DEVASTATION

It had been three weeks since my arrival to the caverns. I was counting the days until I would return to my Ian.

Lily, Jamie and I went for our nightly run to the 'garage' for our phone calls. We brought Sunny's phone as well as mine so two of us could talk at a time and whoever finished first would then give their phone to the third. We took turns being the last to get the phone. Lily was last tonight. On the mountain Nate had relinquished his phone to Ian since I called Ian at all hours of the day when I was on road trips with Sunny. During scheduled calls like tonight Ian, Megan, and Burns often met up together and hung out in the root cellar waiting for our calls. It was a routine that worked well for all.

I dialed Nate's phone. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello, Beautiful!" I was confused. Nate always addressed me as Beautiful but I wasn't sure this was him.

"Nate?"

"At your service." It was Ian. He couldn't fool me.

"Ian. Quit messing around."

"Well, why did you think it was Nate?"

"Because he always calls me Beautiful. I told you that."

"I didn't realize I called you beautiful. My mistake. I mean not a mistake cause you are beautiful..."

"I know what you were getting at. Guess what?"

"I don't know. What?"

"One more week and I'm coming home."

"You know how to make a guy smile."

"I'm almost finished writing out all of the invitations. I'll bring the ones for the family at the mountain when I come. How are things with the building?"

"The lights work. We are putting in the duct work so we are hoping to have the heat operational in a few days. Then we just need to lay the insulation in the walls and sheet rock. Some of the guys are already laying the shingles on the roof."

"I hope I never have to do that again," I said dryly.

"I was cruel. I never should have left you on that roof with no way to get down."

"I could have jumped."

"You could have broken your leg. I should have done the right thing and helped you finish."

"Point taken. I still love you. The day after tomorrow, Sunny and I are going to make one last trip to Tucson. I have a fitting for my dress and so does Sunny. We are going to pick up our shoes first so they will know how long to hem the gowns. Then we were going to see about the possibility of artificial flowers since fresh flowers can't be delivered. We can use some fresh flowers but I would need to order them up there but not in town. Fluttering always seems to have a pulse on what's going on."

"You are a busy lady. I just work, coach, and sleep. I'm just waiting for you to come back to me."

"Soon, but even when I get there, I need to get the feel of the hall because I have to get the tables, the arch, table cloths, linens, plates, silverware. Hey! Maybe you can build the arch for me?"

"Ah Babydoll? Remember when I said I work, coach, and sleep? That's about all I have time to do."

"Come on Superman."

"I'll try. I'm not making any promises."

"Good enough."

"So, you'll call me tomorrow night?"

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you more."

"Good night."

The next day I prepared a list of the things I would need to decorate the hall as well as plates, silverware, and cups and glasses. I thought that Sunny and I could check on some of those things as well if we had the time.

That evening we made our usual run to the 'garage'. I was slated to be last to talk tonight, so I settled into the back of the jeep and closed my eyes. Jamie came to me immediately and held out the phone. "What?"

Jamie responded. "Megan is not with them. They are on the road."

"On the road? Why?"

"Here, talk to Ian." He shoved the phone into my hand.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Babydoll."

"Where are you?"

"We've got some trouble."

"What do you mean 'trouble'?" I sat up straight. I could see Lily pacing back and forth talking to Burns.

"Burns got a call from the police in town. It seems the same campground that had the troubles before with the humans is having trouble again. They have spotted two humans scavenging. They can't get near them because they believe they are armed. They told Burns that if can't round them up in the next week they are going to call in the big guns. We don't need that."

"Why are you going?"

"Burns asked me to go and even if he didn't you know I would have gone. It's me, Burns, Nate, and Evan."

"Do you have guns?"

"Yes, we are fully armed but we are hoping we won't have to use them."

"I don't like this." I had a knot in the pit of my stomach.

"I know you don't. Either way, I should be back when you come home. The bad thing is you can't call me. You will have to wait for me to call you."

"I can't call you?" I started to panic.

"No. We will be out in the woods. A ringing phone won't exactly help us. Promise me you won't call."

"Ian!"

"Okay. I'll be shutting the phone off then when I am in the woods if I can't trust you. This is dangerous Wanderer. Think about how dangerous we humans were to you when you first came to us. Think how dangerous I was too you."

"Okay. I get it. I won't call. Promise me you'll call me then."

"I will call you when I can."

"I love you, Ian."

"I love you more."

I wasn't comfortable with this situation. I didn't like the fact that it was always Ian who put himself in harms way. Last time it was Holly and Kara but they had already been caught. This was not a pickup. This was a hunt.

I didn't sleep well but neither did Lily. When one of us did fall asleep the other one tossed and turned until we were both up. I think it was near morning when we finally both passed out from sheer exhaustion. I slept half the day away but I kept my phone close to my head even though I knew I couldn't get reception in the caverns. I guess it was wishful thinking.

That evening Sunny and I were packed and ready to go. I wanted to call Ian very badly as soon as we hit the road but I knew that I couldn't. Ian had ordered me not to. I let Sunny drive because she liked driving. I held the phone in my hand.

When we got to Tucson, we went to our usual hotel. I think the clerk thought we were sales representatives and that is why we were always coming back. I was getting changed for bed when the cell phone rang. I dove across the bed to get to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Babydoll." I let out my breath that I had been holding.

"Ian. Thank goodness."

"I told you I would call you when I could."

"So, what's going on?"

"Nothing much really. We've been here since late last night and we haven't seen or heard anything. They closed the campground until we are done. I'm in the truck right now. We've been taking turns resting so there are always two or three of us out in the woods at a time."

"Well, me and Sunny are here in Tucson again. We were about to go to bed."

"Wish I was there with you. I would like to snuggle with you in that big bed."

"Somehow I don't think you'd be snuggling," I teased.

"Well, I would eventually."

"Actually I need to get some sleep myself. I haven't slept since yesterday. I chose the last turn so I could make sure that I called you. I have six hours to sleep and then someone will come and get me."

"Well then you had better get to sleep. Dream of me."

"Always."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

I hung up the phone. I looked at Sunny. "Well, so far so good. Let's get some sleep."

The following morning, we woke up early. We hit the mall shortly after it opened to purchase shoes. I found a pair that would be perfect. They were spikes but Ian was nearly a foot taller than me as it was, so three inch heels were fine. Sunny found a pair that matched her gown almost exactly. She had a swatch of material from her gown to use when trying to find a pair of shoes. We bought the same pair for Lily. She would be taller than Jamie but Burns was her date and at six foot four, he was taller than everyone.

We left the mall and headed for the bridal shop. The fittings went well. We were on our way to have some lunch when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Wanda, It's me Nate. Ian's been shot."

I felt the blood run out of my face. "What? Where is he?"

"We had to leave him."

"What do you mean you had to leave him?" My body started to tremble.

"We were tracking two humans. One was a boy. Ian was about to grab him when he was shot. I got the kid. There was a stand off. We had to use the kid as a bargaining chip to get her to put down the gun."

"Wh-what do you mean her?" My mind was racing.

"It was his older sister. She's in her twenties I guess. She shot him through the trees at fifty yards!"

"Nate. Is he…?" I couldn't even say the word.

"He was alive when we left him. Burns is running to the truck to get the 'Heal'. Evan and I have the prisoners and we are bringing them back to the van. He's hurt bad, Wanda."

I was shaking so bad I could barely hold the phone. "Sunny, go back to the caverns."

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Look, I have to go. I'll call you when I have more news."

"Nate, No!" he hung up.

"Wanderer, what's going on?" Sunny kept turning her head to see my face.

"It's Ian. He's been shot." I said the words but in my mind I felt like the words couldn't be real.

"So did they heal him?"

"They had to leave him to go back and get the 'Heal'. They have prisoners. He was shot by a woman. Nate said it was bad. Sunny, I'm scared." My heart was pounding out of my chest. I felt sick. I held the phone in my hand and I rocked back and forth in my seat. I remember thinking that when Ian hugged me good bye when I left the mountain, that I felt like it was the last time he would hug me.

"This is not good." I couldn't stop my leg from jumping. "Come on you stupid phone. Ring!"

Sunny kept driving. We had checked out of the hotel this morning so Sunny got right on the highway to go back to the caverns.

The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Wanderer." It was Burns. "He's got a bullet in his belly. There's no exit wound. I can't get the bullet out. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Let me talk to him!"

There was a pause.

Ian spoke. He was weak. "Wanderer."

"Ian! Tell me you're all right."

"It hurts." He paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to die."

"Ian!" There was no answer. "IAN!" still no answer. "IAN ANSWER ME!" My eyes filled with tears. I was trying very hard to see through them. I didn't want to believe he was dead. Sunny was calling my name.

"NO! ...NO! …NO!" I couldn't breath. If I had a knife I would have stabbed it into my heart to stop the pain. I understood now the pain that Jared must have felt when he first laid eyes on me and realized that his Melanie was gone. Sunny pulled to the side of the road and grabbed me and wrapped her arms around me. "Not my Ian." I was devastated. "Not my Ian." I wanted to die too.