, and Marcus called dibs on the top bunk over mine. Veronica smiled as she removed her oversized winter gear. I wore jeans with long underwear beneath, and a thick sweatshirt, while Marcus rifled through his bag to grab a hoodie. We were all going to be wearing multiple layers to stay as warm as we could.

“Still cold in here, no matter how high you crank it,” he said, donning the warm fleece layer.

“Rex, can I speak to you for a moment?” Veronica asked, and Marcus slinked from the room, asking where the food was.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I…” She sat on the bottom bunk, stretching her legs as she regarded me with bright blue eyes.

“Go on. You have something to say.”

“I haven’t told you everything.” Her hair was in a top bun, and pieces of it stuck out the sides, a wayward strand falling over her forehead.

“That’s not surprising. I haven’t told you everything either,” I said, trying to make this easier on her. She was struggling to reveal a secret to me. “Wait. You’re not going to tell me you’re the Sovereign, are you?” I laughed, but Veronica didn’t smile. This was serious.

“Nothing like that. Honestly, I’ve heard of the Believers, but they always seemed like phantoms. Not real.”

“Then what?”

She swallowed, and I sat beside her, taking her hand. It was cold, but she didn’t try to pull away. “I didn’t know when to say it, because Hunter would have…”

“Come out here!” Tripp’s voice carried from the living room, but I stayed put.

“What are you trying to tell me?” I asked.

Veronica looked at the exit. “It’s not like I wanted…”

“Now!” Tripp’s voice was louder.

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Veronica stood, dashing out of the bunk room.

I followed, finding Tripp holding a satellite phone. “They’re here.”

“Who is?” I asked.

Hunter’s eyes were wide. “They’ve found us. Despite our precautions, they followed us!”

“Wait, what are you saying?” I ran to the windows, searching for signs of someone in the blustery cold outside.

“Not yet, but my contact at the airport says the plane departed five minutes ago. The Believers are coming for us. They must know we’re about to get the fifth Token, and they’re making their move. This confirms my suspicion that they have the sixth already. I predicted they’d come for the Tokens when we returned to the US mainland, but they’re losing patience,” Hunter exclaimed.

Tripp’s pack rested on the couch, and he unzipped it, pulling the M4A1 from inside. “We need to go now,” he said.

“Where?” Marcus asked.

“To the Token. There’s a chance we can recover it and leave before they land,” Tripp said.

“No way. We’ve barely slept, Veronica has been awake for two days, and we haven’t even checked to see if the vehicle is fueled up,” I reminded everyone.

Veronica nodded once. “I can do it. You take the transport, grab the Token, and I’ll bring the plane.”

“Where are you going to land it? We haven’t planned for the terrain,” I said.

“I’ll find a spot close enough to you. Don’t worry about that. Hunter, you can stay with me,” she told him.

Her expression from the bedroom had etched into my mind, and I feared betrayal from her. We’d spent a lot of time together over the last ten days or so, but she remained a stranger. She’d admitted to tracking Madison to Sydney, and God knew what she was trying to tell me just now. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Too bad, Walker. It’s the only one that has us leaving alive and with the Token. Hunter, you good with helping Veronica?” Tripp asked our benefactor.

“I suppose I’ll have to be. I won’t be much use to you out there.” He gawked at the exit, and I sighed.

Marcus ran for the bunk rooms, complaining about not eating as he gathered our things. When he returned, Marcus gave Hunter the destination on a tablet, and the old man clutched it like a lifeline. We dressed as quickly as we could, adding layers for the cold, and less than an hour after arriving at the research facility, we were leaving.

Once everyone was bundled up, we departed,