The Chosen Ones: Book 3: The War

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"How much time?" Phil asked.
"Two minutes." Shannon replied.
"Alright everyone in the truck!" Phil yelled.

He got in the drivers seat, Shannon got in the passenger side. She was shaking as she held the detonator. Gavin was in the backseat with Tyler when Sam joined them. Matt hopped in the bed of the truck with Jenna, who was still crying over Shaun's lifeless body.

Phil looked over at Shannon. "She'll be here." He held her hand and looked at her phone at the time counting down.

One minute.

"I can't do it." Shannon sobbed. "I won't."
"Shannon this was the plan." Phil said, sympathetically. "She told Matt to go. SHE made the choice because she knew it had to end tonight, and this was the only way."

"You can't ask me to kill her." Shannon said, with sadness in her voice.
"She might already be dead." Phil said.
"Don't do it." Sam cried. "Please, she'll make it out."

Gavin knew what should be done, but he was new to the group so he decided to let it play out.
Matt was listening to the whole conversation from the open back window. Jenna wasn't going to offer an opinion, she had been through hell already tonight.

Matt got out of the truck and went to Shannon's window. "Give it to me." He said. "This is my job. I don't know why I put this on you. I'm sorry."
Shannon handed him the detonator.

30 seconds.

"Don't do it." Shannon cried. "We can go back in and save her."
"Do it." Phil said. "She would want you to."
Shannon slapped him in the face but Phil didn't budge, instead he held her hand tighter.

"She's still in there!" Sam screamed. "Please, Matt! She could still be alive!"
Matt hopped back in the bed of the truck.
"Drive!" He yelled to Phil.
His friend floored it. Gavin laid his whole body on top of Tyler, anticipating the blast.

Matt closed his eyes and whispered. "I'm sorry. I love you."

5, 4, 3, 2, 1........

He pressed the button. He thought he saw a blast of light before the C4 started to explode. Hell, maybe that's how it was supposed to go, what did he know about C4.

The explosion rocked the truck and lit up the sky. The ground shook and the road under them split. Phil struggled to get control as the truck fishtailed to the right and left before finally coming to a stop in the dirt on the side of the road. They kept their heads down in the truck as the debris fell all around them.

They had just blown up a structure the size of a football field, and almost as wide as one. The explosion was enormous.
Matt was the first out of the truck, hopping over the side. He walked to the middle of the dirt road and stared at the inferno, hoping for a miracle, praying to see Casey, by some miracle, walking toward him. Deep down he knew it wasn't possible. He felt the life drain from his body.

Shannon came out and stood beside him and together they shed tears for their friend.
The thought of her being in the building when he pressed the button made Matt physically sick. Thinking that she was possibly still alive when the explosion happened killed him inside. He dropped to his knees.

Gavin stood in the center of the path holding his rifle. He looked through the scope towards the Nest. You could never be too careful. Those monsters were designed to withstand the worst of attacks. Another part of him wished he saw Casey walk out of the darkness. But, that was not meant to be.

Sam walked over holding Tyler's hand. It was bitter sweet. They had accomplished their goal. Walker was dead, along with everyone and everything in the Nest, which was no longer standing. At the same time Casey and Shaun were dead.

"Is she gone, dad?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah, buddy. She's gone." He replied. He picked up his son and held him.

Matt walked over to the truck to see Jenna. She was sitting on the open tailgate now, legs dangling off. She was no longer crying, just staring blankly at the ground.

He just stood in front of her, trying to find something to say. Instead, it was her who tried to comfort him.
"You did the right thing." She said.
She didn't look him in the eye. Perhaps she was just telling him that to make him feel better, or maybe she did really believe it.

"Did I?" He replied.
"Phil was right, she would have wanted you to."  Now she did look at him. "Now you gotta find a way to live with it...."

He hugged her. "I'm sorry for everything that happened tonight. When we get back you stay with me, okay? For as long as you need to."

Matt looked at Phil, who nodded his head at him. Phil wouldn't apologize for telling him to push the button, he didn't need to, because it was the right decision and that's just how their friendship was. The way it always has been. Even in this worst of moments, that wouldn't change. Brutal truth.

Shannon put her arm around Sam and led her to the truck. She climbed into the backseat with her and Tyler. Matt told Jenna to ride shotgun, telling her he would look after Shaun. Then, he and Gavin hopped in the bed. Phil pulled back onto the road and they began the long ride home.

Matt took one last look at the burning building. There was no more hoping Casey would be walking toward out of there. The feeling he had in his stomach while she was away from him at the Nest was gone. Now there was only emptiness.

Jenna's words played back in his head- "now you find a way to live with it."

He didn't know if he'd ever be able to do that.