As they climbed down the ladder, Jaxon glanced up. His eyes widened when he saw the manhole cover sealed shut above them. He had already summoned his rifle, ready to continue fighting, but if the cover was closed, then it meant only one thing.
It was Lucas.
Jaxon's grip tightened around the rifle until his knuckles went pale. Everything was fucked up. Since the moment he had been separated from his family, he had felt every kind of emotion a single day could give. Fear, anger, loneliness, hope, and loss, all crashing together without pause.
Elaine had said they would not blame him if anyone died. But guilt did not listen to reason. He still felt responsible. The kid had trusted him with his life.
His mind tried to reason that most of them had made it out alive, that this was the best outcome they could hope for. Still, the feeling would not fade. The weight remained, heavy and cruel. The weight of another person's life gnawed at him.
