Novas: A thrilling young adult apocalyptic survival story (Fortune Falls Book 2) by Lou Vane

Author:Lou Vane [Vane, Lou]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lou Vane
Published: 2022-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

GOODBYES ARE HARD ENOUGH, but this one feels worse than usual. In a way I actually think it’s easier for those of us leaving than the ones who are staying behind. I can tell Skye is struggling with the fact that she isn’t coming with us—she doesn’t want Ethan to go without her—terrified she might lose him after the trauma of losing her girlfriend, Emily. She’s in tears as she hugs us goodbye, knowing we’ll be gone before she wakes, and she isn’t the only one. There are more tears from Kai and Ollie—Lily and Jackson don’t look far off either—then Joe and Sienna join Marley in the awkward parent shuffle.

We get firm handshakes from Scott, telling us he’s proud of us. Maya too—but hugs, not handshakes. I tell Johnny I understand why he isn’t coming, that I know he needs to stay to protect Joe, and he seems relieved, as though it has been weighing on him that we might have been judging him for not volunteering.

Maria hugs Katie and Aaron, then stands awkwardly, unsure what to do with the rest of us. I know she’s battling with her feelings. She’s glad I’m going—I’m certain of it—even though we’ve reached an understanding. I don’t feel the same resentment towards her that I once had, but I know she still harbours some for me. In the end I tell her to take care of herself and the baby. She just nods and moves on to speak to Ethan, completely ignoring Dean. Nothing’s changed there.

After everyone has gone to bed, it’s just the six Novas left with Scott and Maya. All our backpacks are lined against the wall, ready for our dawn departure. We take seats at the table for one last briefing as Aaron spreads the maps we’ve studied dozens of times in front of us.

“Okay, let’s go over this one last time,” Aaron begins as the rest of us lean forward to get a better look at where he’s pointing on the map. “We expect to reach the valley by the end of day two and will then make our way to the Jacobs’ farmstead where we’ll be able to pick up extra supplies and a vehicle. We’ll then take the main road to Marshall’s Pass the following day. We aren’t expecting to come across anyone on the way there, and we don’t want to. We avoid contact, and we don’t engage. That is not our mission.”

We all nod. I know the plan like the back of my hand. In fact I don’t even need to see the map, I’ve studied it in detail so many times. I’m not from Langadorne, but I can recite the name of every town and junction between here and Marshall’s Pass—we all can. If anything happens to Aaron or to these maps, we all know where we need to go and what we need to do. Aaron will carry the vaccine—it’ll be secured in a special protective case in his pack and our job is to protect it as much as each other.

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