The Last Struggle - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Ravaged Land: Divided Book 3) Page 13

  “I don’t know,” I said pulling away from him. It wasn’t that I was trying to be disagreeable, or make things difficult, I just didn’t know what to do or say. I started pacing the floor near the window. “What if I don’t want to stay.”

  “Then we don’t have to,” Shawn answered first.

  I stopped for a second to look up at Ryder and Logan. Abby would most likely do whatever Logan wanted.

  Logan’s shoulders rose as he inhaled. His expression was unreadable.

  Ryder’s face was hard, and his eyes were dark, but they had been ever since we’d lost Charlie.

  “What Shawn said. We don’t have to stay, but maybe we should give it a try,” Ryder said his jaw softening. “It can be like a trial run. If anything happens, we can run. Or we could probably even hide, but I’m fairly confident that with what we have down there, we can defend this place against the natives and The Evolved.”

  I sucked in a deep breath and stopped in front of the window. “Can I have some time to think about it?”

  “Take all the time you need,” Ryder said. “Would you like to see it?”

  “See the hidden room?” I asked.

  “Yeah, maybe it’ll ease your mind.”

  I chuckled. “Nothing eases my mind about any of this.”

  “Well, OK, but maybe it would help you decide.” Ryder stepped up beside me. “I’m not trying to rush you into making any decision you’re not comfortable with, after all, this is your quest.”

  I swallowed down the sour taste at the back of my throat. “I always thought that when I found what I was looking for, I’d know it. But I’ve felt nothing. I don’t know if this is the place.”

  “There’s always the possibility that this isn’t the forever place, but maybe this is the for now place. Maybe this is the place we’re supposed to stay until things change.” Ryder placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Just think about it, sleep on it if you want to, and if you’d like I can show you what’s down there.”

  Logan was standing on my other side. “We’re with you, whatever you want to do.”

  “But… why? Why do you trust me to make the right choice?” I said feeling tears welling up in my eyes.

  “You haven’t steered us wrong this far,” Ryder said bumping his elbow me lightly.

  “It’s quite possible that when Ryder had us chase after you saved our lives. If we’d have stayed back there… well, you know,” Logan said with a hard sniff.

  I shook my head and turned to Shawn and Abby who were both staring at me with a brightness in their eyes.

  “I don’t even have to tell you that you saved my life,” Shawn said.

  “You definitely saved mine,” Abby said quickly wiping at a tear that had escaped.

  I bit my lip and swallowed down all the emotions that were filling me. Standing there with them all looking at me was overwhelming. I could feel how much they cared about me. It was like it was wrapping around me in a warm, but invisible embrace, and dammit it felt good. But I didn’t want to let them down. I didn’t want to make the wrong choice.

  “I don’t think this should solely be my decision,” I said turning back to look out the window. “Do all of you really want to stay? I mean, what if The Evolved come here tomorrow and murder us in our sleep?”

  “They won’t make it to our doorstep with what we have in that room,” Ryder said.

  “Pretend they do,” I countered.

  Ryder pulled back his shoulders. “I want to fight for this place, but I will follow you if you want to leave.”

  “Logan?”

  “I’m with Ryder. But if you want to go, I’m with you one hundred percent.”

  Abby stepped forward clasping her hands in front of her. “I really like it here. It feels like a home, but I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.”

  Her smiled warmed my heart, but I shivered when I turned to Shawn.

  “I’ll support whatever—”

  “What would you do?” I asked.

  “I… I’d… I’ll sup—”

  “Shawn. Answer me. Give me your honest answer. I know you’ll go with me if I leave, but if it were up to you… what would you do?”

  He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked down at his feet. His eyes shifted up to lock on to mine.

  “I think I’d stay until there was a reason not to,” Shawn said.

  “That man that wanders onto the property, is he not reason enough for you? For any of you?” I asked.

  Shawn shook his head, and the others did the same.

  “He’s alone. He’s always been alone. I’m not afraid of him with the way things are, but if that changed, we’d just hightail it out of here,” Shawn said. “Like we talked about when we first got here. We could pack bags so if we needed to leave in a hurry we’d be ready.”

  “They could surround us,” I offered.

  “There’s a lot of shit that could go wrong. Even if we were out there. There will always be what ifs,” Shawn said scratching the back of his neck. “But what if we stay? What if we grow those seeds? What if this is the best we’ll find? What if this is our home?”

  I swallowed hard as his eyes, those perfect eyes stared into mine. What if Ryder finding the seeds, so I didn’t have to give up my own, was a sign?

  “I need to think,” I said moving my arms awkwardly as I stepped away from the window.

  “You might have to wait on that,” Ryder said gesturing at Logan with his chin. Logan stepped forward and backed away from the window until he was next to Abby.

  “What? Why?” I said scrunching up my nose at Ryder.

  Ryder turned around and exhaled slowly. “He’s back.”

  23

  Ryder positioned himself behind the wall, making sure his body wasn’t leaving a shadow on the closed curtain. “He has a friend.”

  “A friend?” Abby asked.

  “Another prisoner. He’s tied up the same as the last one,” Ryder said shooing us all back toward the hallway. “Shit.”

  I didn’t understand, but I moved deeper into the house.

  “He’s going to find that his last prisoner is gone,” Ryder said. “Thankfully, I covered everything back up the way it was. He won’t find the secret room if he hasn’t by now.”

  Logan and Abby slipped into their bedroom, but Ryder, Shawn and I stayed in the hallway.

  “What are we going to do?” I asked. “He’ll probably just think the guy escaped, right?”

  “That’s what I hope,” Ryder said. “But I want to be sure he doesn’t see any movement in the house.”

  “It might make it easier if he came to the door,” Logan said quietly.

  Ryder shook his head. “Maybe but I don’t want him doing anything stupid, like breaking down the door. I think we just wait it out and see what he does.”

  “We can’t see if no one is watching,” I said taking a step forward.

  “Whoa, what are you doing?” Ryder asked grabbing my arm.

  “I’m the one with the gun. I’ll be the one to answer the door if he comes knocking,” I said with a confident smirk.

  Something had changed inside me. My confidence seemed to be increasing. When the pressure was on, I remembered who I was. I’d been trained by the best. I was far stronger than I even gave myself credit for.

  Ryder must have seen something different in my eyes because he let go of my arm and smiled.

  Everyone inside this house was my family now, and I’d do whatever I had to in order to protect them and take care of them. We had just as much of a right to what was left of the world that anyone else wandering about had. There was no reason we shouldn’t fight for our lives.

  I smiled when it struck me. Even though it was shitty at times, there were still other times that were really great. Like being with Shawn. Like laughing and smiling with Ryder, Logan, and Abby. All of it was still worth fighting for.

  My parents wouldn’t have wanted me to live a life of solitude, they just hadn’t wanted me to get
caught by the people they had feared.

  I pulled out my gun and stepped up to the window. The man was standing outside the building looking around as if he thought he’d find either the man he’d tied up or maybe those that had taken him.

  I pulled my shoulders back and looked back toward the hallway. A smile curled on the ends of my mouth.

  “Let’s go have a talk with the guy trespassing on our property,” I said, and both Shawn and Ryder turned to one another and smiled. Ryder pulled out his blade as him and Shawn walked toward me.

  “Wait for me,” Logan said. His walk was bordering on overconfident, but that was a good sign. It meant he was almost back to his old self again.

  I turned the knob and stepped out of the house. The native instantly turned toward me and didn’t look quite as surprised to see us approaching as I would have guessed he’d be.

  “What are you doing here?” the man grunted.

  “Funny,” I said clutching my hands in front of my body making sure he saw the gun. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

  The man broke out into ruckus laughter. “Well, let’s see, this was my granddad’s farm, then it was my dad’s, and now it’s mine. So really, back to my original question, what the fuck are you doing on my property?”

  I swallowed hard as my confidence started to dwindle. We were the ones trespassing.

  The native pulled out his gun and clutched it in front of his body in the exact same way I was. His lip curled up on one end as he shifted his weight.

  “Suppose you found my food,” the native asked. “How long you folks been here enjoying my luxuries?”

  “Luxuries?” Ryder said with a hearty chuckle.

  The man cocked his head to the side. “More so than other places, wouldn’t you say?”

  “The place was empty, we didn’t know,” I said almost sounding apologetic. “Why aren’t you ever here to enjoy your luxuries?”

  “Because I have work to do,” the man said jerking his chin toward the storage building.

  Ryder’s head was moving side to side. “Like what?”

  “Getting information from people like you, and him,” he said glancing at Shawn. “I’ve taken out plenty of your camps just on my own. I’d like to live in a safe neighborhood.”

  “Wouldn’t we all,” I muttered.

  The man chuckled. “Apparently not. But I reckon it all be over soon.”

  “Why do you say that?” Ryder asked.

  “The war is coming to an end. At least that’s what I’ve learned during my interrogations.” The man’s finger twitched.

  “You give away information that you’ve worked so hard to gather away quite freely,” Ryder said. “And to the people who’ve taken over your home and had their fill of your supplies.”

  The man grinned. “I’m kind like that.”

  “Kindness? Is that what the folks you bring here and torture say?” I asked.

  “That reminds me,” the man said scratching his chin. “Where’s my prisoner? Would you folks know anything about that?”

  Ryder straightened his spine. “He’s no longer with us.”

  “Really?” the man said sounding as though he was impressed.

  “Will I have to clean up this mess too?” Ryder said nodding toward the storage building.

  The man laughed. “I don’t think you’ll be around to worry about it.”

  “Is that a threat?” Ryder asked.

  “Take it as you will,” the man said shifting his eyes toward Shawn.

  Something told me that when the man did something, Shawn was going to be his first target, no doubt because of the markings. I couldn’t let that happen.

  “Listen!” the man said cupping his hand around his ear. “If you listen closely, you can hear their screams.”

  For a second, I thought I’d actually heard something. But it had been so distant that it could have easily have been the sound of a blackbird crowing.

  “It’s started,” the man said looking into the storage room. His eyes were aimed at the ground. He lifted his gun and pointed it what I could only assume was his prisoner. “Not going to need you anymore.”

  The guy pulled the trigger and turned his attention back toward us. If there really were people close enough that I could hear them scream, they’d definitely be able to hear a gunshot.

  “Soon, the world will be a safer place for all of us that remain!” the man shouted, as he looked up at the sky. His gaze lowered and settled back on Shawn. “But,” the man cleared his throat, “there won’t be many that remain. In fact, I’m kind of hoping it might just be me.” He looked at me and raised his eyebrow. “And maybe her.”

  Shawn erupted into laughter, and the man raised his gun. He didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

  Shawn’s body jerked to the side, and I knew that he’d been hit. Before I’d even been able to raise my gun, Ryder slammed his shoulder into the man and knocked him down.

  Logan tried to catch Shawn before he fell but he hadn’t been fast enough, and Shawn tumbled to the ground. Blood was pouring out of his shoulder and onto the dirt and grasses.

  “Abby,” Logan said, but his voice had sounded distant. “Help me.”

  Another gunshot rang out, and I whipped my head around to see Ryder holding the man’s wrist tightly. He’d missed, but the noise could cause others to come looking.

  Ryder’s hands were empty, and I could only assume he’d dropped his knife. The man kicked his leg upward trying to throw Ryder off of him, but Ryder barely moved on impact. He pulled back his fist and threw it into the man’s face, enough to disorient him.

  “Emery!” Ryder shouted.

  I stepped forward as if something had taken over my body. It felt like I was being guided as my hand placed the end of the barrel between the man’s eyes. I didn’t think about it. I pulled the trigger.

  24

  The native man laid there on the ground staring blankly up toward the sky. There was no question about it, he was dead.

  I ran to Shawn and dropped to my knees at his side. He clenched his teeth as he turned toward me.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks,” Shawn said between breaths. His jaw was stiff, but I could tell he was trying to smile at me.

  “I think I saw a first aid kit in the hidden room,” Ryder said and instantly vanished into the storage building.

  “Put pressure on the wound,” I said, but Logan already was. I hated feeling helpless, but that was exactly how I felt.

  Shawn grabbed my hand. “It’s going to be OK. I promise.”

  I forced myself to smile at him, but my heart was aching. The pain was so strong it was almost as if I could feel the wound myself.

  “Doesn’t this bring back memories?” Shawn asked.

  I shook my head, but then memories of how I’d first met Shawn flooded my mind. It was different, but the way he was looking at me was much the same.

  “My angel,” he said blinking slowly.

  “Where’s Ryder?” I said whipping my head around. With each blink, his eyes seemed to stay closed longer and longer. “What do we do?”

  I couldn’t lose him. Ryder and Logan had managed to push through losing Charlie, but I wasn’t as strong as they were. I wouldn’t be able to survive losing Shawn.

  “I’m fine, really,” Shawn said, each word coming out far too slowly.

  Ryder knelt down next to me and opened up the first aid kit. Shawn winced as Ryder delicately rolled up his sleeve. He worked quickly to tie a band tightly above the wound.

  Logan moved closer and inspected the wound. “It removed a big chunk of flesh, but that’s all it is. The bullet grazed him, but it grazed him good.”

  “Told you I was fine,” Shawn said.

  The loss of blood was probably exaggerated by the fact that Shawn hadn’t eaten in some time, and that he hadn’t been sleeping well. After Ryder finished bandaging him up, Logan and Ryder helped him into the house.

  Shawn looked up at me. “Stop looking at me like I
’m going to die, it’s making me nervous. I’m fine.”

  “I just don’t want to—”

  “You’re not going to,” Shawn said. “Trust me, this is nothing compared to how I was when you first found me.”

  Ryder cleared his throat. “Emery,” he said his voice just above a whisper. “I’m going to need some help.”

  “With what?” I said holding onto Shawn’s hand almost as though I was afraid to let go.

  “We need to clean up the yard,” Ryder said.

  “I’ll help,” Logan said, but I could hear that he was already sitting in the chair rocking back and forth.

  “No, we need to work fast in case someone heard the gunshots,” Ryder said lightly placing his hand on my shoulder.

  My heart felt as though it skipped a beat when I thought about leaving Shawn. What if something happened while I was away?

  “Go,” Shawn said. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  Shawn blinked several times, and his eyes cast the magical spell over me that they always had. And that they always would.

  “I promise,” Shawn said.

  I stood and kissed Shawn on the cheek. Ryder was already staring out the window waiting.

  “Ready?” Ryder asked.

  “Not really, but let’s get it over with.”

  Ryder nodded and opened the door. He looked around in every direction before stepping out onto the porch.

  Everything around us was still. The only thing that was different was that there was a dead body laying on the ground and probably another in the storage building.

  I helped Ryder drag the body further back on the property. At the far end opposite the lake, we came upon the other grave where the last prisoner had been buried.

  “Guess we’ll be digging two more,” Ryder said.

  “Guess so,” I said looking around.

  Sunshine lit up our surrounding as it dried out the land.

  “Are you worried?” Ryder asked as he studied me.

  “Yeah, of course, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know, it’s kind of weird, but I guess I’m not.” Ryder started walking back toward the storage building.