Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,69

catch up to Tatum and Kyan, our family will be together again. All we're leaving behind is bricks and mortar. The memories come with us. The love too."

Saint actually hesitated in his movements as he got the gate unlocked and the three of us shared a look that spoke of our bond.

"Come on then, brothers," he growled. "Let's go hunt down the rest of our tribe before these assholes do."

I nodded firmly, casting one last, wistful look at the mountain of toilet paper we'd stockpiled as we slipped through the gate and Saint locked it again. In years to come, people would look back on this virus as a time when toilet paper became the nation's treasure. It was sought after like the rarest of gems, hoarded more greedily than gold and in the end, when humanity returned to normal, would anyone ever truly forget the thrill of wiping your ass when you knew there were others who couldn't? That was the legacy this virus would really leave behind.

The gate locked with a solid click just as the sound of the men breaking down the front door reached us. Without another word, we dove into the darkness of the tunnels, the cold wrapping tightly around us and making me glad I had my coat. We ran blind until we turned the first few corners and I kept hold of Monroe's arm to help keep him on the right path as this place was less familiar to him.

Once we could be sure that we wouldn't be seen from the entrance to the tunnels, Saint allowed Monroe to illuminate the flashlight on his phone and we really picked up the pace.

About halfway into the tunnels, Saint paused beside a huge sarcophagus and shoved the lid aside, pulling out another bag which I was guessing contained Tatum's letters, her dad's ashes and no doubt a bunch of other shit we couldn't have left here without.

I couldn't help but be reminded of the night the five of us had been bonded in blood down here. All of us coming together to kill a man. It might have been a fucked up way for us to prove our devotion to our girl, but if I was the spiritual type then I'd have to say that making a sacrifice to her in this place of death seemed pretty fitting to me.

We finally reached the second gate, and my mind was a whirl of fear for Tatum and Kyan as I wondered if she'd managed to catch up to him yet, hating the fact that we were being forced to run in the opposite direction to them now while they needed us. But I had faith in her. She was strong and capable and no doubt she was in the middle of saving our brother right now. I had to believe that or I’d go out of my damn mind.

Saint unlocked the second door, and I exchanged a look with Monroe as he clearly had the murder we'd all committed here on his mind too. It felt like a whole lifetime ago that we'd bonded over a corpse’s disposal and yet it was only months in reality. Funny how your entire world could flip on the toss of a coin like that sometimes. And I was really fucking glad it had.

As we made it through the gate, the sound of men shouting in the tunnels echoed down to us and my gut plummeted as I realised they'd found the crypt and were taking chase. I didn't know how the fuck we were supposed to get across campus on foot without being spotted by these mercenaries, but I was really fucking thankful to the Justice Ninja for getting my girl safely off campus exactly when she needed to be.

We raced on and I was glad to find that most of the dizziness that had been clinging to me was passing now, leaving my mind clear to focus on the task of getting us the fuck out of here. The box of vaccines was awkward and heavy to carry and I kept having to shift my grip on it as I ran.

The wind blasted over us from an approaching storm as natural light finally made it into the tunnel ahead and I squinted at the brightness as Monroe flicked his flashlight off and we paused at the exit to the caves down on Sycamore Beach.

I had to fight the urge to hold my breath as we looked out over