The Ravaging

Chapter Thirty-Six

The sun is barely up in the sky by the time I make it to the front gate. There are at least thirty other people here, meaning that we still have to wait for the second half.

Getting up out of bed had been hard this morning. Viola had managed to climb halfway onto my chest, while Remy had buried himself into my side. It had been nearly impossible to slip away without either of them waking up, and there were a few close calls. Luckily, they were both pretty out of it, only snuffling a few times when the mattress had jostled.

Alena waves me over when she sees me, handing me a thermos when I lean against the wall next to her. Taking a tentative sip, I realize that it is some sort of herbal concoction. Tea usually isn't my go to drink, but I am grateful for the warmth. Despite it being the middle of summer, it is still chilly in the morning.

"The others better get here soon," Alena says, looking around the courtyard. "We are supposed to be heading out in fifteen minutes."

"They'll be here."

It would me more surprising if they did not show up. Everyone who is heading out today has lost someone to the people we are going after. If there is one thing this trip offers, it is a chance to see those monsters taken out of this world.

The sky is clear, not a cloud in sight. If everything goes as planned, we should be back before nightfall, all threats taken care of.

A few more people stagger into the clearing, and I notice Derek is among them. He is carrying a large wooden crate, taking it over to the truck closest to the gate. Another man takes it from him, nodding at what ever directions Derek is giving him.

Satisfied, Derek comes over to stand by us, handing me something. "Take this," he says, waiting for me to grab it. It's some type of vest. "Bulletproof vest. Just in case those bastards have any more guns."

"Thanks," I say, setting my thermos down so I can clip the vest into place.

"Anna would kill me if I let anything happen to you," he says, tugging on the vest before tightening it some more. "When we get out there, make sure to stay close to my men. They'll take care of you two while you get our people out of there."

"Of course."

Someone calls Derek's name, making my brother-in-law give my shoulder a tight squeeze before going to see what he is needed for.

Alena looks at her watch again. "Five minutes."

"Better get into place, then." Taking Alena's thermos, I place it on the bench next to mine. We don't have enough time to run it back to the house, and seeing as we will be back at the end of the day anyway, it won't be that big of a problem to leave them here.

We head over to the modified bus, the one we had used to come here. Delaney had kept the keys, so we were able to find them in the condo where he was staying. Hopefully, he won't mind that we are using it. But seeing as we are using it to get him and the others back, he better be okay with it.

The sides of the vehicle have been reinforced. Now, there are spikes along the side that can be released by a simple tug of a rope. Most of the windows are boarded up as well. Medical supplies are piled inside, along with some military cots. It is enough equipment for us to transfer anyone who is injured but not enough to sustain them for longer than it takes to get home.

Alena's boyfriend, Damien, climbs into the driver's seat. He, along with four other guards, are part of our group. Derek is part of the group that is in charge of taking out all of the invader's guards and all the scientists. The other groups are responsible for cutting the power and getting us in the building, and another one is dedicated solely to warding off the infected monsters.