Glass shattered, the pavement shook, screams pierced the dust filled air. And all I could think was, he found me.

People piled out of the trains and washed out onto the street in waves, running frantically in every direction, but everything seemed to move in slow motion. When you'd lived as long as I had, time tended to tick a bit slower. And I'd seen this all before. Except this time it was different. This time, the stakes were higher.

My phone twilled in my pocket and I pulled it out. Annora's face flashed across the screen, her red hair blowing wildly around her face.

"Bex, where are you?"

"I'm near the office. Is Izzy with you?" I struggled to see her surroundings on the screen. Annora stood next to the blown out window of her 22nd floor apartment. 

"She's here. I sent her to hide in the closet. Bex, there are men here. Outside in the hall." A loud banging resonated from off in the distance and Annora turned towards it, her face pale with fear. "I don't know what to do."

My feet started moving, leading me blindly down the sidewalk, shoving through crowds of panicked citizens as my eyes stayed trained to the image of my most trusted friend on the device in my hand. A crash resonated and the display shook and tilted.

"Who are you? Get out of my house!" Annora sounded strong, stood her ground, but the shaking camera told me how truly terrified she was. I caught glimpses of men dressed in black wearing helmets, shields covering their faces, and guns in their hands.

My heart threatened to beat out of my chest. I was too late. "Annora," I called but she didn't answer, her attention fully on the invaders.

I hopped the curb and leapt out to cross the street, breaking into a full on sprint, the lengths of my unbuttoned jacket flapping out behind me. It was only twelve blocks. Twelve blocks to my best friend. Twelve blocks to my daughter. 

A roaring engine yanked my attention to the left. A large black vehicle screeched to a halt mere feet away from me as I darted around a corner. I shot a quick glance over my shoulder. The passenger door flew open and a long denim clad leg emerged, brown utility boots hitting the ground as the passenger swung down and out of the vehicle.

"Bexley!"

I slowed and stopped, my eyes locking onto his familiar form. Chest heaving, I turned to face him. Tears stung my eyes and I struggled to breath, the acrid smell of smoke hanging thick on the air. Another explosion went off in the distance and the ground shook under my feet, but all I could manage to do was stand there and watch him come towards me.

He covered ground quickly and before I knew it, he was in front of me. Toe to toe. My breath caught in my chest and a single tear tickled the corner of my eye as it slipped down my cheek, warm against skin cooled by the autumn air. He reached a hand out and smoothed a finger against the trail it left on my face, green eyes locking onto mine.

In the grand scheme of our lives, sixteen years was not a long time to go without seeing someone. But when it was the person you loved with your whole heart, the person whose soul was tethered to yours, sixteen years had seemed like an eternity.

"You have to come with me." The deep timbre of his voice resonated inside my bones.

I shook my head. "I can't." There was no way I was leaving without them. And Wyn didn't need to become a part of my mess again.

"Bex, we have to get out of here. There's no telling how many more missiles he plans to use."

"So it is Callum?" The name stung my tongue.

"Yes." He nodded, eyes still locked onto me, waiting for me to catch up.

"I can't come with you, Wyn. You don't understand." Breaking his gaze, I turned away from him and started walking again, each step more painful than the next.

"My men have Annora," he called from behind me. "And Izadore."

I froze and whirled around. He knew. "Izzy," I corrected and walked back towards him. "Where are they?"

"Already on their way to a safe place."

My mind whirled with where that place might be. As long as Callum Devane was alive, no place was safe for any of us, especially not for his daughter.

Ripping my eyes away from Wyn, I walked to the vehicle. The trio of security officers he had with him were on high alert, watching their surroundings, guns drawn and ready.

I launched myself up and into the cabin of the vehicle, settling in on a seat. If there was anyone on this earth I could trust with my mortal life, it was Wyn. I grabbed a handle next to the window to steady myself as the vehicle lurched into motion, maneuvering around fallen debris from the tall buildings that hadn't survived the shelling.

"Where are we going?" I asked and Wyn turned in his seat to look back at me.

"The air strips were all targeted in the first round. Do you know the cliffs above Crescent Beach?" I nodded. "There's a plane waiting for us there. The other one carrying Annora and Izzy has taken off already. They should be in Amaranthus within a couple of hours."

The outskirts of the city flew by and then we were racing down the dirt roads leading up towards the cliffs.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and pulled up Izzy's ID. The picture had been my favorite so far this year. Her sixteenth birthday. She was looking more and more like a young woman than a girl every day, but in this photo, her dark auburn hair was weaved into a long braid, which she was holding out to the side. Hazel eyes crossed and a goofy expression finished out the fun. The playful, carefree girl shining through. I couldn't remember a time when I had been that happy as a child. Then again, growing up following my father around in his science lab wasn't exactly the best environment for playful or carefree.

I pushed a button to call Izzy. It rang twice before her face popped up on the screen. The relief on her face matched mine and I smiled.

"Mom, you're okay! I was so worried!"

"I'm fine."

"Where are you?"

"I'll be with you soon, I promise."

"Mom, who are these guys? Where are they taking us?"

"An old friend sent them. Someplace safe." The vehicle came to a stop and everyone started to pile out. I looked down at my Izzy's face on the screen. "I have to go."

"What? Wait!"

Wyn leaned into the open door, waiting expectantly.

"Izzy, be smart. Stay with Annora."

She nodded and her eyes glossed over. "Okay."

"I love you." I placed a finger on the screen. If only I had been there. We could be in the same plane together right now. Then again, the further away from me she was, the better.

She placed her finger on the screen as well. "I love you too, Mom." The screen went dark but I couldn't take my eyes off it.

"Bex," Wyn held out his hand to me. "We need to hurry."

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. My time living in peace was over. Living a regular human life was in the past. I took Wyn's outstretched hand and electric current ran through my fingers and shot through my arm, coursing over me as his fingers tightened around mine. Stepping out onto the green grass of the clifftop, the aircraft's engine started up with a roar and my hair whipped about wildly in front of my face.

From this height, the whole city was laid out in front of us. Bright orange flames glowed in the twilight, lighting up the bases of the plumes of black that filled the sky. My heart broke for all the people stuck in the hell that was ultimately created because of the three of us.

Wyn pulled my arm gently. "The only way we can help them is if we leave." I knew he was right.

We jogged to the aircraft's open bay door and climbed up the ramp. Lighting strips lined the craft on either side of the floor, creating a dim purple glow in the mostly bare interior as the bay door closed and we sat in our seats, facing each other. I grabbed the harness from behind me and fastened the buckle with a click. My stomach fell as the plane lifted off the ground, rocking back and forth slightly as it rose, then took off. I gripped the harness at my shoulders and cringed.

Wyn smirked. "Still hate to fly I see," he hollered over the noise in the cabin.

I shot him a look and closed my eyes, leaning back into the seat. I had no clue where we were going or what the plan was. It was dangerous for us to be together. Someone had to protect the world from what we knew, and keep Callum from getting his hands on it.

The plane veered hard to the left and my eyelids shot open as a deafening boom filled the air. The lights flashed and I barely caught a glimpse of the worried look on Wyn's face as he rose from his seat and rushed over to me before it went dark. His arms went around me and I held on. Any argument from me that he was in danger would be ignored. We both knew I was more vulnerable than he was. Alarms going off sounded as if they were underwater and Wyn's muffled voice beside me yelled for me to hang on. A sharp stabbing pain in my eardrums grew stronger and stronger as the plane flew into a spin, rocking and bumping along ending with a final massive jolt.

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A/N:

Welcome to Fallout! I am excited!!! This is a genre I've never written before and am looking forward to the challenge.

There is lots to be revealed so I hope you enjoy the ride!

Updates should be at least once per week so add this to your reading list and keep an eye out!

Thanks for reading and remember to click the ⭐️ to vote if you've enjoyed!