Shattered World (Shattered #3)

Chapter Twelve

T en people sat inside our small hotel room and I couldn’t contain my smile as I stared at all their faces. With Rainer standing at the foot of the bed and Warner at my side, I finally felt complete. Although, as my eyes landed on the two small faces playing in the corner of the room, I knew not everyone felt that way. For Lucas and Stephanie, even Elizabeth, a part of them would always be missing.

“Okay. Sasha and Mina filled us in on almost everything. Do you have anything to add?” Rainer asked me, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared me down.

The expression was so Rainer, determined and demanding, but now I saw the warmth in his gaze as he locked eyes with me.

“I think they covered it all. Based on the men that were wandering around and their reaction, I’d say the bunkers are definitely near the pier if not on it.” I shrugged, continuing, “Or underneath it.”

Rainer nodded, pacing a small line in front of the bed as he decided on our next steps. I couldn’t deny the relief of having him here. There were many reasons I was thankful for his return, most of them selfish. His ability to take the situation by the reigns, though, take the role of leader easily off my shoulders, was one of my favorites.

“Have you told Caroline this information yet?” I asked, wondering why we hadn’t seen her yet today.

I figured she’d be waiting on pins and needles for our arrival, hoping for a different outcome than the previous scouts she had sent. However, according to Murphy, she had left this morning and had yet to return. If I had to guess, she was somewhere dealing with the government business she was a part of.

“No. And I don’t think we should,” Rainer responded.

Immediately, my lips pursed, Sasha and Mina’s expressions matching mine. Rainer hadn’t met the woman yet, so I couldn’t blame him for his response. But what he didn’t understand is that without Caroline we had no chance. Sure, we could find the entrance on our own. But those bunkers were bound to be more heavily guarded than anything we had seen yet. Caroline was the key to entering, of that I had no doubt.

“She won’t let us stay if we don’t tell her,” Mina piped up and Rainer swiveled toward her.

“You can lie,” he urged, but Sasha shook her head in denial, mine following suit even though he couldn’t see.

“Rainer, we have to tell her what the girls found,” Murphy added, his palm warm against my thigh as he sat at my side.

Rainer ran his hands through his hair, sighing deeply. Turning on his heel, he faced Elizabeth. “You’ve been working in her office, organizing things. Have you found anything that would help us?”

Elizabeth hesitated, glancing toward the twins, only continuing once she realized they were paying us little attention. Although she had to know they were listening more closely than we gave them credit for.

“I’ve only organized the papers she’s given me. Random maps and a few papers detailed with information on what was built into the bunkers.”

“You didn’t think to look around a bit on your own?” Warner drawled, leaning back on his hands on the bed.

His tone held a mocking note and Elizabeth speared him with an admonishing look only a mother could give. “No. I don’t quite have a death wish yet.”

Warner nodded in concession and Rainer closed his eyes, lips pursing in thought as he ran through our options.

“Fine. We tell her what you found when she arrives. But when she sends you out again because, based on what you said, she will. You three are not going alone. You risked your lives last time.”

All three of us nodded in unison. I wasn’t proud enough to deny the help. Especially not from someone who had done nothing but keep me safe for months on end.

“Then that’s settled.” Rainer let out a deep breath, landing on the edge of the bed, and that was when I finally noted the exhaustion lining his eyes.

Glancing to my side, I noticed Warner sat with his eyes closed, possibly already asleep. It was nearing lunchtime and I knew the others, especially Matthew, would question if we weren’t there.

“The rest of us are going to go eat. We’ll bring something back for the two of you, but you need to sleep before we do everything.”

The denial was on the tip of Rainer’s tongue, I could see it, but Warner spoke up first.

“Sounds great, babe.”

Rolling onto his back, he spread his legs out, kicking Murphy and me off the bed. Chuckling under my breath, I stood, the rest of the group following except Rainer, who took up the space of the other bed.

Aiden led the group out of the room, Murphy and I the last to follow through. Throwing one last look over my shoulder at the two men who were already sleeping peacefully, I found it hard to step over the threshold. Part of me wanted to sit here and watch while they slept.

“They aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart,” Murphy mumbled, guiding me out the door with a hand to my back.

When the door clicked behind us, a breath left me on a heavy exhale. They were here. They were safe. How many times would I need to repeat those words before I truly believed them?

Caroline’s smile was eerie as she stared at our group. The way her eyes had lit up when she noticed Rainer and Warner, content with the addition to her little schemes, had nothing on the pure elation when Sasha, Mina, and I had told her about our trip to Navy Pier.

Grabbing her pen, she circled and dotted some things on a new map, quickly shoving the paper in my direction. The area she circled was now smaller, several dots in the circumference.

“This narrows down your search. Based on my meeting this morning and some information I’ve received, I now know there is one bunker in the area. This is where I believe it is most likely to be.”

Any hope I had that our search radius would be smaller was diminished. The area may have shrunk, but there were still eight dots over the page. According to Caroline’s computer, today was October eighth. Two months until the meteors hit.

If each attempt to find the bunker took two days to achieve, it could take us over two weeks to find the entrance. The timeline was too close for me, but I knew there was no other option.

“I assume you girls are already packed and ready to go?” Caroline asked, eyeing Sasha, Mina and me.

We were indeed already packed for the trip, but not in the way Caroline had assumed. She may have been able to dole out instructions to the rest of us, but she had another thing coming now that Warner and Rainer were here.

“We’re going to send out two teams to make this more efficient. Something I would have assumed you already considered. Not entirely sure why you hadn’t.”

Caroline frowned as Rainer spoke, the skin tightening around her eyes as she glared at him. Any happiness from his presence diminished quickly. She was used to having the power and allowing someone to steal that from her was probably like a stab to her pride. However, she couldn’t deny that Rainer was right. One singular team to scout an area wasn’t very productive.

“Fine. Do you plan on sharing who will be heading out?” She asked, sliding a hand over her neat hair.

“Don’t worry, Aiden, Murphy, and Elizabeth are still at your disposal,” Rainer answered, and Caroline smiled tightly.

“Perfect. On your way then.” She ordered the dismissal, trying to gain the upper hand once again, but Rainer waited for a few precious moments, clearly asserting his dominance over the situation.

Once we left the room, Sasha, Warner, Rainer, and I grabbed the bags we had brought down. Sasha had refused to stay behind, leaving Warner and her as one of the two teams heading back to the pier. Rainer and I made up the second team.

Although Elizabeth was hesitant to sneak around Caroline’s office while she was gone, Mina had no such qualms. She had volunteered readily to do some snooping, trying to find any of the secrets Caroline was clearly hiding.

With several hugs of goodbyes, promises to see each other tomorrow, we headed out onto the streets, ready to make our way to the pier.

I had suggested that the four of us walk together. Even though we would be searching different parts of the area, Warner and Sasha set to explore the outskirts, that didn’t mean we couldn’t head there together. However, Warner and Rainer had immediately nixed the idea. Apparently, they worried four of us would draw too much attention. I wanted to argue, but even as we simply stepped onto the sidewalk, several heads turned toward my men.

They couldn’t help their towering heights, but I thought that a small smile may help more than the surly glare and blank stare. Wrapping a tight arm around Sasha’s shoulders, I told her to keep Warner in check.

“As if,” she laughed, “we both know we’re just along for the ride.”

I chuckled with her, knowing she was right. If it was up to these two idiots, they’d be traipsing around the city on their own.

Rainer grabbed my hand, tangling our fingers, guiding me away from the other two. Before we could make it two steps, Warner stopped us with a hand to Rainer’s shoulder.

A silent message passed between the two of them, their eyes locked on each other’s.

“Keep her safe,” Warner urged.

Rainer’s fingers tightened on me as he nodded once. “With my life.”