Deadworld by Debbie Cassidy

Author:Debbie Cassidy [Cassidy, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-23T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

We were on the ground but the doors to the plane were still shut. Micha stood with his back to the exit, his eyes on us, and then he pointed to a black trunk strapped to the wall at the back of the plane. There was a small door labeled Cargo farther back, but it was closed.

“Staffs and their harnesses are in there. Grab a staff and get them strapped on securely.”

Everyone went for the trunk at the same time, but I held back, waiting for the scuffle to expire. They were acting like there wouldn’t be any staffs left or as if one staff were better than another.

Alex hadn’t moved either. He glanced across at me briefly before fixing his attention on the other potentials. Tris emerged carrying two staffs and made her way to me.

Okay, well, that saved time. The staff was held snuggly in a quick-release holster that could be strapped diagonally across our backs. There were shoulder and front straps to keep it in place and spread the weight. I slid into mine, adjusting the straps so the fit was comfortable. The clasps snapped together with a click and then we were ready.

“Twenty-four hours,” Micha said. “You have maps and compasses in your med packs. Use them. We’ll see you at the rendezvous point marked on the map.”

He hit the door release with his palm. “Good luck. Now get the fuck out there.”

The Gentry were the first out, bypassing everyone else with elbows and shoves. “Eager” was too weak a word to describe them, and then my boots were kissing the ground.

Soft, green earth underfoot, blue skies above, and the sun, oh, God, the kiss of the sun on my cheeks. This moment right here was worth the trip. My chest expanded as I took a deep breath, and my vision blurred and watered, partly from the sting of the natural rays, and partly because … Heck, this was the sun. How could I ever go back underground again? How could we live like rodents knowing what was up here?

Tris doubled over, hands on knees. “Oh, God. Oh, God. This is real.” She reached down to run her fingers over the grass. “Echo, this is real.”

I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from my lips. “Yep, it’s real, all right.”

“No, no, I can’t. I can’t …” One of the guys was backing up toward the plane where Micha was still hanging out of the door.

“You’re okay,” Micha said. “Just give it a minute.”

But the guy wasn’t listening. He was on the floor, hugging the ground as he crawled back toward the plane. “I can’t. I can’t. It’s too much.”

Micha stepped out of the plane and crouched by the man. He placed one of his large hands on the man’s back. “It’s all right, mate, I get it. It’s big and scary, and there aren’t any walls. But the sky can’t hurt you. Just breathe, right. Just breathe.”

The man was shaking his head violently, and Micha stood and nodded as if coming to a decision.

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