He smiled warmly settling their hands together on the desk.
“Alex?” A new voice came through the speakers. It was higher pitch; it was soft but heavy with an emotion. Her heart stopped she knew who’s voice this belonged.
No, no she must be hearing things; she had to be. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from releasing Petey’s hand and squeezing the walkie tightly between her palms.
“Chris…” her voice cracked. “…Is that you?”
A second of silence past and Alex knew, knew she had heard wrong. Her happy mind made her delirious in hope. It wasn’t her…
“Yeah, it’s me!” Chris answered back.
It is her! It is Chris’ voice coming through the old radio. It was her sister; alive and safe. Alex breathed heavily as her smile grew wide.
“You asshole!” Alex laughed. “The empty house…I thought the worst.”
“You’re one talk.” Chris laughed as well. Hearing her sister’s voice made her smile. Hearing her sister insult her gave her hope. “You were supposed to be…”
She couldn’t finish it. She couldn’t think about Alex not being around anymore but now she didn’t have to.
“Are you safe?” She asked.
“We’re in Donoghue’s bunker. I fell like I need to apologize to him for all those jokes.” A bitter laugh escaped her.
“He’ll forgive you. At least you got some use out of it.” Chris said.
That was enough to let her know he had survived too. That she would once again see him. She would see many of them or at least she hoped so.
There was a shift in mood so powerful it could be felt through the airwaves. Smiles began to drop at the sound of Chris’ heavy breathing before the static cut in. Alex was about ask what was wrong before the man’s voice returned.
“Ms. Armijo.” The tension in the Officer’s voice struck fear in her heart. They could hear the emotion he was trying to hold back from his tone. He cleared his throat.
“Ms. Armijo…” He began again. “Your location is in the orange zone or radiation zone. It was too close to the impact zone and unfortunately our men would not be able to go that far in.”
“What the hell do you mean?” She raised her voice.
“Ma’am, you must understand there was a side effect of the bombs and…” “I know the side effect. I saw them.” She interrupted.
“So what does that mean?” She asked again.
If they were going to leave them out for dead she wanted them to say it. She wanted them to admit to it. Admit that they were sentencing three people to death or something far worse.
“It means…” Chris took over “…the reason they haven’t kicked me out is because they’re giving us a chance to say goodbye.”
To other’s her tone appeared cold almost emotionless but Alex knew her, she knew her sister. She could hear the pain; she could feel it. She could see the mist in her sister’s brown eyes; the way her lips tightened into a straight line. The tight grip on the walkie that threatened to break it; she knew because she was doing the same thing.
“No.” Alex growled.
“Alex.” Her voice broke.
She hated the way her sister’s voice sounded. It sounded weak. They weren’t weak; they didn’t go down without a fight.
“I said no. Do you understand me?” She said loudly. “Come on, Chris. I need you.”
Her breathing started to come out in huffs; she was forcing herself to breathe. Rage stirred in the bottom of her belly slowly rising higher. How dare her sister give up on her? How dare she think this was goodbye?
“Dios cuida a los tontos y a los borrachos.” Chris said her smile breaking through the airwaves and Alex couldn’t help herself and smiled. The rage was flushed out with a new found joy at saying of their family’s motto.
“We dear sister are both.” Alex answered.
“We are one of each.” Chris answered back.
Alex couldn’t help the smile that broke out across her face. There was her sister there was the fighter.
“Officer Dumas, what’re your
“Alex?” A new voice came through the speakers. It was higher pitch; it was soft but heavy with an emotion. Her heart stopped she knew who’s voice this belonged.
No, no she must be hearing things; she had to be. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from releasing Petey’s hand and squeezing the walkie tightly between her palms.
“Chris…” her voice cracked. “…Is that you?”
A second of silence past and Alex knew, knew she had heard wrong. Her happy mind made her delirious in hope. It wasn’t her…
“Yeah, it’s me!” Chris answered back.
It is her! It is Chris’ voice coming through the old radio. It was her sister; alive and safe. Alex breathed heavily as her smile grew wide.
“You asshole!” Alex laughed. “The empty house…I thought the worst.”
“You’re one talk.” Chris laughed as well. Hearing her sister’s voice made her smile. Hearing her sister insult her gave her hope. “You were supposed to be…”
She couldn’t finish it. She couldn’t think about Alex not being around anymore but now she didn’t have to.
“Are you safe?” She asked.
“We’re in Donoghue’s bunker. I fell like I need to apologize to him for all those jokes.” A bitter laugh escaped her.
“He’ll forgive you. At least you got some use out of it.” Chris said.
That was enough to let her know he had survived too. That she would once again see him. She would see many of them or at least she hoped so.
There was a shift in mood so powerful it could be felt through the airwaves. Smiles began to drop at the sound of Chris’ heavy breathing before the static cut in. Alex was about ask what was wrong before the man’s voice returned.
“Ms. Armijo.” The tension in the Officer’s voice struck fear in her heart. They could hear the emotion he was trying to hold back from his tone. He cleared his throat.
“Ms. Armijo…” He began again. “Your location is in the orange zone or radiation zone. It was too close to the impact zone and unfortunately our men would not be able to go that far in.”
“What the hell do you mean?” She raised her voice.
“Ma’am, you must understand there was a side effect of the bombs and…” “I know the side effect. I saw them.” She interrupted.
“So what does that mean?” She asked again.
If they were going to leave them out for dead she wanted them to say it. She wanted them to admit to it. Admit that they were sentencing three people to death or something far worse.
“It means…” Chris took over “…the reason they haven’t kicked me out is because they’re giving us a chance to say goodbye.”
To other’s her tone appeared cold almost emotionless but Alex knew her, she knew her sister. She could hear the pain; she could feel it. She could see the mist in her sister’s brown eyes; the way her lips tightened into a straight line. The tight grip on the walkie that threatened to break it; she knew because she was doing the same thing.
“No.” Alex growled.
“Alex.” Her voice broke.
She hated the way her sister’s voice sounded. It sounded weak. They weren’t weak; they didn’t go down without a fight.
“I said no. Do you understand me?” She said loudly. “Come on, Chris. I need you.”
Her breathing started to come out in huffs; she was forcing herself to breathe. Rage stirred in the bottom of her belly slowly rising higher. How dare her sister give up on her? How dare she think this was goodbye?
“Dios cuida a los tontos y a los borrachos.” Chris said her smile breaking through the airwaves and Alex couldn’t help herself and smiled. The rage was flushed out with a new found joy at saying of their family’s motto.
“We dear sister are both.” Alex answered.
“We are one of each.” Chris answered back.
Alex couldn’t help the smile that broke out across her face. There was her sister there was the fighter.
“Officer Dumas, what’re your
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