To The Moon And Back

Chapter 15

During our Earth training on the moon, Landon warned us about raids the rebels sometimes do on HQ. He stated that with the appropriate precautions, nobody should get hurt.

I hope he was assured of that because it looks like there'll be a raid today. A loud siren suddenly plays and everyone starts marching towards the safe room. I turn off my laptop swiftly and follow the people towards safety.

By the time I see the room in sight, most people have already gotten in. I spot Jay in an empty hallway, speaking animatedly into a two-way radio, and rush towards him.

"Why aren't you inside the safe room?" He asks me.

"Why aren't you?"

He sighs. "I have to make sure that the building is evacuated."

"There are patrols to do that," I say, taking his hand.

He takes me deeper into the hallway, I guess for more privacy. "Darling, I have to accompany them."

"Why?"

"Because this dome is my responsibility and I cannot handle any more deaths because of my incapability to protect these people."

I nod. He's still grieving, still feeling that Martha's death is his blame. "What if something happens to you?"

He smiles humorlessly, drawing me close. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"You better." I press a kiss on his lips and he smiles through it. My heart wants to hold his, to settle here, in his arms.

"I gotta go," he says. "Whatever happens, you stay inside that room, understood?"

I nod and dash to the safe room. I show the guards my ID and they let me in. Now I just have to wait until they declare it's safe to go out.

The curious part of me wishes I never even went inside. I want to see those rebels, I want to understand why they raid HQ and kill people.

"No, you have to let me out," someone yells at the guards. "Marvin is out there!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, nobody is allowed outside," a guard replies.

Many people crowd around the guards to see what this is about, myself included. Adeline, Jay's assistant, also rushes to see what the reason for that fuss is. I contemplate if it's an appropriate time to say hello or not.

Definitely not.

"Marvin is outside! He wears earplugs when he sleeps, there's no way he heard the siren," the woman yells. I think she looks familiar, she's the lady from the kitchen, with her baby in her arms. I remember this baby, Ellis.

Adeline places a hand on the lady's shoulder. "Caron, calm down and tell me exactly where Marvin is. I'll tell Jay to go fetch him now."

She nods, crying. "He's in my room."

Adeline says that to Jay over the two-way radio. He says he's going to look for him. Caron finds her husband (I think he is) and cries in his arms.

"Hey, Aurora!" Adeline tells me. "What's up?"

"Hi, Adeline!" I say. "All is well. What about you?"

She rolls her eyes. "Adeline sounds like a grandma's name, call me Deli. And man, this job is too much responsibility. I feel overwhelmed."

I smile in compassion. "Must be hard, good luck."

"Yeah, I mean,—"

The radio plays Jay's voice. "Deli, is Caron with you?"