Re-ans

Re-ans Chapter 15

Chapter 15: All good things

One week had passed since they got their escape plan in place and Jess was awoken by Luke calling out her name in a harsh whisper. She assumed he was just having another nightmare, and reached out her hand blindly to comfort him. She opened her eyes wide when he grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed tight, she sat up.

"What...?"

"Shh." He interrupted, placing a finger to her lips. Faint gray light from what would be another rainy day was coming in through the window, then she heard it, cans rattling. It was distant still, but she could easily hear it. "Get dressed, I'm gonna get the others and check to make sure it's not an animal, be ready to go." He said ducking out of the room.

She stood and changed into her lighter clothes. It was still cool at night, but the days had been stuffy. She grabbed her gun, securing it in her waist band, then grabbed their bags and sat them by the door in the living room just in case.

She paced then, waiting for the others to return, hoping to hear that some racoon somehow got in somewhere. The door banged open and the others rushed in. "Not an animal." Luke said, he'd gone pale. He pulled his sweater off as he walked past and tossed it to her before rushing back into their bedroom. She saw him kneel down by the bed and pull out a bag she hadn't known about from underneath.

She watched as Gavin and Tavish each entered their rooms and pulled out bags to join the growing pile by the door. She shoved Luke's sweater into the bag she had with her own. She noticed Denis's group pilling all their stuff into the hallway. Luke came up to her then and took the bag from her. He tossed it on the pile and put his hands on either side of her face. He pressed his lips to hers almost painfully.

"No matter what happens, you stay right behind me okay?" He asked and she nodded. "I love you Jess."

"I love you too." He rested his forehead on hers for a few more seconds before releasing her. She turned to see Levi and Meredith, Gavin and Alissa similarly embraced. Luke waited maybe five more seconds before he spoke.

"I'm point, Jess, Gavin, Alyssa, Meredith, Levi, Tavish, Denis." He said and everyone nodded, getting into position. They all grabbed as much as they could carry slinging backpacks over their shoulders. "Guns where you can get to them just in case." He said before everyone stepped out into the hall. In their silence the commotion was louder than it had been from their bedroom, but it was obvious that the re-ans still hadn't reached their floor yet. They had time.

Luke headed straight for the roof, which was just to the left as they'd taken the two rooms closest to the exit. He stood at the door as he waited for everyone else to file out. Without a word Denis and Tavish barricaded the door shut behind them. While they were doing that Luke dropped one of the bags he was carrying, the one she'd seen him pulling out from under the bed. He unzipped it and began pulling things out.

It looked like a bunch of random objects, from old looking alarm clocks, to children's toys. All of it looked like it was wrapped in string and cloth. She watched in confusion as he began flipping switches and pulling levers. Loud strident noises began filling the air. He walked over to each of the four sides of the roof and began dropping a few of the things over each side. She followed him and looked down. The clothes were parachutes, sending the objects safely to the ground..

"What's he doing?" Levi called out, she turned back.

"They're parachutes, I..." She paused. "Luke, what are you doing?"

"They're drawn to sound right?" Was all he said as he continued around the roof.

"I get it." Tavish said. "He's drawing them into this area so that they'll leave where we're going and come to where we've been." He said Denis's group looked surprised, but not her Gavin or Tavish, this was their Luke. She couldn't help her smile and turned to see Gavin's as well.