Page 61 of The Darkest Hour

He scanned the island. “We made it.”

I nodded, and wiped the tears from my eyes. “We did.”

I looked over my shoulder. It was hard to see everything in the darkness, but what I could make out was that the island was big. There might even be people living on it.

Now that we were on solid ground, the possibilities of the island began to flood my mind. The dense foliage and the distant sounds of wildlife suggested it was fertile, possibly even inhabited.

Could there be fresh water?

Food?

Shelter?

Or even a way to contact the outside world?

I glanced at the towering palm trees, hoping they were heavy with coconuts, which could provide much-needed nourishment and hydration. If we were lucky, there might be fruit trees or even animals we could hunt.

And what about help?

The island seemed vast enough that there could be other people living here, maybe a small village or a research station. If there were, they might have supplies, medical aid, or even a boat or radio to call for help.

A phone. What if there’s a phone?

The thought was almost too much to hope for, but I couldn't help but imagine a scenario where we stumbled upon a functioning cell tower, a way to send out a distress signal and be rescued from this nightmare.

But who would we try to get help from?

As these thoughts swirled in my head, I realized we needed a plan. “We should rest for now and explore at first light,” I suggested.

Havoc nodded, his gaze still scanning the horizon. “Agreed, but we still need to find water and shelter first.”

The idea of exploring the island filled me with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The unknown lay before us, a mystery waiting to be unraveled. For now, we had survived the ocean, but what awaited us on this island?

Only time would tell.

But, at least the island was enough.

Enough to give us a fighting chance.

Enough to survive.

I glanced back at Havoc and reached out my hand. “Thanks for remembering my bag. I’ll take it now.”

“Oh no, Onyx.” He didn’t even look my way. “I should hold this bag for you.”

A jolt of worry hit me.

What the fuck?

And with that, Havoc’s grip on the bag signaled a shift in the balance of power, one that I couldn’t afford to ignore.

I rose to my feet, weak and out of it. “Give me the bag.”

Danger gleamed in his eyes. “You’re exhausted. I’ll carry it for now.”

“I’m not that exhausted.”

He walked off, keeping those weapons with him and a nice distance between us.