Sara's chest tighten with worry. If her family was here, the lights should've been on. She walked into the main area of the bunker and flipped on another set, these ones illuminating the entire living quarters from the ceiling.

Everything was exactly where it should be. Not a single thing was out of place. The chairs were still neatly tucked in to the edge of the table, the cushions on the small couch perfectly shaped without a crease to be seen. There were no dishes in the sink nor coats hanging on the hooks they'd stuck to the wall. Not a speck of dirt from the outside world on the floors except the stuff they'd brought in on their own shoes.

"They're not here," she said quietly. She checked the rest of the bunker. The sleeping areas all looked undisturbed as well. "We're the first ones here and it's been days."

"I'm sorry, Sara. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Or maybe they weren't coming anymore.

"I hope you're right." Her voice weakened as exhaustion set in. She'd been trying to get there for what felt like forever, with the single thought of getting to see her family. And now they weren't even here. What if they never came?

"It's a lot easier to make a plan than it is to carry it through. They probably had problems along the way just like you did. They'll be here. Soon. And I know it's not the same, but I'm here with you now, and I'm not planning on leaving you anytime soon."

He was right. She didn't have any idea where her family was or when they would arrive, but she knew without a doubt they would do whatever they had to, to make it to the bunker. Just like she had.

With Dane by her side, she could bear the wait for their arrival, no matter how long it took. Sara pressed her lips to his. Even a tiny kiss from him made her head spin.

"You'll stay with me after they get here, won't you? You won't leave me?"

She was so much stronger than she used to be, and she could handle whatever the world decided to throw at her-but she didn't want to do it without Dane.

"I'll stay here with you forever if you'll let me." She melted into his embrace. He kissed her hungrily, as if their very survival depended on it.

Maybe it did.

Book Two:.

SURVIVE FOR MY LOVE.

Heather Thurmeier.

Chapter Fourteen.

It had been two weeks since they'd gone underground.

Sara pulled on a clean tank top and a pair of cargo pants then slid her knife into a hidden holster in her pocket. Despite being buried into the side of a mountain and having a sophisticated air filtration system, it was hot inside the bunker today. And stuffy. And felt smaller than it had the day before.

Or perhaps restlessness had set in.

Dane sat at the kitchen table, sipping what appeared to be a coffee.

"Is there more?" she asked, motioning toward his mug. It was one of the few pleasures she knew she'd miss if the s.h.i.t ever did hit the fan, so her family had planned ahead and made sure they had ample quant.i.ties in their stockpile staples. And thank G.o.d they had. She couldn't imagine waking up in the bunker every day without any comforts of their former world. It was hard enough down here without caffeine withdrawal.

"I poured you a cup. It's on the counter. I didn't want to mess it up again by putting in too much sugar." He smirked, teasing her.

So she was particular about her coffee. There were worse things a girl could be.

A few times he'd been thoughtful enough to make her a cup and attempt to fix it the way she liked. More often than not, he succeeded in making it bitter, with too little sugar, or too sweet, to the point it tasted like syrup. With the scarcity they endured, they didn't throw anything away. Instead, she'd drunk the concoction he made and tried to appreciate it. There were people on the outside who probably had nothing.

Two weeks. Two weeks since the first cruise ships had sailed into their ports in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, and even LA, bringing home pa.s.sengers and also a virus.

What the virus was, Sara still didn't know. The television went off-air within the first twenty-four hours, the radio chimed the same old emergency broadcast message, and they'd done their best to avoid contact with other people. They didn't have any additional information about the situation topside, other than a mystery virus may or may not have spread to their remote location in the New York Catskills. To find out anything new, they'd have to venture outside and see what the world looked like.

The thought of opening the door to the bunker terrified her. They'd barely made it inside to begin with, after a run-in with a group of men who were out to take whatever they could. If it hadn't been for Dane teaching her how to shoot a bow and use a knife, neither of them would've made it out of the situation alive. He was still recovering from the beating he'd taken.

"How're you feeling today?" she asked, joining him at the table. "Is the stiffness gone?"

"I feel great, despite what the bruise might indicate otherwise." Dane rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms above his head then twisted his torso. After bending to each side, he smiled. "Good as new."

"I'm glad to hear that." Sara picked up a cracker and dipped it into the jar of peanut b.u.t.ter before popping it into her mouth. Not the healthiest breakfast in the world, but she couldn't complain. She could be eating much worse, or nothing at all. At least this gave her a hearty dose of protein and carbs to get her day started. Today could be a big day. She'd need all the energy she could muster.

And all the courage, too.

"If you're feeling better, then I think we should go out. Get some fresh air." She waited for his response, already guessing what it would be.

"Fresh air? As in the possibly-germ-infected fresh air the outside world has to offer?"

Okay, so his response came out a little angrier than she'd expected. She could deal with it, though. "We'd go in full suits. We have them stashed in a cabinet near the entrance. We wouldn't exactly be getting the fresh air, or the germs," she added. "But we would be getting some sunshine. If it's sunny today."

"What's with the sudden interest for the outside world? Bored of me already?"

She tapped him playfully on the arm. "No. I'm not bored of you yet."

Her mind flickered to the night before, and most nights since they'd been in the bunker, huddled together on the largest cot, keeping each other warm with kisses, touches, and tastes. The memories sent a shot of heat to her belly. Maybe she'd rather stay inside and relive those memories today instead of taking their chances outside.

Except her family wasn't here yet and she couldn't stop herself from wondering why. The thought put the brakes on any desires she might have wanted to pursue. Those could wait until tonight. Taking a first look around at the world outside of their bunker couldn't.

Sara sighed. "They should be here already. Forty-eight to seventy-two hours had always been our initial target time for meeting here. It's been two weeks, and still, not one of them has shown up. They had to go with Plan B."

Dane looked up. "There's a Plan B? d.a.m.n, you guys didn't mess around, did you?"

She smirked. Her family took being prepared seriously. This hidden bunker, stocked to the hilt with food, supplies, necessities, and comforts was their biggest achievement. But they had others as well. The bunker was Plan A, the place to go if they could get to it. There was also a location closer to where they all lived, but it was less stocked, less protected, and easier for strangers to happen upon. Still better than the average citizen's plan of nothing. Plans C, D and E also existed, but she hadn't mentioned those to Dane. Just because she'd fallen in love with him and let him into the bunker didn't mean she could confess all of her family's secrets. Maybe soon. But not yet.

"You have no idea. Anyway, the point is, they should be here, and they aren't. I can't live here for the rest of my life and not know what's going on in the outside world or what's happened to my family. So, I think we should take a little peek outside and see what's up."

"You think we'll be safe?" he asked.

"If we take proper precautions, then yes. I have HAZMAT-style suits we can wear to protect our bodies. And I have full masks to protect us from most airborne pathogens. I think we could walk for miles and be okay with this combination."

He nodded, obviously listening but staying silent while he soaked it all in. She continued, knowing he wouldn't make a decision until he had all the information.

"We can take a few of our weapons to protect ourselves, and packs with supplies in case something happens and we can't get into the bunker for a while." She figured if anything could sway his decision, it would be this next reason. "Maybe we'll even hunt while we're up there. The thought of your fresh venison stew makes my mouth water."

He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. "Going right for the path of least resistance, huh?"

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "No, I just love your venison."

Dane sat back and took a long sip of his coffee. "All right. You've convinced me. But if we run into any more thugs like the last ones, then I'm bringing us here right away, even if I have to throw you over my shoulder. Deal?"

"Deal." She raised her mug to him as if in a toast. "To finding out what's on the other side of our door."

"And to living long enough to figure out what to do next."

Dane didn't like their choice at all, but what could he do about it? He knew Sara, somewhat well at least, and if she made up her mind to do something, even something as stupid as going outside, she would d.a.m.n well do it whether he liked the idea or not. And he most certainly did not.

Going outside seemed downright suicidal. How good were these HAZMAT suits? Would they be protected if they went out there? h.e.l.l, they didn't even know what they were protecting themselves from.

Sure, it had started out as a virus, but what had it become? How many people had been sickened? How many had been killed? d.a.m.n it, they didn't even know if it spread through water, air, touch, or contaminated food. How on earth were they supposed to defend themselves against something they didn't understand?

But Sara would leave, with or without him, so he had no choice but to join her. He'd rather brave the outside with her than let her go alone. He didn't plan on letting her out of his sight again, ever, if he could help it.

Dane took one last inventory of his items: suit, mask, gun, knife, bow with quiver of arrows, backpack of supplies, radio, and map. Check.

"You ready?" he asked, hoping she'd have second thoughts. He wasn't scared. It just seemed like such a bad idea to give up the safety and security of what they had in the bunker.

"Absolutely. Are you?" she asked, through her mask. "It's not too late to stay and hold down the fort."

He could tell by the look in her eyes it was a false offer and one she hoped he wouldn't take her up on.

"I'm good. Just remember, first sign of trouble and we hightail it back here. No questions. No hesitations. Right?"

This was the point of no return. If whatever waited for them outside was airborne, they risked the safety of the bunker by opening the door, since an airlock system at the entrance had never been installed. Even with the knowledge, Sara continued. He hoped they wouldn't be making a huge mistake.

She nodded then put her hand on the door and twisted the handle, pulling it in toward them.

Sunlight blinded him as his eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden brightness. He prayed no one had camped out on the other side of the door because if they had, it could take him ten minutes to find them.

He could only hope that whatever awaited them wasn't terrible.

Chapter Fifteen.

A drop of sweat trickled down Sara's forehead. The sunlight seemed brighter and hotter than she'd expected, than she remembered it ever being. Funny how a couple of weeks away from the natural world could make it feel as if they were taking their first steps on an alien planet. The sun appeared bigger, the sky bluer, the animals noisier.

Sara tried to soak up every ounce of nature she could get, wishing she could rip her suit off and breathe the fresh air, feel the gentle breeze on her skin, touch the gritty dirt under her feet.

The bunker was an amazing feat of planning and preparation, but there was no getting around its one thousand square feet of cold, hard, concrete and metal. Sure, it could provide everything they needed, but it couldn't compare to fresh air, sunshine, and vast wilderness.

While they waited a few minutes for their eyes to adjust to the bright light, Sara closed the door to the bunker behind them, making sure it sealed completely before stepping away.

Satisfied they were safe to leave the immediate area, they wandered toward the fire-pit clearing which served as the meeting spot to find the bunker. Someone from her family may have made it there then been unable to travel the rest of the way to the bunker.

"You really think we'll find anyone?" Dane walked next to her, glancing around every few seconds.

"No. I'm not delusional. But it doesn't hurt to check it out for sure. I figured we'd head into the woods to hunt, and the fire pit is on the way." Sara's stomach churned with anxiety and fear.

As they came out of the mountainous area and into the woods, the clearing of the fire pit was straight ahead. They paused to listen for voices-friend or otherwise-nearby, but heard nothing. Moving into the clearing, they walked a circle around the fire pit, looking for any indication of people having been there since Dane and Sara had pa.s.sed through two weeks before. The area looked unused. Not even a trace of the scuffle Sara had previously with the men who'd tried to force her to give up her supplies remained in the dirt.

Sara bit back the threat of tears. She'd wanted to come out here and check. Now she had to suck up the disappointment of not finding what she'd hoped for. Her family hadn't made it this far.

"You okay?" Dane came up beside her and put his gloved hand on her HAZMAT-covered shoulder.

She nodded unable to speak for fear her voice would break and give away her disappointment and sadness.

"Let's keep going. Maybe we can hunt then head back. These suits might offer a lot of protection, but they're also hot as h.e.l.l. The sooner we get to the bunker, the better."

Sara nodded again and followed Dane into the woods and toward the lake. If they wanted any luck finding an animal, then they needed to go to the closest water source. On a hot day like today, the animals would either be staying cool in the shade, sleeping, or at the water's edge after rehydrating.

They slinked forward, hoping to be as quiet as possible while they hunted. Sara had never tried to take an animal's life before, so she followed Dane's lead. The thought of killing an animal and then eating it made her feel faint, like she had the first day she met Dane and he'd killed a deer. On a normal day, she'd take a regular-old farm-raised chicken breast or hamburger. But this wasn't an average day. And she would do whatever it took to survive.

Dane turned to face her, a finger across his lips. She froze. Sara hadn't heard or seen anything, but he must have. She'd sit tight and wait for his instructions.

He crept forward, and she followed. She started to make out quiet voices ahead. Hope sparked inside her even though she knew the likelihood of it being someone from her family was non-existent at best.

Sara and Dane worked their way as close as they could then crouched behind a large bush. She tried to keep her breathing steady and calm, but her heart pounded with excitement and nervousness.

Peering through the th.o.r.n.y branches of the shrubbery, she could make out three people sitting around a small campfire. Three against two-not bad odds if it came down to it. And she couldn't see weapons of any kind lying around, so their odds might be even a little better.

The people, two girls and a guy, looked disheveled with dirt and grime covering almost all visible areas of their skin, hair, and clothes. Not unexpected for people who may have been roughing it in the woods since the outbreak, without the luxuries she and Dane had been enjoying. A shower, even a cold one, and a bar of soap went a long way toward feeling human in times like these.

Then Sara noticed something that startled her: they weren't wearing any kind of protective gear. Not a mask, not a jumpsuit, not even gloves.

As she watched, a fourth person walked up into the clearing from the direction of the lake, a large pot in his hands, which he set on the fire before sitting down on an overturned log.

So they were drinking water right out of the lake. And by the looks of it, they were only boiling it before use. No filtration of any kind, unless the man had done it at the water's edge. Sara doubted it.

Interesting.

Were they already sick and not bothering with protection anymore? Or did the virus not travel through the air, water, or contact? Maybe it was safer outside than they thought.

She looked to Dane to see if he wondered the same thing. He motioned to his mask as if questioning whether or not to take it off.