Part 7 (1/2)
The little flame symbol that looked as if it should stand for something corrosive and dangerous was the location of their initial meeting point, very near the hidden entrance to the bunker. They'd thought it was smarter not to give away the exact location just in case someone got a hold of their map and decided to investigate each marker's location.
While Dane slept, Sara studied the map, looking up once in a while to make sure no one approached them. Every now and then, she got the distinct feeling of being watched, but when she glanced around, no one was there. It was probably a symptom of being in a strange place under an even stranger set of circ.u.mstances. Still, the rational thought did little to put her at ease. She probably wouldn't feel totally comfortable and safe until she was tucked into the bunker.
On the map, she noticed a section of wavy lines, which looked to be a lake. Not too far from it was a symbol of two crossed pickaxes. That must be the quarry they were in right now. So if she read the map correctly, and she thought she did, then they had to head due west until they pa.s.sed the far end of the lake, then turn south into the hills. They'd find the bunker less than a mile from the lake, a location they'd picked on purpose for its natural resource availability.
Dane stirred, waking much sooner than Sara had antic.i.p.ated. He sat up looking not nearly refreshed enough after his quick nap.
”I haven't seen so much as a leaf move. Why don't you sleep a little longer?”
”I'm fine. I think we should figure out where to go and get a move on. If those guys had followed us, they'd be here already, so I think it's safe for us to head to the bunker now.”
Sara motioned for Dane to join her. ”I think I figured out where we are on the map. Does this look right to you?” she asked, pointing to what she thought was the quarry symbol.
Dane peered at the map for a moment before answering, then pointed to a spot just to the right, not too far from the highway. ”The cabin was about here, and I'd say that symbol must be for the area we're in now. So where on this map are we actually headed to? The only thing you mentioned last night about the bunker was that it was to the west so that's the way I took us.”
Without hesitation, she pointed to the flames symbol. ”This isn't the exact location, but it's the meeting place to find it. That's where we need to get to.”
”That shouldn't take us too long, depending on what the terrain is like. Maybe we can be there by tomorrow morning if we head out now.”
”Sounds good.” She folded the map and tucked it into the pocket it had come from before putting her pack on. Next she picked up her bow and quiver. She reached for the bucket of food, but Dane grabbed it before she could.
”I'll carry it for a while,” he said.
As they started toward their final destination, Sara let her mind wander with daydreams about what awaited them at the bunker. Her family-her brother and sister and both of her parents. Hopefully they'd even brought their little pug, Spike. Just the thought of reuniting with her family brought tears to her eyes.
She picked up her pace. They couldn't get there soon enough. And when they did, she hoped they would embrace Dane with open arms since the only reason she'd make it there safely to begin with was because he'd saved her. A couple of times. Surely her family would hear their story and allow him to stay. And if they didn't, then she'd make them change their minds.
The outbreak had already taken so much from her. She wasn't about to let it take Dane away too. She'd fight for him if she had to, the same way he'd fought for her.
Chapter Eleven.
Dane was impressed Sara could keep up with his pace on the uneven and challenging terrain as well as she did. He was used to hiking in the area since he did it almost every weekend, but she wasn't; yet she kept putting one foot in front of the other with unyielding perseverance.
She was so much stronger than he'd originally thought when he'd found her hiding under a blanket in the back of her truck. That day felt like a lifetime ago.
They reached the lake as the sun started to set. The light, almost blinding in its beauty, twinkled along the water's surface. They didn't stop to watch, simply carried on. They still had to make it to the other side, then a little farther to the rendezvous point.
Once the sun disappeared fully, Dane realized they would have problems. The full moon from the night before was gone, replaced by a sliver of light in the sky. They pulled out the flashlights she had in her bag and used those, but even still, they only illuminated a small patch of ground. It was difficult to accurately judge the depth and distance of the rocks and logs they climbed over.
Two hours later, they'd made it to the other side of the lake, practically panting with exhaustion. The trek was infinitely harder in the dark than it had been when the sun was still up.
”I think we should stop here, eat, drink, and sleep for a while. We can get up again at first light and find the meeting place. We must be close now, right?”
”I think so. Let's get a fire started and then we can study the map.”
They set to work making a camp in a small cl.u.s.ter of pines. The trees would help block out any wind or rain that might come up, but it was still open enough for them to light the fire safely. Dane got their cooking stove going while Sara looked in her bag for other useful items. When she pulled out s.h.i.+ny rectangles of tinfoil, he chuckled.
”Have any baked potatoes in there? I could really go for one with sour cream and bacon bits right now.”
”These aren't for cooking, they're for sleeping.” She opened one of the packages and unfolded a large silver sheet. ”These blankets are supposed to help you retain your body heat. I thought maybe we could put one under us and the other one over us. Unless you'd rather wrap up in your own blanket.”
”I don't mind sharing,” he said. ”Maybe we'll find other ways to increase our body heat, too.”
”Not even the end of the world can inhibit a man's libido, can it?”
”Not mine. And thank G.o.d for that. Because that would be a world I wouldn't want to live in.”
”It's good to know your priorities are sound.”
They worked together to make a meal, which like earlier in the day was fast and tasty. As they ate, Sara unfolded the map in front of them, near the light of the cooking fire.
”I think if we go a little farther, we'll reach this old fire pit. That's our meeting place. I doubt anyone is still hanging around there waiting for me, but we still need to hit that location to get to the bunker.”
”We should be able to find it easily after we're rested and there's more light. Then where do we go from there? If you don't mind me asking, of course.” There was still a chance she could change her mind about telling him the exact location of the bunker. By the sound of her family, they'd planned ahead and no one would find their location without specific instructions.
Sara paused, putting her hand on his thigh. ”I want you with me and that means you need to know where it is. I told you, I don't care what my family says. You're with me now and they can deal with it.”
He nodded. ”So where do we go?”
”Once we hit the fire pit, we head northwest into the hills for about half a mile. When we get to the big boulders, we're basically at the front door. It's hidden, but it's there.”
”Sounds very Batcave-like.”
”It is. You won't believe it.”
He put their empty dinner dishes beside the cooking fire that was still burning to give them light, then settled back in beside Sara, drawing her close. ”You know what I don't believe?”
”No,” she whispered.
Dane cupped her jaw in his palm, his fingertips threading into her silky hair. ”I don't believe how amazing you are. Every second I've known you, you've surprised me with your knowledge and planning for this unexpected moment.”
”Except for my lack of knowledge about weapons, right?” she teased.
He smiled. ”n.o.body's perfect. But you're pretty d.a.m.n close.”
Dane kissed her. It didn't matter what was going on in the world or even what would happen in a few hours when he met her family at the bunker. The only thing that mattered was this moment, kissing Sara. Her sweet lips parted to invite him in. Her hands traveled across his stomach, leaving behind a wake of tingling nerve endings.
”Be with me. Here, in this moment.”
”I thought you'd never ask.” Sara pulled his s.h.i.+rt over his head and tossed it on a log. He made quick work of his pants and boxers, pausing only long enough to realize he didn't have a condom with him. Or his wallet. He was basically naked, figuratively and literally.
”c.r.a.p,” he muttered, sitting on the silver sheet Sara had put out earlier.