Page 162 of What Remains

We climb the stairs as heat licks our backs. Hollis falters halfway up, and I circle my arm around her waist to keep her from falling backward.

“Keep moving!” Carter roars as the shaft erupts below us in a blast that steals the air from my lungs.

For a second⁠—

Nothing.

No sound.

No air.

Just white pressure.

We spill out through the hatch onto wet ground as the bunker entrance detonates in a rolling explosion that blows outward into the night. I hit the ground hard, dragging Hollis with me.

Concrete chunks rain down around us. My ears are ringing. Through the haze I hear random static and unintelligible voices, several layered on top of each other. But they’re not coming from my comms until⁠—

“Hollis?” someone says over comms.

Flat on my back, I roll my head to the right to look around. To count the bodies. Ensure everyone made it out safely.

Constantine’s next to me on all fours, bleeding from his brow, but he appears fine.

Hollis has no marks on her, thank God.

“Hollis?” That desperate voice shouts again, and now it’s competing with another—Gwen’s.

She’s checking on us and letting us know they’re driving over.

“I’m okay,” Hollis chokes out, shifting onto her back, working to catch her breath. “Are you?”

Wait, if that was Reed in my ear, does that mean . . .?

“We made it out, but we’re not near you,” her husband answers in a hurry. “We’ve got Julian. He’s alive.”

Relief swells in my chest as I knock my night vision out of the way and stare up at the dark sky.

“Easton?” Gwen again, her voice frantic. “Please tell me you’re o—okay.”

“I’m still here.” I swallow down the lump in my throat. “You won’t have to deal with me haunting you anytime soon.”

CHAPTER 58

Gwen

My dad barely slows the SUV before I have the door open.

He shouts out my name, but it’s too late. My shoes hit the ground while the vehicle is still rolling. Gravel slides under my soles as I run toward the smoke and the silhouettes emerging through it.

The headlights illuminate my view, and Easton’s the first one I make out. He’s upright and sprinting, and I meet him halfway.

He tosses his rifle aside and folds me into his arms, crushing me against him. “Hey you.”

I can’t get any words out around the tears of relief. Emotion presses into my throat, making it impossible to talk without blubbering.

“Gwen?” My name is a rough sound on Julian’s lips.

Easton lets me go as Gideon and Tristan approach, supporting Julian’s weight between them. He settles his hand on the small of my back over my coat while dropping his mouth over my ear. “Go, it’s okay.”