UNCOVERED - Last Resort Series - Book One - RAW

ZOE

I SAW him and that was it. I didn't even think about what I was doing.

My feet moved forward and within a flash, I was in front of him. I held my hand back and then thrust forward. My hand touched his shoulder and I realized just what I had done. Eli went flying backwards. His back hit the ground and he landed a few feet away from me. I didn't remember just how weak his body was. I had spent so much time on my own, that I had no idea how to interact with him.

Over the past years, I thought that I had gotten better. But I wasn't.

Standing before him, I crossed my arms over my chest. I saw Finn helping him to his feet. And I quickly realized my mistake.

Eli wasn't the same. He was weaker than the last time I saw him. Or maybe, I was stronger.

I wrapped my arms around him. I was happy to see him. But also angry with him.

Holding him tightly in my arms, I knew he was confused. I felt his heart racing in his chest like he was afraid. And I pulled myself away from him. I felt my cheeks blushing with embarrassment. I realized the look on his face was exhaustion.

Eli had just climbed up the tunnel. And I had not considered just how tired he would've been.

"Oh no." I moved my hand up to my mouth. "No."

I had no idea what to do. I saw Eli leaning up against the platform of the hologram behind him. I hoped that he could absorb some of the energy from the hologram. And then, he'll feel a little better.

Relaxing my expression, I tried to not show just how concerned I was. I placed one of my hands onto the back of Eli's neck. I thought that he was acting a little strange. And I felt no hole in the back of his neck, which was a little strange.

Everyone else who woke up from the simulation had two holes on the back of their neck, from the connection. But he didn't have them.

I knew something wasn't right.

Danny mumbled as she walked up to us. "And I'm back to being invisible." She muttered. "Just great."

I had no time to worry about Danny's feelings. She was always getting annoyed by how much attention I got from everyone. But I never asked for them to worship me. They just decided to, on their own.

Finn clenched onto the side of the platform. He was concerned about Eli. And I had no idea why. He was a stranger to him. And it took me a little while to realize it. Finn was a clever child. And he probably already made the connection between me and Eli. It was the most logical assumption.

I wondered if there was anything else I could do. Then I remembered what the computer told me a month ago. I was visiting the bunker to check on Zara and Eli. Zara had just woken up. And her chamber was disassembling itself.

Artificial intelligence warned me about its functions coming to an end. There was an issue back when radiation was a problem. And I never got around to fixing it. The problem was probably easy for Eli. But I wasn't him.

I thought that my brilliant idea to keep Eli asleep would work. But now, I knew just how crazy and risky that decision was.

The decision didn't seem like something I would do. And I wondered if I was in my right mind. Or if waking up so quickly, had interfered with my decision.

But, there was nothing I could do about that now.

I stared into Eli's stunning eyes. I never thought that I would get to see them open again. Back when I was checking on the bunker, I visited him. But his eyes were always closed.