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“A strong woman is like a she-wolf: tough, fearless, and unyielding.” — unknown

Gwen

Bear made it out of the compound! The first step of my plan accomplished, I pray Axel will follow my instructions on my note. In the meantime, we need to stay alive.

“Everyone, get down.” Worried more bullets may fly, I lay flat on the cold, muddy ground and squeeze Lilac’s hand.

In the dark, Sam continues to struggle to gain control of the teenager’s rifle. Soon, boots crunch outside. As they grow louder, I raise my chin. Then, my heart sinks into my stomach—guns raised, six militiamen approach from the east.

When the one in front fires into the ground, I slap my palm to my cheek, surprised at how it comes back bloody. “Ow.”

“Hands where I can see them.” The booming bass voice sends chills down my spine.

Samantha, still fighting the jerk who tried to shoot my dog, curses, puts her hands up, and walks backward.

Weapon lowered, index finger on his rifle’s trigger, a square-chinned man with military hair and a silver eagle on his shoulder glares at our idiot young guard. “Join the others at the periphery.”

Colonel Buzz Cut points his AR-15 toward the top of the knoll. “Form a line. Walk single file. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

The darkness, together with the slippery rocks, make it easy to pretend to stumble. Taking my time, I brush myself off, stand, and glance down at the gate. Where are you, Axel? My plan depends on him arriving soon. Until then, I must do everything I can to slow us down.

I turn to the fierce soldier holding us at gunpoint. “Why are you doing this?”

“Saving your stupid asses? I have no idea. Keep moving.” As he digs the tip of his rifle barrel into my abs, I bite down on my lower lip.

Fists clenched, chin jutted out, I plant my feet. “You don’t really believe an EMP weapon went off, do you?”

The man pouts and scrunches his brows as if I’d suggested the world was round. “Why would he lie?”

I can think of a hundred reasons without trying at all, but before I can open my mouth, Blake touches my hand and shakes her head. “Don’t.”

Nodding to her, I say nothing more and climb the steep slope. We all stop before a steel barrier, built into the hill’s apex. When the twenty-ish blond guard opens the door, a cool, wet breeze, smelling of burning kerosene, exits the cave.

“Inside.” Because the officer in charge points his gun at Lilac’s belly, we all comply.

Now, in the flickering light, we traverse railroad ties deep into the mountain. Iron girders, instead of rotted wood, hold up the rocky ceiling. Our feet echo against the walls. The air grows dank. My heartbeat thumps in my ear.

Where the hell are they taking us? My plans do not include an underground bunker or a phony end-of-the-world scheme. Clearly, my risk evaluation was off. Dammit .

While I modify possible next steps, a line of prison cells appears at the front. The thick metal bars with mammoth locks remind me of an old John Wayne movie.

Before I can snatch the heavy ring of keys, a bearded, tatted man shoves me into the nearest room before slamming it shut. He divides the rest of my friends, pushes them into the remaining carved-out spaces, and leaves with the colonel.

In total blackness, we call out to each other. Once we confirm everyone’s well-being, Blake suggests we sleep. By now, it must be near dawn. It’s hard to believe we arrived here less than twelve hours ago.

Hands forward, I feel my way over the dirt floor, finger the bedframe, and lay back. As my heavy lids drop, my thoughts drift to Axel. Suddenly, I’m transported to our honeymoon beach house. My husband, sleeping next to me, turns.

“Babe.” As his eyes shine in the residual moonlight, his lips find mine. The earlier gentleness turns wild. Already naked from an earlier heated bout, our hands slide all over each other. My palms skid down his side, around his back, then I squeeze his firm butt cheeks.

He moans into my mouth, then kisses down my chin to my neck and collarbone. When he reaches my breast, he suckles, sending strikes of desire between my legs. While lavishing attention on one side, he pinches the other.

Desire dripping from my core, I reach between us to grasp his abundant, long length. A couple of pumps later, he groans, removes my hand, then holds me above his reaching cock.

Once I place him at my core, he lowers me. When my knees hit the sheets, he arches up while I grind down. My clit delights in the motion of him gliding in and out of me. Each time he presses my button, the swelling grows. I increase our tempo, my boobs bounce.

The instant I’m about to come, the disembodied voice of Doctor Lewis crackles through an overhead speaker. “Attention, attention. Report to your stations. We will begin normal operations at oh-six-hundred. Today marks the end of the world as you knew it, but fear not. We have planned for this day. You are all fully prepared. You are the chosen few. You will survive. Of course, your spouses must learn to share. We will need many diversevessels to repopulate the planet. To do that, you must be willing to protect what is ours…”

The speech goes on ad nauseum until finally, I put my fingers in my ears.

Above the brainwashing rhetoric, the saintly sister, Mia, shouts, “Holy Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen… Hail Mary, full of…”

Realizing I may go mad, I recite under my breath. “Helium, Hydrogen…”

I stop when something metallic raps near my feet. Picturing the sharp teeth of a long-nosed creature, I sit with my legs to my chest. Perhaps, this one time, I should say the rosary instead of the periodic table.

Several hours later, I think, the leader’s diatribe stops. Snores or heavy breathing replace the restlessness until I’m the only one awake.

As I close my eyes again, a barely audible sound comes from below my cot. “Psst.”

At first, I figure I’m dreaming, hallucinating, or have lost my ever-lovin’ mind. Given the lack of sleep, anything is possible.

“Gwen, it’s me.” Thevoicesounds so real I pinch myself. Hard.

My sanity still in doubt, I drop to my knees, push the bed aside, and peer at the familiar face lit by a flashlight beam.

“Dolly? Holy shit, I thought you were dead.” Immediately wide awake, adrenaline races through my system.

She puts a finger to her lips before motioning me closer. “Keep yourvoicedown. I don’t want to wake the others.”

With my ear to the ground, I inhale fresh, cool air, and hope soars. “Can you get us all out?”

“I can, but first, I need you to help me break into Lewis’ office.” Her blue eyes glitter, much like the rodent I pictured moments ago.

“Excuse me?” At first, I think I didn’t hear her correctly. The cat lady cannot be suggesting we can avoid a fucking armed militia. If so, she’s either suffering from a brain injury or has otherwise lost her damn mind. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m locked up.”

“Pull up on the grate.” After she steps aside, I tug, then use my feet to shove the metal out of the way.

Dangling my legs through the hole, I stare between my knees and cringe. “Isn’t this the toilet?”

Dolly laughs lightly. “Try not to think about it. Besides, I don’t think they’ve used this jail for ages.”

Better watch yourself, hun. Your next-door neighbor has been keeping secrets.

Thank you, Captain Obvious. Done talking to my subconscious, I stand my ground. “I’m not going anywhere without my friends.”

In lieu of an answer, the woman grabs hold of my thighs. As I struggle to break her grasp, I’m pulled down the hole.

From where I sit on the floor, she looms over me. “Believe me, they’re safer here. Let’s go.”

Standing slowly, I ponder my options. Shouts loud enough to rouse the others would alert the guards. Even if I could overpower Dolly and knock her out, I have no idea which way to go. The only valid choice is to follow this woman until I can double back to free the rest.

Our footsteps echo, and water drips from the ceiling as we progress. When we enter a wider tunnel, my surprisingly spry neighbor ups her pace.

“C’mon. We must hurry.” Once she realizes I have no intention of following, she wanders back to my side.

I hold up my right index finger. “Listen, lady, before I take another step, I need to know a few things. First off, who do you work for?” My first guess would be the CIA or ATF.

“The white hats. Let’s go.” Annoyed by her evasiveness, I cross my arms and clench my fists.

“Did you know the woman they killed?” My suspicions of her involvement dissolve when her face pales.

“I told her to stay hidden. This is worse than I thought. Are you certain?”

I nod. “We saw the body, but we didn’t tell anyone.”

“Doesn’t matter. They will kill you.” This time, when she races forward, I follow closely.

The odds appear stacked against us, but I should keep these thoughts to myself. Clearly, Dolly has some skills other than reading romances and taking care of her cats.